Copyright © 1997-1998 by Chris Stassen
Please send any additions and corrections as feedback.
Special thanks to "hobson" for help with the trickiest parts.
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Disclaimer: Kirby's Dream Land 3 and all of the characters within it are owned by Nintendo. This FAQ is not associated with Nintendo in any way. The intent of this FAQ is to enhance the enjoyment of game owners by helping them out when they get stuck. (According to Nintendo Power, Nintendo has no plans to produce a Player's Guide for this game.)
The terminology used in this FAQ differs slightly from that in Nintendo's manual for the game. The attempt is to use terms that the reader will recognize without having to refer to Nintendo's manual as well. For example, Nago is referred to as Cat, because he is obviously a cat. Some additional terminology has been invented and/or imported from other platform games.
(1) As a rule of thumb, it is possible to back-track throughout a given leg, but not possible to return to it once the next leg has been entered. Most doors in the game are one-way, as they deposit Kirby in an area without a return door.
The animal and power names are consistently italicized when they are used in this FAQ.
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The game is scored in terms of percentage complete. The total possible score of 100% is broken down as follows:
(2) Only 3% is awarded (instead of 7%) if the boss is defeated before all six Heart Stars from the world are collected. In order to reach the endgame, it is necessary to go back and re-defeat any bosses that had been beaten before all six Heart Stars were collected from the levels of the boss's world. (It is easy to tell which ones must be revisited, because their picture will flash when displayed on the world map.)
(3) See the discussion of Options later in this section of the FAQ.
Other than the bosses, it isn't necessary to kill enemies. If an enemy isn't blocking Kirby's way and doesn't pose an immediate danger, it might as well be left alone. There aren't any points awarded for killing enemies, and killed enemies come right back if Kirby scrolls them off the screen and returns, anyway. It is more important to explore than to destroy enemies.
Kirby can fly by repeatedly pressing the B-button... except when accompanied by some animals, or when his mouth is full. Unlike most platform games, it is possible to bypass difficult groups of enemies by flying over them, and (except with certain animals) there's no such thing as a difficult jump. (Note: Kirby inhales a puff of air in order to fly and is not able to inhale enemies or activate powers while puffed-up.)
Unlike most platform games, there are very few enemies which are destroyed when Kirby jumps on them. Some animals will be able to destroy most enemies by jumping on them. Kirby can damage some enemies by falling on them from high (i.e., by flying then dropping).
When the game is first started, the only choice on the Options screen is a musical note. It allows the player to choose whether to play with mono or stereo sound. As more of the game is completed, more options become available. Three of the additional options are very difficult games; those each count 1% towards completion. The additional options are:
M: (MG-5). This option is added around the time the player completes the third level of the fifth world. When activated, the player plays the five test-of-skill games (from levels 1-3, 2-3, 3-3, 4-3, and 5-3) back-to-back. All five games must be won in one try, in order for this option to count as completed.
J: (Jump). This option is added when the player wins the MG-5 game (above). This plays the same "jump" bonus game that Kirby attempts at the end of every level. Kirby must avoid the Spike creatures and collect at least ten consecutive stars in order to win.
B: (Boss Butch). This option is added when the player defeats the final (World 6) boss. It makes Kirby fight all six bosses in order, with one life (and no healing in between bosses, and not even Gooey). When Kirby dies it puts up a picture of that boss killing Kirby. All six bosses must be defeated without losing a life, in order for this option to count as completed.
?: (Scene Test). This option is added when the player reaches 100% completion. It brings up a screen which allows the player to view all of the endings, the intro to the game, and the introductory scenes to each of the five worlds.
Star Blocks: Star Blocks can be used as missiles (after inhaled) and may hide Star Pieces. (Picking up 30 Star Pieces will earn an extra life.) An attack or action which will kill an enemy will also break open a Star Block. Star Blocks can also be opened by jumping into them from below (in most cases).
Other Blocks: There are other kinds of blocks, labeled with the icon for a given power. In this FAQ they are referred to by the name of their power. For example, a block marked with a lightning bolt can only be opened by using Spark power, and is referred to as a Spark Block in this document.
Running: Kirby can "run," both when he is alone and when he is teamed up with most animals. To get him to do so, press the control pad in the same direction twice quickly, and hold the second time. This technique is critical to success in some of the later game levels. Practice running in the early levels where it is not as dangerous.
Computer Gooey: If only one player is playing the game, the A-button will cause Gooey to be created and operated by the computer. Gooey's strategy is pretty simple-minded; he inhales everything that comes near and spits it at the closest enemy. There are areas where Computer Gooey is very helpful, and there are areas where Computer Gooey dies quickly or is a hindrance.
