Nintendo has cancelled a recently launched Halloween event for Kirby Air Ride after players reported widespread freezes and gameplay-breaking bugs.
The arcade-style GameCube title, developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo in 2003, has remained popular with fans of the Kirby franchise, and the seasonal event offered new cosmetic rewards tied to a Halloween theme.
According to reports from players, the special event changed the game's main menu and Paddock to a Halloween motif and allowed participants to earn event points for unlockable Halloween-themed materials and cosmetics, including a ghost hat.
However, players soon encountered a critical gameplay issue: when a player lost all boosts on a single hit, the game spawned those boosts as physical items, and multiple hits per second led to an extreme accumulation of on-screen items.
The excessive item count frequently caused the title to freeze.
Players described the freeze as not only a visual hang but a gameplay liability: while the screen froze, the game continued to simulate action in the background.
During these freezes, characters would move forward uncontrollably, often resulting in a fall from the stage or a fatal hit and the loss of all collected boosts.
Nintendo acknowledged the problem on social media and announced the event's cancellation.
In a statement, the company said it had confirmed an issue in the ongoing “Trick or Treat!” event where the screen temporarily freezes during gameplay and that, for this reason, it would cancel the event.
Nintendo apologized for the inconvenience and added that it plans to hold the event again so players will still have an opportunity to obtain the reward.
The company said it will share details once they are finalized.
This cancellation follows a growing expectation that classic and legacy titles—like HAL Laboratory’s GameCube-era Kirby games—receive curated support or promotions from Nintendo, often highlighted during Nintendo Direct presentations or via the Nintendo eShop and Nintendo Switch Online offerings.
For now, Nintendo’s focus is on resolving the freezing issue before reintroducing the Halloween event so players can reliably earn the themed cosmetics.
Thanks to community member Greatsong for reporting the issue.
For a deeper look at overlooked mechanics in the game, see our feature on a forgotten Kirby Air Ride element.
The arcade-style GameCube title, developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo in 2003, has remained popular with fans of the Kirby franchise, and the seasonal event offered new cosmetic rewards tied to a Halloween theme.
According to reports from players, the special event changed the game's main menu and Paddock to a Halloween motif and allowed participants to earn event points for unlockable Halloween-themed materials and cosmetics, including a ghost hat.
However, players soon encountered a critical gameplay issue: when a player lost all boosts on a single hit, the game spawned those boosts as physical items, and multiple hits per second led to an extreme accumulation of on-screen items.
The excessive item count frequently caused the title to freeze.
Players described the freeze as not only a visual hang but a gameplay liability: while the screen froze, the game continued to simulate action in the background.
During these freezes, characters would move forward uncontrollably, often resulting in a fall from the stage or a fatal hit and the loss of all collected boosts.
Nintendo acknowledged the problem on social media and announced the event's cancellation.
In a statement, the company said it had confirmed an issue in the ongoing “Trick or Treat!” event where the screen temporarily freezes during gameplay and that, for this reason, it would cancel the event.
Nintendo apologized for the inconvenience and added that it plans to hold the event again so players will still have an opportunity to obtain the reward.
The company said it will share details once they are finalized.
This cancellation follows a growing expectation that classic and legacy titles—like HAL Laboratory’s GameCube-era Kirby games—receive curated support or promotions from Nintendo, often highlighted during Nintendo Direct presentations or via the Nintendo eShop and Nintendo Switch Online offerings.
For now, Nintendo’s focus is on resolving the freezing issue before reintroducing the Halloween event so players can reliably earn the themed cosmetics.
Thanks to community member Greatsong for reporting the issue.
For a deeper look at overlooked mechanics in the game, see our feature on a forgotten Kirby Air Ride element.
