The Besties – "What Genre Is Kirby Air Riders?!"
Podcast: The Besties
Hosts: Chris Plante, Griffin McElroy, Russ Frushtick (Justin McElroy absent)
Date: November 28, 2025
Episode Overview
This lively episode finds the gang debating the genre-bending chaos of Kirby Air Riders (a new sequel/reboot to the GameCube's cult classic Kirby Air Ride) and reviewing the surprising arcade gem Sectori (SEKTORI). The hosts dig deep into how Kirby’s latest game defies conventional classification, drawing parallels to fighting games and racing games, and share passionate discussion around its control scheme, various game modes, and place in the modern gaming landscape. Later, they rave about Sectori's frenetic twin-stick chaos (evoking Geometry Wars and roguelike elements). The episode closes with rapid-fire recommendations, GOTY list anxiety, and a couple of spicy community emails.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Cult of Kirby Air Riders
- Introduction to the Game
- New Kirby Air Riders is a "sequel, reboot, or requel" to Kirby Air Ride (GameCube, 2003), directed by Smash Bros. auteur Masahiro Sakurai. (05:35)
- The original had cult status; some hosts hadn’t played it, missed it during the GameCube era, or thought it was "too baby" compared to more mature games at the time. (06:40–07:41)
- Why Now Is the Right Time for a Reboot
- Chris: "This is just a fighting game, y’all. This is just a fighting game. ... The actual way that you control characters ... is wildly, wildly different." (09:12)
- Sakurai’s legacy as a Nintendo icon is discussed—how his transparency and communication set a new bar for dev involvement. (08:26–09:00)
- Game Structure & Controls Debate
- Unique one-or-two-button control scheme is both a charm and a frustration.
- Griffin: “The most annoying thing about it for me is this ... adherence to this very unique thing about the original. It's very cool ... but ... let me put that on a fucking button. That's crazy.” (11:44–12:41)
- The hosts bemoan the clunky “push stick sideways to attack” input, and the confusion that arises from “single button does everything” design. (12:46–13:35)
- Unique one-or-two-button control scheme is both a charm and a frustration.
- Genre Blending: Kart Racer or Fighting Game?
- Strong similarities to fighting games via character/vehicle choice and control complexity—unlike standard kart racers which only tweak stats, here vehicles fundamentally change gameplay. (09:28–10:21)
- Russ: "It's a kart racer slash fighting game, but 90% kart racer. It does feel ... significantly different from Mario Kart." (12:46)
- Racing Feel & Mechanics
- Pace likened to F-Zero; unique “brake-boost” drift and attack loops draw parallels to Burnout and combat racers. (13:24–14:53)
- Attacking enemies for speed ups—aggressive engagement incentivized, unlike Mario Kart’s mainly nuisance-focused attacks. (14:23)
- Unlocks, Tutorials, & Accessibility
- Smorgasbord of unlockables reminiscent of Smash Bros (“you turn the game on, it’s like achievement unlocked. … It really is distributed in a very Smash Bros manner.” (17:21–17:38))
- Overlong tutorials: “Just look at the menu and it will tell you everything. ... The tutorials are so slow ... you will get a feel ... sooner you hop into the game.” (18:36)
- Griffin: For kids, the heavy tutorialization is a turnoff; his son Henry loves the drama but prefers to watch rather than play due to the weird controls. (17:38–18:36)
- Visuals & Vibe
- Plant: "Absurdly beautiful if you are into a chaotic, curvy aesthetic. ... The second level ... is a pirate shipwreck ... gravity is being busted." (19:57)
- Single-Player & Game Modes
- Road Trip Mode: Most beloved, likened to a “mini-challenge” campaign á la Smash Bros or Mario Kart’s battle mode, offering distinct gameplay variety and unlocks. (21:36–22:24)
- City Trial: Beloved by some, found inscrutable by others—five minutes of open-world upgrades, then a short randomized challenge. Polarizing among hosts. (20:44–23:42)
- Customization: Deep vehicle options, including textures, lights, downloadable/shared user designs—“really good ... I love that you can change the texture ... and share them online.” (26:24–27:20)
- Labor of Love
