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Kirby Air Ride

Kirby Air Ride is active well beyond its GameCube release, both as an in-game event in the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 title Kirby Air Riders and as a featured score in NHK's Symphonic Gamers 5 concert broadcast.

Synthesized from 3 Yomimono stories · updated Sep 16

Kirby Air Ride now touches three separate things: a Nintendo Switch 2 game called Kirby Air Riders, a line of amiibo, and an orchestral broadcast. Nintendo announced two new amiibo for Kirby Air Riders during the September 9 Nintendo Direct: Sword Kirby & Dragoon and Noir Dedede & Hydra, both out on November 12 at 8,250 yen including tax at the Nintendo Store. The figures can be called up as figure players that can be raised as legendary machines, and they can be swapped onto other amiibo machines to be summoned in the game. The same broadcast also said an in-game event is planned for Kirby Air Ride, with the menu screen and paddock receiving special specifications and players able to obtain special rewards. Further details about the event were not provided.

That follows an earlier amiibo and event round. The Kirby Air Ride amiibo Cook Kawasaki & Hop Star launched on September 3 at Nintendo Store and other retailers for 6,600 yen. A limited in-game event, Super Spicy! Cook Kawasaki Army, ran September 10 to 15, with City Trial team battles where players and CPU opponents are all Cook Kawasaki.

Separately, NHK's game music concert Symphonic Gamers 5, subtitled Melodies of Adventure Across Time and Space, returns to NHK BS at 0:40 on September 20, late night on September 19. The orchestral program includes Kirby Air Ride's Legendary Air Ride Machine. Game director Masahiro Sakurai and voice actress Ruriko Aoki appear as MCs. NHK's official website and the streaming service NHK ONE carry performer and setlist details.

Key facts

amiibo release
Sword Kirby & Dragoon and Noir Dedede & Hydra launch November 12 for Kirby Air Riders on Nintendo Switch 2. ↗
amiibo price
8,250 yen including tax at the Nintendo Store. ↗
amiibo function
The figures can be called up as figure players that can be raised as legendary machines, and can be swapped onto other amiibo machines to be summoned in the game. ↗
in-game event
An in-game event is planned for Kirby Air Ride, with the menu screen and paddock receiving special specifications and players able to obtain special rewards; further details were not provided. ↗
Cook Kawasaki amiibo
Cook Kawasaki & Hop Star launched September 3 at Nintendo Store and other retailers for 6,600 yen. ↗
Cook Kawasaki event
Super Spicy! Cook Kawasaki Army ran September 10 to 15, with City Trial team battles where players and CPU opponents are all Cook Kawasaki. ↗
concert broadcast
NHK BS airs Symphonic Gamers 5, subtitled Melodies of Adventure Across Time and Space, at 0:40 on September 20, late night on September 19. ↗
Kirby Air Ride setlist
Kirby Air Ride's Legendary Air Ride Machine is part of the orchestral program. ↗
concert MCs
Game director Masahiro Sakurai and voice actress Ruriko Aoki appear as MCs. ↗

Timeline

Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.

Facts

Release
game · 2026-09-03 · Japan · 2026-09-03

Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/kirby-air-ride. CC BY 4.0.

All coverage

Sep 13

NHK Rebroadcasts Symphonic Gamers 5 Concert on September 20

NHK's game music concert Symphonic Gamers 5, subtitled Melodies of Adventure Across Time and Space, returns to NHK BS at 0:40 on September 20, late night on September 19. The broadcast covers an orchestral program drawn from the Super Mario series, the Monster Hunter series, Kirby Air Ride, Chrono Trigger, Journey, Shadow of the Colossus, Tales of the Abyss, Granblue Fantasy, Okami, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, and Final Fantasy IX. Game director Masahiro Sakurai and voice actress Ruriko Aoki appear as MCs. The setlist runs from Super Mario's Above Ground BGM and Piranha March through Monster Hunter's Proof of a Hero and its Wilds version, Kirby Air Ride's Legendary Air Ride Machine, Chrono Trigger's Wind Scene and Frog's Theme, Okami's Reset (Thank You Version), Sakuna's Yanato Rice Planting Song, and Final Fantasy IX's Battle 1 and The Place I'll Return to Someday. NHK's official website and the streaming service NHK ONE carry performer and setlist details.

Sep 9

Kirby Air Riders amiibo Set for November 12 Release

During the Nintendo Direct 2026.9.9 broadcast on September 9, Nintendo announced that two new amiibo for the Nintendo Switch 2 software Kirby Air Riders will launch on November 12. The figures, Sword Kirby & Dragoon and Noir Dedede & Hydra, will each be priced at 8,250 yen including tax at the Nintendo Store. According to the broadcast, the amiibo can be called up as figure players that can be raised as legendary machines, and they can also be swapped onto other amiibo machines to be summoned in the game. In addition to the amiibo release, the Direct revealed that an in-game event is planned for Kirby Air Ride. During this event, the menu screen and paddock will receive special specifications, and players will be able to obtain special rewards. Further details about the event were not provided during the presentation. The announcement adds to a slate of new amiibo tied to the upcoming Kirby Air Riders title, which is expected to build on the mechanics of the original Kirby Air Ride for the GameCube.

Sep 3

Cook Kawasaki & Hop Star Amiibo Released, Chaos Event Announced

The Kirby Air Ride amiibo Cook Kawasaki & Hop Star launched on September 3 at Nintendo Store and other retailers for 6,600 yen. A limited in-game event, Super Spicy! Cook Kawasaki Army, runs September 10-15, featuring City Trial team battles where players and CPU opponents are all Cook Kawasaki.