Line #1 VideoGame/KirbyAirRide


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4	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kirby_air_ride.png]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:[[{{Tagline}} Kirby's Ready to Ride!]]]]
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7	''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'''s one and only title on the Platform/NintendoGameCube, ''Kirby Air Ride'' (or ''Kirby's Airride'' in Japanese) is a multiplayer MascotRacer that supports up to 4 players. It was developed by Creator/HALLaboratory, directed by Creator/MasahiroSakurai and released in 2003. It was the last ''Kirby'' game Sakurai worked on before his departure from HAL (and, for a while, Nintendo as a whole).
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9	''Kirby Air Ride'' is somewhat similar to ''VideoGame/MarioKart'', Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s main MascotRacer series, being a racing game that allows players to attack one another to impede their rivals' progress. However, unlike ''Mario Kart'', you do so in the traditional ''Kirby'' way: utilizing various Copy Abilities that are obtained by swallowing the enemies that litter most tracks. The controls are also very simple; acceleration is automatic, leaving the A button and control stick to be used as the only methods of input for all actions.
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11	The game has three different modes:
12	* '''Air Ride:''' Your standard third-person racing mode (with some {{mooks}} running around to steal Copy Abilities from) — just complete the laps and get first place. Alternatively, turn on the optional HP meter and knock out the competition before they can complete the race. Also includes a TimeAttack.
13	* '''Top Ride:''' A mode that uses a top-down camera instead of a third-person perspective. You race on very small tracks that require completing a large number of laps, there are only two machine types that are only differentiated by their control schemes instead of stats, and items are used instead of Copy Abilities. Like Air Ride, it has a TimeAttack.
14	* '''City Trial:''' A unique mode with two stages. In the first stage, players are given a time limit to explore a large city where they need to find upgrades or replacements for their vehicle. When time's up, they are taken to the second stage: a randomly selected final event that can involve an Air Ride race or some other contest, the outcome of which is used to determine the winner. Strange things may happen in the city during the first stage that can help or hinder progress, and unlike Air Ride mode, the HP meter is not optional (though dying during the first stage doesn't disqualify you; it just results in losing your machine (and a lot of power-ups)).
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16	''Kirby Air Ride'' was notably the last game in the ''Kirby'' series that Sakurai worked on before departing from HAL Laboratories a month after the Japanese release, having been hit with ArtistDisillusionment over constant pressure to continue making ''Kirby'' sequels. Sakurai would be involved with the series one last time after his departure, acting as an advisor to the ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror'' developers, but would never return to any position of involvement again, much less the director's seat.
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18	''Kirby Air Ride'' has no sequels or follow-ups, though it's had some influence on other Nintendo games that Sakurai worked on. Its version of an AchievementSystem is used in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'', ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'', and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'', the menu layout and aesthetics are the basis for the ones used in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'', and the Smash Run mode in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'' is a SpiritualSuccessor to City Trial.
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21	!!''Kirby Air Ride'' contains examples of:
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23	* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: The Japanese box art has Kirby smiling, showing how he's clearly enjoying himself and exuding a cutesy look. The international box art removes the smile and gives him AngryEyebrows for a more intense image. [[http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/119/1192766/box-art-battles-the-kirby-series-20110907021411137.jpg See here for a comparison.]]
24	* ArbitraryMissionRestriction: Some Tasks require using certain machines while also winning races within a specific time limit.
25	* AwesomeButImpractical: The Hydra is by far the strongest ''and'' fastest Air Ride machine. Sadly, it comes with its fair share of drawbacks. For starters, it's only available in City Trial, even as an unlockable machine. It also has the second-slowest charge time,[[note]]The Turbo Star takes last place, but only from a standstill. If it's in the midst of a turn, its charge is more up to par, meaning the Turbo Star only takes last place by technicality.[[/note]] which sucks because it's similar to the Bulk Star in this regard, meaning you're a sitting duck and/or stuck at the starting line until you can get a full charge. It's totally impractical against most minigames save for Drag Race, Single Race, and ''maybe'' Destruction Derby.[[note]]Even then, computer players take full advantage of its Bulk Star-esque charging mechanic, ''[[ArtificialBrilliance targeting the one riding it for free hits.]]'' The only thing saving you from their combined attack destroying the Hydra is its incredible health and defense.[[/note]]
26	* BlowYouAway: Tornado lets Kirby execute a more effective version of the spin attack by powering it up with wind.
