Mario Kart World vs Kirby Air Riders: which Nintendo Switch 2 racer is better?
SOURCE:TechRadar|BY: Harry Padoan
I love both Mario Kart World and Kirby Air Riders, and here I'm breaking down the differences between the two in a head-to-head battle.
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Mario Kart World
Mario Kart World is the clear standout launch title on Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo’s visually stunning kart racer is chock-full of its trademark charm and personality. The new knockout mode also feels like a neat addition, expanding brilliantly on the addictive multiplayer mayhem the series is known for. There are some issues – like the strangely organized character select screen and a Grand Prix format that feels slightly unsure of itself. However, what’s here is an undoubtedly impressive racing game that we hope Nintendo continues to build and improve upon.
Pros
Knockout Tour offers tension-filled fun
A vast, eclectic soundtrack
Simple controls, high skill ceiling
Cons
Grand Prix mode perhaps not as streamlined as Air Riders’ set approach
Unlocking characters is frustratingly random
Messy character select screen
Kirby Air Riders
Kirby Air Riders feels like a combination of Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. at their most chaotic. You’ll have to carefully balance battering rival riders while also out-speeding them, all while mastering seemingly simple controls – controls that actually require significant skill to master. The game is vibrant and visually stimulating, and offers a great line-up of characters. City Trials can feel anticlimactic on occasion, and the story mode is underwhelming. Still, Kirby Air Riders offers the frenetic multiplayer fun I hoped to experience on Switch 2, and stands as a successful oddball racer.
Pros
Unbelievably chaotic, yet addictive gameplay
Fast-paced and visually stimulating
Trade off for using power-ups feels well-balanced
Cons
Not as many courses as Mario Kart World
Other modes can lack payoff and depth
A little more challenging for casual players to pick up
As someone who has poured countless hours into these games – perhaps too many – I’ve got plenty of opinions about Nintendo’s 2025-released racers. In my view, both of these games are great. They deliver mayhem-infused gameplay, eye-popping visuals, and impressive depth for seemingly simple games. Do they each have issues? Absolutely, and I’ll get into those later.
But which is better? Mario Kart World or Kirby Air Riders? Both stand among the best Nintendo Switch 2 games, so it's a tight race. There can only be one winner, though. So, all that's left to say is: 3... 2... 1... GO!
Two very different approaches
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Arguably, the main differentiator between these two games is their respective control schemes. Mario Kart World keeps it classic; you can accelerate, brake, drift, steer, and use items with specific buttons. But Kirby Air Riders totally breaks the mold. Here, you’ll be endlessly accelerating and use a single button to swallow enemies, use abilities, brake, drift, and more.
Sure, you’ll use the left stick to steer, and the Y button can be pressed for a special attack, but the vast majority of gameplay is centered around a single action button.
I personally reviewed Kirby Air Riders here at TechRadar Gaming, and after spending more than a month with it, I feel that the control scheme works really well. It's surprisingly deep – using the action button can slow you down, but it can also let you obtain or use a power-up. Similarly, drifting will mean you lose a significant amount of speed as you approach corners, but the boost can be well worth the payoff. A lot of the time, the controls are less forgiving than Mario Kart World, but they’re certainly designed with intelligence and care.
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(Image credit: Nintendo)
The downside to this, I’ve found, is that playing with newcomers doesn’t always go to plan. When I’ve played with family, friends, or coworkers, the single-button and auto-accelerate nature of the game has caused a fair amount of confusion. Sure, if they spent the time to go through the game’s clear and concise lessons mode, I’m sure they’d get up to speed in no time. But the widespread familiarity and simplicity of Mario Kart World make it much easier to pick up and play at a social gathering.
Regardless, both games certainly feel incredibly smooth to play, and they run like an absolute dream too, especially if you’re playing single player, with both usually keeping things at a steady 60fps. You’ll have to deal with some frame drops if you’re playing with three or four players locally, but that’s pretty standard. Both look beautiful in 4K when playing in docked mode too, with sharp-looking graphics and beautifully vibrant courses all round.
Gameplay: the highs and the lows
(Image credit: Nintendo)
In terms of gameplay itself, both offer that chaotic multiplayer experience that feels right at home on Switch 2. Mario Kart World takes a significant departure from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, in that it feels more mayhem-filled. There are more crazy items, the game isn’t particularly forgiving if two items hit one after another, and of course, there are 24 racers now. All of this culminates in an almost Mario Kart Wii-esque style of game, rather than the more polished and pure style we got on the original Switch.
