A demo is a condensed or shortened version of a video game made available for free, as a way for a player to see if they would be interested in purchasing the full version of the game. Numerous demos have been released for games in the Kirby series, presented both in kiosks in game stores and, more recently, as downloadable software for consoles at home.

Kirby Air Ride[edit]

A demo for Kirby Air Ride released for Nintendo GameCube kiosks via the Interactive Multi-Game Demo Disc Version 13 demo disc. Selecting the demo will immediately start playing a video explaining the Air Ride mode, followed by Air Ride's course selection screen. Only five out of the nine courses in the full game are available in the demo: Fantasy Meadows, Sky Sands, Frozen Hillside, Machine Passage, and Checker Knights. After a course is selected, one of three vehicles can be selected: the Warp Star, Winged Star, or Wagon Star. Handicaps and CPU levels can also be adjusted after a vehicle is chosen. Actual gameplay and track designs do not differ in any major way from the full game. After a race concludes and the results screen is reached, pressing the START/PAUSE button will return the player to the kiosk's main menu.

Kirby Air Ride also had a demo at E3 2003, though it is poorly documented. It was most likely similar to the kiosk demo, though the setups used LAN to demonstrate four-player races across multiple displays; LAN is not an option in the kiosk version.^[1]

Kirby & The Amazing Mirror[edit]

See also: Kirby & The Amazing Mirror#Unused content

Kirby & The Amazing Mirror's demo released exclusively for Japanese kiosks. It includes an early segment of Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, cutting out the tutorial and teleporting the Kirbys directly into Central Circle. As a result, the World Map is never obtained and the player cannot see either the map of the Mirror World (except for a moment after Kirby presses a Big Switch) or of the area they are currently in. After starting the game, it can be played all the way until the boss battle against King Golem, at which point the demo ends and displays the full game's time of release, along with the four Kirbys encouraging the player to purchase it. Alternatively, a time limit can put an early end to the gameplay and return the players to the kiosk's info screen for the full game. Due to both running on GameCube hardware and not providing an option to play with multiplayer, the demo can only be played in single player.

This demo was built from a pre-release version of Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, and has numerous quirks and differences from the final game as a result, listed below.

• Some rooms are different from their equivalents in the final game
• The name of the area the player is currently exploring is not specified in the bottom right corner of the screen
• One way mirrors and round-trip mirrors look identical
• Sprites are generally less polished
• Shadow Kirby gives the Fire ability when inhaled in his first fight

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  Gekkan Nintendo Tentou Demo 2004.4.1 home page advertising Kirby & The Amazing Mirror

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  Kirby & The Amazing Mirror main page from the Gekkan Nintendo Tentou Demo 2004.4.1 disc

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  Demo running on the original GameCube demo disc

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  The four Kirbys encouraging the player to buy the full game

Kirby: Canvas Curse[edit]

Kirby: Canvas Curse's demo released for Nintendo DS kiosks without a downloadable release on the DS Download Service or DS Download Station.

The two stages Plant Plain and Ghost Grounds are included, along with the tutorial, all of which are unaltered from their versions in the full game. After either the end of a stage is reached or Kirby loses enough lives to cause a Game Over, the demo ends and the player is encouraged to purchase the full game before being returned to the title screen. If the kiosk is left alone for a few minutes, the demo will end without displaying the advertisement. Medals are still present and collectable in all stages as they are in the full game, but not saved.

Menus are significantly different in this demo compared to the final game: there are two title screens instead of one, the stage selection screen has difficulty labels above each stage's icon, and info on how to play the game is displayed on the top screen of the stage selection screen.

This demo also released in Japan, but there is little visible difference from the North American version (aside, of course, from all of the text being Japanese instead of English).

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  The title screen for the Kirby: Canvas Curse demo

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  The second title screen, which resembles the full game's title screen more

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  Stage select menu

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  Tutorials on the top screen of the stage selection

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  Ending screen, encouraging the player to try the full game

Kirby: Squeak Squad[edit]

Kirby: Squeak Squad's demo released for DS kiosks, similarly to the Kirby: Canvas Curse demo. The demo includes minor adjustments for enemy placement, but is otherwise completely identical to the full game. A time limit is started once the player starts the demo, and will display a screen thanking the player for completing the demo once it ends. The demo can also be ended by getting a Game Over or completing Nature Notch.

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  Title screen of the Kirby: Squeak Squad demo

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  "Thanks for playing!" message

Kirby Super Star Ultra[edit]

Kirby Super Star Ultra's demo was released exclusively on DS kiosks. The only main game included is Spring Breeze, along with the two Sub-Games Kirby Card Swipe and Kirby on the Draw. Kirby Super Star Ultra takes a less restrictive approach to limiting use, allowing the player to start from any stage of Spring Breeze and continue from a Game Over. Although the time limit still exists, it only activates when Kirby is idle and resets when he moves, and is practically negated by the ability to start from a checkpoint. After completing Spring Breeze and watching the Tomorrow's Wind cutscene, the game will display a screen thanking the player for finishing the demo and encourages them to play the full game.

Although the demo is identical to the full game gameplay-wise, there are a few notable differences:

• Despite most modes not being unlocked or playable, the title screen will cycle between the opening cutscenes for Spring Breeze, Dyna Blade, Gourmet Race, The Great Cave Offensive, and Revenge of Meta Knight in that order. The Grand Opening cutscene is interspersed as well.
• The Tomorrow's Wind cutscene includes no credits, and displays "THE END" on the bottom screen throughout.

