Kirby Air Riders Gets Strange Switch 2 Ad from Nintendo
Nintendo just dropped one of the strangest advertisements I’ve seen in a while for its next major exclusive, Kirby Air Riders, and it’s leaving everyone a bit puzzled. It seems Nintendo hasn’t learned a thing from the Wii U days, rolling out a marketing strategy that feels disconnected and frankly, bizarre. Instead of showing off the high-octane racing and chaotic fun we’d expect from a Kirby title, the ad went in a completely different direction.
Picture this: a serene, almost painfully slow montage of Kirby peacefully floating on his Warp Star, set to elevator music. There are no epic races, no City Trial mayhem, just… Kirby. Floating. It’s the kind of ad you’d expect for a Kirby-themed relaxation app, not a high-speed racing game. It’s a baffling choice that does absolutely nothing to hype up what should be an adrenaline-pumping experience. What were they thinking? Are they trying to sell a racing game or a glorified screensaver?
This strange marketing move has left the community scratching their heads and has done little to build confidence ahead of the game’s release on the Switch 2.
Community Divided After Test Ride Demo
If the weird ad wasn’t enough, the recent Global Test Ride demo for Kirby Air Riders has split the fanbase right down the middle. For a game that carries the legacy of the beloved GameCube classic, you’d think the reception would be overwhelmingly positive. Instead, it’s been a mix of pure excitement and bitter disappointment.
A poll over at Nintendo Life asked players if they planned on picking up the game, and the results were all over the place. While a small, dedicated group has already pre-ordered or plans to buy it on day one, a larger chunk of players are either on the fence or have completely written it off.
A surprising number of players, after getting their hands on the demo, outright canceled their pre-orders. Their main complaints? Clunky controls that feel nothing like the simple, intuitive fun of the original, and a sense that the game lacks the soul of its predecessor. Some even compared it unfavorably to other racers like Fast Fusion, which is a tough pill to swallow for a first-party Nintendo title.
So the question is, should you buy Kirby Air Riders?
The debate raging in the comments sections is a testament to the community’s passion. On one side, you have players who are thrilled with the updated graphics and the return of a modern City Trial mode. They’re ready to dive in, arguing that the demo is just a small slice of the full experience.
On the other side, you have the disillusioned fans. They feel the new mechanics are a step back and that Nintendo missed the point of what made the GCN’s Kirby Air Ride a cult classic. The nostalgia is strong with this one, and for many, the new entry just doesn’t capture the magic. It feels like Nintendo tried to fix something that wasn’t broken, and in the process, may have alienated a core part of its audience.
With a strange marketing campaign and a divisive demo, the future of Kirby Air Riders is looking a bit turbulent. Will it soar to the heights of its predecessor, or will it be a crash landing for our favorite pink puffball? We’ll have to wait and see, but one thing’s for sure: Nintendo has a lot of work to do to win over the skeptics.
