Hard Block

A Hard Block,^[1]^[2] sometimes called a Metal Block,^[3]^[4] is a Device in the Kirby series, debuting in Kirby's Adventure.

Physical Appearance[]

Hard Blocks may have different appearances depending on the game or location within the game. Starting in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, the appearance of a Hard Block was made consistent (excluding Kirby Super Star Ultra, which is a remake of Kirby Super Star), appearing as a gray metal block (hence the name "Metal Block") with one of its sides protruding outward slightly, ending on a flat square. This design appears to be based on the common appearance of Hard Blocks in the Super Mario Bros. series.

Games[]

Kirby's Adventure[]

Hard Blocks appear in Yogurt Yard, Orange Ocean, and Rainbow Resort; their appearance is different in every stage where they appear, sometimes appearing identically to other blocks. Hard Blocks can be destroyed by using Hammer, Stone, Throw, Fireball, Wheel, and UFO's Piercing Heat Beam; a Blaster Bullet can also destroy Hard Blocks. When attacking a Hard Block using a method that does not destroy it, a high-pitched sound plays (Sound Effect 0B in Listen to Sounds); this is the same sound that plays when Laser's laser ricochets on a slope and when Nightmare's Power Orb knocks the Star Rod off the Fountain of Dreams. Due to a Hard Block's appearance sometimes being visually indistinguishable from other blocks, this sound can be useful for identifying them.

Yogurt Yard[]

In Stage 6 of Yogurt Yard, after entering the door in the palm tree hut in the last room, two Hard Blocks appear as green coral blocks. Using Hammer, as it is the only method to destroy them while underwater, is the only legitimate method of doing so (this can also be done with UFO, but this requires using a glitch to be able to take it out of the stage it was obtained in; this glitch was removed in the 3D Classics version). These Hard Blocks are blocking the way to the Big Switch that unlocks the Warp Star Station in Yogurt Yard. The similar-looking yellow coral blocks cannot be destroyed, as they are not Hard Blocks.

When fighting Heavy Mole, all of the ground is made of Hard Blocks; this is not the case when in the area with the Star Rod.

Orange Ocean[]

In Stage 1 of Orange Ocean, three varieties exist:

By entering the first door in the first room to enter the room with Rolling Turtle, the Hard Block below the door is a red coral block; breaking it reveals a floating water block in its place (this can result in some strange behaviors, including a glitch that can softlock the game if using Stone; when played on the "Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online" app, an error message pops up, reading "An error has occurred within the game," with the only prompt being "OK" that quits the game and returns to the Game Selection screen; the floating water block was removed in the 3D Classics version, likely due to this issue).
Near the end of the first room, three Hard Blocks appear as pink coral blocks. Using Throw, obtained from the aforementioned Rolling Turtle mid-boss, on the Glunk in front of them is the intended method of destroying them. These Hard Blocks are blocking the way to a 1UP.
After entering the door midway through the second room, three Hard Blocks appear as white hollow blocks. Using Hammer, obtained by inhaling a Sparky and Flamer at the same time and letting the Mix roulette stop on its own, is the intended method of destroying them. The Hard Block in the middle is blocking the way to the Big Switch that unlocks the Museum in Orange Ocean that provides Wheel.

In Stage 3 of Orange Ocean, in the second room with Bonkers, a Hard Block appears as a wooden crate. Using Hammer from the aforementioned Bonkers mid-boss is the intended method of destroying it. The Hard Block is blocking the way to the lower deck of the ship, where a Bomb Block can be destroyed to further explore and eventually find the Big Switch that unlocks the Crane Fever sub-game in Orange Ocean. The identical-looking wooden crates that appear throughout the stage cannot be destroyed, as they are not Hard Blocks.

In Stage 6 of Orange Ocean, Hard Blocks appear as blue ice blocks in two different places:

In the first room, two Hard Blocks appear under the overhang. The most convenient abilities to destroy these are Wheel, which can be obtained from Orange Ocean's Museum; Fireball, which can be obtained from Orange Ocean's Arena; or UFO, which can be obtained in the second room, after which the player can backtrack to the first room. These Hard Blocks are blocking the way to the Big Switch that unlocks the Warp Star Station in Orange Ocean.
In the third room, enter the upper door. In the third room in the upper route, two Hard Blocks appear at the end of the room. The aforementioned UFO ability or Fireball from a Flamer are the most convenient ways to destroy these. These Hard Blocks are blocking the way to a 1UP.

The identical-looking ice blocks that appear throughout the stage cannot be destroyed, as they are not Hard Blocks.

Rainbow Resort[]

In Stage 1 of Rainbow Resort, in the second room, two Hard Blocks appear as dark blue ice blocks. Using Fireball from Flamer is the intended method of destroying them, although Beam may prove useful for destroying the blocks overhead. These Hard Blocks are blocking the way to the Big Switch that unlocks the Crane Fever sub-game in Rainbow Resort. There are many identical-looking dark blue ice blocks, some that cannot be destroyed, and others that can be destroyed by normal attacks, neither of which are Hard Blocks.

Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra[]

Hard Blocks appear in The Great Cave Offensive and Milky Way Wishes; similarly to in Kirby's Adventure, their appearances depend on the environment, and they typically take on an appearance identical to other blocks. Hammer and Stone are the only Copy Abilities that can destroy Hard Blocks, with Bonkers and Rocky being the only Helpers that can destroy them; cannons can also destroy Hard Blocks.

In Meta Knightmare Ultra, Meta Knight can destroy Hard Blocks with most of his attacks.

The Great Cave Offensive[]

Sub-Tree Area[]

Hard Blocks first appear in the Sub-Tree Area. They appear as gray blocks with an X-shaped protrusion, and are found in the fourth room (not including the Entrance area), where Bonkers appears; while Hammer can destroy these, using the cannon directly below them and firing straight upward is the intended method of destroying them. These Hard Blocks are blocking the way to the Treasure Chest with the Star Stone. There are other blocks that are visually identical to these, some that cannot be destroyed, some that are Explosion Blocks that can only be destroyed via a nearby Bomb Block, and some that can be destroyed by most attacks.

Old Tower Area[]

Hard Blocks later appear in the Old Tower Area. They appear as cracked blocks that are blue and light blue in Kirby Super Star and orange and yellow in Kirby Super Star Ultra, and are found in the room two before Chameleo Arm's room, where some Simirrors and Scarfys are present; Rocky appears in the room before, and Bonkers can be found lower down in the Old Tower; since the Hard Blocks are underwater, breaking them using Stone/Rocky requires transforming while above the water. These Hard Blocks are blocking the way to another portion of the Old Tower where several Treasures can be obtained; it is recommended to have a Copy Ability or Helper capable of cutting—such as Cutter/Sir Kibble, Ninja/Bio Spark, or Wing/Birdon—as one of the Treasures can be obtained by cutting a rope. Although appearing similar, the light blue/yellow cracked blocks that are not underwater can be destroyed by most attacks.

Garden Area[]

Hard Blocks also appear in the Garden Area. They appear as off-white-colored blocks that form a 3x3 pattern with a yellow center, and are found by entering the door right of the Save Area. Cannons are used to destroy these Hard Blocks, which are blocking the way to the Treasure Chest with the Pegasus Wing, as well as another portion of the Garden Area where several Treasures can be obtained.

Milky Way Wishes[]

Mekkai[]

Hard Blocks appear on Mekkai. They appear as cracked bronze-colored blocks in Kirby Super Star and brown blocks with wooden boards and bolts in the corners in Kirby Super Star Ultra, and they are found in the second room, forming a wall. While the Hard Blocks can be destroyed with Hammer (and Stone, but only from above, which is not relevant while the wall is intact), using the nearby cannon is all that is necessary to bypass them, especially since it is required to break them to progress instead of them blocking the way to a reward. In Kirby Super Star, there are other blocks that are visually identical to these, but they are Breakable Blocks that break upon stepping on them.

Kirby's Star Stacker and Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom)[]

Hard Blocks appear as gray blocks with small protrusions in the corners in Kirby's Star Stacker for the Game Boy and as cracked pink blocks in Kirby's Star Stacker for the Super Famicom. When sandwiched between Friend Blocks of the same type, it transforms into a Star Block instead of disappearing; this makes Hard Blocks more difficult to completely get rid of, but they can also be used in this way to get bigger chain reactions. Bomb Blocks can also destroy any Hard Blocks in the same row.

Hard Blocks first appear in the "Very Hard!" difficulty of the games' various modes. In Round Clear mode for Kirby's Star Stacker for the Game Boy, they are initially present in the playfield in Round 4 of the "Very Hard!" difficulty; in Round Clear mode for Kirby's Star Stacker for the Super Famicom, they are initially present in the playfield in Round 11 of the "Very Hard!" difficulty.

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land[]

Hard Blocks now appear using their most common appearance as Metal Blocks, with the exception of those that appear when fighting Heavy Mole. They can be destroyed using the same methods present in Kirby's Adventure; Meta Knight can also destroy Hard Blocks with most of his attacks in Meta Knightmare.

In Stage 1 of Orange Ocean, when entering the first door that leads to the room with Phan Phan, the Hard Block that was under the door has been replaced with a block that cannot be destroyed; this is the only instance of a Hard Block from Kirby's Adventure being replaced with a different block type.

Ice Cream Island[]

In Stage 5 of Ice Cream Island, in the third main room, two groups of six Hard Blocks block the way to a 1UP, with another occurrence similar to this happening a bit later; at the bottom left of the room is a door leading to a room with a couple of Flamers, which can be copied to obtain Burning to destroy the Hard Blocks. This is the only instance of Hard Blocks being added that weren't in Kirby's Adventure; this is because the third room was completely redone (although the room with the Flamers is still reused from Kirby's Adventure).

Kirby & The Amazing Mirror[]

Hard Blocks appear in each of the game's nine main areas. They can be destroyed by using Missile, Burning, Stone, Hammer, Smash's Hammer and Stone techniques, UFO's Piercing Heat Beam, Throw, and Master; cannons can also destroy Hard Blocks.

As two Copy Pedestals appear in each of the rooms connected to Central Circle, these can be used to more easily obtain Copy Abilities that can destroy Hard Blocks. Burning can be obtained by entering the ice world or ruins entrance mirrors; Missile can be obtained by entering the volcano or southern island mirrors; and Stone can be obtained by entering the forest or ruins entrance mirrors. All of the above can be obtained from the Copy Room except for UFO and Master, the latter of which instead appears on a pedestal in Central Circle once Dark Mind has been defeated.

Moonlight Mansion[]

The first instance of Hard Blocks a player encounters is in Moonlight Mansion. After taking the Warp Star in Rainbow Route, the player lands at the entrance of Moonlight Mansion; as the room before the Warp Star room contains a Bang-Bang for Missile and a Flamer for Burning, these are the most convenient Copy Abilities for destroying these here. (While Rocky is also present to give the Stone ability, Stone is not useful for destroying these particular Hard Blocks, as it can only destroy them from above, not from the side.)

Hard Blocks appear soon after entering the mansion, which block the way to its lower regions. The first area is the laboratory in the basement, which has a lever that can be pulled to access Olive Ocean (however, another lever exists in Olive Ocean that also needs to be pulled for these areas to fully link to each other). The second area allows the player to obtain two 1UPs and find the Treasure Chest with the Orange Spray Paint, as well as a fight with Batafire for Burning before reaching one of the area's Goal Games.

If the player opts to skip these Hard Blocks and take the normal path forward, some more appear a couple rooms after the Big Switch room. Near the end of the second room two after the Big Switch room, go upward above the mirror to find the Hard Blocks blocking another mirror. Entering this mirror leads to a room where the player can heal by eating some meat and opt to fight Boxy for Magic; a couple of Flamers also are in this room, allowing the player to obtain Burning to break any Hard Blocks in the following rooms. In the next room are Hard Blocks that are blocking the way to a fight against Bonkers; copying him for Hammer allows the Stake in the room to be pounded to get a 1UP. (Another Flamer is also present in this room to obtain Burning.) In the next room, the player can obtain a Battery and another 1UP; there are also some Hard Blocks blocking a path to the top of the mansion. Destroying the Hard Blocks allows access to the path forward, as well as to a Treasure Chest containing meat if the player goes downward first. If the player does not have a way to destroy the Hard Blocks, destroying the Bomb Blocks in the room gives access to a room with two Flamers; as the only way to progress forward is to destroy the Hard Blocks in the previous room, this room specifically serves to give the Burning ability to allow this. Continuing forward leads to a Warp Star at the top of the mansion that leads to Candy Constellation.

By skipping both sets of Hard Blocks and taking the normal route leading to King Golem, the player will encounter a Big Switch near King Golem's room; pressing this causes the forest mirror to appear in Central Circle, which grants complete access to Rainbow Route.

Rainbow Route[]

By entering the forest mirror, going left, and traveling to the Goal Game in the bottom right of Rainbow Route, the player can encounter Master Hand as a mid-boss and obtain Smash from him; the Hard Blocks to the left of the arena to fight Master Hand can then be destroyed using Smash's Hammer technique to obtain a Treasure Chest with a Maxim Tomato.

By entering the forest mirror and going to the right while staying in Rainbow Route, the player will come across some Hard Blocks in a room that has mirrors leading to both Moonlight Mansion and Mustard Mountain, both guarded by Mirras. The room has a couple of Flamers, allowing for easy access to Burning to destroy the Hard Blocks; the player should be careful not to crash into any walls while using Burning, as the vibrations may scare the Mirras into hiding their mirrors away, even if they are offscreen when this happens.

Opting to skip these Hard Blocks and continue through Rainbow Route, traveling two rooms to the left, the player can find a mirror hidden in Star Blocks (as well as a Maxim Tomato and a 1UP). Entering this mirror will eventually lead to a room that has Hard Blocks in the ground blocking the way to the Treasure Chest with the Beginning Notes. Since the Hard Blocks are in the ground, they need to be destroyed from above (or from the side with a terrain-piercing projectile); Missile, Stone, and Smash are the most convenient options, with Missile being obtainable by inhaling the two Sparkys in the room (or a Sparky and a Waddle Doo, as long as the Sparky is inhaled first) at the same time and letting the Mix roulette stop on its own.

Opting not to enter the mirror hidden in the Star Blocks and instead enter the more conspicuous mirror, the player can continue to the left to find the Big Switch for the high mountain mirror that connects to Mustard Mountain. Traveling three rooms to the left of this Big Switch room, the player will enter a room with a few cannons, one of which is used to destroy a bunch of Hard Blocks that are blocking the way to the Goal Game in the top left of Rainbow Route; this area allows the player to find two Treasure Chests, one with the Green Spray Paint, and the other with a 1UP.

By traveling to the Goal Game in the bottom left of Rainbow Route, such as by using the cavern mirror and heading left or the conifer mirror and heading down then left, to find a mirror hidden by a single Star Block, the player can encounter Batafire and obtain Burning; the Hard Blocks to the right of the arena to fight Batafire can then be destroyed to obtain a Treasure Chest with an Energy Drink. Some Hard Blocks also appear in the room on the way to the Goal Game, which Burning can make it easier to navigate through.

Cabbage Cavern[]

By entering the cavern mirror, traveling two rooms to the right and entering a mirror to Cabbage Cavern, the player will come across two sets of Hard Blocks blocking the way to an Energy Drink and a Battery; Burning can be obtained from Flamer on the way to this room or from the Flamer that appears later in the room.

Traveling to the next room, there are another two sets of Hard Blocks underwater; while these can only be destroyed with abilities that function underwater, the player can simply swim around them, with destroying them only serving to create a shortcut to the mirror that eventually leads to the Cabbage Caverns Goal Game, as well as Treasure Chests with the Secret Sounds, meat, and the map for Cabbage Caverns.

By entering the underground mirror and traveling three rooms to the left and one up, the player can come across a long line of Hard Blocks blocking the way to a UFO. These can be destroyed using Burning, which can be obtained from Batafire or some Flamers in the previous rooms; if the player enters this room from the left side, Hammer or Stone can be used to instead pound a Stake and get to the UFO from there; UFO's Piercing Heat Beam can then be used to destroy the Hard Blocks.