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  Kirby Super Star Ultra demo title screen with a seizure warning at the bottom

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  "Thank you for playing" screen

Kirby Mass Attack[edit]

The demo for Kirby Mass Attack released on the Wii's Nintendo Channel under the DS Download Service, marking both the first downloadable demo in the Kirby series, along with the only downloadable Kirby demo for the Nintendo DS.

Like the demo for Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, all introduction is cut out (aside from the animation that plays every time Kirby enters a stage in the full game), and Kirby is sent straight into the first stage immediately after the player starts. A unique stage is played which follows most of the main points of the full game's first stage, but with some tweaks to the original layout (one of the most noticeable being nearly every Medal being replaced with a different item, while the single one that is preserved being changed from a Rainbow Medal to its regular counterpart) along with a few new sections. Due to these changes, it is made possible to create all ten Kirbys in the demo's only stage. If Kirby manages to cause a Game Over, the regular Game Over screen will be displayed, but tapping to restart will cause the demo to return to the title screen instead of the World Map as it would in the full game. Data is not saved after the demo is completed.

After the demo is finished, a screen is displayed thanking the player for completing it, along with some information about the full game on the bottom screen. Advancing through the text on the bottom screen will eventually lead the player to return to the title screen.

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  Title screen for the Kirby Mass Attack demo

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  "Thanks for playing" screen

Kirby: Triple Deluxe[edit]

Kirby: Triple Deluxe's demo released exclusively for kiosks. It includes two stages, Fine Fields - Stage 1 (played by selecting "Play a Stage" / "Stage" on the title screen) and Fine Fields - Stage 5 (played by selecting "Boss Battle" on the title screen). Both stages, along with all gameplay elements, cutscenes, and info, have been completely unaltered from the full game. Keychains, Rare Keychains, 1-Ups, and Point Stars are collectable and recorded while a stage is played, but are not saved and as a result do not persist between stages or playthroughs.

After either stage is cleared or Kirby loses all his lives, the demo will display a screen thanking the player for completing the demo, then return to the title screen. The song "Hypernova All-Stars" plays in the background of this screen.

Internally, there are a few differences between this demo and the final version of the game. While not accessible in the demo itself, the data for Fine Fields - Stage 3 is present; if the data is loaded in the final game, the first room ends with a Goal Door (likely misplaced) rather than a one-way door. Also, every music track not used in the demo is removed from the files. Within the code, any reference to a track that isn't in the files instead points to "Hypernova Inhale", likely to avoid a crash if an unavailable song is referenced.^[2]

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  Title and stage selection screen for the Kirby: Triple Deluxe demo

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  "Thanks for playing" screen

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse[edit]

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse had two demos released: one for kiosks and another at E3 2014. Both demos are similar, although there are many small differences between the two versions.

Both demos use a stage selection screen more close in form to the main menu of the final game. The E3 demo includes the stages "Beginner Level" (The Adventure Begins), "Water Level" (Swept Out to Sea), and "Tank Level" (Deploy the Kirby Tank!). ^[3] The kiosk demo preserves the first and third stages, but replaces the "Water Level" with "Boss Fight" (The Forest of Whispy Woods) and renames the other two "Beginner Stage" and "Tank Stage". In both versions, if any stage other than Beginner Level/Stage is chosen, Kirby will warn the player that the stage is for expert players and that they should play the Beginner Level/Stage first. All stages preserve their tutorials, and in the E3 version of the demo, a condensed version of the tutorial for The Adventure Begins is also present in the "Water Level", consisting of only one room instead of the original three. Aside from the aforementioned change, stages include little to no difference from their versions in the full game. This also means Treasure chests are collectable, but not saved. Stages are also playable with multiplayer (as Waddle Dees controlled by a Wii Remote).

After Kirby reaches the end of a stage, the demo ends and will show a screen with the text "Thanks for claying!" The text then quickly corrects itself to the more traditional "Thanks for playing!", then quits to either the kiosk menu in the kiosk demo, or to the title screen in the E3 demo.

The E3 demo has a few differences and oddities that were changed for the final game, listed below:

• On the title screen, a fourth cyan Bandana Waddle Dee wearing a white bandana is present, implying that up to four Bandana Waddle Dees were able to adventure alongside Kirby at some point until the maximum was reduced to three.
• The Goal Game is absent with a simple Goal Door in its place (which is never found in the full game).
• Kirby exits Deploy the Kirby Tank!/Tank Level without returning to his normal form.
• Kirby's irises are star shaped in the menu (this was changed even in the kiosk demo, where the only major difference in his art between the two demos is this detail).
• Assets are generally less detailed.

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  Kiosk demo title screen

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  Kiosk demo stage selection screen

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  Kirby warns the player about the level's difficulty

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  E3 demo title screen

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  "Thanks for claying" screen

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  "Thanks for playing" screen after being corrected

Kirby: Planet Robobot[edit]

Two demos for Kirby: Planet Robobot were released; one downloadable for play on personal systems, and one for store kiosks. Both demos are nearly identical with few noticeable differences, one being the absence of the eShop and manual buttons on the title screen of the kiosk version.

