Kirby Air Riders – Super guide with tips, strategies, essential skills and unlocking the true ending

November 30, 2025 Off By Markus Norat

If you first turned on Kirby Air Riders and thought, ” Huh, why does this thing accelerate on its own and only brake when I press the button? “, relax: that’s exactly how it works. This game isn’t a traditional kart racer; it has its own logic, a bit strange at first, but extremely addictive once you understand how it all works.

Here I’ll talk to you as if we were side-by-side, controlling the same machine and analyzing every detail on the screen. The idea is to take everything the game offers and turn it into an advantage for you: boosts, glowing tracks, automatic rails, items, game modes… everything explained calmly, in Brazilian Portuguese, so you can leave here ready to fly.

Understanding the logic of the boost:

The first thing you need to remember is: the boost button (B) is not a regular turbo. In most racing games you press the button and the vehicle takes off. In Kirby Air Riders it’s the opposite: when you hold down the boost button, your vehicle slows down , almost to a stop. Only then does it release an absurd boost and take off.

So what’s the trick?

Think of it this way:

Holding down button B = charging power, slowing down the speed.
Releasing button B = releasing the accumulated turbo and flying forward.

At first, it’s normal to get confused: either holding it for too long and getting stuck in a bad spot, or releasing it too early and getting a weak boost. The secret is choosing the right moment to charge and release that boost. Especially:

Before the tight turns:
Instead of trying to take the turn “by brute force,” you enter the turn holding B, let Kirby slow down while the machine adjusts the angle, and then, right in the middle or at the exit of the turn, you release the button and take off, often overtaking those who entered too fast and lost control.
In sections you already know:
As you memorize the track layout, you’ll learn where it’s safe to slow down to accumulate boost without losing too much time. Long downhill sections, tunnel exits, or sections after rails are great places to unleash that boost.

Over time, you’ll realize it ‘s not just about “speeding up all the time .” The game becomes a rhythm of breaths: hold, release, hold, release. When you get into this “dance” with the B button, the controls feel more natural and you start to master the tracks.

Adjusting the camera: find your ideal field of view.

In a game with so much happening on screen, the camera makes a big difference . If the default framing seems too close to the vehicle, it’s easy to lose track of what’s coming ahead.

You can:

Pulling the directional pad back slightly zooms the camera out, increasing the field of view.
Or, if you prefer to see everything up close, zoom in slightly.

My suggestion is to test until you find the point where:

You can clearly see the curves and obstacles ahead.
You can still see your vehicle clearly enough to react quickly.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with the camera until you find the “perfect spot” for you. This helps a lot in decision-making.

Choosing and understanding upgrades (don’t just grab everything haphazardly):

During the games, you’ll find various types of power-ups that affect your vehicle’s attributes: speed, acceleration, handling, attack, defense, etc. The temptation is to grab everything in sight. But if you want to play well, you need to think a little.

Ask yourself:

Is my vehicle naturally slow but stable? Prioritize speed and acceleration
upgrades . This helps compensate for the lack of top speed.
My vehicle is fast, but handles poorly in corners?
Focus on items that improve cornering ability and overall control. It’s no use being a rocket if you can’t stay on the track.
Will I be facing a boss or many strong enemies?
In that case, think about attack and defense . More attack means dealing more damage, and more defense helps you avoid being taken down with just a few hits.

Over time, you’ll get used to “building” your machine during the match. Instead of just picking up item after item without thinking, you’ll adjust your build according to what’s happening: if you see you’re taking a lot of damage, prioritize defense; if you’re having trouble catching up with the squad, focus on speed.

Items: Yes, you can carry multiple items at once.

Another thing that many people don’t realize right away: you can hold several items at the same time . Most of them are used automatically in certain situations or consume themselves, so you don’t need to be so frugal thinking “oh, I’ll save them for later”.

The ideal mindset is:

See the item? Grab it.
Let the game use/consume as needed.
It keeps catching more.

This will ensure you always have some extra resources running in the background, whether it’s to deal damage, protect yourself, or temporarily improve an attribute.

Special bar: how to fill it, when to use it, and what to avoid.

You have a special bar that fills up in three main ways:

When you take damage .
When you cause harm .
And also automatically over time .

The catch is that, once it’s full and ready for use, you can’t just leave it there and forget about it. There’s a time window : if you don’t use the special within about ten seconds, you lose that charge.

So, whenever you realize your special is ready:

Look for a good situation to activate it: a section with many enemies, a fierce dispute, a moment when you need to turn the tide of battle.
Avoid “hoarding” too much, thinking that the perfect opportunity will appear. Sometimes, the best opportunity is simply the next favorable situation that arises.

