The new Kirby Air Riders update is an absolute game-changer, and it took me right back to the Nintendo DS glory days
If you’ve seen any of my Kirby Air Riders coverage here at TechRadar Gaming, then you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of the frenetic Nintendo racer. Whether I’m facing off against friends in Air Ride mode or duking it out in a City Trial, I know that I’m going to have an absolute blast with this game – it’s massively chaotic, but in the best way imaginable.
So when I saw that Nintendo was rolling out a new update for the game, I was beyond excited. It’s one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games in my opinion, and having barely put it down since launch, I’m glad to see new stuff being added already.
But what’s new in Kirby Air Riders? Well, there are a few small tweaks, like two-player online and the inclusion of Grand Prix mode to the paddock – the game’s online lobby. However, there’s one big addition that I’m especially hyped about. That’s right, Kirby Air Riders now supports GameShare, and it’s an absolute game-changer. Here’s why.
Let’s take it back to the old school
Thanks to GameShare, you can now play Kirby Air Riders with friends or family using just one copy of the game. What’s more, the person that you’re playing with – or against – doesn’t even need to own a Nintendo Switch 2 console. Yes, you can even share the game with someone using the original Nintendo Switch, which is incredibly handy.
So not only do you only need one copy of Kirby Air Riders to share the mayhem with friends, you only need one Switch 2 system. Not bad, eh? But just how good is GameShare on this title? I gave it a go over a local connection to find out.
First of all, it was incredibly quick and easy to get connected. I was playing against someone using the original Switch, and we hopped onto the game in a matter of seconds. In terms of performance, things aren’t bad at all. Frame rate was pretty consistent – though this may vary depending on your connection strength. And although there was an obvious hit to visual fidelity – on both the original Switch and the Switch 2 – it was still easy to follow the action.
I very much enjoyed using GameShare with Kirby Air Riders. It’s a function I’ve not used nearly enough, even though it’s available on some of my favorite titles, like Donkey Kong Bananza.
Trying out GameShare also felt like a bit of a nostalgia trip. It took me back to the good ol’ days of download play on the Nintendo DS. I can’t even count how many times my siblings and I duked it out in a balloon battle or VS race on Mario Kart DS, using just one copy of the game. Or how many times we played minigames on New Super Mario Bros. DS. Good times.
Anyway, I’m absolutely over the moon that GameShare support has landed on Kirby Air Riders, and it’s given me a push to explore the feature on other titles too. But will you be playing Kirby Air Riders over GameShare? What do you make of the game more generally? Let me know in the comments!
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