Mustard Mountain[]

By entering the high mountain mirror, traveling to the room to the right, then entering the mirror in the top left of the room to Mustard Mountain, the player will come across some Hard Blocks. Continuing upward reveals a switch that activates a shutter, but it only stays open for a brief moment; Bomb and Sword are readily available to be used to hit the switch from a distance to be able to pass through the shutter when it is open. Passing through the shutter rewards the player with a UFO to obtain the UFO ability from; its Piercing Heat Beam can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks if the player wishes either to continue through the mirror in the top right of the room instead of the top left, or to backtrack through the mirror and leave Mustard Mountain, returning to Rainbow Route.

By continuing farther into Mustard Mountain, the player will come across Hard Blocks blocking the way to a 1UP; depending on which mirror the player enters, the methods of destroying them are different. By entering the top left mirror, the player can keep the aforementioned UFO ability or obtain Missile from Bang-Bang in the room; continuing to the next room, the player can use either to destroy the Hard Blocks. By entering the top right mirror, the player can again use UFO or can use Throw from the Phan Phan in the room.

By entering the volcano mirror, traveling through the left mirror, then going upward for two more rooms, the player will come across Hard Blocks blocking the way to a 1UP; there is also fire on the ground in front of the Hard Blocks. If the player entered the left door in the previous room, Burning can be obtained to destroy the Hard Blocks; otherwise, Missile or Burning obtained from other rooms can be used to destroy them (although if using Missile, the flames should be avoided as they can still damage the player while transformed).

Carrot Castle[]

By entering the palace mirror, traveling to the left into Carrot Castle, then either taking the lower path by defeating the Mirra, or taking the upper path and, in the room with three branching paths downward, taking the middle path, the player will eventually enter a room with a rotating cannon that can take the player to eight different parts of the room. The blocks the cannon destroys when firing are Hard Blocks; if the player manages to enter this part of the room without entering the cannon (by using the cannon once first, then after entering a mirror, quickly floating), these blocks can then be destroyed with the respective abilities, allowing the player to choose which direction to go with needing to time it with the cannon's rotation. By firing the cannon to the right, the player will enter an area with Hard Blocks in the ground blocking the way to a 1UP, as well as two Sparkys; inhaling both Sparkys and letting the Mix roulette stop on its own will give Missile, allowing the blocks to be destroyed. By firing the cannon to the bottom left, the player will encounter Phan Phan, where Throw can be obtained to destroy Hard Blocks as well. By firing the cannon to the top left, the player will come across Hard Blocks where destroying them creates a shortcut; the aforementioned Missile or Throw can be used to destroy them, allowing the player to skip past a second Gordo and an area with spikes.

Olive Ocean[]

By entering the deep sea mirror, traveling through the right mirror, then taking the downward path by swimming downward in front of the Mirra to find a one-way mirror, the player will eventually enter a room with a few cannons underwater; one of these cannons can be used to destroy some Hard Blocks blocking the way to some meat, a Battery, and a cherry. In the following room, the player will encounter Bonkers, where Hammer can be obtained to pound the stake in the room to get the map for Olive Ocean; it can also be used to destroy the Hard Blocks in the following room. The next room contains many Hard Blocks underwater; destroying them can be useful for creating shortcuts or for obtaining items. If the player can keep Hammer into the next room, a long row of Hard Blocks can be destroyed to obtain a 1UP; if the player instead defeated the aforementioned Mirra and entered the mirror it was guarding, the player can eventually come across a UFO and could use Piercing Heat Beam to destroy the line of Hard Blocks.

By entering the deep sea mirror and instead traveling three rooms to the right by skipping past the Mirra, the player will come across some Hard Blocks. A Flamer is trapped between a couple of Hard Blocks and can be easily inhaled for Burning to destroy them; the Hard Blocks block the way to an Energy Drink. The player can also simply go around the Hard Blocks to continue upward, where a lever that can be pulled to access Moonlight Mansion appears by entering the mirror in the top left, and the Goal Game, as well as the Treasure Chest with the Sound Effects, can be accessed by entering the mirror in the top right.

Peppermint Palace[]

By entering the ice world mirror and traveling three rooms to the left, the player will come across some Hard Blocks blocking the way to a Treasure Chest with a 1UP. By continuing into the next room, the player can inhale a Flamer for Burning to destroy the Hard Blocks.

By entering the ice tower mirror and entering the left mirror, the player can fight Bonkers by passing the latter and going upward. By copying Hammer, the player can continue into the room above, where there are Hard Blocks: four in the ground and six that make a wall. Hammer can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks in the ground, which are blocking the way to a room where the player can obtain a Treasure Chest with a 1UP. Flamers also appear in the room, which the player can obtain Burning from to destroy the other Hard Blocks (as Burning cannot destroy Hard Blocks below it); the player can simply go around these Hard Blocks to continue to the right to either the Goal Game or a way to Candy Constellation, but will otherwise need to destroy them to go back to the left if desired. By continuing upward two more rooms on the way to Candy Constellation, some Hard Blocks appear to the left, outside of the tower, blocking the way to a Treasure Chest with a 1UP. Using Burning from one of the previous rooms, the Hard Blocks can be destroyed.

Radish Ruins[]

By entering the ruins mirror and traveling five rooms to the left, Kirby will enter the room in the air slightly, and the camera will pan upward. By entering the mirror that Kirby seemingly just exited from, the player will reenter the previous room at a lower point, where destroying a Bomb Block allows access to Candy and a 1UP at the end of the room, as well as a one-way mirror leading back to another part of a previously-explored room. By entering this mirror, then entering the next one to a new room, the player will come across some Hard Blocks blocking the way to a Maxim Tomato and a shortcut back down. Continuing upward, the player will eventually come across Bonkers, where Hammer can be obtained. Continuing into the next mirror will bring the player right back to where the Hard Blocks were, allowing them to be destroyed for a full heal, a quick way down, as well as a method to pound the Stake in the room below, allowing the player to enter the room where with a Big Treasure Chest that has a Vitality.

By entering the inside the ruins mirror and traveling three rooms to the left to the room with the cannons, then taking the downward path, the player will enter a room with many Flamers, as well as some Hard Bocks blocking the way to meat.

Candy Constellation[]

By entering the space mirror, traveling two rooms to the right, then taking the upper path by destroying the top Bomb Block, allowing the player to obtain a Treasure Chest with a cherry, the player can obtain Burning from a Flamer, which can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks in the room, allowing the player to take a shortcut and get a cherry, as well as travel through the upper half of the room to obtain a 1UP by using Burning to pass through some spikes; a 1UP can also be found on the lower half of the room.

By instead destroying the bottom Bomb Block and continuing to the room to the right, then entering the mirror in the bottom right of the room, the player will come across some Hard Blocks blocking the way to a Maxim Tomato; Flamers appear in this room and the room before to obtain Burning. Continuing forward, the player can obtain the map for Candy Constellation, and will also fight Bonkers and can obtain Hammer before the Goal Game.

By entering the space mirror and entering the mirror to the right, the player can pound the Stake in the room; this can be done with Hammer from the aforementioned fight with Bonkers. Pounding the Stake causes a mirror to appear that leads to a room where Hard Blocks appear; Hammer can be used to destroy these Hard Blocks, although they simply serve as obstacles that the player can go around. Continuing to the room to the left, the player will fight Phan Phan and can obtain Throw; the Big Treasure Chest with a Vitality is also present in this room. Returning back through the mirror to go to the previous room, the player will now have to travel through the upper half of the room, where Throw can be used to destroy some Hard Blocks blocking the way to a 1UP before returning to the room with the Stake.

By entering the space mirror, traveling three rooms to the right, then entering the mirror in the top right of the room, the player will eventually encounter Master Hand as a mid-boss to obtain Smash from. Hard Blocks appear later in the room, where destroying them creates shortcuts forward. Continuing for three more rooms, a couple of UFOs appear, as well as some Hard Blocks blocking the way to a Maxim Tomato; UFO's Piercing Heat Beam or Smash's Hammer techniques can be used to destroy these.

Kirby: Canvas Curse[]

Hard Blocks appear in Reddy Land, Arange Gorge, Iello Adventure, Neo Greo, Bloo Hills, and Omarine Zone. They are typically destroyed by using Super Cannons, but can also be destroyed with Dedede Ball's hammer; where applicable, the Stone ability and Iron Balls can also destroy Hard Blocks.

Reddy Land[]

Tiny Town[]

Hard Blocks appear in the second room; they are blocking the way upward to the exit. By going to the bottom of the room, the player will encounter a Room Guarder consisting of six Spear Waddle Dees; defeating them causes a Super Cannon to appear, which is used to launch the player straight up, destroying the Hard Blocks in the way. As Dedede Ball's hammer only swings horizontally, he cannot be used to destroy the Hard Blocks without using the Super Cannon.

Arange Gorge[]

Ghost Grounds[]

Hard Blocks appear in the third room; they are blocking the way downward to the exit. By going to the right of the room, the player will encounter a Super Cannon, which is used to launch the player to the left, destroying the Hard Blocks in the way. Since Dedede Ball's hammer swings horizontally, he can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks and skip using the Super Cannon (although this would only serve as a shortcut when using him).

Growth Grasses[]

Hard Blocks appear in the second room. Upon reaching the bottom of the room, the player will encounter a Room Guarder consisting of nine Balloon Bombs; two Hard Blocks will also appear to block the exit. Even after the Room Guarder is defeated, the Hard Blocks will remain, forcing the player to continue forward and preventing them from returning back up. As Dedede Ball's hammer only swings horizontally, he cannot be used to destroy the Hard Blocks.

Iello Adventure[]

Rift Ruin[]

Hard Blocks appear in the third room; they are blocking the way upward to the exit. By going to the top of the room (preferably via the Super Cannon in the bottom left), the player will encounter another Super Cannon. The player will have to destroy Bomb Blocks to return downward along with the Super Cannon (and optionally the stage's second Medal); the player cannot simply navigate upward to the second Super Cannon, as a Noise Zone prevents the player from drawing rainbow lines.

Neo Greo[]

Machine Mansion[]

Hard Blocks appear in the second room; some of the Hard Blocks are suspending an Energy Drink, while the others are blocking the way to the center of the room. By entering the Super Cannon at the left side of the room, destroying the Bomb Block to change its position, then activating the cannon by touching the purple switch, the player will enter another Super Cannon near the bottom of the room; not destroying the Bomb Block will cause the player to be launched into a door and be forced to enter the next room. When in the Super Cannon near the bottom of the room (which does not require the previous Super Cannon to access, but is the easiest method to reach it), launching normally will destroy the four Hard Blocks in front of it, causing the Energy Drink to drop to the ground (if it hasn't been consumed already), and sending the player back into the Super Cannon after being bounced by a couple of bumpers. Destroying the Bomb Block to change the Super Cannon's position allows the player to collect the aforementioned Energy Drink if it is now on the ground, as well as destroys most of the Hard Blocks blocking the way to the middle of the room; with the middle area available, obtaining Missile allows Kirby to destroy the Missile Ability Blocks below, allowing access to a door that leads to the room with the stage's second Medal. While Dedede Ball's hammer can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks, it cannot destroy the Ability Blocks, thus not serving any real purpose.

Paletto Polis[]

Hard Blocks appear in the second room; they are blocking the way upward. After heading to the left, going downward, then going to the right, activating the red Color Shutter, passing a Checkpoint, returning to the middle of the room, and pressing the two switches, the player can now take an upper path to the left by destroying a Bomb Block and its Explosion Area to cause a Super Cannon to fall down. The Super Cannon launches the player upward, destroying the Hard Blocks in the way, allowing the player to activate the blue Color Shutter, pass the second Checkpoint, and return to the middle of the room where the yellow Color Shutter can be activated, allowing access to the door to the next room; a couple of switches can also be pressed in the room go get access to the stage's second medal.

Bloo Hills[]

Cold Course[]

Hard Blocks appear in the first and third rooms. In the first room, the Hard Blocks are blocking the way upward from the middle of the room; they are destroyed by using the Super Cannon below them. More Hard Blocks appear near the bottom of the room; a Super Cannon near the bottom left of the room is used to destroy them. Since Dedede Ball's hammer swings horizontally, he can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks and skip using the Super Cannon; this can also be useful for obtaining the Energy Drink that appears during this segment that the player would otherwise have to backtrack to get (in exchange for invincibly passing through the Gordos that guard it). In the third room, Hard Blocks appear soon after the second Checkpoint; they are blocking access to a door that leads to a room with the stage's third Medal. Pressing the switch near the Checkpoint causes the Ice Blocks to the right to fall down, allowing access to an area with an Iron Ball and a 1UP. By destroying the Bomb Block above the Ice Blocks, the Iron Ball is allowed to roll to the left, heading in the direction of the Hard Blocks below. To the right of the Hard Blocks is a Bomb Block; destroying it causes a platform to appear near the Hard Blocks, allowing the Iron Ball to reach and destroy them instead of falling down in front of them. Since Dedede Ball's hammer swings horizontally, he can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks and skip using the Iron Ball.

Dungeon Dome[]

Hard Blocks appear in the second room; they are blocking the way to the stage's second Medal. At the beginning of the room, Kirby can obtain Wheel from a Wheelie, which is needed to destroy the Wheel Ability Blocks around a switch. Upon pressing the switch, Kirby needs to use Wheel to race to the left side of the room before he is blocked off by Unbreakable Blocks; afterward, Kirby will need to press another switch and use Wheel to race to the right side of the room, where there is yet another switch; pressing this switch, Kirby needs to race to the left side of the room to a Super Cannon, but should wait until the cannon has fallen to the ground before launching. Upon launching from the Super Cannon at the right moment, Kirby will destroy the Hard Blocks and be able to reach the Medal. Since Dedede Ball's hammer swings horizontally, he can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks and skip using Wheel and hitting all of the switches.

Canvas Canyon[]

Hard Blocks appear in the third main room; they are blocking the way to the right side of the room, as well as to the stage's third Medal. Soon after the Checkpoint is a Super Cannon facing to the right, which is used to destroy the Hard Blocks, and destroying the nearby Bomb Block causes the Super Cannon to fall down. Activating the Super Cannon once it has landed allows the player to continue through the room, but the stage's third Medal cannot be obtained by doing so. The Super Cannon must be activated mid-fall at a specific height to destroy the Hard Blocks blocking the way to the third Medal; however, a blue Action Block is also blocking the way to the third Medal, which can only be destroyed by hitting the blue Big Switch in Stage 1 of Wonder Lilane, Frozen Fantasy. Once the blue Big Switch is activated, the third Medal can be obtained normally. Since Dedede Ball's hammer swings horizontally, he can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks and skip using the Super Cannon and destroying the Action Block.

Omarine Zone[]

Collapse Castle[]

Hard Blocks appear in the third room; they are blocking the way to the stage's third Medal. Similarly to in Canvas Canyon, this involves using a Super Cannon to launch the player mid-fall after destroying a Bomb Block. While Dedede Ball's hammer can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks, this should only be used if the player timed the launch too early and hit the wall instead, as being in a large Noise Zone without access to rainbow lines makes the area very dangerous.

Silent Seabed[]

Hard Blocks appear in the second main room. Near the end of the room, a switch needs to be pressed to destroy the Explosion Blocks blocking the way to the door; in doing so, Electro Shock Blocks and Hard Blocks appear. While the Hard Blocks can be destroyed using Stone or Dedede Ball's hammer, doing so serves no real purpose, and is actually detrimental as it makes it easier to get hit by the Electro Shock Blocks.

Sub-games[]

Paint Panic[]

A Hard Block is one of Paint Roller's possible drawings; it is always the second drawing when first fighting him, and the first drawing when fighting him for the second time. The player draws it by starting at the bottom left corner of the square and drawing the sides of the square in the clockwise direction.

Kirby: Squeak Squad[]

Hard Blocks appear in Nature Notch, Cushy Cloud, Jam Jungle, Vocal Volcano, Ice Island, and Gamble Galaxy. They can be destroyed using Metal, Hammer, Throw, Fire's Burn technique, UFO's Piercing Heat Beam, Magic's Jack-in-the-Box, Hi-Jump's Power Jump, Fighter's Mega Power Shot, and Triple Star; Big Star Spit and cannons can also destroy Hard Blocks.

Nature Notch[]

In Stage 1, Hard Blocks appear in the third room. The room features cannons, which serve as the intended method of destroying them, although Metal, which can be obtained in the previous room from Metaluns, can also destroy them using its Hip Attack. Upon entering the fourth cannon, the player comes across a split path, one to the left and one to the right; both paths are blocked by Hard Blocks (which the cannon is used to destroy), and each have an open shutter that closes once Kirby passes through. Each path has a barrel that contains an item; the barrel to the left contains a cherry, while the barrel to the right contains a Treasure Chest with the Animal Ability Scroll. The player can use Metal to destroy the Hard Blocks, and then fire a projectile (Star Spit from the Metal ability star) to check the contents of the barrel without being locked into the left or right path.