It’s better to use a special move in “good” condition than to completely lose the bar waiting for the “perfect” one that may never come.

Using the brilliant tracks: slipstream to your advantage.

Whenever you get close to another driver ahead of you, you’ll notice a bright trail appearing behind them. That’s the equivalent of the famous “draft” from other racing games: the slipstream .

But here’s an important detail:
This vacuum is very strong . If you stay aligned with the bright trail, the speed you gain is incredible. So, whenever you’re behind someone, try this:

Align your vehicle with the trail leading from your opponent.
Stay there for a few seconds, letting the speed increase.
Use the extra acceleration to overtake at the right moment.

And there’s a really cool trick:
You can combine the glowing trail with your own boost. For example:

You slip into an opponent’s slipstream, letting the trail accelerate you.
As you approach, hold down the B button briefly, reducing your speed while charging the turbo.
When you’re coming out of a curve or on a straight stretch that’s good for overtaking, you release the B button and accelerate, taking advantage of the accumulated momentum plus the speed of the trail.

This allows for very dramatic overtaking maneuvers, especially near the finish line. Just be careful not to overuse the slipstream in sections with many obstacles, otherwise you’ll end up copying your opponent’s mistakes as well.

Learning to “read” the clues:

At first, the tracks may seem like one big automated track, where the game “holds your hand.” But after a few laps, you start to notice details: ramps, rails, specific curves, subtle shortcuts, walls that can be used to slide… that’s when the game really opens up.

When you’re playing, try to observe:

Ramps and platforms for Quick Spin:
On ramps or jump points, you can use the Quick Spin to gain more momentum, dodge enemies, or adjust the angle of your vehicle. Practice spinning at the right moment to land in an advantageous position.
Boost pads along the way:
Some sections have “acceleration platforms” on the ground. Always try to trace a racing line that passes through these points. If you combine a boost pad + a charged boost, the speed becomes insane.
Strategic cornering for boost loading:
Instead of trying to take every corner as fast as possible, think about which corners give you room to load boost without crashing. Sometimes, entering a corner more “slowly,” holding B, and releasing the boost immediately afterward yields much more time than arriving at full speed and bouncing off the wall.
Parts of the scenery that aren’t so obvious:
Vines, fences, suspended rails, and other surfaces sometimes allow you to slide, charge boosts, or maintain speed without needing to control them so rigidly. The more you explore, the more alternative paths you find.

The key is: don’t race on autopilot . Use the first or second race on a new track as “reconnaissance”: look for the rails, the boosts, the most treacherous corners. In subsequent races you will seem much more experienced.

Automatic rails (Auto-Rails):

Autorails are those tracks where the vehicle “enters” and follows automatically, as if it were grinding on a skateboard rail. At first glance, it seems like just an automated section where you don’t do much. But there’s a lot of detail here.

Change “tracks” all the time.

When you’re on the track, your vehicle also leaves a trail that other players can use. If you always stay in the same position, it makes life easier for those behind you.

So, when you’re on track:

Switch sides frequently , taking advantage of lateral control.
Use this both to make it harder for those following you to slip past and to better align yourself with the exit from the track.

This also helps you avoid obstacles and choose the best exit point, already indicating a boost pad, a curve, or a straight section.

Auto-Rails recharge their boost.

Here comes one of the most important details:

When you’re sliding on certain rails, fences, or specific elements of the scenery, your boost is automatically recharged. And the best part: without you needing to slow down by holding down the B button.

In other words, the train tracks became a sort of “turbo gas station.” So, think of it this way:

Before entering the track, check if there is a curve or a long straight stretch soon after.
While on the track, let the boost fill up.
As you leave, you can unleash a powerful boost , taking advantage of the free recharge and surprising those nearby.

Whenever you enter an Auto-Rail, don’t just see it as “a pretty part of the stage.” Use that moment to refuel your boost and plan your next move.

Using Power Graph:

During City Trial mode , you can press the pause button (for example, the “+” button) to open a screen that shows a power graph for your vehicle. This screen is like an RPG character sheet: there you can clearly see where you are strong and where you are weak.

It’s worth making it a habit to, from time to time:

Pause for a second.
Look at the graph.
Thinking: “Okay, I have a lot of speed, but almost no defense… the next upgrade I find, maybe it would be better to get one for defense rather than more speed.”

This prevents you from falling into the trap of becoming a glass cannon: extremely strong in one aspect and ridiculously fragile in another. By adjusting your build throughout the city, you arrive at the final trials much better prepared.

Quick Spin with movement or by shaking the controller.

