It was a somewhat unusual first year for Switch 2, which was launched together with Mario Kart World. Less than six months later, it was time for another exclusive mascot racing game, Kirby Air Riders, meaning that Nintendo is essentially competing with itself.
While we are still waiting for the music from Mario Kart World to be added to the Nintendo Music app, the soundtrack from Kirby Air Riders has now been added. There are a total of 114 songs from the melodious racing game, including Celestial Valley and Fantasy Meadows.
If you want to know more about the game and, above all, the music, Nintendo has also posted an interview with the creators. Here, director Masahiro Sakurai explains why the soundtrack plays such a big part in what is essentially a racing game, and as always, there is an interesting and 'food for thought' answer:
"For Kirby Air Riders, the first thing I requested specifically was a signature melody. In racing games, sessions tend to end quickly as the players go all out, so I told them that I absolutely wanted to have a melody that stays with the players even if they've only run the course once.
"Recently, game music has been trending toward ambient sounds and tunes that blend in with the background scenery. But I took a different approach with Kirby Air Riders, prioritizing music that really stands out. This also helps the game stand out, creating a synergistic effect that delivers a great experience."
The interview is well worth reading, so why not do so while listening to the music from Kirby Air Riders?