It seems like every one of Nintendo's mascots is getting his/her own GameCube game these days and I suppose it's fitting since the company is in a neck and neck battle with Microsoft for the number two spot in this generation's console war. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before Nintendo's cute and huggable ball of fluff, Kirby, snuck into the spotlight but instead of starring in a side scrolling plat former he's zipping around corners at lightning speeds in Kirby's Air Ride.

Air Ride merges Kirby's classic game play elements with high-speed racing. There are three modes to choose from: Air Ride, Top Down and City Trial. Air Ride is the standard third person racing we've all seen in screen shots. Zip through cheery-looking environments sliding around corners and accelerating down straight-aways while stealing enemy abilities and using them to your advantage. Top Down follows similar principles but the perspective is from the top down, and City Trial takes the battle aspects of Air Ride mode and pits players in a race for power ups. The game features multiplayer for four, so when the single player gets old knocking your friends around in a mad dash to the finish line should keep the experience fresh.

Air Ride's controls are very easy to use and should make it one of those "pick up and play" types of games. You control your racer with the analog stick, which not only steers but also accelerates. The A button controls Kirby's sucking ability, slows down, and charges up speed bursts. You also have to stop your opponents, so inhaling them and using them as projectiles comes in quite handy. Special abilities range from Kirby using a sword to knock out competitors to shooting electric bolts.

The game's graphics aren't as dazzling as Super Smash Bros. Melee but they're passable, colorful and cheery looking. You'll visit several environments from ice to forest levels and each has pretty things to look at. Most importantly, Air Ride's frame rate is 60 frames per second, making it a fast-paced fluff fest.

While Kirby's Air Ride looks entertaining I'm wondering whether or not it'll quickly disappear into obscurity like Wario did in his GameCube solo debut. Kirby's a cool character but he doesn't move software the way Mario and Donkey Kong do, and with some mean looking racers hitting the consoles in the next few months (Nintendo's upcoming Mario Kart being one), Air Ride may stumble once it hits store shelves. Still, those of us not interested in Double Dashes and supped up street racers may enjoy Air Ride's uniqueness.