Unlock machines in Kirby Air Riders by completing machine-related challenges in the game’s mode-specific Checklists. Those tasks span Air Ride, Top Ride, Road Trip, and City Trial; a few machines can also appear in the Miles Shop. For the four Legendary Machines, collect three parts from red boxes in City Trial, with extra story-ending requirements for Leo and Gigantes.
How machine unlocks work
Challenges are tied to individual modes, so check the in-game Checklist to see which machine goals are available and whether they have been completed. Nintendo says challenges can unlock machines, riders, customization options, or Miles, which can be spent on rewards. Nintendo also describes machine gummies as rewards obtainable by defeating other players online, while machines can be unlocked through solo play. See Nintendo’s Kirby Air Riders features page.
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The task list below follows Nintendo Life’s guide, published November 24, 2025. Treat it as a practical checklist, not a guaranteed complete or current-version roster: Nintendo Life says its machine count may be updated, while Nintendo’s official roster page displays 20 machine entries. If a requirement does not match your game, use the in-game Checklist as the authority for your save and version.
Machine Checklist tasks by name
For machines with two routes listed, either route is presented as an unlock condition in Nintendo Life’s guide. Times and counts are part of the stated challenge.
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- Charge, boost, and spin to attack your rivals in this vehicle action game featuring Kirby and crew
- Use the Boost Charge button to brake and control your turns as your machine fights for top speed
- Fill up your Boost Charge Gauge and then release to trigger an explosive dash
- Choose from a variety of riders like Kirby and Meta Knight, each with their own stats and Specials
- Zip around Skyah in City Trial: a free-for-all battle for 16 players online or 8 players via local wireless
Bulk Star through Formula Star
- Bulk Star: Air Ride — break three cargo pieces on conveyor belts in one race; or City Trial — use eight attack items in one race.
- Bull Tank: City Trial — take first place in Kirby Melee without being knocked down.
- Chariot: Air Ride — finish Airtopia Ruins (Laps) within three minutes; or Top Ride — finish Flower within 1:00.00.
- Compact Star: Play City Trial for the first time.
- Formula Star: Air Ride — finish Galactic Nova without touching laser columns; or Top Ride — finish without hitting walls.
Hop Star through Paper Star
- Hop Star: Road Trip — jump 10 times during Top Ride challenges; or Air Ride — fly over the wall to the road leading to the castle on Checker Knights.
- Jet Star: Road Trip — ride 5,000 m during Stadium challenges; or City Trial — stray past Skyah’s edges and get struck by lightning.
- Paper Star: Air Ride — glide for three seconds on Crystalline Fissure; or City Trial — fly 550 yards in Air Glider.
Rex Wheelie through Slick Star
- Rex Wheelie: Air Ride — defeat 20 enemies in one Waveflow Waters race; or Road Trip — defeat three enemies with star-shaped projectiles in one challenge.
- Rocket Star: Road Trip — ride for 180 seconds in a Top Ride challenge; or City Trial — swap to vacant machines 30 times.
- Shadow Star: Top Ride — copy enemy abilities twice in one race; or City Trial — ride the rails around the entire island once in a match.
- Slick Star: Air Ride — defeat three enemies by spitting stars in one race; or City Trial — finish Drag Race 1 within 0:35.00.
Swerve Star through Transform Star
- Swerve Star: Road Trip — clear 10 Race challenges; or Top Ride — win on Cyber with at least a three-second lead over second place.
- Tank Star: Road Trip — perform two perfect landings in an Air Ride challenge; or Top Ride — use the hidden passage on Steam and finish within 0:55.00.
- Transform Star: Air Ride — use a switch on Cyberion Highway to make a platform appear twice; or Top Ride — complete a Crystal lap after using every crystal dash zone.
Turbo Star through Wheelie Bike
- Turbo Star: Road Trip — clear three Stadium challenges; or City Trial — fly 110 yards upward and above the garden in the sky.
- Vampire Star: Road Trip — defeat 15 kinds of enemies.
- Wagon Star: Air Ride — complete a Cavernous Corners (Time) lap in 1:50 or less; or Road Trip — enter the shop 15 times.
- Warp Star: Air Ride — finish first on Nebula Belt; or Top Ride — collect 10 different items in a race.