In Stage 5, Hard Blocks appear in the fourth room. By fighting Big Metalun, Metal can be obtained; by performing the Hip Attack above the Hard Blocks, they can be destroyed, allowing the player to access a barrel containing a Treasure Chest with a Graphic Piece for the Squeak Squad graphic.

In Stage EX, Hard Blocks appear in the second room; they are blocking the way to a 1UP. By fighting Bonkers, Hammer can be obtained; Hammer can then be used to destroy the Hard Blocks (as well as pound the Stake to obtain the Treasure Chest with a Graphic Piece for the Copy Ability graphic).

Cushy Cloud[]

In Stage 1, Hard Blocks appear in the fourth main room; they are blocking the way to the Treasure Chest with the Grape Spray Paint. These can be destroyed by inhaling the Acchi to copy Fire and using Burn, or by using Throw, which can be obtained by finding a hidden door near the end of the previous room that leads to a room with a Throw ability bubble and a Kirby Bubble.

In Stage EX, Hard Blocks appear in the second room; they are blocking the way to a room with a Treasure Chest with the Orange Spray Paint. Using the cannon to the right of the Hard Blocks is the intended method to destroy them.

Jam Jungle[]

In Stage 2, Hard Blocks appear in the first room; they are blocking the way to a roulette bubble. The player can copy either Throw from Bun or Fire from Hot Head to destroy the Hard Blocks.

In Stage 3, two columns of Hard Blocks appear in the fifth room; each column can be destroyed by a cannon. By taking the left cannon to destroy the left column of Hard Blocks, the player is forced to enter the lower door; in the following room, the player can obtain two Kirby Bubbles and the Treasure Chest with the Industrial Copy Palette by breaking open barrels (since this route has a Treasure Chest, it is the intended route). By taking the right cannon to destroy the right column of Hard Blocks, the player is forced to enter the upper door; in the following room, the player can obtain a cherry, a roulette bubble, and a Kirby Bubble, by breaking open barrels. Regardless of which cannon is used, the player will obtain a Fire ability bubble and a Kirby Bubble if the Copy Palette isn't full.

In Stage 4, Hard Blocks appear in the fourth main room; a cannon is used to destroy them. In the third room, if the player enters the left door, they will enter this room; if they enter the right door, the player can obtain a Treasure Chest with a Secret Map piece by defeating a Gold Waddle Dee before entering the fourth room. After defeating Buboo, the player can enter the cannon to destroy the Hard Blocks to reach the upper half of the room. Here, the player can continue to the right to find a door, as well as two barrels that contain a Kirby Bubble and a meat food bubble. Entering the door leads to an area with the Treasure Chest with a Graphic Piece for the final boss graphic; the Treasure Chest is blocked by the similar-looking Iron Blocks, which can be melted with Fire (a Fire ability bubble is present just to the right, and can be obtained from Hot Head in the previous room).

In Stage 5, Hard Blocks appear in the second room. These can be destroyed using either of Metal's techniques, or can be simply avoided, only serving as minor obstacles.

Vocal Volcano[]

In Stage 1, Hard Blocks appear in the first room; a cannon is used to destroy them. By using the cannon to destroy the Hard Blocks, the player is taken to a room with a Magic ability bubble and Maxim Tomato bubble.

In Stage 3, Hard Blocks appear in the area after fighting Big Metalun; they are blocking the way to the Big Treasure Chest with a Vitality piece. Either of Metal's techniques can be used to destroy them. While Bonkers was fought earlier for Hammer, which can destroy Hard Blocks, Kirby needs to pass through a set of spikes to destroy these which Hammer would not be able to do (the player also needs to obtain Animal from Gao Gao to obtain the second Treasure Chest, meaning the player would not be able to maintain Hammer while doing so).

In Stage 4, Hard Blocks appear in the fifth main room; destroying them creates a shortcut. In the room is a switch that, when pressed, opens a shutter that allows access to the Treasure Chest with the Red Spray Paint. While the shutter is only just below the switch that opens it, the player needs to traverse the entire room just to make it to the shutter after pressing the switch. Fire, which can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks, can be obtained from Hot Head in the room, or from previous rooms. The Hard Blocks do not need to be destroyed in order to obtain the Treasure Chest, as the player can still make it through the open shutter if acting quick and careful enough, or by using other methods, such as hitting the switch from below.

Ice Island[]

In Stage 3, Hard Blocks appear in the room with the cannons. Upon entering the green cannon, firing directly downward destroys a column of Hard Blocks and allows access to a door that leads to an area with a Hammer ability bubble. Returning back to the cannon room, entering the cannon will destroy the Hard Blocks and allow the player to progress farther upward where more Hard Blocks are destroyed; while the Hard Blocks can be destroyed with Hammer, a shutter will close before Kirby can take it to the central part of the room, forcing the player to use the cannon after resetting the room. Hammer is instead intended to pound a Stake in the following room to obtain the Treasure Chest with the Fighter Ability Scroll.

In Stage 4, Hard Blocks appear in the first room; they are blocking the way to the Treasure Chest with the Happy Notes. The cannon is the intended method to destroy the Hard Blocks, but Fire, which can be obtained from the Flamers in the room, can also be used to destroy them with its Burn technique.

Gamble Galaxy[]

In Stage 1, Hard Blocks appear in the fifth room, where there is a rotating cannon that can take the player to eight different rooms. To the left is a room with ability bubbles for Cupid, Ice, and Animal, as well as a Kirby Bubble in a barrel. To the top left is a Flamer to obtain Fire, as well as a Candy bubble. To the top is a Fire ability bubble, a candle, and a Treasure Chest with the Graphic Piece for the Copy Ability graphic being blocked off by Iron Blocks. To the top right is a room with Mr. Frosty to obtain Ice (or Tedhaun to obtain Ghost if the Ghost Medal has been completed), a Kirby Bubble in a barrel, and an Energy Drink. To the right is a room with four ropes and a Sword Knight to obtain Sword to cut them (Cutter and the aforementioned Cupid and Animal can also be obtained to cut them); the leftmost rope gives a Maxim Tomato bubble, the rope second from left summons two Bio Sparks, the rope second from the right gives a Kirby Bubble, and the rightmost rope summons boulders from above. To the bottom is a room with a 1UP, but getting close to it summons four Heavy Knights. To the bottom right is an exit room with a Bun and Noddy. To the bottom left is also an exit room, but has a Wheel ability bubble and the Treasure Chest with the Battle Notes (since this route has a Treasure Chest, it is the intended route).

In Stage 3, Hard Blocks appear in the first room, blocking the way to a Maxim Tomato bubble; Throw from Bun can be used to destroy them. Hard Blocks later appear in the fourth room, blocking the way to a 1UP; Fire can be obtained from a Hot Head or Flamer in the room to destroy them. Hard Blocks appear later still in the eighth room, blocking the way to a door leading to a room with the Treasure Chest with the Secret Notes, a cherry food bubble, and a roulette bubble; UFO's Piercing Heat Beam or Fire's Burn technique can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks.

Kirby Mass Attack[]

Metal Blocks appear in Green Grounds, Sandy Canyon, Dedede Resort, and Volcano Valley. They can be destroyed by slamming them after pummeling an enemy, toppling a Spire Vine, pulling down a Jerkweed, firing at them with an autocannon, having a Heave-Ho Block or Light Block drop on them, dropping a bomb on them, detonating a Blast Block near them, rolling an Iron Ball into them, or having a volcanic rock fall on them; Kirbys that are under the effects of Jumbo Candy can also destroy Metal Blocks. Powerful enemies such as Stumpee, Warwiggle, Blish, Clanksprout, Gondolus, Blamboom, Spiky Geg, Eelongo, King Eelongo, Big Stickle, Steelsnapper, Gordo, Big Gordo, and Gravey can also destroy them with their attacks.

Green Grounds[]

Stage 2[]

Metal Blocks appear in the first room. After being introduced to the Oohroo, the Kirbys are introduced to the purple Spire Vine, which periodically grows and shrinks; nearby is a Metal Block blocking the way to a Melon. By toppling the purple Spire Vine while it is tall, it will destroy the Metal Block.

“	You know those Spire Vines that grow tall, then shrink? Well, look for the purple Spire Vines. There's one around here that, if you topple it when it's shorter, will smash through to a medal.”
	— Daroach

A bit later, after being introduced to the Melody Switch and Recovery Ring, another purple Spire Vine appears alongside some Metal Blocks blocking the way to the stage's first medal, which is also a rainbow medal. By toppling the purple Spire Vine while it is shorter, it will destroy the Metal Blocks.

“	You might be tempted to topple those tall Spire Vines while standing on their left side, right? Keep in mind that, if you go over Spire Vines, you can then topple them from the other side too.”
	— Daroach

In the second room, a couple Metal Blocks appear in the ground blocking the way to a door that leads to a room containing the stage's second medal; a red Spire Vine appears to the right of the Metal Blocks. By going around the Spire Vine to its right side, then jumping onto it to topple it over to the left, the Metal Blocks can be destroyed.

“	There's an especially massive red plant somewhere. It'd probably boulder through all sorts of things if you could get it rolling. I bet you'd need five Kirbys or so to do something like that. There's supposed to be a key you'll pass before you see it. I'd grab it before you get that plant rolling.”
	— Daroach

A bit later, the player can find a key up above, and continuing farther is a Big Spire Vine on a wall. Jumping onto the Spire Vine with at least five Kirbys will cause the bud to roll along the ground with the Kirbys on it, destroying any blocks and enemies in its way; this culminates with it destroying a bunch of Metal Blocks blocking the way to a Treasure Chest—which contains the stage's third medal—that the aforementioned key is used to open.

Stage 4[]

Destroying Metal Blocks is often required to progress in this stage.

“

I remember searching for treasure on this island when I was young. It suddenly started raining. I ducked into a cave. When I saw some plant squiggle on the ceiling... I lashed out at it, pulled it down, then found myself crashing through the floor! I fell down a hole, and when I finally landed, I saw a flicker of gold nearby. There were enemies too, and I barely escaped with my life. I wonder if that treasure is still there?”

— Daroach

At the beginning of the first room, a Jerkweed hangs in the ceiling above, and pulling down on it causes the Kirbys to crash down, destroying the column of Metal Blocks below in the process and entering a cave. Down in the cave is a Treasure Chest—which contains the stage's first medal—with some Metal Blocks nearby blocking access to the key used to open it. By pummeling and defeating the Beanbon that's walking on top of the Metal Blocks, the Kirbys will slam downward and destroy them, allowing access to the key. If the player takes this path, however, the second medal will be missed.

“	If you enter an area where rain is falling, you'll probably see a huge enemy. Once you get past it, you'll soon see a plant hanging from the ceiling. Pull it. Oh! But before you pull it, go up above to discover something else...”
	— Daroach

If the player uses the heroic heart to carry the Kirbys upward instead of pulling at the Jerkweed (an area above being hinted at by a nearby apple), they can find another Jerkweed to destroy another column of Metal Blocks, which are blocking the way to the stage's second medal. If the player takes this path, however, the first medal will be missed.

A bit afterward are three propeller plants; the first two carry fruit, while the third one has a door. By entering the door and continuing through the room that features many fruit-carrying propeller plans (one of which has a Maxim Tomato), the player will come across an Oohroo standing on a column of Metal Blocks. Pummeling and defeating the Oohroo causes the Kirbys to slam downward, destroying the Metal Blocks below and returning back to the first room.

Near the end of the first room is a Jerkweed that periodically switches with one that has thorns. By pulling on the Jerkweed that doesn't have thorns, the Kirbys can destroy the column of Metal Blocks below and enter the second main room.

“	It's said that the huge Battybat guards a medal. I've heard he makes his home in a damp place, and there's a very damp spot around here where it rains. There's a cannon near that area, but don't use it, or you'll never find Battybat.”
	— Daroach

By heading to the left in the second room, the Kirbys can enter an autocannon; by launching them to the right, the Kirbys will destroy any blocks in their way, including a row of Metal Blocks blocking the way to another autocannon that launches upward to destroy a column of Metal Blocks and enter the third main room. If the player takes this path, however, the third medal will be missed, which is also a rainbow medal.

By heading to the right in the second room, the Kirbys will instead come across Battybat; by defeating him, four Jerkweeds appear, each giving something different. From left to right:

Two apples and one banana
An autocannon that launches to the right, allowing progress to the third room
Two Beanbons
The stage's third medal, which is also a rainbow medal

“	I can't stand rain. It makes a slimy mess of my fur. But plants love rain, of course, and there are plants here in a rainy area that move around. Pull one such plant down, but do so when it moves into the middle of its area. Trust me. You'll see why.”
	— Daroach

At the end of the third main room are three columns of Metal Blocks, with a Jerkweed in the ceiling that constantly moves back and forth:

Grabbing and pulling down the Jerkweed when it is above the left column gives nine apples.
Grabbing and pulling down the Jerkweed when it is above the middle column gives the stage's fifth medal.
Grabbing and pulling down the Jerkweed when it is above the right column gives access to a door leading to a room with the Gold Beanbon, which is important for the "Gold Grappler" task that requires the player to find and defeat it and then clear the stage.

If the Jerkweed is pulled down and none of the Metal Blocks get destroyed (due to it not being above any), another Jerkweed will appear so the player can try again.

Stage 5[]

“	Cannons mounted on springs will lower if a large-enough group of Kirbys pack into them. That means they'll be shot down a different path. One of these cannons will blast you to the location of a medal if you pack at least six Kirbys into it. A Big Schnoz lurks near that medal. To defeat him, you'll need to push against him as many times as you can, and as FAST as possible.”
	— Daroach

Metal Blocks appear in the first room. Partway through the room is an autocannon hanging from the ceiling by a spring, and two paths forward: an upper path blocked by Star Blocks, and a lower path blocked by Metal Blocks. Jumping into the autocannon with at least six Kirbys will weigh it down enough to launch the Kirbys down the lower path, destroying the Metal Blocks and giving the stage's first medal.

“	There's a Schnoz around this island that shoves a block toward a wall of metal blocks. Don't be distracted by that Schnoz. Find a way to break those metal blocks instead. I think there's some sort of solution hiding behind some thorny roof weed earlier in that stage.”
	— Daroach

In the second room, three Jerkweeds hang from the ceiling, with the second one periodically switching with one that has thorns; pulling the second Jerkweed when it does not have thorns gives a Jumbo Candy. By rushing forward, the stage's second medal can be seen below, with a Schnoz heading toward a Heave-Ho Block that, if pushed up against a wall, will prevent access to the medal. The Kirbys, under the affects of the Jumbo Candy, should ignore this medal for long enough to instead destroy the Metal Blocks blocking the way to the stage's third medal; from there, the Kirbys can backtrack toward the second medal and, if the effects of the Jumbo Candy haven't run out yet, the Heave-Ho Block can be destroyed outright.

Stage 7[]

While taking the elevator up the tree, three Metal Blocks appear together in the middle early on; while they can be destroyed by pummeling the Beanbon that is walking on top of them, they are ultimately meant to be an obstacle to avoid being crushed by. Later on, another group of three Metal Blocks appear in the middle, with a Maxim Tomato above them surrounded by Star Blocks on its sides and above.

Stage 8[]

“	Near the start of a stage that starts with spidery foes in trees, you'll blast through a series of cannons. One of those cannons can be pointed down several tunnels. Blast into the lower-right route. I've heard there's a medal along that path.”
	— Daroach

Metal Blocks appear in the first room; they are destroyed by autocannons. The first set of Metal Blocks form a column upward; the second set form a row to the right that the autocannon needs to be manually aimed to destroy; the third set form a line diagonally up and to the right; afterward are three more sets of Metal Blocks at the diagonals of the fourth autocannon. Each route leads to another autocannon that fires upward through a column of Metal Blocks and lead to the second room to destroy some more Metal Blocks.

Launching to the upper-left route, the Kirbys can potentially get a banana before entering the second room.
Launching to the upper-right route, the Kirbys can potentially get a melon before entering the second room.
Launching to the lower-right route, the Kirbys can potentially get an apple, banana, and melon before entering the second room and getting the stage's first medal, which is also a rainbow medal.