The demo for Kirby: Planet Robobot includes two stages, Patched Plains - Stage 1 (referred to as "Normal Stage" on the title screen) and Patched Plains - Stage 2 (referred to as "Robobot Stage" on the title screen). Both stages are unchanged from their versions in the full game.

Collectibles like Point Stars, Stickers (including the two Rare Stickers), and 1-Ups are still present, but do not persist between stages due to the demo's lack of save files, or even a saving feature in general. Stickers earned are still displayed after a Goal Game, but cannot be used on the Robobot Armor.

In the downloadable version of the demo, when either stage is completed, or a Game Over occurs, a short compilation of video clips from the full game is played. After the video finishes, a screen thanking the player for playing the demo is displayed on the top screen, with a button that takes the player to the full game's Nintendo eShop page displayed on the bottom screen. In the kiosk demo's version of the end screen, both causes of the screen in the downloadable demo still apply, but the video is skipped and there is no button leading to the Nintendo eShop page on the bottom screen. The song Flight of Azure plays on this screen in both versions of the demo.

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  Title and stage selection screen for the Kirby: Planet Robobot downloadable demo

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  Downloadable demo completion screen, suggesting that the player visit the Nintendo eShop to purchase the full game

Kirby Battle Royale[edit]

Kirby Battle Royale had two different demos released, for kiosks and for normal consoles on the Nintendo eShop. For the first time in the series, the downloadable and kiosk demos have major differences, including the type and amount of content available to try.

Downloadable demo[edit]

Unlike other demos, the player is immediately put into gameplay. In this case, the intro to Dedede's Cake Royale is played until after the first battle with a Soldier Waddle Dee. Once the intro concludes, the demo shows the title screen, which then leads to the main menu. From here, the player can choose to replay the intro, play Battle Mode in either singleplayer or multiplayer, or view their collection list.

Only a few Copy Abilities and Battle modes are available in this demo, some of which have to be purchased from the collection list. Only Sword and Cutter are available from the start, while Beetle can be purchased for 100 Battle Coins. As for Battle modes, Battle Arena and Apple Scramble are available from the start, while Crazy Theater can be purchased for another 100 Battle Coins. Each mode only has its original stage available.

A system of restricting play called Demo Tickets is implemented, with each battle requiring a single ticket to start. Singleplayer and multiplayer battles use separate ticket counters, with singleplayer being allowed a maximum of five per day while multiplayer is allowed seven. If the player runs out of tickets by playing battles, they will have to wait until the next day for the tickets to be restored. Interestingly, the demo can also host Download Play multiplayer matches just like the main game, meaning that other players without copies of the game or its demo can still join in local wireless.

This demo can uniquely transfer save data to the full version of Kirby Battle Royale: at the bottom of the main menu, there is a button to send collected Battle Coins to the full version, and another button to unlock Meta Knight before defeating him in Story Mode.

Kiosk demo[edit]

The kiosk demo does not include any content unique to Dedede's Cake Royale, but includes three Battle modes and ten Copy Abilties. Since the demo is meant to be played at a kiosk, only CPU opponents can be battled and no multiplayer mode is available. After a battle concludes and results are shown, the player is thanked for completing the demo and is returned to the title screen.

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  Downloadable demo main menu

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  Downloadable demo Battle Mode menu

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  Kiosk demo mode selection

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  Kiosk demo ability selection

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  Kiosk demo "Thank you for playing!" screen

Kirby Star Allies[edit]

Kirby Star Allies's demo released on Nintendo eShop and in store kiosks. Both demos are nearly identical, with barely any differences.

Two stages are included in this demo, named "Grassland Stage" and "Cave & Castle Stage", labeled as "Easy" and "Hard" respectively. Both stages have no equivalent in the full game, as they are combinations of multiple stages from the full game. Grassland Stage is a combination of Green Gardens, Honey Hill, and Fruity Forest, while Cave & Castle Stage is a combination of Donut Dome, Reef Resort, Friendly Field, and Clash at Castle Dedede. Both stages culminate in a boss battle, against Whispy Woods in Grassland Stage, and against King Dedede in Cave & Castle Stage. After a boss is defeated and the stage is completed, the demo encourages the player to purchase the full version and returns to the title screen (or the kiosk's demo selection menu, in the case of the kiosk demo). In the kiosk version, this screen can also be brought up after a hidden time limit expires.^[4] Neither of the bosses in this demo can be befriended by throwing a Friend Heart at them, consequently leaving no way to make a Dream Friend.

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  Title and stage selection screen for the Kirby Star Allies downloadable demo

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  Downloadable demo completion screen, suggesting that the player visit the Nintendo eShop to purchase the full game

[edit]

Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn's demo released in both store kiosks and on the Nintendo eShop. Like the demos for Kirby: Planet Robobot, the demos for Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn are almost identical.

The two stages Fountain Gardens and Rainbow Falls are playable, both in Normal Mode and Devilish Mode. Both stages are unaltered from their versions in the full game, and all items are still collectable (such as Furniture and Beads). Their collection status is saved as long as the demo is open in the downloadable version, but are discarded as soon as the stage is completed in the kiosk version.

The demo ends once Kirby completes the stage or (if Devilish Mode is enabled) loses all of his Life Pieces. Kirby and Prince Fluff then thank the player for completing the demo and a button to return to the title screen is shown on the bottom screen. Alternatively, in the downloadable version, the player may choose to be taken to the full game's Nintendo eShop page.

