“ | Charging gives it fuel! It can take a beating.” |
— Flavor Text • Kirby Air Ride |
The Bulk Star is an Air Ride Machine that appears in Kirby Air Ride.
Physical Appearance[]
The Bulk Star is different from the other stars in appearance, with a larger frame and an exposed single-cylinder engine, which makes a sound unique among the other air machines. It has two large exhaust pipes, a functional fuel gauge that more closely resembles a speedometer, a sun-like design on its side, and what appears to be an open-ended intake manifold. Despite not being a Wheelie Bike of any sort, its appearance and mechanics seem to be based on certain parts of American choppers or on the parts of real-world motors in general.
General Information[]
The Bulk Star is the heaviest non-legendary Air Ride Machine, and has great HP (the second highest, after the Hydra), offense, and defense. These traits accentuate its usefulness in City Trial mode. The Bulk Star also has a high Top Speed (it is faster than the Dragoon) and can drift decently, but it has poor acceleration, below average handling, poor glide capabilities and slow charging speed.
Its charge and boost have unique properties; when a player charges the Bulk Star's charge meter, it will run off of that boost gradually as if it is "fuel" until it goes out, in which case it will need to be charged again.
Strategies[]
The Bulk Star may have potential difficulties in Drag Races and some Air Ride courses but is capable in Kirby Melee and Destruction Derby Stadium events. It is also good at powering through surfaces that would slow most stars down, such as the lava in Magma Flows, as it speeds up over these surfaces.
Despite the Bulk Star's technically poor Glide stat, its large frame allows it to perform a glitch in the Air Glider event of City Trial mode which it can use to reach unprecedented heights, making it capable of reaching the maximum possible score in that event.
Related Quotes[]
“ | This machine races using charged-up Boost power as fuel. It's very sturdy and can hit a very high top speed, so learn how to fill your Boost Gauge and give this machine a try!” |
— Air Ride Machines • Kirby Air Ride Instruction Booklet |
Trivia[]
- There is a fuel gauge on the back of the star that shows how much fuel it has left, but the available charge bar undermines this feature entirely.
- On its underside it has the word "Heavy" and a yellow star in the background, referencing its Japanese name, Heavy Star.
- The Bulk Star and the Hydra are the only two Air Ride Machines that use their charge as fuel.