- Wheelie Scooter: Air Ride — finish first on Floria Fields; or Top Ride — finish a Flower lap with no more than three wall crashes.
- Wheelie Bike: City Trial — swap between three machine types in one match; or Road Trip — clear three City Trial challenges.
Winged Star
- Winged Star: Road Trip — swap machines 30 times; or City Trial — touch the underside of the garden in the sky.
How to unlock the Legendary Machines
Nintendo Life’s November 24, 2025 guide names Leo, Gigantes, Hydra, and Dragoon as the four Legendary Machines. Each requires collecting three parts from red boxes in City Trial. Leo and Gigantes also have story-ending requirements:
- Leo: Beat Road Trip and get the True Ending. The guide describes this as beating the story with all vehicles collected. Also collect three parts from red boxes in City Trial.
- Gigantes: See the Normal ending of story mode and collect three parts from red boxes in City Trial.
- Hydra: Collect three parts from red boxes in City Trial.
- Dragoon: Collect three parts from red boxes in City Trial.
Shop purchases, online rewards, and amiibo
A Checklist unlock and a shop purchase are not necessarily the same thing. Nintendo Life reports that buying a machine from the Miles Shop enables its use in the editing suite, and lists these examples once they become available: Battle Chariot for 9,700 points and Flight Warp Star for 3,600 points. The guide does not establish a fixed shop route for every machine.
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- Ready, set, battle! Charge, boost, and spin to attack your rivals in Kirby Air Riders, a fast-paced vehicle action featuring Kirby and crew – only on Nintendo Switch 2.
- Riders at the ready! Pick your rider, pick your machine, and mount up for competition! Take on your rivals in frantic arena battles or fast-paced races on the ground and in the air. Use the Boost Charge button to brake and control your turns as your machine automatically fights for top speed. Fill your Boost Charge gauge as you drift around the bend and release it to trigger an explosive dash!
- Ready, set, battle! Charge, boost, and spin to attack your rivals in Kirby Air Riders, a fast-paced vehicle action featuring Kirby and crew – only on Nintendo Switch 2.
- Roam around Skyah to find machines, collect power-ups, and survive through unpredictable Field Events ranging from falling meteors to powerful boss battles. After five minutes of powering up, you and your rivals will compete in one of a whole host of different Stadium contests, each with its own objective. These include drag races, battle arenas, skydiving for points and more, so it helps to be ready for anything!
- Race to the finish in Air Ride If straightforward racing is more your speed, check out Air Ride: a frantic dash where you can race against five other riders, or compete online or via local wireless. Attack opposing riders, or trail close behind their wake, to gather up stars – and use the speed boost they provide to beat your rivals to the finish line!
Nintendo says Miles are earned from mode challenges and spent on rewards; it also describes online wins as a way to earn a gummy of another player’s machine. Solo play can unlock machines too, so online play is not the only route. The official details are on Nintendo’s game features page.
Amiibo are not described as a way to unlock the complete machine roster. Nintendo Support says compatible figures can grant rewards such as Miles. Scanning a Kirby Air Riders amiibo can update the Main Menu Figure to that amiibo’s rider-and-machine combination and let the figure be used and trained as a figure player in certain modes. Details: Nintendo Support: How to Use amiibo Figures (Kirby Air Riders).
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- A table hockey inspired by Kirby's world!
- Hit Kirby puck with the paddle to slip him on. Hit the targets and collect items the most to win!
- Puck floats independently and glides over any smooth surface!
- For 2-4 players. Requires 2 "AAA" batteries, not included
- Suitable for children from 4 years.
Where to verify the roster and choose a machine
The available sources do not reconcile a definitive current total: Nintendo Life’s dated guide says “over 28 machines,” including four Legendary Machines, and notes that its page may be updated; Nintendo’s official Riders and Machines page displays 20 entries. Because those figures differ, rely on the in-game Checklist for what remains to unlock rather than treating either published count as a guaranteed 100% target.
When deciding which unlocked machine to ride, compare the attributes that affect your preferred mode: top speed, acceleration and boost, grip and turning, flight performance, durability, and attack effects. Nintendo notes that machines differ in stats, handling, and special effects; its examples characterize Warp Star as balanced, Winged Star as stronger in flight, and Slick Star as difficult to control.
Quick Recap
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