That unhinged feeling you mention is exactly what makes Air Riders so special. It's got that pure, unrestrained flight system that really sets it apart from anything else on the track. It’s a gem, plain and simple.
People said “it’s too soon for another racing game” but this looks like its own carve out of the genre. “Vehicle action” as opposed to kart racer. That’s the only reason Air Riders is on my radar even though I’ve already played MKW and SRC.
Very chaotic but there's a method to (most of) the madness. The gameplay is at its best in local multiplayer, the issue will be wrangling up enough players with similar skill levels. Online at least seems serviceable, and the sheer amount of unlockable challenges is tantalizing
Honestly it’s more like Smash than Mario Kart in some ways, especially City Trial (the best and most important mode). Which is not surprising, given Sakurai and all
I think what helps is what was illuminated in Sakurai's video on the original GC iteration/core visions and how they had to rebuild and make it in 3.5 months
With them having the full time and resources now, this feels like Sakurai on a war path on 'unfinished business'
It sucks that the demo is only temporary. Once the game is out I fear that a lot of people who's getting a Switch 2 after a year or so may not give it a look and assume it's just a "Kirby themed Mario Kart"
Nothing like sonic either!!! Completely different kart racer fix and this is why I will be playing both Mario kart and this together cause they serve different purposes lol
