Kirby's Air Ride

Kirby's Air Ride is the latest game from HAL Laboratories, of Super Smash Bros. fame. The game stars Kirby, Nintendo's lovable and underrated platforming hero. Kirby's Air Ride takes the rotund one into the racing genre in a quirky game that blends classic Kirby gameplay elements with high-speed racing. We recently took the Japanese version of the game for a spin to see how the change of pace works for the little guy.

You'll find three modes to choose from in the game. Air ride is the standard third-person racer that has been seen in the media released on the game. Top down is a top-down racing mode. Multiplayer is a collection of games for up to four players that includes support for LAN games if you have extra copies of the game, GameCube broadband adapters, crossover cables, and some spare TVs. The gameplay in Kirby's Air Ride is a blend of high-speed racing and the power-absorption mechanic that has been one of Kirby's defining characteristics since his debut in the early '90s. Essentially, you'll pick a vehicle and then complete a set number of laps around a course--smacking your opponents and absorbing the powers of familiar enemies from previous Kirby games as you go--in a race to cross the finish line first. You'll find variations on the theme in the game's other modes, which pit you against AI-controlled opponents in events and other challenges and allow you to unlock a great deal of content.

The controls in the game are easy to pick up and should be accessible to just about anyone. You'll guide Kirby with the analog stick, which also doubles as your accelerator when pushed forward. The A button serves three purposes: You'll use it to slow down your craft when approaching tight turns, charge up a speed burst, and trigger Kirby's sucking ability, which allows him to consume enemies and spit them out as projectiles. Certain enemies, denoted by bubbles floating next to them, will temporarily grant Kirby a special power. When Kirby has gained one of these powers, you'll use the A button to trigger it. For example, when you gain the electricity ability, complete with a spiky headdress, you'll be able to fire electric bolts at your opponents. On the other hand, when you've absorbed the sword power, Kirby will automatically swing his sword when he's near enemies. Most of the abilities will prove very useful for slowing down your opponents. However, Kirby's absorbed powers will disappear after a set amount of time or a certain number of uses.

The controls are pretty rudimentary, but you'll find that the game doesn't play as simply as you'd expect. For example, the A button's various functions take into account the speed and duration of your button presses. You'll also find that when you're launched into the air, either by shooting off a speed pad or sailing off a massive cliff, you'll be able to adjust your pitch with the analog stick. All told, the game calls to mind the hectic nature of HAL's previous GameCube hit, Super Smash Bros. Melee. While Kirby Air Ride doesn't offer quite the amount of depth as that game, it's still quite fun.

The graphics in Kirby's Air Ride blend simple character models with detailed, uniquely designed environments. The various themed tracks run the standard gamut of locales such as forest, ice, lava, and sky, to name just a few. The tracks feature a healthy dose of color, and they'll send you on some unique routes to the finish. You'll find yourself shooting off massive cliffs, racing down rapids, tearing through the sky, and riding rails--sometimes in the same level. The game's visual presentation and pacing are aided by the capable graphics engine, which pumps out a respectable number of polygons and keeps them moving at a zippy frame rate that rarely dips below 60 frames per second.

The game's audio is pretty modest on the whole. The highlight is a nicely melodramatic collection of bouncy tunes that accompany the action on each themed track. The sound effects in the game, on the other hand, are pretty subdued. You'll hear an assortment of collision effects as you race and attack enemies, as well as specific effects for each of Kirby's powers, but nothing really stands out.

Kirby's Air Ride seems to be a breezy little game with a fair amount of charm. The gameplay is solid and offers quite a bit to like. The graphics do a fine job of capturing Kirby's appeal and move along at a decent clip. The single-player gameplay modes are relatively engaging and feature a meaty assortment of unlockables, and the multiplayer modes reflect HAL's experience with the Smash Bros. series and feature the added bonus of LAN support. While going through the single-player modes and unlocking items may grow a bit stale after a while, competing against up to three other opponents never gets old. Kirby's Air Ride is currently slated to ship this fall for the GameCube.