If you’re eyeing your Nintendo Switch Online free trial and wondering whether the Kirby Air Riders online checklist hides any exclusive unlockable music, you’re not alone. Players on r/kirbyairriders are asking exactly this:
“Is there anything special or valuable in the online exclusive checklist, like music?”
Let’s break this down like a well-organised study note:
what the Online Play Checklist actually gives, how it compares to other checklists, and whether it’s worth burning your NSO trial just for possible music rewards.
Kirby Air Riders Checklist System Explained With Online Play Checklist Keywords
Kirby Air Riders brings back the classic Checklist system from Kirby Air Ride, but much bigger. According to Nintendo’s official info, the game splits checklist objectives into five tabs:
- Air Ride
- Top Ride
- City Trial
- Road Trip
- Online Play
A full guide from Game8 confirms that there are 750 checklist objectives in total, spread across these five sections, and that Online Play has its own dedicated tab and reward list.
So when people say “online exclusive checklist”, they’re talking specifically about that Online Play tab, which only progresses when you play online matches.
Kirby Air Riders Online Play Checklist Rewards Overview
Let’s answer the big thing first:
What does the Online Play Checklist actually unlock?
From the Online Play Checklist section, the rewards for online objectives are mostly:
- License Card Themes (called Theme (License Card))
- Stickers & Icons (License Card cosmetics)
- My Machine Parts (Patterns and Decals for your vehicles)
- Street Names (titles like “Popular on the Internet”, “Streamer”, “Influencer”, etc.)
- Progress-type stuff like Stadium access and recognition of online actions (licenses received, matches created, etc.)
A GameFAQs thread summarising Online unlocks backs this up: players note four Stadiums and “a bunch of other cosmetic stuff” as main Online checklist rewards.
So, in simple terms:
- Online checklist = cosmetic + status + Stadium unlocks
- It does not focus on race BGM tracks in the same way the Air Ride and Top Ride checklists do.
Is There Any Unlockable Music On The Online Checklist In Kirby Air Riders?
Now the key question:
Does the Online Play Checklist unlock music?
Short answer:
It does unlock “Themes” for your License Card, but not the big alternate race BGMs that most people think of when they say “music”.
What “Theme (License Card)” Really Means
In the Online Play rewards, you’ll see things like:
- Reward: Theme (License Card) for objectives such as:
- Play 15 kinds of Stadium contests
- Play City Trial online a total of 15 times
These Themes change the look and sometimes the background audio of your License Card menu, not the main in-race music. They’re more like UI / profile cosmetics than full new stage tracks.
So technically yes, you do get audio-related cosmetics via Online, but:
- They are not clearly labelled as unique online-only BGMs.
- They are not the “Alt Music: [Course Name] (Alt)” style tracks that change a course’s race song.
If your question is specifically:
“Is there a secret, online-only race song hidden behind the Online checklist?”
Based on the current guides and data, there’s no evidence of that. Online is mostly status titles, card themes, decals, patterns, and stadium access, not exclusive course BGMs.
Kirby Air Riders Alt Music And Checklist Rewards Vs Online Checklist
To see why the Online Checklist looks “light” on music, it helps to compare it with the other checklist tabs.
Air Ride and Top Ride Checklist Alt Music Unlocks
The big alt BGM unlocks are mainly in the Air Ride (and also Top Ride) checklists. In the Air Ride tab, you’ll see rewards like:
- “Alt Music: Air Ride Fantasy Meadows (Alt)” – a Kirby Super Star–style remix of Green Greens
- “Alt Music: Air Ride Nebula Belt (Alt)” – a remix of Fountain of Dreams
- “Alt Music: Air Ride Crystalline Fissure (Alt)” – a track borrowed from Kirby Star Allies
- “Alt Music: Air Ride Magma Flows (Alt)”, “Air Ride Cavernous Corners (Alt)”, and others
A GameFAQs explanation spells it out very clearly:
- Alt music tracks for courses are unlocked by fulfilling certain checklist objectives, mainly in Air Ride and Top Ride, and
- You can identify them by the music note icon on the checklist tile.
That’s where the “real” musically special stuff is: full race track remixes and background songs that you’ll actually hear while playing.
How Sounds and Music Cosmetics Are Mostly Unlocked
There’s also an entire “Sounds and Music” cosmetic category in the game. Game8’s List of All Sounds and Music shows that:
- Most Sounds & Music cosmetics are unlocked by spending Miles in the Miles Shop, not from Online Play specifically.
- These can be equipped as audio cosmetics to customise your experience.
So the general picture is:
- Alt BGMs and important music remixes → mainly checklist objectives in offline modes (Air Ride / Top Ride) + Miles Shop
- Online Play Checklist → themes, decals, stadiums, street names, not headline new stage BGMs
Nintendo Switch Online Requirements For Kirby Air Riders Online Play Checklist
If you’re debating whether to start your Nintendo Switch Online trial just for this Online Checklist, you also need to understand what needs NSO and what doesn’t.