Gooey vs. Games: If there are two players playing, each player can make a guess in the various games (the third level of each world). As long as either one of the two guesses is correct, the round is won. The second controller can be used to make a second guess (making the games much easier) even when playing alone. Just create Gooey from the second controller before entering the door to the game room, and swallow him up afterwards.
Animals and powers: These are retained after levels are completed or exited. If a particular power or animal is desired to start a level, it can be obtained in any available level that has it, and when that level is exited the power or animal will stay with Kirby. (Note that this is not usually necessary, because the animals or powers needed to complete a level are almost always found in that same level.) Below is a list of good places to find the given animals/powers.
Animals:
Powers:
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The general way to beat a boss is to inhale the things that they drop or throw at Kirby, and spit those things back to hit the boss. Several hits are needed. The bosses can also be hurt with standard powers. (Flame is excellent for this because it renders Kirby invincible as well. Blade is also good because Kirby can damage the boss from a safe distance.)
Note: Kirby can complete levels without collecting Heart Stars. This allows fast advancement in the game, but it does not fully complete the worlds. If a boss is defeated before all of the Heart Stars for its world have been collected, it will have be defeated again after all of the Heart Stars have been collected.
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There is a general pattern to the tasks that must be accomplished in order to collect the Heart Stars. The pattern repeats on each world. (That is, it takes a similar act to collect the Heart Star on the third level of each of the five worlds.) The pattern is:
Warning: I would recommend that you stop reading here, and go enjoy the game. It is the most fun if you solve the puzzles for yourself. Since Kirby is aimed at a younger audience, the puzzles are fairly simple and (unlike, say, Donkey Kong Country 2 and 3) the gameplay isn't too demanding in terms of reflex/coordination. My four-year-old is able to beat all of the levels in the first three worlds. If you get really stuck, or your kid gets stuck and you just need a hint for one particular level, then proceed on to the short hints below...
The following are very brief descriptions of what must be done to collect all of the Heart Stars. Those which are particularly tricky have a more detailed description at the bottom of the FAQ, which can be reached by clicking on the "[spoilers]" link. (I would recommend viewing the "spoiler" only as a last resort, and only after attempting to solve the level without assistance several times.)
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This section lists the effects of the various powers and animals, both alone and in combination.
There is a section for each animal; it has a short description of that animal's own abilities and then a description of what happens when a given power is activated (Y-button) with that animal. In general, most powers prevent Kirby from moving while the Y-button is pressed; when that rule does not hold it is noted below.
The range of powers when noted is in "blocks," the width of one Star Block.
Kirby has standard powers.
When Y-button is pressed:
Broom, Spark, Spike, and Rock will open any Star Block that Kirby is sitting on when the power is activated.
Kirby can still fly.
When Y-button is pressed:
Cat cannot fly, but he can get pretty high with a triple-jump (jumping while in mid-air). Cat can kill most enemies by jumping on them.
When Y-button is pressed:
Fish cannot fly. He is the only animal that can swim against strong currents. When on land, he can kill most enemies by jumping on them.
When Y-button is pressed:
Jellyfish cannot fly (except with Broom or Flame), but can cling to ceilings. For this reason, Star Blocks cannot be broken from below (Kirby will cling to them rather than breaking them).
When Y-button is pressed:
Kirby has standard powers.
When Y-button is pressed:
Owl flies well. He is the only animal which can fly against a strong wind (by pressing B-button repeatedly).
When Y-button is pressed:
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Use Jellyfish in combination with no power. The X-button causes Jellyfish to reach out (and usually sweep things into Kirby's mouth). Perform this action against the green thing (in a small room near the mid-point of the level) to make him blush.
Following a large group of Star Blocks (and a green blob that shoots Kirby upwards through them), get Rock power and break the Rock Blocks down the hallway to the right. Enter the doorway below to find the fireball mini-boss.
All three shapes are hidden in the same leg of this level. The climb-inside-the-tree leg is divided into three sections left-to-right (left of trunk, inside trunk, and right of trunk); the trunk is divided into three sections vertically. Kirby starts at the bottom, inside the trunk. After climbing the bottom section, there is a doorway to left of trunk in order to climb to the second vertical section of the tree trunk. After climbing the middle section, there is a doorway to right of trunk in order to climb to the third vertical section of the tree trunk.
The Green Triangle is accessed from left of trunk, it is in the top section. The Blue Rectangle is accessed from right of trunk, it is in the middle section. The Yellow Circle is accessed from right of trunk, it is at the very bottom.
It is necessary to jump when throwing the vegetables back at the boss. They do not harm the tree if they hit it in the roots; they must hit it in the face.
