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Rex Wheelie
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| “ | Because of its heavy weight, real concentration and technique are required to race this machine. However, its sturdy nature gives it an advantage when it comes to attacking and defending! | ” | — Kirby Air Ride North American instruction booklet, page 35 |
TheRex Wheelie is a bike-typeAir Ride Machine that appears inKirby Air Ride andKirby Air Riders. It is the largest and most powerful of the bike-type machines, and is known for being one of several machines with high top speed, but poor handling. Just like theWheelie Bike andWheelie Scooter, the Rex Wheelie is based on theWheelie enemy.
Appearance[edit]
Significantly larger than its bike relatives, the Rex Wheelie's basic body is that of a single massive wheel with a rounded black tire. On each side where a hub would normally be, there is instead a massive, angry-looking eye with a blue-green iris and golden eyelid. Positioned on the top half of the wheel is a black, matte covering with golden accents and a brown leather seat upon which the rider sits. This covering is stylized to look like the body of a motorcycle, and features what resembles a gaping jaw with large fangs on the front. On top and on the front of this covering are a pair of handlebars to be gripped by the rider, sheathed behind a glass visor at the helm. At the very front is a large yellow headlight. Extending out from the rear of the covering are four very large silver exhaust pipes - two on each side - which pump out smoky gray exhaust while the machine is moving. The exhaust fumes stop completely when the bike is stationary or charging, but spike for a moment afterboosting. Between the four exhaust pipes is a single red taillight, which lights up when the machine is charging.
InKirby Air Riders, the Rex Wheelie takes on almost the same appearance, but with some minor tweaks. The yellow on its covering is more vibrant and distinct from the golden eyelid on either side of the machine. The exhaust pipes are also more rectangular and emit darker fumes. Its seat is now a darker gray, with the pad behind it taken on a beige color. The headlight is now whiter and is not turned on in game. The smaller, beginning portions of the exhaust pipes also now have a blue hue to them, with an additional connecting pipe added connecting the front of the eye to the front covering of the Rex Wheelie. The taillight is a little different in shape, and now produces a red trail while glowing when the machine is charging a boost. Upon activating of a boost or aDash Panel, the exhaust pipes expel flames, and a fiery trail can be observed temporarily under the wheel.
Game appearances[edit]
Kirby Air Ride[edit]
| “ | A sturdy ride if you can handle the speed. | ” | — Rex Wheelie's flavor text inKirby Air Ride. |
Mechanics[edit]
The Rex Wheelie's most standout features are shared with all bikes -Wheelie Bike,Wheelie Scooter, andWheelie Bike Dedede Custom. Since it relies on a wheel to propel itself, it does not float above the ground as stars do. This renders it more susceptible to ground hazards such as the magma inMagma Flows or the snow inFrozen Hillside, decelerating and messing with its handling more than it would stars. However, it also gains the aid ofDash Panels and activates switches without the need to touch the ground with a charge. As with all bikes, it does not glide in the typical sense, but instead jumps. That is, it gains a sudden increase of speed when going airborne - much less than its fellow bikes - but cannot steer or alter its trajectory to the point almost all stars can.
Aside from its unique bike properties, the Rex Wheelie's most prominent attribute is its high top speed of 31.36 mph (50.48 km/h). It also is an extreme heavyweight, with high offense and defense. However, it has very poor handling, slow charging, below-average acceleration, paltryBoost, and jumps only short distances. Unlike theBulk Star and theWagon Star, the Rex Wheelie actually just has average HP (slightly higher than the Wheelie Bike).[1]
It can be used effectively inAir Ride courses if handled well and played to its strengths, but generally does poorly in navigatingCity Trial due to its loose control. ForStadiums, it has at best a fair chance inVS. King Dedede,Destruction Derby,Drag Race, andSingle Race, but will almost inevitably fail inAir Glider,High Jump,Target Flight, andKirby Melee.
How to unlock[edit]
To unlock the Rex Wheelie for use inAir Ride, the player must defeat at least one-hundred common enemies by exhaling stars.
InCity Trial, this machine can occasionally be found randomly throughout the city and be mounted like most other air ride machines. It is always available in City Trial'sFree Run as well, stored in the same basement with the other machines if not selected.