The Quick Spin is that quick spin you use to:

Hit enemies around you.
Adjusting the vehicle’s position on ramps and curves.
Making small detours in chaotic situations.

By default, you usually activate it by moving the analog stick quickly, but the game offers the option to use controller movement (shaking it slightly) to perform the spin.

If you don’t enjoy constantly “spinning the directional pad,” this is worth it:

Go to settings.
Increase the sensitivity of Quick Spin.
Enable the option to use the controller’s movement to rotate.

Try it out a bit and see what suits you best. In a fast-paced game with lots of things happening, having a turn control that you can execute comfortably makes all the difference.

Understanding Road Trip mode: routes that change with your choices.

The Road Trip mode is designed to be replayable. It works as a sequence of tracks, events, and situations, where some of your choices on the road change the route you will follow .

On their first journey:

You will find icons and elements along the road that can be selected.
In many cases, choosing one of these icons changes the path forward, leading you to a different sequence of events.

Don’t despair if you feel like you’ve “lost something”:

After you finish the mode once, the game starts showing icons indicating routes and options that you haven’t explored yet .
Therefore, in the next moves, it becomes easy to identify: “Oops, I haven’t taken this path yet.”

The best strategy is:

The first time, play naturally, enjoying the experience.
Starting with the second game, begin exploring alternative routes , choosing different icons and observing where the game takes you.

With this, you can see virtually everything the mode offers: different tracks, varied events, extra challenges, and specific rewards for each path.

Keeping calm amidst the chaos: find your own rhythm.

Kirby Air Riders is a visually intense game: lots of colors, lots of items, lots of enemies, various effects on the screen… especially in City Trial mode or in multiplayer matches with several friends, the feeling can be one of total chaos.

The idea, however, is for you not to succumb to the despair of this chaos . Instead, try:

Mentally define a simple goal for each game .
For example: “In this game, I’m going to focus on improving speed and learning the layout of track X”; or “In this one, I want to practice jumping and using rails.”
Ignore the excessive on-screen stimuli for a moment and focus on three main things :
your position on the track, the most important upgrades for your car, and boost opportunities.
Understanding that sometimes chasing after every item that appears only puts you in a bad situation. It’s better to grab fewer items, but strategically, than to become a puppet of the screen’s brightness.

When you decide on your own pace and objective, the game ceases to be chaos and becomes a controlled challenge. You enter a kind of “zen mode”: the world explodes around you, but you are there, focused on what really matters.

Play all the modes: each one hides important unlockables.

It’s very common to think, “Okay, I like this mode, I’ll just play this one.” But Kirby Air Riders distributes unlockables and cosmetics across several different modes.

So, even if you have a favorite mode, make the effort to:

Visit the other modes.
Play a few rounds on each one.
See what challenges, objectives, and rewards each mode offers.

Besides unlocking more content, this helps you get to know the game as a whole. Sometimes, mastering one mode helps you in another: City Trial, for example, teaches you a lot about upgrading your car; this can be reflected in races that are more focused on pure speed.

In summary, the tips above will help you master Kirby Air Riders:

Boost isn’t just about speed, it’s about strategy : holding B to slow down at the right moment and releasing it to explode out of corners or important sections is the basis of the game.
Use your opponents’ bright trails to your advantage : line up with them, take advantage of the slipstream, and combine it with your own boost for spectacular overtakes.
Read the clues as if they were maps full of opportunities : ramps, rails, walls, fences, boost pads… everything can be used to gain an advantage, recharge your boost, or adjust your route.
Think of upgrades as character building : choose items that make sense for the type of machine you’re building, rather than grabbing everything randomly.
Make the most of Auto-Rails : switch lanes to avoid giving away free space and use the fact that they recharge your boost to set up explosive exits.
Use Power Graph to make decisions : see where you’re out of balance and correct that with future upgrades.
Don’t be afraid to pick up multiple items : they’re used automatically most of the time, so maintain a steady flow of resources.
Adjust the camera to your style : having a better view of the track ahead can be the difference between winning or losing a race.
Manage your special meter well : know how it fills up, use it within the allotted time, and don’t let opportunities pass you by.
Find peace amidst the chaos : City Trial and its more chaotic modes become much more fun when you have a clear objective in mind.
Explore all the modes and routes of Road Trip : the game rewards those who venture down all the paths.

How to unlock all tracks in Air Ride and Top Ride modes.

Kirby Air Riders has a total of twenty-seven tracks , divided into two modes:

Air Ride – eighteen lanes
Top Ride – nine lanes

Some tracks are unlocked as soon as you start the game, but most depend on you completing specific objectives during races. And the cool thing is that these challenges also serve as a kind of “secret training”: as you unlock tracks, you naturally improve your skill.