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  Title screen for the Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn demo

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  Stage selection screen for the Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn demo

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  Demo completion screen

Kirby Fighters 2[edit]

The demo for Kirby Fighters 2 released exclusively on Nintendo eShop shortly after the full game's release.

Only three Copy Abilities (Sword, Bomb, and Staff) and one Buddy (Bandana Waddle Dee) are available, and only the modes Story Mode: The Destined Rivals, Online Mode, Local Play Mode, and Training are available. The Rewards List is viewable, but nothing can be unlocked, as the Fighters Rank is permanently capped at Rank 1. Story Mode is only playable through the first chapter, Local Play Mode is limited to only joining rooms without the ability to create them, and Online Mode can be played either by randomly matching with other players (including those who own the full version) or by joining a room created by a friend who owns the full game.

After Twin Woods is defeated in Chapter 1 of Story Mode, the player is returned to the main menu with a message that thanks the player for finishing the demo, along with informing them about features that are exclusive to the full version. From here, the player can either visit the full game's Nintendo eShop page or dismiss the message and continue playing the demo.

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  Title screen for the Kirby Fighters 2 demo

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  Main menu

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  Ability/character selection

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  Demo completion screen

Kirby and the Forgotten Land[edit]

Kirby and the Forgotten Land's demo released both on Nintendo eShop and in store kiosks. The demo includes three stages: Point of Arrival, Downtown Grassland, and The Brawl at the Mall, all of which are mostly unaltered from their versions in the full game, although the "Welcome to the New World!" cutscene in Point of Arrival is skipped, and The Brawl at the Mall ends earlier, meaning that the Waddle Dees can't be saved and the missions can't be completed. The only Copy Abilities that can be obtained in these stages are Sword, Bomb, Cutter, and Ice. Unlike most previous demos, all of these stages are properly named as they are in the full game. The World Map is replaced by a simple stage selection screen, and Waddle Dee Town is not present. While Bandana Waddle Dee doesn't join for Co-Op Mode until the end of Point of Arrival in the full game, he is available from the start in the demo.

In the downloadable version of the demo, defeating Gorimondo and completing it will cause a video showing scenes from the full game to play, followed by a screen promoting the full version of the game. From here, the player may return to the title screen or visit the page for the full version on the Nintendo eShop.

After the downloadable demo is completed, all available Copy Abilities are evolved to their subsequent versions, encouraging the player to replay the stages to try each ability's new moves. This change can be reverted on the stage select screen. Two Present Codes are also granted, one for simply clearing the demo and another for completing every mission in Downtown Grassland. These codes can be used in the full game.

In the kiosk version, defeating Gorimondo does not provide a Present Code or evolve the Copy Abilities. Instead, the game simply displays a demo completion screen and returns to the kiosk menu. ^{[citation needed]}

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  Title screen for the Kirby and the Forgotten Land demo

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  Stage selection menu

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  Product Info menu

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  CLEARDEMO Present Code reveal

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  NEWADVENTURE Present Code reveal

Kirby's Dream Buffet[edit]

Kirby's Dream Buffet's demo released exclusively for kiosks. The Home Table is immediately skipped upon pressing start on the title screen and the player is presented with the main menu instead. Only Battle Mode's Gourmet Grand Prix mode is available, and all other modes are grayed-out. Extra Spicy CPU difficulty is also unavailable. Despite all of these removals, Gourmet Grand Prix is played identically to how it is in the full version.

Unlockables are also not available in this demo; Character Treats cannot be collected (although a random set is displayed on the title screen), only the colors Kirby Pink, Keeby Yellow, Ice Blue, and Tea Green are available (assigned to player 1, player 2, player 3, and player 4 respectively), and costumes cannot be used by any character (including the Waddle Dees).

After the Gourmet Grand Prix concludes and the results are shown, a video advertising the full game will play, followed by a screen that both thanks the player for completing the demo and informs them about the contents of the full game. After the screen is dismissed, the kiosk returns to its main menu.^[5]

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  Title screen for the Kirby's Dream Buffet demo

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  Main menu

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  "Game Menu" showing every mode grayed-out aside from Gourmet Grand Prix

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  "Thanks for playing" screen

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]

A demo for Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe released on Nintendo eShop and for kiosks. Bits of content from both Main Mode and Merry Magoland are accessible. All four characters are playable in both modes, although many Copy Abilities from the full game are removed. Helper Magolor is also available. Most text in the demo (specifically all of Magolor's dialogue) was rewritten for the full release.

Main Mode[edit]

After the demo starts, the opening cutscene plays and Kirby is sent to the World Map. Modified versions of Cookie Country - Stage 1 and Cookie Country - Stage 2 can be played (which are really sections of every Cookie Country stage, mixed in with a few Raisin Ruins sections in Stage 2), along with an unmodified Cookie Country - Stage 5 after the second stage is completed. Completing Stage 2 unlocks Stage 5, but leaves the doors to Stage 3 and Stage 4 locked, since a bit of their content is included in the first two stages. After Whispy Woods is defeated, both his EX variant and a Copy Ability Room inside the Lor Starcutter are unlocked. Whispy Woods EX has a unique pause screen description compared to the final game, making note that it is a special battle for the demo. The HAL Room in Cookie Country - Stage 4 is still able to be entered, but the ability section is slightly altered. Using a Random Copy Essence or Mix will not allow access to abilities not found elsewhere in the demo.

Copy Abilities / Characters
Name	Ability Star	Notes
Kirby / Normal		Additional players may play as a differently colored Kirby.
Meta Knight		Only available as an additional player. Similar to Sword.
King Dedede		Only available as an additional player. Similar to Hammer.
Bandana Waddle Dee		Only available as an additional player. Similar to Spear.
Beam
Cutter
Fighter		Can only be obtained by using a Random Copy Essence, mixing, or visiting the Copy Ability Room.
Fire		Featured in the HAL Room.
Monster Flame		Super Ability, only obtainable in one area of the second stage.
Hi-Jump		Can only be obtained by using a Random Copy Essence, mixing, or visiting the Copy Ability Room.
Leaf
Needle
Ninja		Can only be obtained by using a Random Copy Essence, mixing, or visiting the Copy Ability Room.
Sand		Featured in the HAL Room and the Copy Ability Room, but can still be obtained from a Sandran in stages.
Sleep
Sword		Featured in the HAL Room.
Ultra Sword		Super Ability, only obtainable in one area of the first stage.
Tornado		Can only be obtained by using a Random Copy Essence, mixing, or visiting the Copy Ability Room.
Water		Featured in the HAL Room.
Whip

Merry Magoland[edit]

Merry Magoland is unlocked after the first stage in Main Mode is completed. Here, Ninja Dojo and Booming Blasters are unlocked by default, although no other Sub-Games can be accessed. Each Sub-Game has three missions to complete, but no extra missions are available. Souvenirs are obtainable by participating in the Stamp Rally, along with five Dress-Up Masks. Completing every mission and obtaining every mask are both acknowledged by the demo with two congratulatory messages. Magolor's ability to tell Kirby about player statistics is not available, and informs Kirby of this fact when interacted with:

"Hey, Kirby! Welcome to Merry Magoland!"
"Are you enjoying the subgame attractions?"
"In the full version, you'd be able to connect to the internet and learn fun facts from Magolands around the world."
"However, that feature is not available in this demo... Apologies, my dude."
"I wonder what sort of fun facts we'll be able to hear about? I can't wait to find out!"
"If you play the full version, I'd welcome you to come back and talk to me here. It'll be a fun feature!"

Available Dress-Up Masks
Character	Image	Notes
Waddle Dee		Unlocked by visiting the park for the first time
Kine		Unlocked by completing the first Stamp Rally
Chef Kawasaki		Unlocked by completing the second Stamp Rally
King Dedede		Unlocked by completing the third Stamp Rally
Elfilin		Unlocked by completing the fourth Stamp Rally

It has been requested that image(s) be uploaded and added to this article. Remove this notice once the image(s) have been uploaded and applied. Not sure what to add here, thanks for playing screen has multiple sections and adding the messages for obtaining all masks/completing all missions might be a bit much???

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  Title screen for the Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe demo

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  Main menu

Kirby Air Riders[edit]

Kirby Air Riders: Global Test Ride[edit]

This section is incomplete. You can help WiKirby by expanding it. Missing information about the headwear available for users with online pre-orders.

A free downloadable demo for Kirby Air Riders, called the Kirby Air Riders: Global Test Ride, was released on the Nintendo eShop on November 7th, 2025. The time-limited demo, which lasted for a little over a week, allowed players to play Lessons at any time, as well as play Air Ride offline, and play City Trial online during certain time periods. The rider and machine roster was limited for the demo, and Paddocks only supported 16 players rather than 32 as in the full game. Some lessons were also absent, including "Unique Copy Abilities", "Racing on Mount Amberfalls", "Racing on Checker Knights", and all "Machines" lessons.

Air Ride only featured three courses: Floria Fields, Waveflow Waters, and Mount Amberfalls. Rules could not be customized, though CPU levels could be adjusted. Floria Fields was set to three laps, Waveflow Waters to two, and Mount Amberfalls to one.

The online period for the Global Test Ride covered two weekends in 2025:

• First weekend:
  • November 8, from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. PT
  • November 8, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. PT
  • November 9, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT
• Second weekend:
  • November 15, from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. PT
  • November 15, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. PT
  • November 16, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT

The following riders and Air Ride machines were available in Kirby Air Riders: Global Test Ride:

Riders in Kirby Air Riders: Global Test Ride
Character	Caption	Special	Alternate colors
Playable in both weekends
Kirby	A light and floaty friend to all! This well-balanced hero has no clear weaknesses.	Varies depending on color: Pink: Ultra Sword Yellow: Crash Red: Burn Blue: Snow Bowl	Yellow Red Blue
King Dedede	A heavyweight rider who rules the raceway! Hits hard with his powerful hammer.	Jet Hammer	Blue Pink Cyan
Meta Knight	A shadowy defender who slashes rivals with his sword and slices through the air on dark wings.	Night Wing	Gray Pink
Bandana Waddle Dee	A sturdy rider who builds Boost Charge quickly. His trusty spear stings rivals like a hornet!	Spear Cyclone	Red & purple
Waddle Doo	Keeps an eye on nearby rivals, then hits 'em with a peeper-powered arc of optic blasts!	Waddle Doo Barrage	Black & red
Chef Kawasaki	A culinary genius who always has a ladle handy! Recovers an extra amount from food items.	Superspicy Cooking	Black & dark orange
Knuckle Joe	A fierce fighter who jabs at riders that come too close. Charge up fully for a flurry of punches!	Knuckle Rush	Red & blue
Gooey	An odd creature of mysterious origin. Makes skillful use of his long, wiggly tongue.	Mock Dark Matter	Dark blue
Cappy	The mushroom cap doubles as a protective cushion. Race ahead of rivals before it falls apart!	Booster Cap	Purple & yellow
Starman	Excels at airborne maneuvers. Jump for a burst of speed and soar right over your rivals!	Super Starman	Red
Magolor	A sly spell caster who accelerates a lot after Star Slides. Attack rivals ahead of you with perfect landings!	Magolor Cannon	Gray
Susie	A smug, shiny entrepreneur. Deploys a propeller to take off and float gently through the air.	Roboboosters	Red & black
Playable in the first weekend only
Rick	A heavy, hamster-y animal friend who handles corners nimbly and can sprint on foot like a pro.	Rip-Roaring Rick	Brown
Scarfy	A perfectly polite rider... Up until it loses its cool. When it gets mad, it gets fast!	Scarfy's Losin' It	Pink
Playable in the second weekend only
Waddle Dee	A friendly lightweight with a tiny frame. Enjoys easy acceleration and smooth maneuvering.	Golden Waddle Dee	Yellow
Daroach	A sneaky, squeaky thief. Scratch to snatch up rival Copy Abilities, then vanish in a flash.	Sneaky Dash	Purple

Air Ride machines in Kirby Air Riders: Global Test Ride
Machine	Caption	Notes
Playable in both weekends
Warp Star	Both drives and glides perfectly well. An easy ride with no clear weaknesses.
Winged Star	Slow when ground-bound, but soars gracefully whenever it takes flight.
Shadow Star	Attacks cause major damage, even on a single hit! Soars on sleek and shadowy wings while airborne.
Wagon Star	Can't Boost Charge, but makes up for it with higher performance in other categories.
Bulk Star	Plow forward on Burst Charges![sic] Has an extra-tough frame that's hard to damage.
Wheelie Bike	Races ahead on a single wheel. An interesting design compared to star-type machines.
Rex Wheelie	An intimidating, sturdy cycle. If it can maintain its top speed, it'll roll its way to victory.
Paper Star	Light as paper with impressive flight capabilities. Fragile, but offers excellent acceleration.
Chariot	A safe, stable ride thanks to its two-wheeled design. Turns sharp corners with reliable agility.
Battle Chariot	A heavyweight hunk of a machine that tears up the road and can send enemies flying.
Tank Star	Rushes forward on Boost Dashes. Boost Charges help it tackle turns at a rapid pace.
Compact Star	Low-level stats, but a reliable ride... for finding a better machine.	Only available in City Trial.
Playable in the first weekend only
Turbo Star	Boasts impressive speed, but proves stubborn and slow when it comes to steering.
Jet Star	Accelerates greatly when lifting off the ground. Launch skyward and take off like a bullet!
Wheelie Scooter	A stylish minibike that offers high maneuverability. Boost Charges make sharp turns a breeze.
Playable in the second weekend only
Slick Star	Slippery and tricky to control, but offers a wholly unique approach to riding.
Vampire Star	Preys upon enemies and rivals to power itself up. It'll snatch their Copy Abilities and items too!
Bull Tank	A bulky tank with thick plates of armor. Charge forward without worrying about damage!

Update history[edit]

The demo was updated to version 1.0.1 on November 13th, 2025 shortly before the second weekend. The following changes were made^[6]:

• Improved communication stability during online play.
• Fixed an issue where City Trial matching sometimes did not successfully connect after a long period of time.
• Fixed an issue where City Trial matches would sometimes not start properly.
• Fixed an issue where other players’ games might not progress, such as a player experiencing a communication error in a paddock.
• Made several other miscellaneous gameplay fixes.

You may still experience matching and communication issues after this update. If a match does not start after 90 seconds or more on the matching screen, try exiting the matching screen. If you cannot exit, try restarting the software.

Other demos[edit]

E3 demos[edit]

Kirby Wii (Kirby's Return to Dream Land)[edit]

A demo for "Kirby Wii" (which would later come to be known as Kirby's Return to Dream Land) was playable at E3 2011. The demo includes two levels: Level ★ and Level ★★. Support for four-player cooperative play was fully implemented, along with every playable character.

Level ★ includes the entirety of Cookie Country - Stage 1 (aside from skipping straight to the Sphere Doomer fight in the Another Dimension section), then the third room of Cookie Country - Stage 2, then the fourth room of Cookie Country - Stage 3, then to the final room of Cookie Country - Stage 4 (including the Another Dimension segment, which this time keeps its prelude to the Sphere Doomer fight), and finally the fight against Whispy Woods.^[7]

Level ★★ includes the first and third rooms from Raisin Ruins - Stage 1, before skipping to the third room of Nutty Noon - Stage 3, then the last room of Egg Engines - Stage 4, then the last two rooms of Raisin Ruins - Stage 4 (and thus the Another Dimension segment), and finally the fight against Mr. Dooter.^[8][9]

After either level is completed, the demo thanks the player for completing it and (presumably) returns to the title screen.