Kirby Air Riders[edit]
| “ | An intimidating, sturdy cycle. If it can maintain its top speed, it'll roll its way to victory. | ” | — Flavor text fromKirby Air Riders. |
InKirby Air Riders, the Rex Wheelie makes a return and is usable in all four main game modes.[2] Like in the original, the Rex Wheelie is a heavyweight tank of a machine, boasting high offense, defense, and HP. It also boasts a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h) when ridden byKirby, but has slow acceleration and very poor turning. As a Bike-type machine, it cannot glide, instead jumping off of ramps. With Kirby as the rider, it can reach an aerial speed while falling of 48 mph (77 km/h). As a bike, it can jump off of ramps, though the speed at which it can do so does depend on the steepness of the ramp. It also still can automatically activate dash panels and switches, though this is no longer a trait exclusive to bikes. Terrain also impacts the Rex Wheelie's top speed more than many machines due to it being a ground-based vehicle.
The Rex Wheelie's poor handling and acceleration means it can be quite cumbersome to use, especially during the start of aCity Trial match. As such, it is recommended to pick this vehicle up towards the end of a game when one has collected morePatches. It benefits greatly from Boost and Turn patches, as these help compensate for its biggest weaknesses. Likewise, using riders with good grip (Cappy for example) can have a similar negating effect. In general, the Rex Wheelie can be a surprisingly effective option in numerousStadiums, including races such asOval Circuit andDrag Race. It also does well in combat Stadiums likeDustup Derby due to its high offensive and defensive capabilities. Gliding Stadiums likeAir Glider and handling stadiums likeButton Rush should be avoided at all costs, however. To mitigate its poor turning further (especially inAir Ride), it is recommended to charge a boost and begin turning earlier than most other machines would. It will still struggle at courses with too many sharp turns, though, such asMachine Passage, and fares much better at more linear tracks likeNebula Belt.
How to unlock[edit]
The Rex Wheelie is an unlockable machine, and must be obtained through either theChecklist or theMiles Shop. In the Miles Shop, one costs 8,800Miles. An extra Rex Wheelie obtained through any means can be customized inMy Machine.
- Air Ride:Waveflow Waters - Defeat 20 enemies in a single race
- Road Trip - Defeat 3 enemies with star-shaped projectiles in a single challenge
InRoad Trip, this machine must be unlocked separately to be utilized. This can be done either by jumping onto one on the road, or by purchase from a shop if it was not obtained through the prior method. A Rex Wheelie can be located inReefside Ride.
Update history[edit]
| Version | Adjustment details |
|---|---|
| Version 1.2.0 |
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Gallery[edit]
Artwork fromKirby Air Ride
Smaller but transparent artwork
Ripped model from the game's data
The Rex Wheelie as seen in theCity Trial ending
The Rex Wheelie icon fromKirby Air Riders
Gummy of the Rex Wheelie
My Machine decal of the Rex Wheelie's icon, fromKirby Air Riders
The Rex Wheelie's idle animation fromKirby Air Riders
The Rex Wheelie in the Retirement screen inKirby Air Riders
Two Kirbys riding the Rex Wheelie inFind Kirby!! Big Gathering at the Party!
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | レックスウィリー[3][4] Rekkusu Wirī | Rex Wheelie |
| Traditional Chinese | 暴龍獨輪[4] bào lóng dú lún | Tyrannosaurus Rex Unicycle |
| Simplified Chinese | 暴龙独轮[4] bào lóng dú lún | |
| Dutch | Wheelie Rex[4] | - |
| French | Rex Wheelie[3] Rex Roulli[4] | - Rex Wheelie "Roulli" is the French name of Wheelie. |
| German | Rex Wheelie[3] Wheelie-Rex[4] | - |
| Italian | Rex Wheelie[3] Monorex[4] | - |
| Korean | 렉스 타이어맨[4] rekseu taieomaen | Rex Tireman Written as such in-game. "타이어맨" is the Korean name of Wheelie. |
| Portuguese | Rodolho Rex[4] | Rex Wheelie "Rodolho" is the Portuguese name of Wheelie. |
| Spanish | Rex Wheelie[3] Wheelie Rex[4] | - - |
References
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