- Griffin: "I am always very, very charmed by games that are so clearly a labor of love ... Sakurai is the best in the biz at communicating with niche fans ... so much about it seems like it's being held up in front of people who have fond memories of the original." (27:20)
Notable Quotes — Kirby Air Riders
- On Game Feel:
- “It feels like a game full of modes ... some of them are good and some of them are bad and some of them will have their hardcore fans and some of them will have their hardcore haters.” – Chris (25:07)
- “Once it does click, it does feel cool, it does feel good. ... There's a lot of depth that I am more interested in learning about than I am in a Mario Kart world.” – Griffin (19:18)
- On Genre:
- “This is just a fighting game, y’all. Let me explain...” – Chris (09:12)
- “I agree with that, but that doesn’t make it a fucking fighting game.” – Russ (10:21)
- On Unlocks:
- "You turn the game on and it’s like achievement unlocked. ... It makes itself known very, very clearly." – Griffin (17:35)
- On Visuals:
- "It's absurdly beautiful if you are into a chaotic, curvy aesthetic. ... That moment was, for me, that's when, like, the game just immediately clicked." – Chris (19:57)
Key Kirby Air Riders Timestamps
- 05:35 – Intro to Kirby Air Riders and its legacy
- 09:12 – Genre-bending: fighting game versus kart racer
- 13:24 – Unpacking the brake-boost mechanic
- 17:31 – Unlockable structure and Smash Bros. comparisons
- 19:57 – Level/presentation highlights
- 21:35 – Road Trip mode discussion
- 26:24 – Customization gushing
2. Sectori (SEKTORI): The New Geometry Wars?
- First Impressions & Overview
- Dropped with little advance notice, but immediately made an impression as “the best Geometry Wars-like I have played since the original” (32:15).
- Twin-stick shooter, closed arena, rapidly shape-shifting world geometry, and copious modes.
- Branding lament: "Logo is basically illegible, so a little hard to find on Steam, but if you do, you’re in for a fucking treat." – Russ (32:15)
- Core Gameplay Loop
- Simple at first blush: “You are the little ship on a 2D plane inside a closed arena. ... Different types [of enemies] have different strategies.” – Chris (32:49)
- Arena changes shape mid-match, forcing players to react or face instant death. (33:58)
- Campaign with roguelike progression: "you can unlock ability cards ... spawn into your deck ... roguelike mechanics." – Griffin (34:21)
- Unique Mechanics
- "Strike" action: a charged dash/explosion move essential for managing overwhelming enemies; refreshed instantly by hitting a power-up. (36:32)
- “The spawn rate is insane ... and you will have to use this strike to manage things.” – Griffin (36:44)
- Progression built around deck-building, unlocks, medals (achievements that unlock new ships, customizations, and modes). (35:23)
- Modes & Depth
- Multiple modes: classic auto-upgrade (score chase) mode, boss rush, gates mode, "oops all offense" booster mode, mutators, and more. (38:18–39:38)
- Customization: “fun medal system ... unlock customizations for your ship ... mutators.” (40:25)
- Developer Pedigree
- Lead devs are ex-Housemarque (Resogun, Super Stardust, Returnal), giving it impeccable arcade shooter DNA. (40:52–41:32)
- Difficulty & Approachability
- Extremely hard—normal mode is harsh even for veterans; progression is not persistent. (43:43)
- "There are games that are hard and you're not going to enjoy them ... this game is difficult to reach the end, [but] you will be having fun from the drop." – Chris (42:52)
- Griffin: "This is one that I keep playing because I want to get better at it and that's cool." (45:29)
- Comparisons to Kirby Air Riders
- “Funny, guys, is I feel like there's a lot of parallels between this discussion and the discussion we just had about Kirby Air Riders, because it's the same way ... there's a rhythm to it ... once you do understand it, you kind of see through the matrix, and that's really, really very exciting.” – Griffin (41:43)
Notable Quotes — Sectori
- “Sectori ... is the best Geometry Wars-like I have played since the original Geometry Wars.” – Russ (32:15)
- “All of this is happening at ... boss fight at the end of that world ... while the literal world around you is changing, while a dozen characters are spawning in...” – Griffin (36:44)
- “Don’t play [Sectori] too late at night ... you will lose track of time and ... have that still just like fucking pumping in your ears.” – Griffin (39:38)