At the beginning of the third room, some Metal Blocks are in the ground and some form a wall. A Stumpee then shows up and destroys the wall of Metal Blocks as it rolls toward the Kirbys; the Kirbys can safely pass the Stumpee by hiding under the missing wedge of its body, after which the Stumpee continues and destroys the Metal Blocks in the ground, causing it to fall into its final resting place.

“	In one of the darkest woods around here, the trees are very mean spirited. One of them has something useful on top of its head. I'm not saying that it's a medal... But it could help you find a medal. Be sure to search its leafy noggin before you take out its trunk, or else you won't find it.”
	— Daroach

Later in the third room is a Jerkweed hanging above a column of Metal Blocks; pulling down the Jerkweed destroys them. However, by defeating the nearby Little Woods by pummeling its leaves instead of jumping into its trunk, a door to another room appears; near the end of this room is another autocannon hanging from the ceiling by a spring, with two paths forward blocked by Metal Blocks: an upper path that has a melon, and a lower path that has the stage's fourth medal. Jumping into the autocannon with enough Kirbys will weigh it down enough to launch the Kirbys down the lower path, destroying the Metal Blocks and giving the stage's fourth medal. After being launched by the autocannon, the Kirbys will fall down back into the third room.

“	Be careful when you see any Stumpee rolling toward you in the woods. But also know that legends tell of a treasure hidden in an oft-ignored spot near a Stumpee. So you may want to turn around after getting past a Stumpee to see where it rolls to.”
	— Daroach

After destroying the column of Metal Blocks with the Jerkweed, a wall of Metal Blocks blocking the way to a door can be found to the left. To the right, another Stumpee comes rolling to the left. By passing the Stumpee, then following behind it, it will destroy the Metal Blocks, allowing access to the door. Entering the door leads to the room with the stage's fifth medal, which is in the possession of a Spideroo.

By continuing to the right, there is another wall of Metal Blocks; upon reaching it, a Stumpee will fall down from the left side of the room and start rolling to the right, where it will destroy the Metal Blocks. Afterward is an autocannon that fires upward through a column of Metal Blocks leading to the last room.

Stage 9[]

“	After chomping down some Jumbo Candy, don't rampage too wildly. You might dash past a medal behind metal blocks. And then the jumbo effect will wear off by the time you go back for it!”
	— Daroach

Near the beginning of the stage, seven Metal Blocks are on the ground; a Beanbon walking on top of them can be pummeled to destroy some, but their destruction does not accomplish anything. A Warwiggle pops out of the dirt, destroying the last three Metal Blocks and serving as a demonstration of their ability to break those blocks. Soon after is a Jumbo Candy, and afterward are many Metal Blocks, with one group of them blocking access to the stage's first medal, which is also a rainbow medal. On a platform above the location of this medal is a key. The Kirbys, while under the effects of the Jumbo Candy, will simply destroy the key, so this should be ignored for now.

“	Jumbo Candy has a serious downside. While you're huge, you can't get up to some places that you can while smaller. And when you're on a jumbo rampage, you might just kick a treasure chest away. Either way, be careful with that Jumbo Candy, or you'll miss out on a medal.”
	— Daroach

Soon after are some Metal Blocks in the ceiling blocking the way to another Jumbo Candy; these blocks should be destroyed to allow access to this Jumbo Candy, but the play should avoid grabbing it. Instead, the Kirbys should go back to grab the aforementioned key. Soon after the second Jumbo Candy, another Warwiggle pops out of the dirt, destroying some Metal Blocks above that were blocking the way to a bubble containing three apples and two bananas. Continuing forward past some purple Spire Vines and Oohroos are a group of Metal Blocks in the ceiling above a patch of dirt; a couple of Warwiggles will emerge from the ground and destroy some of the Metal Blocks in the ceiling, with the second one breaking the Metal Block blocking the way to the stage's shortcut door. Continuing to the right is a Treasure Chest—which contains the stage's second medal—resting on top of a group of Metal Blocks.

“	Jumbo Candy will make you feel like nothing can stop you! So put that power to good use smashing metal blocks, which sometimes bar the way to medals.”
	— Daroach

By backtracking to get the second Jumbo Candy, any of the aforementioned Metal Blocks can be destroyed; continuing past where the Treasure Chest was, a group of Metal Blocks form a staircase and are blocking access to the stage's third medal.

Stage 10[]

“	When you press a switch with an apple on it, you'll see lots of green apples appear. If you can grab all of those apples, you'll get some kind of reward.”
	— Daroach

Metal Blocks appear in the second room. Upon reaching the green apple switch, activate it to cause 16 green apples to appear in the shape of a lollipop; by grabbing all of the apples, a Jumbo Candy appears. After grabbing the Jumbo Candy, quickly swim to the right to find a large group of Metal Blocks blocking the way to the stage's first medal, which is also a rainbow medal. At the end of the room is a Heave-Ho Block that needs to be pushed to reach the door; pushing it far enough will cause it to fall onto and destroy some Metal Blocks. While these last Metal Blocks (and the Heave-Ho Block) can be destroyed while under the jumbo effect if the player is fast enough, their destruction does not accomplish anything else.

“	When underwater, you can crush metal blocks by pushing a movable block on top of them. There's one watery chamber where you can use this trick twice to expose a downward passage. Go down it as far as you can. I've been down there, and I seem to recall seeing a gold gleam.”
	— Daroach

At the beginning of the third room, a Heave-Ho Block needs to be pushed to destroy two sets of Metal Blocks. Pushing it to the right causes it to crush four Metal Blocks. Pushing it to the left from here causes it to destroy a column of Metal Blocks blocking the way to the next room, as well as to the stage's second medal by swimming low enough and destroying a cracked block.

Sandy Canyon[]

Stage 1[]

“	I know of a medal somewhere under metal blocks. Fortunately, there's a Stactus plant sitting on the blocks, looking at passersby with three sets of eyes. If you take on that Stactus, your final blow will send it crashing through those metal blocks!”
	— Daroach

In the first room, a Stactus, consisting of three segments, can be found sitting on top of two Metal Blocks in the ground blocking the way to the stage's first medal. By pummeling the Stactus (regardless of which of the three segments are grabbed), the Metal Blocks will be destroyed.

Soon afterward is another Stactus with three segments sitting on top of some Metal Blocks, this time with its lower two segments always having their spikes out. By pummeling the orange Stactus head, the Metal Blocks can be destroyed to enter the second room.

Soon after exiting the water geyser and returning to the surface, there is a wall of Metal Blocks with a couple of apples on top of it; a Blish rests below them and periodically sprays water upward from its mouth, which destroys the Metal Blocks.

“	There are two of those giant Spinwheel Flowers somewhere on this island. Except that the second one isn't really a harmless flower. It will cut you if you're not careful. I've heard that one has a medal, and you'll need to pluck its nasty petals to get it.”
	— Daroach

Later on in the room is a group of Metal Blocks above water with a Big Beanbon walking on them. By pummeling the Big Beanbon, the Metal Blocks can be destroyed to enter the water and enter the door leading to a room with two Spinwheel Flowers; the first Spinwheel Flower drops five bananas when its four petals are plucked, and the second one gives the stage's fifth medal inside a bubble when its three harmless petals are plucked.

Stage 2[]

“	If you see sprouts in your travels, try to find some way to water them. They'll grow into plants that will probably help you in some way. You never know--if you're lucky, you might grow yourself one of those bouldering flower buds!”
	— Daroach

Metal Blocks appear at the beginning of the second room, where they are blocking the way to the stage's first medal, which is also a rainbow medal. Near the Metal Blocks is a couple of Spire Vine sprouts. Continuing farther into the room is a Flickerfloof that is constantly pouring rain, where its effects are demonstrated by growing a Stactus from one segment into three and growing a sprout into a red Spire Vine. By luring the Flickerfloof back to the sprouts in front of the Metal Blocks, one of them can grow into a Big Spire Vine, where its bud can be used to destroy the Metal Blocks.

“	In one of the stages, there's a secret cloudy area far above the desert floor. Maybe the stage with all the Flickerfloofs is where that cloudy area is. A Crazy Stactus, one of those dancing cactuses, is growing near those Flickerfloofs. I bet pulling down that hyperactive cactus is the key to finding that cloud realm.”
	— Daroach

At the beginning of the third room is a Crazy Stactus and a bunch of Metal Blocks in the ground. Pummeling the Crazy Stactus to pull it down destroys the Metal Blocks, which leads to an autocannon that launches upward through a column of Metal Blocks and into cloudy area above where the stage's third medal can be found in the possession of a Big Floof.

Stage 3[]

“	There's a Big Stactus lounging on top of a floor made of metal blocks somewhere. A Big Stactus can make for a great battering ram, if you defeat it. They can summon a storm of thorns, so you'll have to scatter yourselves if that happens!”
	— Daroach

Metal Blocks appear in the second room. Near the end of the room, some Star Blocks and Metal Blocks form a floor; a Big Stactus sits on top of the Metal Blocks, which are blocking the way to the stage's first medal. By pummeling the Big Stactus, the Metal Blocks can be destroyed.

“	The Grindarrs that try to squash you flat must be there for a good reason. There are two of them trying to keep intruders from going through a door. Seems suspicious to me.”
	— Daroach

In the third room is a door that requires getting past a couple of Grindarrs to enter. Upon entering the door, the Kirbys come across an autocannon that launches upward to destroy a column of Metal Blocks and leads to a second autocannon that launches to the right to destroy a row of Metal Blocks before leading to a third autocannon that can be timed to potentially get an apple and two bananas and leads to a fourth autocannon that can be timed to get the stage's third medal, which is also a rainbow medal. After being launched from the fourth autocannon, the Kirbys land back in the third room, just past the two Grindarrs.

Stage 4[]

“	Sometimes the dancing Crazy Stactus plants pal around with Clanksprouts. One of those metal-claw creatures can be tricked into tearing down a metal barrier. Beyond that barrier is one of the medals we're looking for!”
	— Daroach

In the first room, if the Kirbys enter the top door, they can find a round-trip door behind a Crazy Stactus. Upon entering this door, the Kirbys enter a room with a Metal Block ceiling above a patch of sand, blocking the way to the stage's second medal, which is also a rainbow medal. A purple Clanksprout periodically emerges from the sand underneath the Kirbys, destroying any Metal Blocks above it, which can allow access to the medal.

Upon returning to the previous room and continuing forward, the Kirbys will come across five Jerkweeds, each doing something different. From left to right:

One Beanbon
One Stactus
Two apples and one banana
Two apples and one banana; destroys the two Metal Blocks below, allowing progress
One melon

“	If you ride the Gondolus down the river of sand, you'll see a chest beyond a breakable slab of brown stone. You'll need to bring lots of Kirbys along to break the slab fast enough. Fast enough to then do what? That I don't know.”
	— Daroach

In the first room, if the Kirbys enter the bottom door, they will enter a room with a door and a wall of Metal Blocks; Gondolus then breaks through the Metal Blocks and inhales the door. The Kirby then pursue Gondolus by using an autocannon, cracking part of its tough carapace; while riding Gondolus, the player should be careful not to cause too much damage to its shell, as the longer the ride goes, the more medal can be obtained. Eventually, the Kirbys will come across a key; later still is a brown stone slab blocking the way to a Treasure Chest—which contains the stage's fourth medal—that can be destroyed by having the Kirbys repeatedly jump at it. After the Treasure Chest are three Metal Blocks and a bubble containing three apples and two bananas; grabbing the bubble destroys the Metal Blocks below.

Stage 5[]

“	There's a desert tower with an elevator that seems to travel upward forever. Don't make a beeline for the tower. You'll miss something you need to have during the long ride.”
	— Daroach

Metal Blocks appear in the first room. Near the beginning, a Big Stactus is sitting on three Metal Blocks that are blocking the way to a key; pummeling the Big Stactus destroys the Metal Blocks. In the second room is the Treasure Chest—which contains the stage's first medal, which is also a rainbow medal—that the key is used to open.

Stage 6[]

Metal Blocks appear in the first room. Near the end of the room, a pull ring can be pulled to drop a bomb on the Metal Blocks that are blocking the way to the second room; its explosion destroys them.

“	Hang from all the rings that you see. They always trigger something helpful. But sometimes you'll have to think ahead before you pull the ring. What might happen when you pull it? And is there anything you need to do first?”
	— Daroach

In the second room, a couple of Metal Blocks are blocking the way to a round-trip door that leads to the stage's first medal, which is also a rainbow medal; they are in the ground under a Heave-Ho Block. By pushing the Heave-Ho Block off the Metal Blocks, then pulling the nearby pull ring to drop a bomb, the Metal Blocks can be destroyed, allowing access to the round-trip door.

“	There's a place where you can make a bomb fall by pulling a ring. And nearby is a medal tucked above a ceiling. I wonder if there's some way to carry that bomb over there?”
	— Daroach

Another Metal Block appears in the ceiling nearby; it is blocking the way to the stage's second medal. By pushing the Heave-Ho Block to be positioned under the second bomb in the room, then pulling the nearby pull ring to drop that bomb, then pushing the Heave-Ho Block with the bomb on it to be under the medal, the Metal Block can be destroyed.

Stage 7[]

“

If you eat Jumbo Candy, you can charge right through the windy sandstorm. Watch the space above you for metal blocks as you run. There's supposed to be a row of them blocking the way to a medal. They're hard to spot, maybe even out of sight. You'll need to reach the blocks fast if you want to smash them during your jumbo rampage. If you see any items, grab them quickly. Those sandstorms blow everything around-not just enemies, but also treasure.”

— Daroach

Metal Blocks appear in the first room. After passing the stage's first medal, two pairs of Metal Blocks appear above a row of five Star Blocks. When the windy sandstorm rushes past, a Stactus with three segments appears on each pair of Metal Blocks, along with a Jumbo Candy hovering between them; either pummeling the Stactuses or using the Jumbo Candy can destroy them. While under the effects of the Jumbo Candy, the Kirbys can rush through the windy sandstorm without getting hurt, to which they can reach three long platforms forming a staircase upward to five Metal Blocks in the ceiling blocking the way to a round-trip door that leads to the stage's second medal.

At the end of the first room is a floor made of Metal Blocks, with a Stactus sitting on top of them; pummeling the Stactus destroys them, leading to the second room.

“	Hopefully you'll be able to hang on to a full crew of 10 Kirbys throughout the windy-sandstorm area. You'll need them to pull on a ring to access a chest. Getting the key is no breeze either. It's defended by a prickly guard.”
	— Daroach

Near the beginning of the second room are two Metal Blocks blocking the way to a key; a Big Stactus is sitting on top of them. Pummeling the Big Stactus destroys the Metal Blocks, allowing access to the key. Near the end of the room is a pull ring that requires 10 Kirbys to pull, but is blocked by a brown stone slab; destroying the slab by having the Kirbys jump at it repeatedly and pulling down the pull ring causes a Treasure Chest—which contains the stage's fifth medal—to fall, where it can be opened with the key.

Stage 8[]

“	If you can't break blocks by jumping into them, find other ways to get the job done. Maybe cannonballs will go flying over your head? Those might do the trick. Though you may need to lower a Blamboom to fire cannonballs exactly at the level you need. And the Clanksprouts that shoot out of the earth can be lured to strike exactly where you want.”
	— Daroach

Metal Blocks appear in the first room. Early on, four Metal Blocks are blocking the way to a melon near the ceiling. A couple of Blambooms to the right periodically shoot cannonballs, which can be used to destroy the Metal Blocks, even when the Blambooms are offscreen. After the Blambooms is a floor of six Metal Blocks above a patch of sand; a purple Clanksprout periodically emerges from the sand underneath the Kirbys. Three more Metal Blocks nearby are in the ceiling blocking the way to a round-trip door that leads to the room with the stage's first medal; the aforementioned purple Clanksprout can be used to destroy these, causing the door to fall down. Upon entering the round-trip door, the Kirbys enter a room with Metal Blocks, a Bomb Block, the stage's first medal, and two Blambooms forming five-segmented tower, with one on the very bottom and one on the top. The first cannonball fired by the bottom Blamboom destroys a Metal Block, allowing the Kirbys to attack the tower by jumping into the pins on their back; however, if the top Blamboom is allowed to fire three cannonballs without its position changing, it can hit the Bomb Block, causing three bananas, four apples, and a Mummbon to drop down. Once the tower is four segments tall, the top Blamboom can destroy a Metal Block, but its destruction does not accomplish anything; once the tower is only two segments tall, the top Blamboom can destroy the Metal Block that's blocking the way to the stage's first medal; the Metal Block that is/was underneath the Bomb Block does not have any opportunities to be destroyed.

