Today, Masahiro Sakurai hosted a 45-minute Nintendo Direct solely dedicated to his latest project, Kirby Air Riders. And he opened the presentation by invoking another game, admitting that Kirby Air Riders is "basically Mario Kart".

The Kirby Air Riders Direct will stream live on Aug. 19, starting at 9 a.m. EDT/6 a.m. PDT. Though its 45-minute length may seem unusual, it's because game director Masahiro Sakurai himself will be present to give Kirby fans an in-depth clinic on what Air Riders is bringing to the table, gameplay-wise.

Masahiro Sakurai revealed during the Kirby Air Riders Nintendo Direct that Bandai Namco and his own studio worked in tandem on the game.