Key Sectori Timestamps
- 31:50 – Intro to Sectori and first impressions
- 32:49 – Mechanics, shifting world, and controls
- 36:32 – The "strike" move explained
- 38:18 – Extra modes and content
- 40:52 – Housemarque DNA and developer background
- 42:52 – Difficulty and learning curve
3. GOTY Talk & Reader Mail
- End-of-Year List Angst & Recency Bias
- “The sheer number of games ... coming in at the wire that could make a play for the top 10 is ...” – Chris (45:54)
- Metroid Prime 4: Lamented as a too-late arrival for inclusion in GOTY debates. (46:06)
- Expedition 33: Mixed opinions—length and story engagement discussed. (47:31–50:52)
- “I would prepare ... there will probably be one person who did not love it. ... not super into it.” – Chris (49:23)
4. Lightning Round: Other Recommendations
- News Tower:
- Plant urges the team to play this newsroom management sim: “It is so expansive and also genuinely the closest a video game has ever gotten to what it feels like to actually manage a newsroom.” (51:14–53:43)
- Hades 2, Physical Asia (Netflix competition series), and others receive passing mentions. (54:02–55:34)
- Liberty Science Center: Family activity recommendation, “really highly recommend it if you’re looking for some kid activities.” – Russ (57:59)
Memorable Moments & Banter
- On Teens and Toothpicks (01:24)
- Griffin: "I wanna get it out there to teens that it's not just vapes. There's so many things you can put in there and look cool."
- Mock-Genre Wars (09:12)
- Chris: “This is just a fighting game, y’all.”
- Russ: “That doesn’t make it a fucking fighting game.”
- Controller Frustration (12:41)
- “Let me put that on a fucking button. That’s crazy.” – Griffin
- Visual Description (19:57)
- “Absurdly beautiful ... a pirate shipwreck ... the water has been split and is going in every direction. Gravity is being busted.” – Chris
- Sectori Vibes (39:38)
- “Don’t play [Sectori] too late at night ... you will lose track of time.” – Griffin
Timestamps for Major Segments
| Timestamp | Segment | Notes | |-----------|--------------------------------------|----------------------------------------| | 05:35 | Intro to Kirby Air Riders | History, context, and franchise legacy | | 09:12 | What genre is it really? | Fighting game vs. kart racer debate | | 13:24 | Brake-boost mechanic & controls | How it's different from Mario Kart | | 17:31 | Unlock system & presentation | Smash Bros. comparisons | | 19:57 | Level design & visuals | Aesthetic praise | | 21:35 | Game modes (City Trial, Road Trip) | Mode breakdown, pros & cons | | 26:24 | Customization options | Car/vehicle mods | | 31:50 | Sectori introduced | Summary & quick review | | 32:49 | Sectori mechanics and comparisons | Geometry Wars, rogue-lite systems | | 36:32 | “Strike” mechanic & chaos | Signature dash move | | 38:18 | Sectori’s extra modes | Content depth, variety | | 40:52 | Sectori dev background | Housemarque pedigree | | 42:52 | Sectori learning curve | Difficulty & replay value | | 45:54 | GOTY list planning | Recency bias & crowded competition | | 51:14 | News Tower plug | Management sim rec | | 54:02 | Quick hits | Hades 2, Physical Asia | | 57:59 | Liberty Science Center plug | Family/kid activity suggestion |
Conclusion
In this episode, the Besties explore the fuzzy genre line between racing and fighting (and more) in Kirby Air Riders, pushing back and forth on its successes, quirks, and place in Nintendo history—while Sectori emerges as the late-year indie marvel, delivering “arcade trance” with modern rogue-like flair. The hosts’ banter, passionate genre debate, and sharp insights make it a must-listen for anyone curious about how games evolve (or defy) their genres.
Best Quotes:
- Chris: "This is just a fighting game, y’all." (09:12)
- Griffin (exasperated): "Let me put that on a fucking button. That's crazy." (12:41)
- Russ: “Sectori ... is the best Geometry Wars-like I have played since the original." (32:15)
- Chris on News Tower: "Genuinely the closest a video game has ever gotten to what it feels like to actually manage a newsroom." (51:14)
Next week's tease: Game Awards predictions and possibly a routine that’s been in development for “48, 49 years...” (59:29)
If you want a masterclass in game genre nitpicking, Nintendo praise and critique, and arcade nostalgia, this is the Besties episode for you.