“	If you notice metal blocks anywhere near a Blamboom cannon, see if it will blast through them all. It's said there's a golden treasure in such a place.”
	— Daroach

After pushing a Heave-Ho Block, four Metal Blocks can be found above blocking the way to the stage's second medal, as well as three that make a wall; all of these Metal Blocks can be destroyed by Blamboom cannonballs coming from the right.

“	Find the chamber where a whole row of Clanksprouts tries to keep you from going through. Don't go through too quickly. Defeat a certain one to find a medal it's hiding. Or use a cannon in a crafty way to get rid of them all at once. I think you'll need to pile at least six Kirbys into that cannon, however...”
	— Daroach

In the second room after fighting the Gegs and Mech Gegs is an autocannon that can be used to launch downward to destroy a column of Metal Blocks. To the right is an autocannon hanging from the ceiling by a spring, and two paths forward: an upper path with two Big Mummbons, and a lower path with seven Clanksprouts that emerge in succession from the sand below, with the fourth one possessing the stage's fifth medal. Jumping into the autocannon with at least six Kirbys will weigh it down enough to launch the Kirbys down the lower path, which can be used to quickly defeat the Clanksprouts and obtain the stage's fifth medal; the Clanksprout with the medal can also be defeated normally, and would otherwise need to be if the player doesn't have six Kirbys, but this method may be more difficult. At the end of the room are two autocannons, one at the end of each path, that are used to destroy the Metal Blocks above blocking the way to the third room; if the player misses the fifth medal after firing from the autocannon on the spring, this second autocannon can be aimed to the left to get another chance at the medal, and the player can do this as many times as necessary, as this autocannon is aimed manually instead of automatically.

At the beginning of the third room, two Metal Blocks make a wall blocking the way forward; the Kirbys need to push down a switch, which causes a pushable bomb block to appear, which is used to destroy the Metal Blocks. More Metal Blocks appear just afterward, with some Heave-Ho Blocks sitting on top of them; by bringing another pushable bomb block to destroy some of the Metal Blocks, the Heave-Ho Blocks will fall and destroy the rest before a door to the fourth room falls down.

Stage 9[]

“

One of the buildings in the desert has rooms with colorful doors that lead into a maze. Good thing for you that I've been there. Be sure to go through the red door. You'll find a key in that part of the maze. Where's its chest? That I'm not so sure about. It might be through a dark-gold door deeper in the maze. Hopefully you won't get lost in there. I'd suggest making a note of which doors you go through as you explore.”

— Daroach

After entering the red door to obtain a key, then entering the green door to progress through the desert maze, then entering the dark-gold door, the Kirbys will enter a room where they are completely surrounded by Metal Blocks, save for one blast block in the ceiling; jumping into the blast block destroys the Metal Blocks. Later in the room are more Metal Blocks, also nearby a blast block, but this block alternates between an explosion icon and a skull icon; jumping into it when the latter icon is present causes three bombs to fall. Jumping into the blast block when the explosion icon is present destroys the Metal Blocks and Star Blocks, as well as defeats the nearby Sand Snoozroot, although destroying the Metal Blocks specifically does not accomplish anything else. A bit later are more Metal Blocks, as well as Star Blocks, forming a wall; the Metal Blocks here have no methods of being destroyed, so the Kirbys must simply navigate around them. Later still are a couple of Metal Blocks blocking the way to a door that leads back to the previous room, and two more Metal Blocks blocking the way to a Treasure Chest—which contains the stage's second medal—that the aforementioned key is used to open. Between them is a shuffle block that has three blast blocks with skull icons and one with an explosion icon; detonating the blast block with the explosion icon destroys the nearby Metal Blocks, as well as the shuffle block and any remaining blast blocks.

Stage 10[]

Metal Blocks appear in the first room. Soon after entering the building, there is a wall of Metal Blocks, as well as a single blast block that is used to destroy them. In the second room is a wall made of Star Blocks and two Metal Blocks; the Metal Blocks here have no methods of being destroyed, so the Kirbys must simply navigate around them. The nearby Sand Snoozroot can make a sandstorm to obscure which blocks are which, hindering navigation.

Stage 11[]

“	At some point, you'll face the Spiky Gegs, giant egg-like creatures that blast through walls. You can get above one of them while it flies under you. Examine the carnage he causes. You might find something.”
	— Daroach

Metal Blocks appear in the second room. Partway through the room, Metal Blocks form a floor with a Stactus of five segments sitting on top of it; the lower four segments are always spiky, so the top head must be pummeled to destroy the Metal Blocks. Soon afterward is another floor of Metal Blocks; this time, pulling on a Jerkweed, that also drops three apples, is used to destroy them. Upon landing, there are Metal Blocks to the left blocking the way to a key, a group of Metal Blocks to the right that make a small passageway for the Kirbys to travel through, and another group of Metal Blocks to the right blocking the way to a Treasure Chest—which contains the stage's first medal, which is also a rainbow medal—that the aforementioned key is used to open; a Spiky Geg then shows up from the right, slowly flying to the left while destroying any Metal Blocks in its path. The Kirbys need to avoid the Spiky Geg by either climbing the platforms and/or using the heroic heart to carry the Kirbys upward to be above the Spiky Geg as it passes; with the Metal Blocks destroyed, the Kirbys can retrieve the key and open the Treasure Chest.

“	One of the giant Spiky Gegs will chase you with a vengeance. Don't let him catch up with you. But don't miss out on the medal that you'll pass as you run.”
	— Daroach

In the third room, Metal Blocks appear in multiple places. At the far left of the room, twenty-four Metal Blocks appear in the ceiling above a seesaw with a boulder sitting on its left side; attached to the Metal Blocks is a Jerkweed above the right side of the seesaw. To the right are two paths downward blocked by Metal Blocks: a left path that has six bananas and a door forward, and a right path that has a door leading to the room with the stage's second medal. Pulling down the Jerkweed with more than six Kirbys will launch the boulder far enough to destroy the Metal Blocks blocking the way to the door that leads to the stage's second medal. Upon entering the door, the Kirbys enter a room with a wall of Metal Blocks to the left; another Spiky Geg shows up from the left and destroys the wall of Metal Blocks, pursuing the Kirbys. During the pursuit, four groups of Metal Blocks appear; since only the Spiky Geg can destroy them in this situation, they simply serve as unbreakable obstacles:

Three Metal Blocks appear in the middle that are suspending two apples and a melon
Six Metal Blocks appear blocking the upper half of the passageway
Three Metal Blocks appear in the middle that are suspending the stage's second medal
Eight Metal Blocks appear blocking the upper half of the passageway

Another wall of Metal Blocks appears at the end of the room, which the Spiky Geg destroys to exit the room.

Dedede Resort[]

Stage 5[]

At the end of the sixth room, there are two doors: an upper door that leads to Tortletummy, and a lower door that leads to King Eelongo.

“	Within the underwater rapids is a formidable fish called the Eelongo. It races around so powerfully that it crushes anything in its path. That includes metal blocks. So follow the Eelongo to see if it breaks into any places you can't.”
	— Daroach

After entering the King Eelongo door, partway through the room is a row of Metal Blocks blocking the way to a skull key; some Star Blocks continue the row of blocks before more Metal Blocks. Soon after, nine fish forming the shape of an arrow swim by, followed by an Eelongo chasing them, destroying the rows of Metal Blocks, allowing the Kirbys to retrieve the skull key. After fighting the Skullys to retrieve the Treasure Chest, the skull key is used to obtain the stage's third medal.

In the next room is a wall of Metal Blocks near the beginning. Sixteen fish forming the shape of a bigger fish swim by, followed by six air bubbles, and then King Eelongo, who breaks through the Metal Blocks.

“	If you see any switch with a picture of an apple on it, try hitting that switch. If you find such a switch in an underwater current, make sure you have plenty of air first.”
	— Daroach

After entering the Tortletummy door, the Kirbys will find the green apple switch. Activating it causes 16 green apples to appear in the shape of a lollipop; by grabbing all of the apples, a Jumbo Candy appears. Afterward are several walls of Metal Blocks that partially block the way forward: three blocking the middle, then three blocking the top, and then fourteen blocking the bottom and access to the stage's fourth medal. The Jumbo Candy can be used to destroy the Metal Blocks; since the room is automatically scrolling, the player does not have much influence on how quickly the Kirbys can reach the medal, so it is best to simply keep the Kirbys at the far right of the screen after receiving the jumbo effect.

After defeating Tortletummy or King Eelongo, the player can continue to the next room, which has some autocannons, each of which is used to a column of Metal Blocks to enter the last room.

By defeating Tortletummy, the player takes the upper autocannon, where the Kirbys can exit through the goal door in the next room.
By defeating King Eelongo, the player takes the lower autocannon, where the Kirbys exit through a special goal door with a question mark, after which the Kirbys press a switch with a question mark on it and unlock Stage 6 of Dedede Resort.
If the stage's shortcut door, located near the beginning of the fifth room upon breaking a cracked block in the water, is taken, the Kirbys will slingshot to the last room of the stage, destroying some Metal Blocks that appear in the top left of the room.

Stage 6[]

“	You'll want to try to run past the Roguemoles that dig through cave ceilings and hurl spiked balls. Not so fast. You can strike at them after they attack. That could help you break through any barriers on the cave floor.”
	— Daroach

Metal Blocks appear in the second room. The Kirbys encounter some Roguemoles, and upon entering a cave, there's a floor made of Metal Blocks; a Roguemole hides in the ceiling above, and after it throws its spiked ball, the Kirbys can pummel it to pull it down and destroy the Metal Blocks below, where the Kirbys can find a skull key. After fighting the Skullys to retrieve the Treasure Chest, the skull key is used to obtain the stage's second medal.

“	If you go fishing out there with 10 Kirbys, I bet you can haul up a great catch.”
	— Daroach

In the fourth main room, there is a fishing rod that the Kirbys can pull on to fish up a Stickle; the player will get more rewards depending on how many Kirbys pull the fishing rod:

Melon
Apple
Apple
Banana
Apple
Banana
Banana
Banana
Apple
Key

Soon afterward is a wall of Metal Blocks. Upon approaching them, bubbles start to rise from the water, followed by Big Stickle jumping out from the water and destroying the Metal Blocks before falling back into the water from where it came; the Big Stickle will periodically jump out of and land back in this body of water while the Kirbys are near it. Once the Kirbys head forward, Big Stickle will follow them in the water below; upon reaching another barrier of Metal Blocks, which also has a door leading to a room with the Treasure Chest—which contains the stage's fourth medal—and Gold Waddle Dee—which is important for the "Gold Thrasher" task that requires defeating it and clearing the stage—in it Big Stickle will jump out of the water and destroy the Metal Blocks before taking the door and carrying it away before stopping at a body of water near another fishing rod. By fishing up the Big Stickle, the Kirbys can enter the door; at the end of the room is an autocannon that shoots in the upper-right direction through Metal Blocks, leading back to the previous room before sending the Kirbys to the next main room.

“	The Steelsnapper spits torpedoes. You may have already found that out the hard way. It's said that the Steelsnapper hides things inside clams. Its treasure must be in one of them!”
	— Daroach

In the fifth main room, if the Kirbys continue to swim downward (by swimming into the alcove to the right, they can find the stage's fifth medal inside a clam), they will come across a wall of Metal Blocks. Upon approaching them, Steelsnapper emerges from a hole in the ceiling behind the Metal Blocks and fires a torpedo from its mouth, destroying some of the Metal Blocks as said torpedo tries to target the Kirbys.

Stage 7[]

Metal Blocks appear in the fourth room. At the end of the fourth room is an autocannon that launches downward, destroying a column of Metal Blocks and allowing progress to the fifth room.

“	You'll encounter those fish that spit geysers of water inside the sunken ship. Their blasts are strong enough to destroy metal blocks. That should prove very useful down there.”
	— Daroach

In the sixth room, the Kirbys have to turn a valve to lower the water level, then have to ride some floating logs down while avoiding the geysers from the Blish below. Once the water level has reached its lowest point, the Kirbys have to move to another set of floating logs to ride as the water level rises; another Blish emerges from the below to fire geysers at the Kirbys. As the floating logs rise with the water level, the Kirbys will come across four barriers above made of blocks; while Star Blocks can be destroyed by having Kirbys jump at them, the Metal Blocks can only be destroyed by the Blish's geyser.

Six Star Blocks
Two Star Blocks on the left, four Metal Blocks on the right
Two Metal Blocks on the left, two Star Blocks in the middle, two Metal Blocks on the right
Four Metal Blocks on the left, two Star Blocks on the right

Once the water level has returned to normal, the Blish can be used to destroy some Metal Blocks in the ceiling blocking the way to the stage's fifth medal.

In the eighth room, an autocannon is used to launch to the right, destroying a row of Metal Blocks blocking the way ahead.

Stage 8[]

“	They say in the snowy woods that throwing snowballs is the way to dominate. But to get a certain medal, I think you need a snow boulder. If you have enough Kirbys, I bet you can get a really good one rolling along!”
	— Daroach

Metal Blocks appear at the end of the second main room. After being launched in from an autocannon, a giant snowball starts rolling down the mountainside, taking the Kirbys with it. Near the end of the room are two paths forward blocked by Metal Blocks: an upper path that has the stage's second medal, which is also a rainbow one, and eventually leads to the stage's third and fifth medals, and a lower path that eventually leads to the stage's fourth medal. Entering the room with at least six Kirbys will launch the snow boulder far enough to destroy the Metal Blocks blocking the way to the upper path, allowing the Kirbys to obtain the second medal; if the player takes this path, however, the fourth medal will be missed. Entering the room with less than six Kirbys will have the snowball destroy the Metal Blocks blocking the way to the lower path; if the player takes this path, however, the second, third, and fifth medals will be missed, the former of which is a rainbow medal.

In the first room of the upper path, near the end is a pair of Metal Blocks with an Ice Dinos sitting on them, with another pair of Metal Blocks above it with a snowman on them; if the Kirbys manage to melt the snowman by bringing torches lit from the bonfire at the beginning of the room, a Heave-Ho Block will fall down and destroy the Metal Blocks below, as well as crushing the Ice Dinos. This serves as a safer method of dealing with the Ice Dinos, as well as lighting a new bonfire, provided the Kirbys were able to bring lit torches; the Ice Dinos can be defeated by normal means, destroying the Metal Blocks below it, but not the ones above it. Afterward is a Big Jerkweed that requires at least five Kirbys to pull down, giving the stage's third medal.

“	When exploring the snowy mountain, you'll equip yourselves with torches. Unfortunately, torches don't stay lit forever. And you'll need a lot of flame to reach a certain medal.”
	— Daroach

In the second room of the upper path, if the Kirbys have lit torches (preferably last lit from the aforementioned bonfire just before the Ice Dinos), they can melt a snowman near the end of the room after defeating the Big Ice Blucko, allowing access to a round-trip door that leads to the room with the stage's fifth medal, where the Kirbys make an ice sculpture.

“	There's a legend from the snowy woods that says that if light reaches the deepest depths... Well, then gold will gleam at long last! So I think that if you carry a torch down deep, you'll see if that legend is true. But torches go out quickly, so you'll need to move fast.”
	— Daroach

In the first room of the lower path, if the Kirbys bring torches lit from the bonfire at the beginning of the room to the first snowman, they can light another bonfire and take an autocannon down to the main path, destroying a couple of Metal Blocks.

In the second room of the lower path, if the Kirbys have lit torches, they can melt five snowmen to get a key, then melt another snowman to get to the Treasure Chest—which contains the stage's fourth medal—that the key is used to open.

If the stage's shortcut door, located near the end of the first room upon breaking a cracked block, is taken, the Kirbys will slingshot to the second room of the lower path, where they can backtrack to melt the snowmen, provided they have lit torches, and obtain the stage's fourth medal without having to reduce the number of Kirbys required to take the lower path normally.

Stage 9[]

Metal Blocks appear at the end of the second room; they are destroyed by an autocannon that launches the Kirbys into the last room.