As this demo is from several months before the game released, there are many small differences between the demo and the final game:

• The heads-up display has numerous differences:
  • Black outlines and backgrounds are used for some elements
  • A star in the bottom left corner of each character's icon is displayed
  • Ability hats different from those used in the final game are displayed on Kirby
  • Kirby's icon when defeated is different, depicting him in shock instead of discomfort
  • Waddle Dee's icon depicts a regular, Bandana-less Waddle Dee
  • King Dedede's HUD and Pop Flower color is cyan, instead of red; this is not reflected in the trailer nor official screenshots released at the time, which show it as red, unlike the playable demo
  • After defeating Whispy Woods and picking up the oars to the Lor Starcutter, the HUD displays the right wing in the corner as being obtained instead
• There is no explanation to the player what Energy Spheres are and their importance when the first one is picked up
• The rooms featured in this demo all have very minor differences from the final game's layouts (a noticeable example is the absence of a Key Dee in the third room of Level ★★, simply leaving a lone key), but are still very close
• Keys have a matte green gem instead of a shiny blue gem
• Terrain that can be destroyed by a Super Ability is more rounded and clean as opposed to the final game's more jagged and natural ground
• "Into the Underground Waterway" plays in Another Dimension segments instead of "Another Dimension"
• Every boss is simply labeled "Boss" by the health meter, even for the already named Whispy Woods
• The arrow that appears after defeating a Sphere Doomer is replaced by a red triangle with a line next to it

"Not for Resale" games[edit]

Before the GameCube's demo discs and subsequent demo release methods began their distribution, the Kirby series used cartridges labeled "Not for Resale" in kiosk systems for players to try games. These cartridges, however, contain no difference in internal game data from their retail counterparts.

Games known to have "Not for Resale" demo variants[edit]

• Kirby's Dream Course^[10][11]
• Kirby's Dream Land 2^[12]
• Kirby's Block Ball^[13]
• Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land^[14]
• Kirby Air Ride^[15][16]
• Kirby & The Amazing Mirror^[17]

Various other games (namely those released for Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS) that have special demo versions also have cartridges with a "Not for Resale" label, but these cartridges use their corresponding special demo version instead of the full game.

Demos in other games[edit]

Timed versions of older Kirby games have been included in other games, usually as promotion for Nintendo's Virtual Console series of downloadable classic games. Although these demos are not necessarily unique from the full games they aim to promote, they serve the same purpose of convincing a player to purchase the demo's full version.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

In the Super Smash Bros. series, demos are provided in the form of Masterpieces. Masterpieces are versions of games that are important to the history of fighters included in Super Smash Bros. only playable for a short time with no other limitations. Since characters from the Kirby series have made an appearance in both entries that also include Masterpieces, several Kirby games have been included as Masterpieces in the Super Smash Bros. series.

Game	Brawl	Wii U	Time limit	Notes
Kirby's Adventure			2:00 (Brawl), 3:00 (Wii U)	The Brawl version starts with Kirby already in Vegetable Valley - Stage 1. The Wii U version must be unlocked by clearing Solo Classic mode with Kirby on intensity 5.5 or higher. It starts on the title screen, and the second save file is pre-loaded to have already finished every stage up to Rainbow Resort - Stage 6, allowing the player to enter the final fight with King Dedede. Notably, both versions can actually be "completed" within the time limit, by using the credits warp glitch.
Kirby's Dream Land			3:00	Starts on the title screen. Kirby's Dream Land is notably not available on the Wii U eShop. As a result, instead of linking to the game's eShop page when the time limit is up, the demo mentions that the game is available on the Nintendo 3DS eShop.
Kirby Super Star			3:00	Starts with Kirby already in the first room of Sub-Tree, in The Great Cave Offensive. Other modes may be played if the player exits back to the corkboard menu.

amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits[edit]

amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits, known as amiibo Touch & Play: Nintendo Classics Highlights in Europe and Australia, was a downloadable collection of games available for Wii U that let players scan amiibo in exchange for time limited demos of Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System games. With the closure of the Nintendo eShop for Wii U on March 27th, 2023, it is no longer officially possible to download this collection.

Each demo has multiple starting points (called "scenes") at significant points in the full game, and each demo has a time limit of three minutes before the player is sent back to the main menu and can tap another amiibo. Once an amiibo is registered, it will always be linked to the same game; tapping the same amiibo multiple times will move between scenes.

amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits includes Kirby's Adventure, Kirby's Dream Course, Kirby Super Star and Kirby's Dream Land 3 as playable demos that can be unlocked by any amiibo. There are only two sets of ROMs — the Japanese version uses the Japanese ROMs and all other versions use the North American English ROMs. While each scene starts in the same position between ROMs, details like the scores for each game are slightly different. The following "scenes" are available to play:

Kirby's Adventure scenes
No.	Screenshot	Description	Notes
1		Vegetable Valley - Stage 1.	Each scene starts with Kirby in Normal status, at full health, and with four extra lives. Starting score is 0000000. The credits warp is possible to perform.
2		Vegetable Valley - Stage 5.	Battle with Whispy Woods. Starting score is 0052770 on the English ROM, 0048300 on the Japanese ROM.
3		Butter Building - Stage 6.	Starting score is 0248000 on the English ROM, 0263840 on the Japanese ROM.
4		Orange Ocean - Stage 6.	Starting score is 0688250 on the English ROM, 0709040 on the Japanese ROM.
5		Orange Ocean - Stage 7.	Battle with Meta Knight. Starting score is 0713360 on the English ROM, 0738700 on the Japanese ROM.
6		Rainbow Resort - Stage 2.	Tower of Mid-Bosses. Starting score is 0849390 on the English ROM, 0867700 on the Japanese ROM.
7		Rainbow Resort - Stage 7.	Battle with King Dedede. Starting score is 0916310 on the English ROM, 0949310 on the Japanese ROM.

Kirby's Dream Course scenes
No.	Screenshot	Description	Notes
1		Course 1 - Hole 1.	The player's profile picture is the amiibo logo. All scenes start with Kirby having four tomatoes and two extra lives. Each scene starts on a course where a hole-in-one is possible, and is already set up to make a hole-in-one easier to achieve. Kirby starts the scene already facing the northernmost Kabu.
2		Course 1 - Hole 6.	Kirby starts the scene with the Hi-Jump ability.
3		Course 2 - Hole 1.	Kirby starts the scene with a fly shot already lined up to hit each enemy.
4		Course 4 - Hole 1.	Kirby starts the scene facing north, already lined up to hit the Twister.
5		Course 5 - Hole 2.	Kirby starts the scene with the Needle ability and a fly shot already lined up.
6		Course 6 - Hole 7.	Kirby starts the scene with the Needle ability.
7		Course 7 - Hole 8.	Kirby starts the scene with the Stone ability and a fly shot already lined up over the UFO. If the player gets a hole-in-one, they will receive a silver medal.
8		Course 8 - Hole 8.	Kirby starts the scene with the Burning ability and a fly shot already lined up to go over Whispy Woods and hit the Twister. If the player gets a hole-in-one, they will have earned a silver medal on every course, unlocking Extra Game.

Kirby Super Star scenes
No.	Screenshot	Description	Notes
1		Green Greens.	Each scene starts with Kirby in Normal status, at full health, with no helper, and with three extra lives (when applicable). Skips the opening cutscene. Starting score is 00.
2		Float Islands.	Skips the opening cutscene. Starting score is 20180 on the English ROM, 20780 on the Japanese ROM.
3		Bubbly Clouds.	Skips the opening cutscene. Starting score is 46730 on the English ROM, 47180 on the Japanese ROM.
4		Mt. Dedede.	Begins with Kirby entering the lobby. Starting score is 93160 on the English ROM, 93800 on the Japanese ROM.
5		Dyna Blade's Nest.	Battle with Dyna Blade. Skips the preceding stage. Starting score is 66600 on the English ROM, 68290 on the Japanese ROM.
6		Onion Garden.	Clearing the round shows the results; King Dedede won one race. No single-player records are set.
7		Crystal.	Battle with Computer Virus. Skips the preceding area. Starting score is 0 G on the English ROM (no treasures collected), 1726810 G on the Japanese ROM (treasures collected are Gold Medal, Gold Coin, Whip, Crystal Ball, Lucky Cat, Seiryu Sword, Screw Ball, Echigo Candy, Zebra Mask, Star Stone, Bandanna, Springtime, Dime, Goblet, Brass Knuckle, Amber Rose, Nunchuks, Ancient Gem, Dud, and Truth Mirror).
8		Revenge of Meta Knight - Chapter 7.	Battle with Meta Knight. Skips the preceding areas and dialogue. Starting time is 1321 units on the English ROM, 644 units on the Japanese ROM.
9		Nova.	Starting score is 00 on the English ROM, 743070 on the Japanese ROM. All 19 Copy Essences Deluxe are collected.
10		The Arena's lobby.	First boss is Halberds Reactor on the English ROM, Lololo & Lalala on the Japanese ROM.

Kirby's Dream Land 3 scenes
No.	Screenshot	Description	Notes
1		Grass Land - Stage 1.	Unless noted, each scene starts with Kirby in Normal status, at full health, without Gooey, with no Star Pieces, and with two extra lives.
2		Grass Land - Stage 7.	Battle with Whispy Woods. Every Heart Star in every preceding stage of each scene is already collected.
3		Ripple Field - Stage 3.
4		Ripple Field - Stage 7.	Battle with Acro.
5		Sand Canyon - Stage 7.	Battle with Pon & Con.
6		Cloudy Park - Stage 7.	Battle with Ado.
7		Iceberg - Stage 2.	Kirby starts with the Ice ability inside the third main room, setting him up to eradicate the Metroids.
8		Iceberg - Stage 6.	Tower of Mid-Bosses. Kirby starts with the Spark ability inside the room containing the angel's first feather.
9		Iceberg - Stage 7.	Battle with King Dedede. While unlikely to be seen in full, defeating him will begin the path into Hyper Zone.
10		MG-5.	Begins with Which Gordo was thrown?. Kirby starts with zero extra lives, as is typical for MG-5. The file for this scene is set after Iceberg - Stage 3, when MG-5 is unlocked; its clear percentage is less than scenes 8 and 9.

• 

  Starting screen for Kirby's Adventure.

• 

  Starting screen for Kirby's Dream Course.

• 

  Starting screen for Kirby Super Star.

• 

  Starting screen for Kirby's Dream Land 3.

Trivia[edit]

• The demos for Kirby Air Ride and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse include support for up to four players at once, even though a typical kiosk for either game would only have enough controllers for two players.
• The demo for Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn reuses the "thanks for playing" screen from the E3 demo of the original Kirby's Epic Yarn.

References