27	* BoringButPractical: [[https://wikirby.com/wiki/Swerve_Star The Swerve Star.]] Its gimmick is having no turning ability whatsoever while in motion on the ground, coming to a dead stop while the A button is held, having the ability to quickly pivot while stopped, and instantly accelerating to top speed when the A button is released. While it's unable to utilize boost panels and it has mediocre durability and gliding ability, its acceleration is utterly unrivaled, its fast-or-stopped nature makes it incredibly precise, and its top speed is among the highest in the game, beaten only by even ''more'' [[QuirkyBard gimmicky]] or [[CripplingOverspecialization specialized]] (to the point of AwesomeButImpractical) vehicles like the Formula Star, Turbo Star, Bulk Star, and Hydra (and the Dragoon, but that's a [[PurposefullyOverpowered flat-out]] GameBreaker). Once one gets used to how the Swerve Star handles, it becomes a ''very'' strong contender for the most reliable (and controllable) machine in the game.
28	* ChargeAttack: Plasma will unleash stronger and larger shots if you charge it up before firing.
29	* ColorCodedForYourConvenience:
30	** In City Trial, the stat-boosting power-ups are each uniquely colored, making them easier to tell apart from afar. Gray ones decrease your stats.
31	** Within the same mode, the item-containing boxes are colored to show what kind of item will be found within them.
32	* CollisionDamage: Dealing damage normally requires spinning, an item like the cannon, or a Copy Ability, but playing in City Trial's Free Run ''or'' main game allows players to deal damage by ramming other players.
33	* CreatorThumbprint: ''Kirby Air Ride'' was the first game to exhibit many of the personal touches Sakurai has been known for in his post-HAL career, such as a checklist page that unlocks things as you fill it out and the stylized menus filled with odd shapes.
34	* CripplingOverspecialization: Many of the machines suffer from being too specialized in a certain stat or gimmick. For instance, the Rocket Star has the best boosting power in the game and the Formula Star has the third-best top speed (beaten only by [[PurposefullyOverpowered the Dragoon and Hydra]]), but they suffer so much in almost every other category that it often becomes a moot point.
35	* DeathMountain: Celestial Valley in Air Ride mode is set on mountainous rocky terrain with raging waterfalls.
36	* DiskOneNuke: DownplayedTrope. The Wagon Star is one of the first machines you can unlock in Air Ride mode, and stat-wise, it's one of the better stars in the game. However, it's still beatable with the default Warp Star.
37	%%* EldritchLocation: Checker Knights in Air Ride mode.
38	* EternalEngine: Machine Passage in Air Ride mode and Metal in Top Ride Mode are mechanically-themed locations.
39	* FlyingSaucer: One of City Trial's many random events has a gigantic UFO fly overhead ominously. What does it do? It rewards any player able to get on top of it with many power-ups, including the normally rare All-Up.
40	* {{Foreshadowing}}: During City Trial, there will often be a prediction made about the event that will follow.
41	* GreenHillZone: Fantasy Meadows in Air Ride mode and Grass in Top Ride mode are the simplest tracks that run through flat green plains.
42	* GrindBoots: Some tracks have grind rails that you can hop onto with your machine. They automatically take you forward at a fixed speed (depending on what star you're using) and occasionally lead to alternate routes.
43	* InconsistentDub: Gordo suffers some {{Engrish}}, being mistranslated as "Gold", and Dyna Blade, well established as being a mother, is erroneously called a "he", likely due to the lack of gendered pronouns in Japanese.
44	* InvisibleWall: The main area in City Trial and each of the races in Air Ride are surrounded with these to prevent escaping or cheating, although if you have enough flying power, you can make it over the wall. Some stages do have a way of getting off the track, but doing so results in Kirby falling into a BottomlessPit (and either reappearing on the track ''VideoGame/MarioKart''-style (possibly [[HPToOne at minimal health]]) or being flat-out retired from the race, depending on what game mode is being played and whether or not finite HP is turned on).
45	* JackOfAllStats: The Warp Star doesn't really excel in any one area, but it also doesn't have any huge flaws. It's got okay speed and acceleration, decent health, passable gliding ability, a good charge speed, middle-of-the-road weight so it can drift (but not ''too'' much), and controls well.
46	* JourneyToTheSky: This is actually quite easy to do: in City Trial mode, there are a few ramps- and a volcano- that will launch you straight to a transparent, circular object in the sky that you can climb on top of. Despite not looking much like a garden, it's referred to in-universe as "the garden in the sky". The first time you do it, you'll unlock an achievement.
47	* LethalLavaLand: Magma Flows in Air Ride mode and Fire in Top Ride are tracks that run through volcanoes.
48	* LevelInTheClouds: Beanstalk Park in Air Ride mode and Sky in Top Ride mode are both located in the sky.
49	* LightningBruiser: The Hydra is the single fastest machine in the game (its top speed is literally the game's speed {{cap}}), has the highest health, is among the better machines at gliding, and does ''huge'' amounts of damage to other machines just by colliding with them (and by "huge amounts of damage", we mean "[[OneHitKill one-shots]] anything less durable than a Wagon Star (which is everything except for the Wagon Star and Hydra)"). It does take over eight seconds to start moving without stat boosts, but once it does, it accelerates ''very'' quickly (only the Swerve Star accelerates faster, and its top speed is roughly a fifth as high as the Hydra's), so it should easily catch up to the other racers if the race isn't already over.