Next, we’ll go through each track, explaining:

How to unlock
What to expect from the circuit
Practical tips for fulfilling the requirement with ease.

Air Ride Mode – All tracks and how to unlock them

Air Ride mode is the most traditional, where you participate in long races full of curves, shortcuts, rails, and advanced boost mechanics. Eight tracks are available from the start; the other ten need to be unlocked.

Let’s get everything organized properly:

Clues available from the start

These clues are already available as soon as you enter the game. Even so, I’ll give you a quick overview of what to expect from them:

Floria Fields

A simple track, full of green fields and gentle curves — perfect for mastering the basic controls. Unlocked from the start.

Waveflow Waters

Fast-flowing water, rapids, wet bends, and alternative paths. It starts calmly, but has several sections where control becomes slippery. Open from the beginning.

Airtopia Ruins

A track full of wide turns, banked walls, and broad ramps — great for practicing cornering boosts. Open from the start.

Crystalline Fissure

Full of destructible objects and more aggressive curves. Great for those who like to explore the physics of the environment. Unlocked from the start.

Steamgust Forge

Steampunk setting with gears, moving platforms, and fluorescent tubes. Plenty of opportunities for long boosts. Unlocked from the start.

Cavernous Corners

A network of caves with tight turns and lots of things to break. Several chances to get a charged boost on turns. Unlocked from the start.

Cyberion Highway

A neon festival with a futuristic look and lots of fast straightaways. The perfect track to learn the rhythm of holding and releasing boost. Open from the start.

Mount Amberfalls

One of the most beautiful settings in the game: narrow bridges, falling leaves, creaking wood, and tight turns. Unlocked from the start.

Now let’s move on to the unlockables:

Air Ride Tracks – How to Unlock Each One

I will teach you each requirement and, most importantly, how to fulfill it without suffering .

Galactic Nova

How to unlock:
Win fifteen races in Air Ride mode.

How to make it easy:
Participate in short races and dominate Floria Fields or Waveflow Waters. With a good machine and basic boosting, you’ll rack up fifteen wins in no time.

Fantasy Meadows

How to unlock:
Win two races in a row, and do this twice.

Important tip:
It doesn’t have to be on the same map. Win two, then win two more at a later time. Use early clues to ensure consistency.

Celestial Valley

How to unlock:
Break ten triangular objects in a single run on Cyberion Highway.

Strategy:
On Cyberion Highway, memorize where the triangular objects are located (usually on the sides). Go slowly in the first few seconds to break as many as possible.

Sky Sands

How to unlock:
Complete a race in Cavernous Corners without touching the giant Golems.

How to avoid the Golems:
The Golems always stay in the same spot along the path. Keep your distance, slow down early, and pass by—without rushing.

Frozen Hillside

How to unlock:
Complete two consecutive laps in the lead within Crystalline Fissure.

Strategy:
Take the lead early on using boost. Once in first place, maintain the pace: hold B in the turns and release it precisely.

Magma Flows

How to unlock:
Finish a run in Steamgust Forge without touching the molten steel areas.

Quick tip:
Slow down aggressively on curves where there are shiny puddles. Go slowly; you don’t need to win the race — just don’t touch the liquid metal.

Beanstalk Park

How to unlock:
Stay in the lead for sixty consecutive seconds on Mount Amberfalls.

How to do it:
Right at the start, use boost to take first place. Then, play conservatively, without risking exaggerated maneuvers.

Machine Passage

How to unlock:
Pass through four ancient rings and complete a lap without using reverse in Airtopia Ruins.

Strategy:
The rings are in fixed locations. Do a reconnaissance lap just to memorize the positions, then try again on the second attempt.

Checker Knights

How to unlock:
Complete three laps in Fantasy Meadows in under a minute.

Practical tip:
You’ll need to master consecutive boosts. Memorize the shortcuts and make good use of boosts on the straight sections.

Nebula Belt

How to unlock:
Defeat five different types of enemies and complete a lap in Galactic Nova.

How to do it:
Don’t rush to finish. Go slowly, looking for enemies along the way. Defeat five different species and only then complete the lap.

Top Ride Mode – All Tracks and How to Unlock Them

Top Ride is the most energetic, frantic, and chaotic mode, with an overhead view and short—but equally fun—tracks. Eight tracks are already unlocked, and one needs to be unlocked.

Tracks available from the start (Top Ride)

Flower – full of flowers that spin
Flow – water source and geysers
Air – top-down versions of the ruins
Crystal – fast wind tunnels
Steam – pinball-style metal course
Cave – caverns and minecart tracks
Cyber – teleportation and neon colors
Mountain – hills and cable cars

You can play all of these right from the start.

