Can now select any character/machine, unlike the original which only had Free/Steer Star (these are now control settings)
New exclusive powers
Camera zooms in slightly to follow the player, but classic zoomed out view remains an option for local multiplayer
Road Trip mode
A roguelike? Select one of three challenges, obtain powerups, repeat
Challenges can involve all three main game modes
Dark Matter teased - boss, presumably
Shows opening cutscene, this is the game’s story mode
Online play
ArcSys style lobbies
All three game modes have separate ranks
Ranks associated with colors, again looks like ArcSys style
All Air Ride courses are returning, plus 9 new ones, for a total of 18 courses.
City Trial stuff
Lots of new items shown
Rare boxes can contain more items
Sandbag from Smash appears? Drops powerups when hit
Legendary Air Ride Machines are back, both Hydra and Dragoon
Team Battles - 8v8 mode
Legendary Air Ride Machine parts are shared with teammates, making them easier to assemble
Stadium events have teams compete for a total score
Teases a floating island far in the distance…
Free Run, looks to be the same as the first game. Underground parking lot has every machine, but you can also summon any machine anywhere from the pause menu. Flight Warp Star returns, again exclusive to Free Run, can draw a contrail with the special button.
City Trial Stadiums can be played standalone, like the first game.
Active Stadiums menu lets you toggle which Stadiums can show up, like Smash’s random select
VS Boss Stadium - original had Dedede, now there’s Robo Dedede. Transforms between Dedede Form and Car Form. Click R stick to lock camera onto the boss. Teases more bosses - looks like Nightmare and Zero Two?
My Music lets you configure frequency of each track, like Smash. Large collection of classic tracks from the whole series.
More playable characters shown: Taranza, Lololo & Lalala, Daroach, Rocky, Rick, Scarfy, Marx, Waddle Dee
More new machines
Transform Star - Quick Spin swaps between Star form and Bike form
Hop Star - Quick Spins do a small jump
Bull Tank - Charges forward without worrying about damage
Two selectable announcers each (one male, one female) for 12 languages. JP VAs are Banjo Ginga and Makiko Omoto.
Time Attack for both Air Ride and Top Ride, exactly what you’d expect. Standard three lap with enemies, one lap with no enemies. Separate records for every machine.
Photo Mode accessible from the pause menu in any mode, free camera to play with
Checklist is back, and reveals an image like in Kid Icarus Uprising. Five tabs: Air Ride, Top Ride, City Trial, Road Trip, and Online. No riders or machines are locked behind online achievements though. Some boxes can be clicked on to go directly to a challenge. Riders and machines can be unlocked multiple different ways, subsequent boxes will instead reward alt colors/decorations.
My Machines menu lets you customize machines with unlocked skins, accessories, and decals. Machine Market lets you share your designs online. Prices will go up the more popular your design is… but you don’t actually get any coins yourself.
Hats!
Miles are the game’s currency for unlocking cosmetics. Decorations, hats, profile card backgrounds, music.
For every online opponent you place higher than, you earn a Gummy of their machine. Can also be earned ‘gradually’ offline. Used in a little physics minigame where you can just fiddle with your massive pile of trophies. “I hope you aim to become a gummillionaire.”
Garage - diorama mode you can decorate with your machines
Composers Shogo Sakai, Noriyuki Iwadare
Entire menu worth of Accessibility settings
amiibo - They’re big (shows a size comparison with the original Kirby amiibo), and effectively function as two amiibos, rider and machine. Can swap the rider and machine, and the game will recognize how they’re paired. “But with such elaborate specifications, we probably couldn’t make very many of them…” [Sakurai pulls out five different pairs from under his desk] Kirby & Warp Star, Bandana Dee & Winged Star, Meta Knight & Shadow Star, King Dedede & Tank Star, Chef Kawasaki & Hop Star.
“Just so you know: we’re not planning any DLC. Everything is here. Also, I’m not planning on making this an ongoing series. I’ve thrown everything I have into this game from the start. So I hope you don’t miss this opportunity.”
Global Test Ride demo November 8-9 and 15-16.
Outro teaser shows the Fountain of Dreams and Star Rod, followed by a sleeping Nova opening its eyes.
Haven’t gotten to go watch it all yet, but it seems like this game has a whole lot going on! Love the Sakurai maximalism.