From Nintendo’s official info about the Kirby Air Riders Direct:
- Lessons and core Air Ride modes can be played without Nintendo Switch Online.
- Online modes and the Online Play checklist do require a Nintendo Switch Online membership (paid or trial).
So if your entire reason for activating NSO is:
- “I want exclusive music locked behind online objectives,”
then honestly, that’s not the best use of your trial. The big music unlocks are available offline, and the Sounds & Music shop uses in-game Miles you can earn in regular play.
Kirby Air Riders Online Checklist Rewards: What You Actually Get For Online Play
Let’s list the real value of the Online checklist so you can decide whether it’s worth it for you.
From Game8 and player discussions, Online objectives reward things like:
- Stadium-related unlocks
- Some Stadium contests become available or visually supported by your Online progress.
- Example: Online checklist references to City Trial (Stadium) and Stadium contests variety.
- License Card Themes & Stickers
- Themes change the overall look and mood of your player license, sometimes including background music in menus.
- Stickers and Icons let you decorate your license and show off what you’ve done online.
- My Machine Parts (Patterns & Decals)
- New patterns and decals to customise your machines in My Machine.
- These are purely cosmetic but really nice if you like style and flex.
- Street Names / Titles
- Titles such as “Streamer”, “Influencer”, “Popular on the Internet”, “Master”, “Lone Wolf”, etc.
- These unlock from objectives like:
- Creating matches
- Receiving licenses from other players
- Getting a certain number of items or power-ups in online matches
- Bragging Rights
- Completing Online objectives proves you’ve played a decent amount online, which is a flex on its own—especially if you pair it with a cool License look.
If your main joy in games is cosmetics, titles, and showing off a profile, Online Play Checklist is pretty valuable.
If your focus is soundtrack collecting, it’s secondary, not essential.
Should You Use Your NSO Trial Just For Online Checklist Music Rewards?
Now let’s directly tackle the intent behind the Reddit question:
“I want to activate my Switch Online trial once I’m warmed up. The game has an online-exclusive checklist. Is there anything special like music that makes it worth it?”
If Your Priority Is Unlockable Music
- The best and most noticeable new BGMs come from Air Ride / Top Ride checklists and Miles Shop purchases.
- The Online checklist only offers License Card Themes and not clearly labeled exclusive race BGMs.
- You do not need NSO to start clearing music-related tasks in offline modes.
So, for music alone, activating your NSO trial just for the Online checklist is not really worth it.
If You Also Care About Online Gameplay & Cosmetics
NSO might be worth using when:
- You’re ready to play City Trial online, Team Battles, Stadiums, etc.
- You care about:
- Titles like “Streamer” or “Popular on the Internet”
- Decals and Patterns for your machines
- Themes & Stickers for your License Card
In that case, using the trial when you have time to grind online matches is a smart move. You’ll naturally knock out Online checklist objectives while actually enjoying multiplayer.
How To Plan Your Nintendo Switch Online Trial For Kirby Air Riders Online Checklist
If you decide you do want Online rewards (even without exclusive music), here’s a simple plan so you don’t waste your trial:
Step 1: Warm Up Offline And Farm Miles First
Before turning on the NSO trial:
- Clear some Air Ride and Top Ride checklist squares, especially ones with music note icons for alt BGMs.
- Farm Miles in offline modes so you can buy Sounds & Music in the Miles Shop.
- Learn a couple of machines and riders you’re comfortable with, so you don’t spend your trial time just figuring out controls.
Step 2: Activate NSO Only When You Can Play Several Days In A Row
Once you’re confident:
- Start your NSO free trial on a day where you know you’ll have multiple sessions over the next week.
- Focus on modes that hit multiple Online checklist objectives at once:
- City Trial online (including Team Battle)
- Stadium contests variety
- Air Ride online + Team Relay
- Pay attention to objectives like:
- Create a match
- Play X kinds of Stadium contests
- Gain Copy Abilities X times
- Open paddocks, receive licenses, etc.
That way, you’ll unlock:
- Several Themes,
- Street Names,
- A good chunk of decals and patterns,
all during the same short NSO window.
Practical Answer To The Question About Kirby Air Riders Online Checklist Music
Putting everything into one clear, student-style summary:
- Is there special, online-exclusive race music hidden in the Online Play Checklist?
- Current data and guides show no unique race BGMs tied directly to Online checklist objectives.
- Online rewards are mostly Themes, decals, stickers, titles, and Stadium-related stuff.
- Where is the “real” unlockable music then?
- Alt race BGMs are mainly unlocked from the Air Ride / Top Ride checklists (music-note tiles).
- Sounds & Music cosmetics are mostly bought with Miles in the Miles Shop.
- Should you activate your NSO trial for Online just for music?
- If you only care about new songs to listen to during races, No, it isn’t worth using the trial just for that.
- If you also like online matches, Stadium variety, and profile cosmetics, then yes, the Online checklist has good value—but more for style and status than pure music.