HAL Laboratory

Kirby Air Ride is an Spin-off Kirby game developed by HAL laboratory for the Nintendo GameCube, which has been featured as the first racing game starring the pink-character that has been released. Kirby Air Ride was originally developed for the Nintendo64, but the Nintendo 64-bit version was postponed many times and then cancelled. The project seemed doomed, but Nintendo somehow resurrected it for the GameCube in 2003.

However, some Beta elements remains in some of the E3 Trailers, let see them below:

0:14 ~ By a quickly look, you can see the arrow as RED color, but the Kirby is Pink;

0:23 ~ In Checker Knights the graphics are little “non-detailed”;

0:27 ~ When showing the HUD, it’s possible to see the map as 3D, on the final product, the map have been changed to 2D, such as a Sprite;

0:27 ~ Plasma ability had an another icon (on the final version is different and it’s green) and his charge wasn’t tilt the control, it seems you would recharge such you recharge the machine, holding A;

0;32 ~ Frozen Hillside was really different during the Beta;

0:34 ~ The “Laps” was very bad specific, the lap counter was only a number at the top of the screen, it have been changed lately;

0:34 ~ All the icons “1P-2P-3P-4P-CPU” was totally different, you can see them many on the videos, but you might only see the 2P on 0:34;

0:42 ~ Inside the house on City Trial was totally pink, it was changed with more colors and objects in that house;

0:44 ~ Rocket Star recharged much more faster in the Beta, in the Final version, it takes about 10 Seconds to recharged totally;

0:49 ~ The volcano was totally solid with only one color, it was more detailed lately;

0:49 ~ The Jumper platform was changed;

0:59 ~ A lot of enemies doesn’t have shadow during the beta;

1:05 ~ There is a mysterious flower in Checker Knights;

1:09 ~ The Signs were removed;

1:25 ~ Mike Ability seems to be uncompleted on the Beta Section;

Most of the stages have a minor differences: in Checker Knights, there wasn’t buttons at the end and some other stuff (such as other ways); at the desert, there wasn’t any slopes; and on other stages there was other minor differences too.

And here, an another trailer showing even more beta stuff:

0:03 ~ The Start flag is really different;

0:03 ~ The Red arrow have returned;

0:17 ~ The 3D map again;

0:25 ~ Look how different was the sign;

0:27 ~ And look again, how different was the boost pad, there was a square with arrows, in the final version, it was much more detailed, there wasn’t a floor (square), and have more shading and etc;

0:53 ~ Wheelie ability is slightly different;

0:56 ~ Beta Plasma Ability as already show in the other trailer;

1:02 ~ Enemies didn’t turned into dust in the Beta version, they just were fly up away;

1:05 ~ In this part of the video, it’s possible to see again the uncompleted Mike ability;

1:06 ~ The Spike ability had much more range;

1:17 ~ This time, everyone have got Red arrows;

Some of the stages have little differences.

Hidden in the game’s code of Kirby Air Ride, there is a Debug Menu screen, which is really similar to the one in Super Smash Bros. Melee, with many features on it, such as:

I want to thanks Mack for discovering these!

On the debug menu, we can see much unused stages and unused vehicles.

Stages

Vehicles

Another informations by Mack:

RACE3DMODEGoes into the 3d mode debug options (Stadium, City Trail and Air Ride)
RACE3DMODEGoes into Top Ride debug menu (insanely complicated menu in Japanese);
OPTION MODESome options such as sound option;
PAL MODESets the language (PAL ONLY) to Europe ;
CLEARCHECKIf enabled, all the check lists will be completed 100%;
SOUND TESTA menu will pop which will be sound test. You can listen to both music and SFX;
RUMBLE TESTTests the rumble feature;
MOVIE TESTDisplays a list of all the tutorials and “movies” in the game that can be watched. Altough CPU gameplays are not present.(also know as demo movies);
MEMCARD TEST: A bunch of complicated options related to the memory card.;
ENDING TESTShow the 3 endings.;
LAN EMULATELan testing feature.;
LAN MENU TESTDisplays the lan menu.;
SYNC TEST???? Possibly a test for sync;

There is a Topride debug menu, which seems to edit the whole game. It’s possible to change attributes, change gravity, change items, change the track collisions, change in general, and even saves. But for now, it’s a very complicated debug menu, and will be more researches about it later.

The Sync test, as said in Mack’s commentary, is the same box as Sound Checker, but it’s unknown about it

There is also a vehicle called “VS_DEDEDE” which means “Dedede Stadium Arena” is the same as “DEDEDE_BIKE” the bike that you use when you choose Dedede on a Match. But this Stadium Arena version is kinda different, with worst Max Speed and better Charge Speed.

There is a effect menu that can be accessed on gameplay (of course with the Debug Menu). There is lots of effects on the vehicles, on the levels and even, on the Menu (don’t know how view them).

Thanks to Mack, Gabrielwoj and ConkerGuru for the contributors!

Videos

Unused Vehicles and Stages:

TEST stage:

General Debug Functions:

Note: Mack asked me about upload the video on my profile, I gave all the credits to him, for make the video

Enemy spawning: (all informations on the video)
?

More Enemy Spawning:

Tac and Meteo enemy usage:

Effects Viewer:

SYNC_TEST

TopRide Debug Mode:

VS_Dedede vehicle:

Also not forgetting that the TopRide Debug Menu is very complex, this menu even was need a Save File for Debug into the game: