More so than any other racer, Kirby Air Riders has a massive variety of vehicles, known as Machines, that each do their own thing and are best-suited for certain playstyles.
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Just like with the characters, though, you’re going to have to put in a lot of work to unlock all of Kirby Air Riders’ vehicles, as they’re spread throughout the various modes. Here’s how to get them all.
There are multiple ways to unlock each Machine, but we’re going to share the easiest methods and then detail any alternatives. You can also just buy them in the Miles Shop, but that can get very expensive.
Wagon Star
The Wagon Star is a unique Machine that can’t Boost Charge, but has really strong general stats to make up for it. The easiest way to unlock the Wagon Star is by entering the shop 15 times during Road Trip mode, which is easily done if you just play for one playthrough. You can also complete a lap of Air Ride on Cavernous Corners in one minute and 50 seconds, if you prefer.
Shadow Star
Shadow Star has poor top speed, but it has very high offence and great boosting and gliding. The Shadow Star is most easily obtained by copying enemy abilities two times in a single Top Ride race on the Flower map. If you choose to play as Daroach, this won’t take you long at all, since he can copy abilities just by going next to another player.
Winged Star
The Winged Star might be slow when it’s racing on the ground, but it’s a beast in the air. To get this unique Star, you’ll need to swap Machines a total of 30 times during Road Trip mode. Swapping Machines can be done after every match, so this shouldn’t take you long at all.
Warp Star
The poster boy of Kirby Air Riders, the Warp Star, is unlocked as soon as you start the game for the first time. Enjoy!
Rocket Star
One of the toughest Machines to use in the game, the Rocket Star has pretty poor stats but makes up for it by being able to go very fast on a fully charged Boost. To unlock it, you’ll need to play for a total of 180 seconds of Road Trip’s Top Ride challenges. Just aim for the yellow ones whenever you can, and this is an easy one with some time.
Bulk Star
The Bulk Star is a heavy Machine with great HP and weight, but it relies on Boost Charges to move around at any pace. The Bulk Star is unlocked by using eight attack items in a single City Trial match. If you know City Trial, you probably know that won’t take long at all…
Formula Star
The most ridiculous Machine in Kirby Air Riders is the Formula Star, which is incredibly hard to control and turn, but can reach incredible speeds if it’s just going forward. To unlock it, play a match of Top Ride without crashing into any walls. This sounds tough, but if you just pick a very slow Machine and take it carefully without focusing on winning, it’s an easy get.
Slick Star
Here’s one that Air Ride fans will already know – the Slick Star is a bizarre Machine with great stats that’s near impossible to stop since it has no grip. If you can handle the slip and slide, you can easily unlock it by defeating three enemies by spitting out stars in an Air Ride match. That’s not too tough as it is, but just ramp the laps up to give yourself as much chance as possible.
Wheelie Bike
My absolute favourite Machine of the bunch, Wheelie Bike, has some very balanced stats for racing, as long as you can past its lack of glide potential. To unlock it, just swap to three different kinds of Machines in a single match of City Trial, which won’t take long if you’re specifically seeking Machines out. You can also just clear City Trial challenges three times during Road Trip mode.
Jet Star
You might not get this from the name, but Jet Star is a Machine that thrives whenever it’s lifting off the ground and starting to glide. That makes it very specific, but it’s still a very fun Machine. You can unlock it by riding for a total of 5,000 meters during City Trial Stadium challenges in Road Trip mode, which will come naturally.
Turbo Star
Similar to the Slick Star, the Turbo Star is incredibly speedy with great Boost Charge speeds, but it’s very tough to control thanks to its lack of grip. You can unlock it by completing three City Trial Stadium challenges in Road Trip mode. You’ll run into plenty of these if you just play the mode for a little bit.
Swerve Star
Swerve Star is a truly bizarre Machine that comes to a complete halt when Boost Charging, but has great speed otherwise. To unlock it, you need to clear 10 race challenges in Road Trip mode or win a Top Ride race on Cyber with at least three seconds between you and second place. Both are easy enough, but Road Trip’s method won’t take effort since it’s just cumulative.
Vampire Star
As you can probably figure out, the Vampire Star’s main gimmick is being able to steal Copy Abilities and Items when it attacks other riders. You can unlock it by defeating 15 kinds of enemies during Road Trip mode. As with most Road Trip challenges, this will take some time rather than effort.
Hop Star
Perhaps my least favourite of the bunch, Hop Star has decent stats overall but its main draw, being able to jump whenever it quick attacks, isn’t that helpful. Still, you can unlock it by jumping 10 times during Top Ride challenges in Road Trip mode. Simple, as long as you aim for Top Ride challenges.
Wheelie Scooter
If you want true chaos, go for the Wheelie Scooter, since it turns and boosts on a dime, making it a bit of a nightmare to control. The Wheelie Scooter is unlocked by finishing in first place on an Air Ride match around Floria Fields. Since this is the game’s first track, you’ll probably get this straight away. You can also get it by finishing a lap without crashing into walls more than three times in Top Ride’s Flow map.
Rex Wheelie
A strange Machine for sure, Rex Wheelie is a more aggressive and heavy version of the other Wheelie bikes in Air Rides. To unlock it, defeat three enemies with star-shaped projectiles in a single challenge, which you can do by inhaling enemies and firing them back out. It can also be unlocked by defeating 20 enemies in a Waveflow Waters Air Ride race.
Tank Star
As the name implies, the Tank Star is a hefty Machine that has great weight and can turn easily with the help of Boost Charges. It’s a bit unwieldy, but if you want to unlock it, you’ll need to perform two perfect landings in an Air Ride challenge in Road Trip mode. Perfect landings are done by pressing the Boost button as you hit the ground.
Battle Chariot
One of the stronger Machines in the game, the Battle Chariot has incredible offence and weight, at the cost of speed and boost. The Battle Chariot can be unlocked by hitting two riders at once with a Sensor Bomb in Top Ride mode. Just increase the rate that items spawn in, add more racers, and you can do this without any trouble.
Chariot
If you’re struggling to come to terms with Air Riders’ unique controls, then the Chariot might be the Machine for you, since it handles turns incredibly well and basically just feels like a car. You can unlock it easily by finishing a Top Ride match in one minute on the Flow map. Just make the whole match a single lap and it can be done with ease.
Paper Star
As the name implies, the Paper Star is incredibly lightweight, which makes it the best in the game for flying. To easily unlock it, you’ll need to glide continuously for three seconds without landing in Air Ride’s Crystalline Fissure map, which is easier enough with most Star Machines. You can also fly for a distance of 500 meters on the Air Glider challenge in City Trial.
Bull Tank
Just like the other Tank style Machines in the game, the Bull Tank is a heavyweight that has great offence, max HP, and weight, at the cost of turning, charge, and boost. The only method I’ve found to get the Bull Tank so far is by purchasing it in the shop for 10,800 Miles, but it appears it’s a reward for City Trial as well.
Transform Star
Can’t pick between a bike and a star? Well, the Transform Star might be your best bet, since its quick attack actually swaps it between a Bike and a Star. The easiest way of unlocking it is by playing Air Ride’s Cyberion Highway map and using a switch to make a platform appear two times. The switch can easily be spotted, so just ramp up the laps so that you’re the one to hit it.
If you’ve made it this far, you might be wondering where Dragoon, Gigantes, Hydra, Leo, Flight Warp Star, and Compact Star are. Well, they’re all exclusive to City Trial mode and not raceable through normal means, so they’re a separate thing.
Kirby Air Riders
- Released
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November 20, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
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HAL Laboratory
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
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