The making of the music of Kirby Air Riders – Chapter 1

Some of the images and videos shown in text were created during development.

This article has been translated from the original Japanese content.

Interviewees

• Masahiro Sakurai (pictured middle)
  Director of Kirby Air Riders. Worked on the Kirby series, Super Smash Bros. series, Kid Icarus: Uprising, and more.

• Noriyuki Iwadare (pictured right)
  Composer. Best known works include the Grandia series, LUNAR series, and the Super Smash Bros. series.
  Music Contribution: Teaser/Starlit Journey (JP ver.)/Starlit Journey: Ballad/Starlit Journey: Free/Airtopia Ruins/Crystalline Fissure/Steamgust Forge/Cyberion Highway/Skyah/Skyah (alt)

• Shogo Sakai (pictured left)
  Composer. Worked on Kirby Air Ride, MOTHER 3 (released in Japan only), Super Smash Bros. series, and many other game titles.
  Music Contribution: Floria Fields/Waveflow Waters/Cavernous Corners/Mount Amberfalls/Galactic Nova

The wide variety of music in Kirby Air Riders is an essential part of what makes it so fun. How were these music tracks created? We spoke at length with the three key figures behind the game's soundtrack, asking them to look back on the development period and share their stories. We have the game's director, Masahiro Sakurai; the composer of the game's main theme, 'Starlit Journey', Noriyuki Iwadare; and creator of various familiar tracks, such as 'Floria Fields', Shogo Sakai.

In chapters 1 and 2, we'll delve into topics like how the three met, the circumstances leading to their participation in the development of Kirby Air Riders, and how the actual composition process unfolded. We hope you'll enjoy reading every last word!

Chapter 1: What the two composers have in common and "signature melodies"

To start with, could you please tell us about your relationships with each other? I believe you've all worked together on various titles long before Kirby Air Riders. Is that correct?

Sakurai:
Sakai-san and I worked together when we were at HAL Laboratory (1). I think the first game we worked on was Super Smash Bros. Melee (2). We also worked on the previous title, Kirby Air Ride. Iwadare-san was from Super Smash Bros. Brawl (3) and in charge of major songs like 'In the Space-Pirate Ship' and 'Hades's Infernal Theme' from Kid Icarus: Uprising (4), among others. And this time we're on Kirby Air Riders. That's the long and the short of it.

(1) The game developer that works on the Kirby series and other games. Mr. Sakurai and Mr. Sakai both worked there together.

(2) A Nintendo GameCube game released in November 2001 in Japan and May 2002 in Europe. The second title in the Super Smash Bros. series.

(3) A Wii game released in January 2008 in Japan and June 2008 in Europe. The third title in the Super Smash Bros. series.

(4) A Nintendo 3DS game released in March 2012. An action shooting game featuring stereoscopic 3D visuals.

Sakai:
Actually, in 1995, before I joined HAL Laboratory, I passed Sakurai-san an invitation to Game Music Concert 5 by Symphony Orchestra.

Sakurai:
That's right, we do have that connection.

Sakai:
And I'm thinking that hearing Donkey Kong music being performed by an orchestra was probably why he ended up wanting to do Super Smash Bros. Melee with an orchestra.

Sakurai:
True, that was part of it as well.

Iwadare:
As for me, I was playing Super Smash Bros. and Kirby Air Ride with my children, and somehow I was asked to make music for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. That's when I first met Sakurai-san. As the work progressed, I started to think, "Wow, Sakurai-san is really sincere about video games, and he really loves music as well". After Kid Icarus: Uprising was finished, he invited me to an orchestra concert for the Ace Attorney series (5).

I first met Sakai-san during the development of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but we only really got to talk in 2008, during PRESS START (6). At that time, Sakai-san was looking over my score sheet, which I had deliberately written in an unconventional way. He took one look and said, "This is no good, you won't be able to play by simply glancing at the sheet music".

(5) A courtroom adventure game series released in Japan in 2001 (developed by Capcom). Mr. Iwadare worked on the series' music.

(6) A game music concert held annually between 2006 and 2015.

Sakai:
No, it wasn't meant as a criticism. At the time, I was just suggesting that since we have limited rehearsal time, wouldn't a score that was easier to sight-read be better? (Laughs)

Iwadare:
But thanks to that, we were able to play together.

So you've known each other for a long time, and understand each other quite well. From that, could you tell us why you requested Sakai-san and Iwadare-san to create the music for Kirby Air Riders?

Sakurai:
I think these two share some common traits. Firstly, they're proficient with orchestra music. They can compose their own sheet music. And they can conduct. They're good at uplifting and spirited orchestration. You could say Kirby Air Riders is a racing game, so we could have gone with Eurobeat and fusion for the music. But from the start I wanted the music to be played by an orchestra. When I thought about how to give the music a wider range with that at the core, I knew these two would be the perfect fit.

Could you tell us about the musical concepts you shared with them when you requested their assistance?

Sakurai:
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, prioritising music that really stands out. This also helps the game stand out, creating a synergistic effect that delivers a great experience.

Sakai:
When I was first approached about it, the game's title was kept confidential.

Iwadare:
Oh yeah, it was the same for me.

Sakai:
But I did work it out. (Laughs) At that time, Sakurai-san had sent his request to my old work email from when I was at HAL Laboratory, but I had already left, so the mail bounced. After that, another person contacted me saying that Sakurai-san was trying to reach out, and that I should email him at this address. That's when I realised, it must be a new Kirby Air Ride game! (Laughs)

Sakai:
That is to say, whenever there's a Nintendo Direct, the excitement surrounding it always made me think that the next title from Sakurai-san has to be a sequel to Kirby Air Ride. But when the work request came in, Sakurai-san absolutely refused to reveal the title.

Iwadare:
The title was kept confidential from me as well, but I didn't let it bother me. Instead I was really excited about it, wondering, "What could it be?". Later, when I was told that it's Kirby Air Riders, I was so happy because I had played the previous game!

Sakurai:
Because it was confidential, I couldn't tell you when I first approached with the offers.

Iwadare:
You were really on high alert.

Sakai:
Right, so you came to the meeting with the title blurred out. (Laughs) But you know, Kirby Air Ride was the last job I worked on with you at HAL Laboratory, and it really meant a lot to me.

Iwadare:
When Kirby Air Riders was first announced (7) and they played the song I made, I didn't say a word to my family or my sons... I just grinned to myself.

(7) Kirby Air Riders was announced during Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 – 02.04.2025.

Sakurai:
But that's pretty typical for game development. It's almost always like that.

Iwadare:
The child of an acquaintance of mine told me that Kirby Air Riders was coming out, and the only thing I could say was, "Yes, that's right". Later on, they told me that adults are all tricksters. (Laughs)

Sakurai:
I heard all kinds of anecdotes like this from the other staff too. It seems like a lot more than I expected had caught onto this game being Kirby Air Riders.

Iwadare:
Actually, I used to have a Kirby keychain attached to my bag, but I removed it when I started this project.

Sakai:
That was so thorough of you.

Iwadare:
I guess I could put it back now, but that's kind of embarrassing at the same time...

Sakurai:
True, you'd come across as an attention-seeker.

Iwadare:
Right? That's why I won't. (Laughs)

Continue to chapter 2: The song that was approved in just one take!

Over 100 tracks from Kirby Air Riders are now available to listen to in the Nintendo Music smartphone app, available exclusively for Nintendo Switch Online members.

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