Stage 10[]

Metal Blocks appear in the fourth room. Near the end of the room are some Metal Blocks blocking the way to a portrait of King Dedede that's hiding a round-trip door. By pushing the Iron Ball that the Nolly is standing on into the Metal Blocks, they can be destroyed, allowing the Kirbys to pull down the portrait and enter the round-trip door to a room with many fruits in bubbles; the Iron Ball can be pushed with Nolly still on it, but it cannot destroy blocks like this, so Nolly must be defeated first.

In the fourth room, if the Kirbys stand on the platform that will drop if there are seven Kirbys, then stand on the platform that will drop only if there are 10 Kirbys, they can enter the cotton-candy room. About halfway into the cotton-candy room is a Jumbo Candy. A bit later is an area with Metal Blocks blocking the way to the right; Kirbys with the jumbo effect can destroy these, otherwise 10 Mosomosos need to be defeated to open up another route forward. Even farther are more Metal Blocks that can be destroyed by Kirbys with the jumbo effect, with their destruction also serving as a shortcut to the end of the room, with a door that leads to the stage's fifth main room; the Kirbys would otherwise have to navigate through more cotton candy while encountering three Bomb Waddle Dees, obtaining some fruits for their troubles.

“	In the castle made of sweets, King Dedede has hidden things behind portraits. Some things are also hidden by unbreakable blocks. At least, you can't break them. Maybe something else can.”
	— Daroach

At the beginning of the fifth main room, Metal Blocks appear to the left, blocking the way to some portraits, one of which is hiding the stage's fifth medal, which is also a rainbow medal. By continuing to the right, the Kirbys will encounter a Nolly riding an Iron Ball; by defeating Nolly and rolling the Iron Ball into the Metal Blocks, they cab be destroyed. Pulling down the Castle Dedede portrait reveals the stage's fifth medal, which is also a rainbow medal.

Volcano Valley[]

Stage 1[]

Metal Blocks appear in the first room. A couple of Metal Blocks appear in the ground blocking the way to a melon in water; by pummeling the Fire Snoozroot above, the Metal Blocks can be destroyed, and any Kirbys on fire will be extinguished. As the player will likely only have one Kirby or only a few at this point, this melon can be particularly useful for receiving more Kirbys.

“	In the lava fields, you may see a magma pool that rises and falls at a terrifying pace. That seems like the perfect place to hide a medal. I'm sure one of them is in a lower area that fills up with magma.”
	— Daroach

Near the end of the first room, a column of Metal Blocks block the way downward; pulling the Jerkweed above destroys the Metal Blocks. By continuing to the right instead of destroying the Metal Blocks, the Kirbys can enter a door to the second room; if the player takes this path, however, the second medal will be missed. In the second room is a magma pool that periodically rises and falls; here, the Kirbys can find a key in the second alcove that periodically fills up with magma, and later on the Treasure Chest—which contains the stage's first medal, which is also a rainbow medal—that the key is used to open. Afterward is a door to the third room.

“	In the lava fields, you'll find yourself facing pools of magma. I've heard that something special is hidden inside blocks protected by one of those burning pools. If you cool off that magma, I bet you could make short work of the blocks.”
	— Daroach

By pulling the Jerkweed above to destroy the Metal Blocks instead of continuing to the right, the Kirbys take a lower path; if the player takes this path, however, the first medal will be missed. To the left is a Bomb Block, and destroying it opens an area with a water source to extinguish any Kirbys that are on fire. To the right, the Kirbys will encounter a water valve that causes water to pour down, which can be used to cool off a large pool of magma; this allows the Kirbys to easily break through a barrier of Star Blocks to obtain a skull key. After fighting the Skullys to retrieve the Treasure Chest, the skull key is used to obtain the stage's second medal. At the end of the path is a door leading to the third room.

“	Have you seen the Big Bluckos that live in the lava fields? It's hard to miss them. They're gargantuan blocks that will flatten any who get too close. They say there's a medal inside one of their bodies. Believe it or not, they have weak spots. It's just hard to get near a Big Blucko without getting squashed.”
	— Daroach

In the third room is an autocannon that's used to destroy a column of Metal Blocks blocking the way upward. By continuing to the right past the autocannon, a column of Metal Blocks can be found in the ground with a Fire Snoozroot sitting on them, which is also lit on fire and cannot be attacked; a giant water valve is also present, and activating it causes water to pour down onto the Fire Snoozroot, making it vulnerable to attack. By pummeling the Fire Snoozroot after it has been made vulnerable, the Metal Blocks can be destroyed, leading to the fourth room below; if the player takes this path, however, the fourth medal will be missed. In the fourth room is a Big Blucko with a melon inside of its body; a bit later in the room is the Big Blucko with the stage's third medal inside of its body. By attacking Big Blucko's weak spots on the top and/or bottom of its body, it can be defeated, allowing its contents to be collected. At the end of the fourth room is an autocannon that launches upward through a column of Metal Blocks into the fifth room.

“

In some areas, plants have a hard time growing because of the intense heat. But they'll still grow if you sprinkle them with water. Some of those plants require multiple waterings. But they're worth all the trouble. Where can you get water in such baking places? Hmm. Tricky. You'll have to be clever about it. Watch for Cryballs. If you make those odd eyeballs cry, you'll scare yourself up a nice shower.”

— Daroach

By taking the autocannon at the beginning of the third room instead of continuing to the right, the Kirbys take an upper path; if the player takes this path, however, the third medal will be missed. Soon afterward, the Kirbys will encounter a Cryball in an area with a growable tree. By attacking the Cryball, it will shed tears that can be used to grow the tree; by continuing to the right, the Kirbys can find a water bubble that can also be used to grow the tree. When the tree is fully grown, it will bear eight apples, four bananas, two melons, and the stage's fourth medal. At the end of the path is another autocannon that's used to destroy a row of Metal Blocks to the right that are blocking the way to the fifth room.

“	In some areas, plants have a hard time growing because of the intense heat. But they'll still grow if you sprinkle them with water. Where can you get water in such baking places? Hmm. Tricky. You'll have to be clever about it. Watch for Cryballs. If you make those odd eyeballs cry, you'll scare yourself up a nice shower.”
	— Daroach

In the fifth room, fifteen Metal Blocks are in the ground blocking the way downward. Upon approaching them, bubbles start to rise from the magma to the right, followed by a Flare emerging from the magma. By pummeling the Flare above the Metal Blocks, they can be destroyed. To the left are some Star Blocks that can be destroyed to reveal a water source to extinguish any Kirby that are on fire. To the right, the Kirbys will encounter a Cryball in an area with three Jerkweed sprouts. By attacking the Cryball, it will shed tears that can be used to grow the Jerkweed sprouts; the Cryball will need to be close enough to the particular Jerkweed sprout when attacked for its tears to be used to grow it. Each grown Jerkweed gives something different. From left to right:

The stage's fifth medal
Two apples and one banana
Three Beanbons

Stage 2[]

Metal Blocks appear at the beginning of the first room; they are destroyed by an autocannon that launches upward into the tank.

If the player takes the downward path at the end of the second room, the Kirbys will enter a room where they dismount from the tank. In this room, a Metal Block appears in the ceiling, blocking access to the stage's shortcut door. A shuffle block that has three blast blocks with skull icons and one with an explosion icon, as well as two Star Blocks, is nearby; detonating the blast block with the explosion icon destroys the nearby Metal Block, as well as the shuffle block and any remaining blocks. Continuing past the shortcut door is another tank that the Kirbys can resume with, which then takes them to the third main room.

Stage 3[]

“	In the stage plagued by falling rocks, break blocks to find useful things, such as fruit and medals. Keep an eye out for rock-bombs that will blow up a lot of things at once.”
	— Daroach

Metal Blocks appear in the first room. Soon after the segment where the Kirbys have to endure the falling volcanic rocks by destroying them, Metal Blocks appear, blocking the way to a Jumbo Candy. Volcanic rocks continue to fall from above, and any that make contact with the Metal Blocks will destroy them; grabbing the Jumbo Candy simply gives the Kirbys a time of respite from the volcanic rocks, as they can destroy any volcanic rocks, as well as blocks, in their way. Hidden in a large group of Star Blocks soon afterward is a round-trip door. Upon entering the round-trip door, the Kirbys are taken to a room with Metal Blocks blocking the way to the stage's first medal, which is also a rainbow medal. Similarly to with the Jumbo Candy, the Kirbys must allow the falling rocks to destroy the Metal Blocks; due to the small space, the Kirbys must also destroy some of the oncoming volcanic rocks to avoid being crushed.

Stage 4[]

Metal Blocks appear in the first room. After passing a couple of Buufuus, there is an autocannon that is used to destroy a column of Metal Blocks blocking the way upward into the second room.

“	Guards in one of the castle stages will do their best to keep you from getting by. Worse still, the murky water in that place will rob you of your air faster than normal. Swim quickly and save your breath. Because it's said that there's a massive shell down there. And I'm certain you'll want to pry that thing open.”
	— Daroach

In the third room, there's a column of Metal Blocks blocking the way downward; by pulling down the web bundle above, the Kirbys can destroy them, as well as obtain three apples that were in the spiderweb. In this lower path is a door that leads to the room with the stage's second medal. If the player takes this path, however, the third medal will be missed.

“	The guards patrolling one of the castle stages will keep you on your toes. And they'll keep you away from medals, if they can. You'll be glad when you finally get past some of the creepy guards. But you may need to retrace your steps and go back through them to unlock a chest.”
	— Daroach

By continuing to the right instead of pulling down the web bundle, the Kirbys can continue on the upper path; if the player takes this path, however, the second medal will be missed. In the fifth room, by pulling down the Jumbo Jerkweed with 10 Kirbys, they can obtain a Jumbo Candy. Continuing forward is a Treasure Chest—which contains the stage's third medal—and three Metal Blocks in the ceiling blocking the way to another Jumbo Candy; by using the first Jumbo Candy, these Metal Blocks can be destroyed, and any Banishbacks in the way can be defeated, making the eventual backtrack to the Treasure Chest easier. Eventually, the Kirbys will reach a scale where the left side must be weighed down to destroy some Bomb Blocks blocking access to the key used to open the Treasure Chest. Once at least one of the Bomb Blocks are destroyed, the right side of the scale must be weighed down to gain access to the key; this can be done using the weight of the Kirbys, or from the weight of the Big Zombons spawned by the Flapbon hovering over the right side of the scale.

Stage 5[]

“	In the graveyard, some tombstones aren't what they seem. Some cover secret passages, and others are actually enemies. When in doubt, hurl yourself against a tombstone and see what happens. If you find yourself in a dark place, seek out a source of light. Even if that source is a foe...”
	— Daroach

In the first room, the Kirbys can push a tombstone to open a secret passage below that's blocked by Star Blocks. In the dark room below, there is an autocannon, with a light shining on it from below, that launches upward, where it destroys a column of Metal Blocks blocking the way back to the first room. In the dark room, a Flare appears, and its light can be used to find the stage's first medal in the ceiling at the right of the room, with a Star Block blocking the way to it.

At the end of the first room is an autocannon that launches downward, destroying a column of Metal Blocks blocking the way forward.

“	I once went down into the area beneath the graveyard. But as I rode a platform back to the surface, lava came gushing up after me. Before I escaped, I saw some suspicious-looking switches. I bet if I had pressed them, I would have discovered something valuable.”
	— Daroach

In the fourth main room, when riding the platform upward, once the Kirbys reach certain heights, a Gordo and a Big Gordo will pass by; each one destroys offscreen Metal Blocks upon its entry and its exit. Near the end of the room, the Kirbys can press some Melody Switches to obtain the stage's third medal. At the end of the room is an autocannon that launches upward, destroying a column of Metal Blocks blocking the way to the fifth main room.

Near the beginning of the fifth main room is an autocannon that launches upward, destroying a column of Metal Blocks blocking the way to the rest of the room.

Stage 6[]

In the second room, the Kirbys can take an upper path by entering the door, or take a lower path by destroying the Bomb Block in the ground. If the player takes the upper path, the fifth medal will be missed; if the player takes the lower path, the first, second, and third medals will be missed.

At the end of the first room of the upper path, a column of Metal Blocks appear; an autocannon that launches upward is used to destroy them, leading to the second room of the upper path.

“	Rumor has it that the master of the darkness-shrouded mansion hid a treasure in the garden behind his home. These days, that garden is just another cemetery, and the master is long gone. Or is he? Some say that he's still guarding his treasure to this very day, smashing all that come close. But as you've learned, you can dupe a foe into smashing things that you want destroyed...”
	— Daroach

Upon exiting the mansion, a Metal Block appears in the ground, blocking the way to the stage's fourth medal, which is also a rainbow medal; by luring a Gravey into slamming downward above the Metal Block, it can be destroyed.

In the third room of the lower path, Metal Blocks appear; they can be destroyed by dropping the Light Block onto them, allowing the Kirbys to access a bonfire, as well as a path to the left that leads to an unlit candle and a hidden Recovery Ring. This is important for clearing the "Superb Torcher" task, which requires lighting all candles in the stage.

Stage 7[]

Metal Blocks appear in the second room. Near the end of the room are Metal Blocks blocking the way downward; above is a Jerkweed that periodically switches with one that has thorns. By pulling on the Jerkweed that doesn't have thorns, the Kirbys can destroy the column of Metal Blocks below and enter the third room.

“	Every night, a terrible thumping can be heard coming from the shadowy mansion. When the lightning catches it, an immense square figure can be seen. The lightning also reveals its weak spots.”
	— Daroach

In the third room is a column of Metal Blocks blocking the way upward; an autocannon that launches upward is used to destroy them, leading to another part of the room. A Big Blucko is to the left of the location where the Kirbys land after launching from the autocannon; inside of it is the stage's second medal, which is also a rainbow medal.

“	There's a series of cannons in the shadowy mansion. And legend has it that the order to take them is this: up, right, down, right. I hope that's the case. I'd hate to be blasting around some creepy mansion without a clue where I'm going.”
	— Daroach

At the beginning of the fourth room are Metal Blocks above and below, the latter of which are blocking the way to a Maxim Tomato; nearby is an autocannon that launches upwards, destroying a column of Metal Blocks, leading to another autocannon. From the second autocannon, there is a row of Metal Blocks to the left and to the right; launching to the left leads to an autocannon that can launch downward to receive the aforementioned Maxim Tomato, and launching to the right leads to an autocannon that can launch downward to an autocannon that can launch to the right, downward, or to the left:

Launching to the right destroys a couple of Metal Blocks and gives the stage's third medal, then destroys four more Metal Blocks before the Kirbys end up in another autocannon that fires back to the left.
Launching downward destroys a column of Metal Blocks that leads to an autocannon that can be launched to the left; firing to the left from this autocannon destroys a row of Metal Blocks that leads to an autocannon that launches upward, leading to an area with the door to the fifth room to the left and the shortcut door to the right.
Launching to the left destroys a row of Metal Blocks that leads to an autocannon that fires back to the right.

Stage 10[]

In the second room, there are three doors leading to other rooms: a blue one, a dark gold one, and an orange one; the green door is an exit door for each of those rooms, which leads back here. The Space Oohroos have scattered eight pieces of the spaceship blueprint among these three rooms.

“	The Space Oohroo may look like dumb apes, but they're actually very smart. But they've allowed murky water to flood their base. There's a special switch down in that water that you'll need to trigger. But that murky water is going to rob you of air faster than usual, so swim your way there quickly.”
	— Daroach

By entering the orange door, the Kirbys enter murky water. A couple of Metal Blocks are blocking the way downward; by repeatedly jumping into the yellow block with the green circle to retract the linked blocks with arrows on them, a bomb can be dropped onto the Metal Blocks to destroy them. By opening one of the clam shells later on, the Kirbys can find the bottom left piece of the blueprint. By destroying a brown stone slab, the Kirbys can find the bottom middle piece. Later on is a green apple switch. Activating it causes eight green apples to appear in the shape of a circle to the left; by grabbing all of the apples, the stage's first medal appears. A bit later are Metal Blocks in the ground blocking the way to the bottom right piece of the blueprint and two air bubbles; by repeatedly jumping into the yellow block with the green circle to retract the linked blocks with arrows on them, a bomb can be dropped onto the Metal Blocks to destroy them.