But even though you can only race with a maximum of 16 players, Kirby Air Riders takes things even further. The game is unbelievably fast-paced, swinging around corners can require split-second reflexes, and the constant barrage of attacks from rival racers and enemies means things go haywire. But I kinda love that about it.
The main mode, Air Ride, is more centered around racing, but City Trial is where things get incredibly heated. You’ll collect power-ups to improve your machine (vehicle), and then battle it out against your opponents in a challenge minigame. Sometimes, I find I’m so powered up that I can barely control my machine, which can be pretty funny... but can also grow tiresome after an hour or two. Some of the minigames are also too short. You can spend three minutes building up your machine, only for a challenge to finish in seconds.
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Still, I’ve got a good amount of enjoyment from playing City Trial mode in short bursts. And the main mode, Air Ride – which is more of a typical racing set-up – is seriously addictive. Racing through the gorgeous maps and soaring over my opponent to win a race is massively satisfying.
Mario Kart World feels slightly more ordered than Air Riders, but the new Knockout Tour mode definitely adds a new layer of drama. After each lap, four racers will be eliminated, so you’ll have to survive each section before a four-player showdown at the end. This leads to some unbelievably on-edge moments, crushing near-misses, and plenty of shouting at the TV screen.
Honestly, this is a top-notch mode, and the best addition to a Mario Kart game in well over a decade.
On a more general level, gameplay is incredibly refined and moreish across both titles. The tight drifting, ability to grind on rails, and optimally ride walls in Mario Kart World mean that it has a higher skill ceiling than a lot of its predecessors. Meanwhile, the high-octane nature of Kirby Air Riders requires impressive reaction times, and mastering the single-button controls feels highly rewarding.
Which is more replayable?
(Image credit: Nintendo)
For racing games, both of these titles offer a lot of variation, making them feel very replayable. Mario Kart World has the usual VS mode, Time Trials, online play, and, of course, Knockout Tournament. Grand Prix is back, too, but it’s different. You drive from one course to the next, which is a nice novelty option, but I do wish you could choose to race three laps on each course individually, as seen from the rest of the series.
Easily the most controversial mode on Mario Kart World, though, is Free Roam. Personally, I think that this is fun to hop into. I enjoy just driving around and listening to the stellar and eclectic soundtrack, which features tracks that span jazz, funk, electronic, and many more genres. The challenges littered across the world are a mixed bag. Some are pretty entertaining, but they’re largely too easy, and the reward of a sticker is certainly underwhelming.
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Meanwhile, Kirby Air Riders offers a lot more depth than its predecessor on the GameCube. Air Ride and City Trial are both great fun, but there’s also an overhead Top Ride mode, online play, and Road Trip – which is essentially the single-player campaign. Top Ride doesn’t quite have the all-action energy of the main modes, and Road Trip’s combination of a basic narrative with fairly same-y gameplay means it’s not the most compelling.
But there’s still plenty of replay value to be found in Air Riders. The inclusion of a checklist system is great – I enjoyed completing the various tasks to unlock new machines, customization parts, and even characters. This felt like a much more natural way to fill out my roster, rather than Mario Kart World’s reliance on a specific item, which may (or may not) unlock a new racer.
Having said that, the huge cast of loveable characters, wide array of karts, and greater track-list on Mario Kart World does give it the edge over Air Riders for me. That diversity makes me want to come back to it that bit more, and having the nail-biting Knockout Tour mode and relaxing Free Roam in a single package is a killer combo.
Verdict: only one stands atop the podium
(Image credit: Nintendo)
As someone who’s owned the Switch 2 from launch, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by its line-up of games in 2025. These two have been among my most-played for sure, and they each deliver addictive gameplay, strong replayability, and brilliant visuals.
But if I only had to pick one to buy, I’d have to back Mario Kart World. It’s got that old-school Mario Kart mayhem, a huge roster of characters, and a great track list that will only expand in the coming months and years, I expect. It’s also a lot easier to pick up and play with pals, with Air Riders having a steeper learning curve.
Still, both deliver head-bopping, intoxicatingly good soundtracks and chaotic multiplayer fun, so whichever game you play, you’re sure to have an absolute blast.
Harry is a Reviews Staff Writer for TechRadar. He reviews everything from party speakers to wall chargers and has a particular interest in the worlds of audio and gaming. Harry has a background in business tech journalism, particularly around the telecoms industry.
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