Sakurai talks approach to Kirby Air Riders’ music, wanted kids to be able to sing along

Nintendo published a new interview for Kirby Air Riders focused entirely on the game’s music. Director Masahiro Sakurai, along with composers Noriyuki Iwadare and Shogo Sakai, participated in the discussion.

Early on the in the interview, Sakurai was asked about the musical concepts he shared with when requesting Iwadare and Sakai to help out with the project. That led him to stressing the concept of kids being being able to sing along – he feels that “a song that even a child can sing says a lot.”

Sakurai stated in the interview:

“The most important overall concept was that children had to be able to sing along. I’ve been saying the same thing for a long time, whether it’s been for Super Smash Bros. or for Kirby: A song that even a child can sing says a lot. It means that it’s easy on the ears, the melody feels good, it’s easy to sing, and so on.

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.”

Kirby Air Riders is currently available on Nintendo Switch 2. You can find the full interview here. We also have the patch notes for the most recent update here.