“	In the Space Oohroo base, there's a lot of sketchy wallpaper. You can pull it down to reveal secrets. You'll need 10 Kirbys, however, to tear down one important sheet of wallpaper.”
	— Daroach

By entering the blue door, the Kirbys can find the top left piece of the blueprint and the stage's second medal by peeling at the wallpaper; while any number of Kirbys can get the blueprint, 10 Kirbys are needed to get the medal. Soon afterward is a bunch of Metal Blocks in the ground with a Space Oohroo patrolling on them; pummeling the Space Oohroo destroys them, allowing the Kirbys to continue lower in the room, where the Kirbys have to race against a Schnoz to get to the end of the hallway first, which has the top middle piece of the blueprint.

By entering the dark gold door, the Kirbys can find the top right piece of the blueprint by pulling down a Space Oohroo portrait; some wallpaper needs to be peeled to remove a wall in the way. After peeling away the way, there are a couple of Metal Blocks in the ground blocking the way to the left middle piece of the blueprint; by pummeling the Birdee while it is above the Metal Blocks, they can be destroyed. By continuing past the green exit door, the Kirbys can find the right middle piece by pulling down another portrait.

Stage 11[]

Metal Blocks appear in the fourth main room. In the elevator segment, upon going downward, there are three Metal Blocks blocking the way to a melon; by jumping into the nearby Blast Block, they can be destroyed, as well as the nearby Star Blocks.

“	I've heard there's a medal in space near some of the melody switches. I'm afraid that you'll have to hit all those switches, no matter how difficult that may be in space...”
	— Daroach

A bit later, there are six Melody Switches that need to be hit to get the stage's second medal, which is also a rainbow medal. After the first Melody Switch is a barrier of mostly Star Blocks, with four Metal Blocks to the right with a Space Oohroo patrolling on them; pummeling the Space Oohroo destroys the Metal Blocks, allowing the Kirbys to more quickly descend through the barrier blocking the way downward to the second Melody Switch.

“	When you're on the space base, you'll often be floating around in zero gravity. Other times, you'll have gravity weighing you down and will want to turn it off! I've heard that there's a medal hidden way high up in that base. I bet if you could float up there, it'd be yours.”
	— Daroach

In the fifth main room, by activating the zero gravity switch in the first vertical area and swimming to the top of the room (ignoring the arrows directing to the right), the Kirbys can find the stage's third medal. To the right from there is a column of Metal Blocks blocking the way back down; by pummeling the Space Posura on the ceiling, they can be destroyed.

“	Up in the space base, you'll often be able to float around freely. So you'll have the ability to find your way to some melody switches that will open the way to a door. Go through that door to find your way to a medal.”
	— Daroach

Right before the second vertical area, which has a zero gravity switch, are four Melody Switches that, after being hit eight times (the order of which is random), open a shutter below to a door that eventually leads to the stage's fourth medal; if the player takes this path, however, the fifth medal will be missed. By entering the door, the Kirbys enter an autoscrolling room with zero gravity; many barriers appear that need to be overcome by destroying Bomb Blocks or attacking Blambooms' weak spots (although the latter isn't necessary, as barriers that have Blambooms don't fully extend to the top and bottoms of the room). At the end of the autoscrolling part of the room is an autocannon that automatically launches upward, destroying a column of Metal Blocks blocking the way to another autocannon; this autocannon launches to the right, allowing the Kirbys to potentially get up to three apples and a banana before entering another autocannon, which launches upward to destroy a column of Metal Blocks and allows the Kirbys to potentially get the stage's fourth medal.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land[]

Hard Blocks appear in Cookie Country, Raisin Ruins, Onion Ocean, White Wafers, Nutty Noon, Egg Engines, and the Lor Starcutter. They can be destroyed using Hammer, Stone, and Fire's Burn technique; the Crackler, Stomper Boot, and Balloon Bomb items can also destroy Hard Blocks, as well as King Dedede's hammer; Grand Hammer is the only Super Ability that can be used to destroy Hard Blocks; Rolling Shells can also destroy Hard Blocks.

Cookie Country[]

In Stage 2, Hard Blocks appear in the fourth room, where three groups of them are present. Near the beginning of the room is a Crackler, which can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks. The first group of Hard Blocks are on the ground and surround a red Point Star. The second group of Hard Blocks are in the air with some Explosion Blocks that surround a blue switch; destroying the Hard Blocks to press the switch causes a platform to rise up from the pit, allowing the player holding the Crackler to continue moving forward. The third group of Hard Blocks are in the ceiling and are blocking the way to the stage's first Energy Sphere.

Raisin Ruins[]

In Stage 1, Hard Blocks appear in the last room, where they are blocking the way to the stage's third Energy Sphere. The player will encounter Bonkers and can obtain Hammer, which can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks.

Onion Ocean[]

In Stage 4, Hard Blocks appear in the fourth and fifth main rooms. In the fourth room, they are hiding the stage's third Energy Sphere. After pressing the second blue switch, which causes the Explosion Blocks that are blocking the way forward to be destroyed, the player will be chased by a Rolling Shell; instead of continuing to swim ahead of it, the player should hide in the alcove below with the Point Star and pineapples, allowing the Rolling Shell to roll past, where it will collide with a wall of Hard Blocks, destroying them to reveal the Energy Sphere. The player can obtain the Energy Sphere while staying ahead of and avoiding the Rolling Shell if they have Hammer or King Dedede to destroy the Hard Blocks; swimming upward to avoid the Rolling Shell makes returning impossible unless Player 1 has Stone, as there is a strong upward current (in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, however, there is no upward current, allowing the player to swim back down to collect the Energy Sphere after the Rolling Shell has passed). In the fifth room, Hard Blocks appear alongside Gold Blocks. As the player continues downward through the room, they will come across a Balloon Bomb; this Balloon Bomb is meant to be used to destroy the Hard Blocks and Gold Blocks, allowing access to some Point Stars, food, and a 1UP.

White Wafers[]

In Stage 1, Hard Blocks appear in the second room. Near the beginning of the room is a Crackler, which can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks. The Hard Blocks appear in the ceiling at the end of the room, blocking access to two soft creams, a 1UP, and two Point Stars.

In Stage 5, Hard Blocks appear. After bringing the Key from the first room to the Key Shutter in the second room, the player can continue to the third room. Halfway through the room is a Crackler, and farther still is a round-trip door on the ground, periodically being blocked off by the moving terrain blocks; entering the round-trip door takes the player to an isolated section of the first room. The Crackler is used to destroy the Hard Blocks in this area, with the ballistic trajectory of the cannonballs being utilized to destroy the ones on the left side of the area as they fall downward; destroying the Hard Blocks allows access to a 1UP and the stage's first Energy Sphere.

Nutty Noon[]

In Stage 2, Hard Blocks appear in the second room. Partway through the room is a Balloon Bomb, which is meant to be used to destroy the Hard Blocks and Gold Block that appear later in the room, but only the Gold Block is required to be destroyed to get access to a round-trip door leading to a room with the stage's first Energy Sphere.

In Stage 3, Hard Blocks appear in the second room. Halfway through the room is a Crackler, which is meant to be used to destroy the Hard Blocks that appear in the ceiling at the end of the room; they are blocking the way to two chocolate cakes, two red Point Stars, and a shortcake.

In Stage 4, Hard Blocks appear in the fourth room, where Grand Hammer can be used to destroy them. Some Hard Blocks appear at the beginning of the room and destroying them gives two red Point Stars, a pineapple, and a cherry. Hard Blocks appear later along the sides of the second Giant Stake, but destroying them doesn't do anything in particular.

In Stage 5, Hard Blocks appear in the seventh room (normal path) and last room (secret path). After defeating Moundo in the normal path, Stone can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks in the next room to obtain the stage's second Energy Sphere, as well as four yellow Point Stars and one red Point Star. In the last room of the secret path, the Hard Blocks mirror the Star Blocks at the end of the normal path, with each of the three Hard Blocks hiding a red Point Star; they are intended to be destroyed either with Hammer from Bonkers or Stone from Moundo.

Egg Engines[]

In Stage 2, Hard Blocks appear in the eighth room. In the seventh room, Rocky appears and can be copied for Stone. In the third area with the Spike Propellers, two Hard Blocks are blocking the way to the stage's second Energy Sphere; swimming to the alcove above with the cherry and using Stone Smash or Heavy Smash is the intended way to destroy the Hard Blocks, but they can also be destroyed using Hammer or King Dedede.

In Stage 4, Hard Blocks appear in the second room. The room is dark, but Hot Head can be copied for Fire, and there is a Candle nearby. Upon reaching the Swordory, there are some breakable blocks above; by breaking them and heading upward, a red Point Star and a Hammer Copy Essence can be found. Continuing downward, the path splits to the left and right. By heading to the right where a Babut hangs from the ceiling, Hard Blocks can be found blocking the way to the stage's first Energy Sphere. Either Hammer or Fire's Burn can be used to destroy them.

Lor Starcutter[]

After obtaining all 120 Energy Spheres, the Item Challenge is unlocked, where Hard Blocks appear in the first and third main rooms. In the first room, a Stomper Boot is used to destroy the Hard Blocks at the beginning of the room, while a Crackler is used to destroy the Hard Blocks in the ceiling at the end of the room that are blocking the way to a round-trip door. In the third main room, another Stomper Boot is used to destroy a couple of Hard Blocks blocking the way downward on an Iron Spike Ball.

Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition[]

In addition to the Classic Title collection, Hard Blocks appear in the New Challenge Stages in Last Land.They can only be destroyed by Smash's Hammer and Stone move.

Last Land[]

Smash Combat Chamber EX[]

A wall of eight Hard Blocks appear in the first room, blocking the way forward; Hammer Spin is the most effective way to destroy them.

In the third room, a wall of eight Hard Blocks block the way forward, and four Hard Blocks appear in the ground blocking the way to a cupcake; Hammer Spin is the most effective way to destroy the former, while Stone is the most effective way to destroy the latter.

In the fifth room, four rows of four Hard Blocks each appear in an area where Waddle Dees of various types appear; it is best to avoid destroying these, as any enemies that fall into the pit below will not yield points or be considered defeated for the All Foes Defeated bonus. A bit later are six Hard Blocks blocking the way to a parfait and chocolate cake.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse[]

Hard Blocks appear in all seven levels. Hard Blocks can only be destroyed by Kirby by using a Star Dash or a Transformation's special attack; Waddle Dee's Charge Attack can also destroy them. While invincible due to Candy, Tap Dashing/Sliding along a Rope can also destroy Hard Blocks. Star Dashes/Charge Attacks/special attacks can only be used per every 100 Point Stars obtained in a stage, with stored charges represented as light blue rings that circle around the respective characters. As such, Point Stars are often plentiful to allow these techniques to be used with relative frequency.

By using a Kirby amiibo in stages where applicable, Kirby can use unlimited Star Dashes for the stage; this feature can only be used once a day, and requires the player to clear the the game's first stage before the feature is made available.

Bastron's cannon fire, Big Buzz Saws, and Launch Cannons can also destroy Hard Blocks.

Green Valley[]

The Adventure Begins[]

Two Hard Blocks appear at the beginning of the second main room, where they are blocking the way forward. Ten medium stars spin in a circle beforehand and can be collected to obtain 100 Point Stars, allowing Kirby to perform a Star Dash (or allow Waddle Dee to perform a Charge Attack) to destroy the Hard Blocks; if the player fails to destroy the Hard Blocks after using up the Star Dash/Charge Attack, a Star Dash Star will appear, which gives Kirby/Waddle Dee the ability to Star Dash/Charge Attack. After destroying the Hard Blocks, the player can collect the stage's second Treasure Chest—which has the Elline Figurine.

A bit later are three Hard Blocks blocking the way forward, as well as another circle of ten medium stars that can be collected, allowing Kirby/Waddle Dee to perform a Star Dash/Charge Attack. As with before, if the player fails to destroy the Hard Blocks after using up the Star Dash/Charge Attack, a Star Dash Star will appear.

Near the beginning of the third room, if the player goes upward (in multiplayer, this is directly above the area where the Grab Hand is fought), there is a Gray Zone preventing reaching upper portion of the room by normal means; there are a couple of Hard Blocks blocking the way to a ramp. By using a Star Dash to break through the Hard Blocks, Kirby will launch off the ramp, allowing him to pas through the Gray Zone and into the upper area of the room, there there is a large structure made of Hard Blocks that contains the stage's third Treasure Chest—which has the Red Waddle Dee Figurine—a big star worth 100 Point Stars, and twelve Star Bars that each give five Point Stars when passed. Above the Hard Blocks are two ink bottles and a large bell.

A bit later, there is another Gray Zone blocking off a second area above, where there are Hard Blocks are blocking the way to a 1UP. A nearby Launch Cannon that fires upward can be used to get through the Gray Zone, and a Star Dash/Charge Attack can be used to destroy the Hard Blocks.

Up the Big Ol' Tree[]

Hard Blocks appear in the second room. In the area after the one with the stage's first Treasure Chest—which has the Cannon Cotta figurine—there are five Hard Blocks blocking the way to a Maxim Tomato.

In the third room in the area with the Cotta General (and his two Cotta Knights), two Hard Blocks (and the aforementioned enemies) block the way to the stage's second Treasure Chest—which has the Cotta Knight figurine.

At the end of the fifth main room are two Hard Blocks in the ground blocking the way to a 1UP.

Great Cave Escape[]

Three Hard Blocks appear in the second room, blocking the way to the stage's first Treasure Chest—which has the Gordo figurine—and three Star Bars.

At the beginning of the third room, six Hard Blocks block the way to four small stars and a Time Limit Door that leads to a room where four Cottas have to be defeated in 15 seconds to obtain the stage's third Treasure Chest—which has the "Through the Sky" music. At the top of the waterfall in the area is a big star, allowing Kirby/Waddle Dee to Star Dash/Charge Attack upon its collection.

At the beginning of the fourth room to the left are three rows of five Hard Blocks, blocking the way to three medium stars, two milks, and a 1UP.

Yellow Dunes[]

Deploy the Kirby Tank![]

Hard Blocks appear in the third main room. Near the beginning of the room are six Hard Blocks, blocking the way to the stage's first Treasure Chest—which has the Kirby Tank figurine. A bit earlier is a big star suspended by two balloons that can be shot down, allowing Kirby Tank/Waddle Dee to perform a special attack/Charge Attack upon its collection.

Later in the room, a bit after the second Treasure Chest—which has the Waddle Dee figurine—can be obtained, another group of six Hard Blocks block the way to a 1UP; they appear under a Time Limit Door that leads to a room where eight Bouncys have to be defeated in 15 seconds to obtain the stage's third Treasure Chest—which has the Bombzway figurine. Some Bombzways carry big stars that can be obtained to allow Kirby Tank/Waddle Dee to perform a special attack/Charge Attack upon their collection.

The Long-Lost Ruins[]

Hard Blocks appear in the second room. After the Blado, there are two Hard Blocks, as well as a Cotta Knight, blocking the way to the stage's first Treasure Chest—which has the Blado figurine; the player can obtain 28 small stars in the area with the Blade, and nine medium stars right above the area with the Treasure Chest.

At the beginning of the seventh room, to the left is an area hidden behind the foreground where the player can find four Hard Bocks blocking the way to the stage's fourth Treasure Chest—which has the Mecha Cotta figurine.

Indigo Ocean[]

Swept Out to Sea[]

Hard Blocks appear in the third room. Partway through the room are three Hard Blocks blocking the way to the stage's first Treasure Chest—which has the Underwater Kirby figurine; the player can obtain 40 Point Stars by passing the eight Star Bars below.

At the beginning of the sixth main room, there are a couple of Hard Blocks blocking the way to the stage's fifth Treasure Chest—which has the "Ripple Field" music.

The Haunted Ship[]

Three Hard Blocks appear in the sixth room, blocking the way to the stage's fifth Treasure Chest—which has the "Ice Cream Island" music. In the room are eight clay pots that can be broken to obtain five medium stars and three small stars for a total of 53 Point Stars, as well as a Present Block that drops three medium stars and 30 small stars for a total of 60 Point Stars; this is sufficient to allow Kirby/Waddle Dee to perform a Star Dash/Charge Attack to destroy the Hard Blocks.

Kirby Submarine's Torpedo Time[]

Hard Blocks appear in the third main room. Twelve Hard Blocks block the way to a 1UP; a nearby clam shell can be opened to obtain a big star, allowing Kirby Submarine/Waddle Dee (Submarine) to perform a special attack/Charge Attack to destroy the Hard Blocks.