Watering the plants requires Bird and Broom power (which spits water bubbles). The six plants are accessed from three underwater doorways that are below the path.
Game note: The eel always pops ten times in each try. You don't have to pay close attention to his first nine appearances (except to count them); only the tenth one matters.
This mini-boss is hard to find. There is an upwards forced movement section. At the end of this section Kirby ends up in a wide chamber with a door at the right-hand side. There is an invisible door in the symmetrical position on the left-hand side of the chamber, which must be entered in order to get to the mini-boss. After defeating the mini-boss it is necessary to "inhale" him and copy his Spike power, because there are Spike Blocks that need to be broken in order to collect the frog.
In order to collect the Heart Star, it is necessary to get Bird to the end of the level. Bird can be found in an alcove of one of the square areas where the currents are very strong. It is necessary to have Fish to swim against the currents to get into that alcove. To take Fish into that section, it is necessary to get him through a passage blocked by Flame Blocks and Rock Blocks. To do this:
Enter the doorway below and left of the passage. There, get Flame power and break the Flame Blocks. Leave Fish behind by the remaining Rock Blocks. Go through the smaller passageway above (that Fish won't fit through). On the right-hand side of the passage, head down and right to get Rock power. Return to Fish and break the Rock Blocks. Pick up Fish and proceed.
There is an underwater area with three doors. Two of the doors lead to a room with a big five-by-five square of Star Blocks. The third leads to a room with a diamond-shaped creature. Eliminate Star Blocks until the remainder matches the shape of the creature, to wake him up.
Original Desired block layout block layout * * * * * . . * . . * * * * * . * * * . * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * . * * * . * * * * * . . * . .
Also in this level there is a series of forks in the path, each one guarded by a green blob that acts as a one-way gate. If Kirby takes the wrong fork he ends up back at the start of the thing. The proper paths to choose to get through are: the top path at the two-way fork, the bottom path at the three-way fork, and then the second path from the top at the four-way fork.
When playing alone, a computer-controlled Gooey takes a lot of damage and is not effective in the first (land) phase of the battle. But he will get several good hits in during the second (underwater) phase. If possible, don't create Gooey until after the first phase ends. Gooey can inhale things underwater and spit them for a good distance, which is much more effective than Kirby's attack of trying to deflect rocks/skulls/fish back into the boss. (Kirby does not inhale and only spits a stream of bubbles, when underwater.)
Game note: The face that you are asked to count is always the same. All ten spikes will either display that particular face, one particular different face, or no face at all. Count the two smallest groups and (if necessary) subtract from ten to get the total quantity of the third.
The mini-boss is hard to find. The entrance is from an underwater forced movement area where the path forks several times. In order to reach the mini-boss, take the bottom fork when the path splits the first time, then the top fork when the path splits a second time, then at the Star Piece take the middle of a three-way fork.
Jellyfish doesn't fly well, but can walk along any ceiling. This capability is necessary in order to get her all the way to the end.
Collecting the five robot parts is fairly difficult. Inside the pyramid, there is a large chamber. It has a rotating green blob in the center which will shoot Kirby in any of eight directions (the four compass points and four diagonals). In each direction there is a wall (which will break open when Kirby is shot into it) and a door. Here is what can be found in those eight directions:
The combination of Owl and Broom will dust off the flowers.
Spike power is needed to pop the balloon and release the little chick.
Game notes: If there are a very large number of a single color (seven or more), you will almost always be asked how many of that color there are.
There are always either eleven or twelve red/yellow/blue spikes. (Twelve spikes are always shown, but sometimes one is black.) You can count two smallest groups, note whether there is a black one, and then subtract from twelve.
The lamp mini-boss is easy to beat without taking damage if the proper strategy is used. Usually the lamp hops towards Kirby. Kirby can run under the lamp in mid-hop, in order to avoid getting cornered on either end of the room. Occasionally the lamp will spin and flatten out like a disc (and then bounce around the room very quickly). The best place to avoid it then is near the ceiling, because it doesn't bounce that high.
Note also that Owl is needed in order to collect the orange, because of the strong winds in the orange's room. Dismount Owl for the duration of the fight with the mini-boss.
Hamster can climb the sides of the rocky pillars by pressing the "jump" (B) button repeatedly. This can get him past some seemingly impossible jumps. The technique is not terribly difficult, but it does take some practice.
The wineglass-shaped creature is upside-down. Carve the Star Blocks into its proper shape as if it were right-side-up.
Original Desired block layout block layout * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * . * * * . * * * * * . . * . . * * * * * . . * . . * * * * * . * * * .
