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GameCube | Driving | Kirby Air Ride

Publisher: HAL Laboratory
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 10/14/2003
Genre: Driving
Number of Players: 4
ESRB Rating: Everyone
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72 screen shots

GRAPHICS: 3.5
SOUND: 3.5
CONTROL: 4.0
FUN FACTOR 4.0
AVG USER SCORE 4.0
AVG CRITIC SCORE 3.0

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Review: Kirby Air Ride

Review by THED-PADDESTROYER | 10/13/2003 | 11:54:49 AM PST

Kirby is disturbingly cute, but his GameCube racing title shows some sophisticated innovation.

Kirby has always been one of Nintendo?s best-loved and strangest mascots, and now he?s on GameCube in his own twist on Mario Kart. It?s no killer app, but HAL?s pink puffer has a few racing tricks up his, erm, complete lack of sleeves.

He?s a Circle With Feet
Kirby Air Ride is based on a simple premise: Provide a straightforward racing game that requires new skills so that everyone starts out on the same page. Air Ride not only compresses the control list all onto a single button, but it also introduces new concepts like gliding, boost-charging, and slurping enemies for power-ups. If the game?s Kirbyness doesn?t charm you, the new gameplay probably will, with its huge list of things to unlock and its array of ?machines?, each with vastly different rules for handling and speed. A disturbingly GTA-inspired ?City Trial? mode, in which you drive around a city powering up your machine before being drawn into a randomly arranged showdown against three rivals, makes for a fun departure from the typical race-around-the-track doldrums.

While the innovation in the title is refreshing, Kirby?s look and sound aren?t as impressive. The music is the same kiddy set of fanfares you?d expect after Super Smash Bros., and the visuals resemble some of the N64?s finest work in that system?s prime. The simple and colorful look works for Kirby in particular, but a little more detail couldn?t have hurt overall.

Just a Big Cream Puff
Kirby has always twisted genre expectations a bit, and Air Ride is no exception, but you won?t want to buy it unless you?re looking for a harmless marshmallow fluff of a racing game with a few endearing quirks.