Over the weekend, Nintendo Switch 2 owners got their first chance to play the Kirby Air Riders Global Test Ride demo. While Kirby and the other riders were plenty popular, this first weekend undoubtedly belongs to Rick the hamster, who first appeared in 1995’s Kirby’s Dream Land 2.
The demo includes three modes. Driving School is the game’s tutorial mode, Air Ride is for offline play, and City Trial features full online competitive races. While Driving School and Air Ride help players become familiar with the gameplay, it’s in City Trial where champions are born and friendships end. It’s also where you’ll see a bunch of Ricks flooding the online lobbies.
Rick’s speed and Rip-Roaring Rick special move are the biggest contributors to his overwhelming presence in City Trial. As if his base stats weren’t good enough, Rip-Roaring Rick allows him to put away his Air Ride machine and blast down the track, knocking anything and anyone out of his way.
While Rick’s speed and special move are what get competitive racers to pick him, his adorable design and animations make him appealing to more casual players. Fan art and video clips of Rick have already flooded the internet, some of which are themed around his oppressive speed, while others focus on his cuteness.
Some have likened Rick’s growing popularity to that of Cow from Mario Kart World. However, given Rick’s recent dominance in online races, he may end up being more like Spike, whose superior acceleration and handling make him the bane of Mario Kart World players.
The Kirby Air Riders Global Test Ride demo will have a second weekend, with players able to play the game on November 15 from 12 am to 6 am PT and 4 pm to 10 pm PT. The final demo period will be on November 16 from 7 am to 1 pm PT. Kirby Air Riders is set to release on November 20 for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Related: Kirby Air Riders appears to use Bandai Namco Studio’s new in-house engine, SOL-AVES
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