Ado draws several monsters which Kirby must defeat. After each monster is defeated Ado draws the next one. First is a lizard that breathes lightning. Second is an angler fish that shoots stars (the yellow ones must be dodged, only the brown solid-looking ones can be shot back). Third is a sun and moon which attack simultaneously. Last is a strange cloud with an eyeball in the middle. (Ado himself must then be defeated, but requires only one hit.)
Flame power makes short work of most of these monsters. It is much harder to defeat them in the "standard" way of inhaling the things they drop and spitting them back.
Flame power will melt the ice around the flowers. Various animals in combination with Flame haven't yet been tried, but it is known that it works when Kirby is alone. Be careful; once the flowers are freed from the ice, they will be killed if Kirby or Gooey steps on them or passes through them a second time.
Collect Ice power in the first leg, and use it to kill the six jellyfish-like creatures later in the level.
Game notes: I found it easiest to win this game by associating names with the sounds. I named four: "thud" (dull thump), "boom" (echoing thump), "clank" (metallic thump), "squeak" (noise like a squeak-toy). I had an easier time remembering a sequence of words ("clank-boom-squeak-thud-other") than the sequence of sounds.
Get Owl before entering the level. In the level there is a section where Flame power is needed to break a long series of ice blocks obstructing a hallway. Towards the end of this leg, there is a door that is blocked by two ice blocks at floor level. Since Owl's Flame moves downward, he can break those blocks.
On the other side of the doorway is a long series of hallways (mostly vertical) also obstructed by ice blocks. Use Jellyfish with Flame power, pressing the B-button and Y-button at the same time, to clear out vertical hallways from the bottom up. Use Owl with Flame power to clear out vertical hallways from the top down. Clear out all of the hallways to access the door furthest from the point where Kirby enered the room. Take that door.
Kirby will end up in a long vertical drop; be sure to pick up the snail shell on the way down. A battle with the snowman mini-boss will follow.
In order to collect the Heart Star in this level, it is necessary to bring Cat all the way to the end. This is much more difficult than it sounds, because: (1) Cat is not found in this level; and (2) any animal friend is lost when Kirby dies. This means that the entire level (and it is a long and dangerous one) must be negotiated start-to-end in one life.
Cat's Flame power is quite strong, it can eliminate many enemies from a distance without much risk of injury. The computed-controlled Gooey is more of a hindrance than a help in this level (and he always dies in the room with all of the cannon).
There are eight feathers that need to be collected. This level differs from the other "collect" levels (the juggling shapes in 1-6 and the robot in 3-6) in that the feathers are not hidden and they are not hard to find. The level is short and Kirby must walk right by every one of the feathers in order to finish the level. However, they are all stuck behind Blocks which require a particular power to open.
Each feather is obtained in a similar way. First a room with enemies is encountered (most of them mini-bosses from previous levels). Then in the next room there is a feather is protected by blocks which can only be opened by the enemies' power. (Kirby must defeat the enemy, copy its power, and then use that power to obtain one feather.) In order, Kirby encounters:
Dedede must be defeated twice.
In the first battle Dedede has three attacks: inhaling Kirby, jumping on Kirby, and swinging a big hammer at Kirby. Avoid him when he inhales, by flying up out of the way. When Dedede uses either of the other two attacks, inhale the stars that are created and spit them back at him.
In the second battle, Dedede has two attacks: his stomach tries to chomp Kirby, or he spits dark balls in Kirby's direction. Avoid the chomps by flying out of his way. Inhale the dark balls and spit them back into Dedede.
The Eye must be defeated three times.
In the first battle (Black Eye), the eye shoots lightning bolts or lets loose small petals that surround it. It also periodically moves towards Kirby fairly slowly. It is easy to avoid the eye (and the lightning bolts which are shot to within 45 degrees of the direction the eye faces). Kirby must zap the eye with the Heart Wand about 30 times. Hits only count when they cause the eye to flash; additional hits while the eye is still flashing do no damage.
In the second battle (White Eye), the eye is much larger and keeps to the right-hand side of the screen. It will occasionally charge Kirby (sometimes looping around and shooting from the side), shoot small red spots, or shoot small black eyes. Kirby must avoid the eye and all things it shoots, while plugging away with the Heart Wand. Again it takes a lot of hits (perhaps as many as 100) to defeat the eye. This eye doesn't flash for very long when hit; hits can be counted as fast as the Heart Wand will dish them out.
In the third battle (Red Eye), the eye just follows Kirby very quickly around the screen. Kirby must simultaneously avoid the eye and hit it with the Heart Wand. (It is much easier to hit the eye with the wand itself, rather than trying to aim hearts at it, because it moves so fast.) It seems to take less than ten hits to kill the eye the final time.
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