Unlockable track from Top Ride

New

How to unlock:
Win fifteen races in Top Ride mode.

How to do it quickly:
Choose the simplest track (Flower, Flow, or Mountain). The AI in Top Ride often makes many mistakes, so winning fifteen times is a matter of persistence.

How to unlock the true ending of Kirby Air Riders in Road Trip Mode

If you finished Road Trip in Kirby Air Riders and thought, “Wait, it’s over… but this feels kind of incomplete?”, then you’re absolutely right. The game actually has two endings , and only one of them is the true ending , the one that reveals extra content, new bosses, and special characters that don’t appear on the first playthrough.

The tricky part is that the game doesn’t clearly explain how to get that ending. It only leaves very subtle clues, and many people miss them thinking they’ve already seen everything. So, to save you time and avoid getting lost, I’ll calmly explain here, step by step, everything you need to do—without spoilers—to reach the secret route and see the true ending.

Sit down in the cart, because now we’re going to break down the whole process.

True ending? Yes, and it only appears for those who fulfill certain requirements.

Unlike most games that simply ask you to complete the game in a specific way or make a certain decision in a particular chapter, Kirby Air Riders requires two very objective things before unlocking the most complete ending of Road Trip:

Finish the game at least once.
Unlock all machines (all playable vehicles)

These two conditions are key to unlocking New Game+, which is where the magic really happens. Let’s take it step by step.

First step: completing the Road Trip for the first time.

Your first playthrough functions as a sort of “base version” of the story. You’ll follow the available routes, face bosses, see the initial outcome, and unlock New Game+ mode once you complete the journey.

Here, you don’t need to worry too much about choices, alternative routes, or specific paths. Take the opportunity to learn the mode, get used to the rhythm of the tracks, and observe the special icons that appear along the way.

Finished the first time? Perfect. From here, the game starts showing you that there’s much more to explore.

Second step: unlock absolutely all machines.

Now comes the key point to activate the true ending:

You need to own all the machines in the game before you can finish Road Trip on New Game+.

This includes:

fast vehicles,
heavy vehicles,
combat-focused machines,
technical machines,
and any other type that exists in the game.

If even one machine is missing , the true ending won’t appear. The game is very strict about that.

If you don’t know where the missing machines are located, don’t worry. Kirby Air Riders has a system that helps you find them.

New Game+: the mode where routes start giving hints and paths.

When you start New Game+, something very important changes:

Special icons will begin to appear on the routes , indicating paths that lead directly to vehicles you don’t yet own.

It’s as if the game is saying,
“Hey, come this way! There’s a new machine waiting for you.”

These icons appear automatically as soon as you enter the second game. Therefore:

Follow the indicated roads.
Explore paths you didn’t take the first time.
And pay attention to signs and shiny objects along the way.

With each completed route, more machines can be found. Keep completing the moves, always prioritizing the paths that appear marked.

With this, you can assemble the entire collection without having to chase after external tips.

The big change: reaching the end with everything complete.

After finishing your collection and continuing your journey in New Game+, you’ll realize that, as you approach the final part of the Road Trip, things are no longer the same .

The dialogue changes, the visuals change, the atmosphere changes… but I won’t spoil the experience. Let you see for yourself — and yes, it’s VERY worthwhile.

What I can say is that the true ending adds:

new events,
new scenes,
…and one or two bosses that simply don’t exist in the first playthrough .

This is the main reward: exclusive content that only dedicated players can access.

What do you gain by seeing the true ending?

After fulfilling all the requirements, completing New Game+, and seeing the new battles and cutscenes, you unlock some of the coolest content in the game:

✔ Noir Dedede as pilot

A stylish and powerful version of King Dedede, with a completely different look, ideal for those who enjoy heavy and strong characters.

✔ Leo as a playable machine

An exclusive vehicle with unique features that can be added to your collection and used in other game modes.

✔ New bosses and sequences

Battles that don’t exist in the first playthrough and only appear in this expanded version of the ending.

It’s the kind of reward that makes playing Road Trip twice worthwhile — and it greatly improves your experience in the rest of the game.

Summary to remember:

If you want everything in a practical and straightforward way:

Complete the road trip once .
This unlocks New Game+ .
In New Game+, find all the game machines.
Follow the routes with icons that indicate vehicles you haven’t yet boarded.
After completing the collection, finish the Road Trip again.
Enjoy the true ending , with new bosses, new scenes, and special unlockables.

Easy to understand, but requires dedication.