50	* MightyGlacier: Dedede in the City Trial event doesn't move very fast, but get hit even once by his hammer, and your machine may [[OneHitKill very well be forfeit.]]
51	* NotCompletelyUseless: The Formula Star is often worthless despite its high top speed, as it has horrible acceleration, poor turning, and is ''terrible'' at gliding. Some final events in City Trial are races on tracks that are just a straight line, which is perfect for the Formula Star's design.
52	* OneHitKill: If Hydra collides with another machine, it will usually destroy the target instantly. A subversion of this is the Shadow Star, which can bust many machines with a single, well-placed spin attack.
53	* PaletteSwap: In each mode you can play as either Pink, Yellow, Blue, or Red. By completing specific objectives, Green, Brown, Purple, and White become selectable colors in the mode they were unlocked in.
54	* PalmtreePanic: Water in Top Ride mode is a track filled with waterfalls next to a coastal area.
55	* PatchworkMap: The map of City Trial is made up of a volcano, a forest, a river, an icy cavern (found inside the volcano), several multistory buildings, and the sea all quite close to one another.
56	* RecycledSoundtrack: Many of the music tracks are reused from either the Japanese version of ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'' or previous games.
57	* SecretCharacter: Meta Knight and King Dedede can both be unlocked for use in Air Ride and City Trial's free mode.[[note]]Do NOT pick them in Free Mode, though. Where Kirby just gets back up and lets you go pick another ride, if you lose all your life as another character you're left with the ability to... [[ControllableHelplessness twitch on the ground slightly]], forcing a restart.[[/note]] Meta Knight acts like a permanent combination of Wing and Sword, while Dedede acts like Sword (using his hammer instead of a blade) on the Wheelie Bike.
58	* SecretUndergroundPassage: City Trial has a few examples of this.
59	** There's a passage underneath the forest accessed by breaking through from above in a couple specific spots or by breaking through a wall in one of the other underground sections.
60	** There is also an icy cavern underneath the volcano reached by breaking one of the rock walls around its base or riding a rail straight into its center.
61	* SentientVehicle: The Air Ride Machines display some levels of sentience in City Trial, such as when they take off on their own or fly around in formation together during the Air Ride Formation event. The Wheelie vehicles also qualify for this.
62	* ShiftingSandLand: Sky Sands in Air Ride mode and Sand in Top Ride are tracks located in a desert.
63	* ShoutOut: The menus are clearly inspired by ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee''. In fact, it seems that ''Brawl'''s menu designs were inspired by this game.
64	* SlippySlideyIceWorld: Frozen Hillside in Air Ride mode is a snowy landscape with beautiful aurora skies.
65	* SnowySleighBells: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTOt8uUBj4A Frozen Hillside's track]] has a sleigh bell ring three times in the background before a {{Beat}}, followed by the bell ringing three more times.
66	* SpaceZone: Nebula Belt in Air Ride mode and Light in Top Ride mode are both set in deep space.
67	* SpectacularSpinning: Flicking the Control Stick left and right allows Kirby to execute a Quick Spin, allowing you to attack nearby enemies. Tornado and Wing increase the attack's effectiveness.
68	* StarterEquipment:
69	** In Air Ride mode, you start off only being able to use the Warp Star (the JackOfAllStats machine) and need to unlock the rest.
70	** The Compact Star is the ride you start with in City Trial. While it's not the best choice for actual competition (outside of facing against low-level AI with low handicaps), it boasts a surprisingly good combination of charge, turning, and gliding ability, which makes it good for collecting a lot of patches before switching to a more suitable ride for the event.
71	* SuperScream: The Mike Copy Ability has Kirby scream into a microphone to damage surrounding enemies. Unlike other Copy Abilities, it immediately activates once received.
72	* TheUnfought: Meta Knight isn't unlocked by fighting or racing him. Instead, you have to stay airborne for a collective total of thirty minutes or more in the Air Ride mode.
73	* VideoGame3DLeap: This is the first game that allowed players to fully control Kirby in a 3D space. Beyond racing and battling on Air Ride machines, the City Trial mode also allowed you to dismount your vehicle and freely run and float around — although just like in ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'', your jumps are limited.
74	* WindmillScenery: Fantasy Meadows has a windmill in the background (to enhance the "Meadows" part of its name), and it has sails made out of ''dragonfly wings'' (and there is the "Fantasy" part alright).
75	* WintryAuroralSky: Frozen Hillside, the game's resident icy racetrack, has green, blue and pink auroras high up in the purple skies.
76	* YourSizeMayVary: In his City Trial event, King Dedede is '''enormous'''. When you're actually playing as him, he's barely bigger than Kirby.

Context VideoGame / KirbyAirRide