Nintendo has a few major first-party Nintendo Switch 2 games lined up for the rest of the year. One of those is Kirby Air Riders, a sequel to the 2003 GameCube title Kirby Air Ride. The company is set to reveal much (much) more about what it has in store for the new game, as it has lined up a dedicated Nintendo Direct. You’ll be able to watch the showcase, which was first announced via the Nintendo Today! app, at 9AM ET on August 19. You won’t have to go hunting for it on Nintendo’s channel either, as you can click the big red button on the YouTube video above.
The stream will run for about 45 minutes and “provide an in-depth look at the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 game,” according to the company. On the surface, that seems like a very long showcase for a single game by Nintendo standards, considering that it’s able to rip through a couple of dozen game reveals (or more) in a regular Direct that’s as long or shorter. The recent Direct for Donkey Kong Bananza clocked in at just under 18 minutes and had a ton of info about that game.
However, if you’ve ever seen a character reveal for game director Masahiro Sakurai’s previous project, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, you’ll be aware that the man tends to get into the nitty gritty. After all, the deep dive into the final SSBU fighter, Sora from Kingdom Hearts, is 42 minutes long. So a 45-minute Direct for a whole new Sakurai game suddenly doesn’t seem as excessive.
A release date for Kirby Air Riders seems like a safe bet for this Direct. The timing of the showcase is pretty interesting too, as it will air just before Gamescom gets underway. Perhaps Kirby Air Riders will be playable at Nintendo’s booth at the event.