At the end of the fourth room, three Hard Blocks block the way to the stage's first Treasure Chest—which has the Crabbo figurine.

Near the beginning of the sixth room is a large structure made of Hard Blocks that contains a hot dog, the stage's fourth Treasure Chest—which has the Mini Deepsee figurine, three bottles that each contain medium stars, and a 1UP.

Blue Sky Palace[]

Rainbow Across the Skies[]

Hard Blocks appear in the second room. After the autoscrolling starts going upward, there is a box of 12 Hard Blocks blocking the way to the stage's first Treasure Chest—which has the Bzztbulb figurine.

The Wild Red Yonder[]

Hard Blocks appear in the second room. After the area where Bastron destroys the Steel Frame Blocks, there are six Hard Blocks blocking the way to a 1UP and seven Point Stars, and another six blocking the way to a Maxim Tomato and seven Point Stars; two Cotta Generals are present at the top of the area, with the one on the left guarding the first Treasure Chest—which has the Bastron figurine—and one of the right guarding the second Treasure Chest—which has the Yellow Waddle Dee figurine; between the Hard Blocks and Cotta Generals are 73 small stars and one medium star that form a sort of Christmas tree shape.

In the third room are many configurations of six Hard Blocks containing certain items. Bastron's cannon fire from the background can destroy these blocks:

Maxim Tomato
Item Block containing a medium star
1UP
The stage's fourth Treasure Chest, which has the Spear Cotta Knight figurine
Maxim Tomato
Item Block containing a Maxim Tomato
Item Block containing a 1UP
Item Block containing a Maxim Tomato

At the end of the room are twelve Hard Blocks blocking the way to a Launch Cannon needed to progress to the next room, as well as two Item Blocks containing milk.

Kirby Rocket's Big Blastoff[]

Hard Blocks appear in the third room. After breaking through a bunch of Soft Blocks to go upward, there are two Hard Blocks blocking the way forward; while there are sufficient Point Stars beforehand to collect for a special attack, if the player fails to destroy the Hard Blocks after using up the special attack, or if the player did not collect enough Point Stars to obtain a special attack, a Star Dash Star will appear, as it did in The Adventure Begins. Just beyond these two Hard Blocks are more that are blocking the way to some items: two contain medium stars, and one contains a 1UP and five small stars.

In the fourth room, Hard Blocks appear in various places, blocking pathways or making navigation more difficult, and are marked on the map where the player can draw the escape path; various items are marked on the map with dotted circles: Treasure Chests, big stars, Plus Timers, and 1UPs.

Nine Hard Blocks appear to the left of the rightmost Bastron Panel; the dotted circle below the alcove in the middle of the room is a big star that can be collected to obtain a special attack, which can be used to destroy these to create a shortcut back to the left.
Eighteen Hard Blocks appear above the middle Bastron Panel, with 6 Hard Blocks below it; the dotted circle to the left of the alcove in the middle of the room is a big star that can be collected to obtain a special attack, which can be used to destroy these to make navigating through the narrow passage easier.

Three boxes made of eight Hard Blocks appear near the ending passage, with each containing a medium star.
Two pairs of Hard Blocks create a narrow 1-block wide passageway near the very end of the escape sequence; destroying them makes escaping easier.
Three Hard Blocks block the way to the stage's fifth Treasure Chest—which has the "The Beginner's Room" music—near the very end of the escape sequence.

Orange Woodland[]

Woodland Battle[]

Hard Blocks appear in the second room. Shortly after the autoscrolling moves to the right for the second time, eight Hard Blocks form a box containing the stage's first Treasure Chest—which has the Mega Kirby Tank figurine.

In the third room, eight Hard Blocks block the way to a Time Limit Door that leads to a room where a log must be pushed into a switch by repeatedly firing at it with Kirby Tank's/Waddle Dee's cannon in 15 seconds to obtain the stage's third Treasure Chest—which has the "Forest Stage" music. A big star appears at the beginning of the room, which will give access to a special attack if collected.

Gondola Ride[]

Hard Blocks appear in the third room. After the Gondola Bzztbulb, four pairs of Hard Blocks are present, and breaking them creates a loop, with the right part having a single Point Star and the left part having the stage's second Treasure Chest—which has the Treasure Found figurine; near the beginning of the room is a Present Block that drops three medium stars and 30 small stars for a total of 60 Point Stars.

In the seventh main room, 20 Hard Blocks appear to the left, with a giant buzz saw behind them that destroys them as it moves to the right. Walls five blocks tall composed of Hard Blocks and Soft Blocks appear along the hallway, serving as obstacles: the first wall is one block wide with three Hard Blocks on top and two Soft Blocks on the bottom, and the second wall is one block wide with two Soft Blocks on top and three Hard Blocks on the bottom; the third wall is seven blocks wide, with three Hard Blocks each on the top of the first two columns and on the bottom of the last two columns, with the rest being Soft Blocks. Destroying the Hard Blocks only serves for convenience, as they can be navigated around.

Deep-Divin' Kirby Submarine[]

Hard Blocks appear in the fourth room. Partway through are 11 Hard Blocks in the ceiling blocking access to nine Star Bars, and are suspending the stage's second Treasure Chest—which has the "Bubbly Clouds" music—and a green Blipper; many of the Dangle Sloths' vines have medium stars that drop when they're defeated, and right before this area is a Present Block that drops three medium stars and 30 small stars for a total of 60 Point Stars.

In the sixth room, near the water's surface is a door that leads to a room with the stage's fifth Treasure Chest—which has the Waddle Dee (Submarine) figurine; in the room, there are three alcoves in the ceiling containing items blocked by Hard Blocks. From left to right:

Treasure Chest
1UP
Maxim Tomato

Red Volcano[]

Burning Secrets[]

Hard Blocks appear near the end of the room after using the boost ring to pass upward through a Gray Zone. Two Hard Blocks block the way to the stage's first Treasure Chest—which has the Kirby figurine—and twelve Hard Blocks above contain a 1UP and two medium stars; a sufficient number of medium stars can be collected throughout the room to allow Kirby/Waddle Dee to perform a Star Dash/Charge Attack.

Back to the Battleship[]

Hard Blocks appear in the fourth room. After being launched by four cannons consecutively, there are a bunch of Hard Blocks to the left blocking the way to a milk, and then a bunch in the top right corner blocking the way to cherries, grapes, and eight medium stars.

In the sixth room, Hard Blocks appear in various places, blocking pathways or making navigation more difficult, and are marked on the map where the player can draw the escape path; various items are marked on the map with dotted circles: Treasure Chests, big stars, Plus Timers, and 1UPs.

Six Hard Blocks appear below the starting area, near the stage's first Treasure Chest—which has the "Rest Area" music—and is above the lowest Bastron Panel; the dotted circle in the bottom left is a big star that can be collected to obtain a special attack, which can be used to destroy these to create a shortcut back up.
Five Hard Blocks appear to the right of the highest Bastron Panel; by using the Launch Cannon just to their left, the Hard Blocks can be destroyed. The dotted circle just below the Launch Cannon is a big star that can also be collected to obtain a special attack to destroy them instead.
Twenty-nine Hard Blocks appear near the ending passage, near the stage's fifth Treasure Chest—which has the Soarar figurine; the dotted circle just to the left of the Bastron Shutters is a big star that can be collected to obtain a special attack, which can be used to destroy these to make escaping easier.

Volcanic Panic[]

Hard Blocks appear in the second room. Soon after the area with the first Treasure Chest is an area with a Cotta General, where there are two Hard Blocks blocking the way to an ice cream and a Star Bar.

In the third room after the geyser area (in multiplayer, this is where the Grab Hands are fought), there are two columns of five Hard Blocks (with a Thornsby between them) blocking the way to a 1UP.

In the fourth room, there's a row of Hard Blocks blocking the way to a shortcut forward. Sooner afterward are seven Hard Blocks in the ceiling suspending the stage's fifth Treasure Chest—which has the "Heavy Lobster" music.

Purple Fortress[]

Infiltrate the Junk Factory![]

Hard Blocks appear in the first room. After passing through the first Sensor Shutter, the player will enter an area that requires three keys to progress. In the middle of the area is a structure made of Hard Blocks that contains a total of 15 small stars, 6 medium stars, two Star Bars that each give 5 Point Stars, a Maxim Tomato, the stage's first Treasure Chest—which has the Fearful Grab Hand figurine—and a Cotta General. In the beginning area, 18 small stars can appear, as well as one medium star, and three more Point Stars can be obtained by defeating the Bzztbulb, making a total of 31 Point Stars; to the top left is one of the keys, which is surrounded by 10 small stars, that's blocked by a Sensor Shutter; by traveling above the Hard Block structure, 12 small stars will appear; going farther up through the hole in the ceiling leads to 27 small stars, with a pizza appearing after collecting them all; in the top right are four Star Bars and a pizza in a Gray Zone, where passing all of the Star Bars gives a total of 20 Point Stars; in the bottom left is another key, as well as another four Star Bars for another 20 Point Stars; 12 small stars are hidden in the clay at the bottom, and the two Bzztbulbs can be defeated for 3 Point Stars each; in the bottom right is another Bzztbulb and the last key, which is obtained by moving the Iron Ball into the Sensor; the bottom portion of the Hard Block structure, where the Cotta General is, can be entered from the right side, allowing the player to obtain four of the medium stars and three of the small stars, making a total of 43 Point Stars. By exploring the room to obtain enough Point Stars to obtain a Star Dash, the structure can be destroyed.

In the second room, two Hard Blocks appear in the top right in the area after passing through the first Warp Pipe, blocking the way to a 1UP; a Sensor Shutter is also blocking the way, so a Shockcreepa (or another player in multiplayer) also needs be in the Sensor to access the 1UP.

In the fourth room, two Hard Blocks appear blocking the way to the stage's fourth Treasure Chest—which has the Chef Kawasaki figurine. By entering the Sensor, the wall ahead moves down, revealing a gap that can be passed through; by timing a Star Dash through the gap, the Hard Blocks can be destroyed.

Kirby + Kirby[]

Hard Blocks appear in the third room. On the top half, three Hard Blocks block the way to the stage's second Treasure Chest—which has the "Moonlight Capital" music—and three more block the way to a milk.

In the fourth room, there is a giant Hard Block that contains the stage's third Treasure Chest—which has the Meta Knight figurine.

Challenge Mode[]

Challenge 1[]

Hard Blocks appear in the fourth room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest; a big star can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them.

Challenge 3[]

Hard Blocks appear in the second room, blocking the way to six cherries and the Treasure Chest; a big star can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them.

Challenge 5[]

Hard Blocks appear in the fourth room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest; a big star can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them.

Challenge 8[]

Hard Blocks appear in the fourth room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest; a big star can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them. This room is near identical to the fourth one in Challenge 1, but features a couple of Steel Frame Blocks that cannot be destroyed by Star Dashing.

Eight Hard Blocks appear in the tenth room, surrounding the Treasure Chest; ten medium stars can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them.

Hard Blocks appear in the twelfth room; a Candy can be collected, allowing Tap Dashing (and Sliding along a Rope in multiplayer) to destroy them, as well as defeat the Cotta Knights and Cotta General blocking the way to the Treasure Chest.

Challenge 10[]

Eight Hard Blocks appear in the third room, surrounding the Treasure Chest; ten medium stars can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them. This room is near identical to the tenth one in Challenge 8, but the medium stars are static instead of circling around the Treasure Chest.

Challenge 11[]

Hard Blocks appear in the fourth room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest; a big star can be collected to obtain a special attack to destroy them.

Challenge 12[]

Two Hard Blocks appear in the first room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest; a big star can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them. The room is mostly covered in yellow clay, obscuring the big star, Hard Blocks, and Treasure Chest.

Challenge 13[]

Hard Blocks appear in the fourth room; a Candy can be collected, allowing Tap Dashing (and Sliding along a Rope in multiplayer) to destroy them, as well as defeat the Cotta Knights and Cotta General blocking the way to the Treasure Chest. This room is near identical to the twelfth one in Challenge 8, but flipped horizontally.

Challenge 16[]

Hard Blocks appear in the fourth room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest; a big star can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them.

Challenge 18[]

Hard Blocks appear in the fourth room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest; a big star can be collected to obtain a special attack to destroy them.

Challenge 23[]

Four Hard Blocks appear in the eighth room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest; a big star, that is in a pot, can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them. The room is mostly covered in yellow clay.

Challenge 24[]

A wall of Hard Blocks appears in the twelfth room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest; 14 medium stars forming the shape of a heart can be collected to obtain a special attack to destroy them.

Challenge 27[]

Six Hard Blocks appear in the fourth room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest; a big star can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them.

Challenge 28[]

Five Hard Blocks appear in the third room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest; 12 medium stars forming a wavy line can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them.

Challenge 32[]

A wall of Hard Blocks appears in the sixth room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest; a big star can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them. Most of the room is covered in a lava fall, obscuring the Hard Blocks and big star.

Challenge 34[]

Two Hard Blocks appear in the third room, with a Cotta General standing on top of them; there are no methods to destroy them, so they must be navigated around before the rising lava makes the Treasure Chest inaccessible.

A wall of Hard Blocks appears in the fourth room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest; a big star can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them. Most of the room is covered in a lava fall, obscuring the Hard Blocks and big star. This room is near identical to the sixth one in Challenge 32, but lacks a pair of Hard Blocks and a Cotta Knight that appear in the former.

Challenge 40[]

Eight Hard Blocks appear in the eighth room, surrounding the Treasure Chest; 15 medium stars and 14 small stars can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them.

Hard Blocks appear in the twelfth room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest in the middle and dividing the room into quadrants; three medium stars and a Kirby are in each quadrant (Waddle Dees spawn in the top left quadrant), for a total of 12 medium stars that can be collected and four Kirbys that can each perform a Star Dash to destroy the Hard Blocks.

Challenge 46[]

A wall of Hard Blocks appears in the fourth room, blocking the way to the Treasure Chest; 12 medium stars forming the shape of a diamond can be collected to obtain a special attack to destroy them. This room is near identical to the twelfth one in Challenge 24, but with a different configuration of medium stars.

Challenge 47[]

Eight Hard Blocks appear in the fourth room, surrounding the Treasure Chest; 15 medium stars and 14 small stars can be collected to obtain a Star Dash to destroy them. This room is identical to the eighth one in Challenge 40.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[]

In addition to the methods present in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, the Sand ability can also destroy Hard Blocks with its Sand Smasher and Golem Smasher techniques; the player can additionally bring a Crackler or Balloon Bomb as a souvenir item, allowing these items to be brought into almost any stage. Rolling Boulders can also destroy Hard Blocks.

Egg Engines[]

In the seventh room of Stage 2, two Hard Blocks block the way to a Maxim Tomato; in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, these were originally just Destructible Blocks. Stone can be obtained from either the Rocky or the Stone Copy Essence in the room; with Stone, the Hard Blocks can be destroyed. A Stone Copy Essence also appears in the eighth room, allowing the player to obtain Stone (if they didn't have it already) to destroy the Hard Blocks in this room blocking the way to the stage's second Energy Sphere.

Lor Starcutter[]

After obtaining 20 Energy Spheres, the Sand Challenge is unlocked, where Hard Blocks appear in the first room; as the second tip states, they can be destroyed with Sand Smasher (and additionally Golem Smasher, but this is not necessary and is otherwise slower). The Hard Blocks appear in three groups in the ground:

Three Hard Blocks block the way to three silver Score Coins.
Two Hard Blocks with a Sandran on them block the way to six silver Score Coins and one gold Score Coin.
Four Hard Blocks block the way to two silver Score Coins and one gold Score Coin above some breakable blocks; as a Rolling Boulder is approaching, it is important to collect the Score Coins quickly, as it can destroy the Hard Blocks and the blocks below, causing them to fall into the pit.

Pyred Dimension[]

In Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler's secret stage that contains its HAL Room, there are nine Hard Blocks blocking the way forward; the first cannon is used to destroy them.

Related Quotes[]

“	Sandwich it between like Friend Blocks, to transform it to a Star Block.”
	— Block Types • Kirby's Star Stacker Instruction Booklet

“	Hard blocks transform into star blocks when sandwiched between identical friend blocks.”
	— Block Types • Kirby's Star Stacker Instruction Booklet (Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console)

“	When sandwiched between identical Friend Blocks, it transforms into a Star Block.”
	— Hard Block • Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom) Instruction Booklet/Nintendo Power