Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land

This game has a run page on SDA!

Run Categories

This game currently has 7 categories.

Normal Any% Played as Kirby on the standard difficulty (called "Normal" in the game). Typically timed from selecting "One Player" until the final hit on Nightmare Wizard. No restrictions.

Normal 100% Played as Kirby on the standard difficulty (called "Normal" in the game). Typically timed from selecting "One Player" until the 100% Confirmation Screen appears. Player must hit all 17 hidden switches in order to complete this category.

Extra Any% Played as Kirby on the unlockable difficulty (called "Extra" in the game). Typically timed from selecting "One Player" until the final hit on Nightmare Wizard. No restrictions.

Extra 100% Played as Kirby on the standard difficulty (called "Extra" in the game). Typically timed from selecting "One Player" until the 100% Confirmation Screen appears. Player must hit all 17 hidden switches in order to complete this category.

Boss Endurance Played as Kirby in the Sub-Games Menu. Timed automatically by the game. No restrictions.

Meta Knightmare! Any% Played as Meta Knight. Timed automatically by the game. No restrictions.

Meta Knightmare! 100% Played as Meta Knight. Timed automatically by the game. Player must hit all 17 hidden switches to complete this category. Note that the game does not confirm this for you, so you must be careful to hit them all.

General Tips and Game Mechanics

General Movement with Kirby

• Double tap left or right to run. This is significantly faster than walking. Your speed is constant while running.
  • If you jump, the game will remember that you were running. As long as you don't hit an enemy or a wall and you don't float or inhale, you will still be running when you land.
• You move faster in the air than on the ground. If you can jump without messing other things up, it saves time over simply running the same distance.
• Kirby can slide with Down+(A/B). Kirby is much faster during this slide than while running. Unfortunately, there is a fairly large period of time after the slide where you are not moving, negating any saved time.
  • You can get around this by sliding off of a ledge, cancelling any recovery time. In small spaces, this may be useful for moving in the opposite direction after falling.
  • If you slide while running, the game will maintain your running state until very late in the slide. If you fall off a ledge before this, you will keep your run.
  • You slide further on ice than on other surfaces.
  • The slide can break blocks below you, and is a convenient way to break blocks in front of you.
• If you fall for a long enough time, Kirby will begin a head dive. In this state, if you hit the ground (or the top of an enemy) you will bounce one block high. If you then fall for a long enough distance again, you will be able to bounce a second time and so on.
  • You are safe from all Contact damage until you have bounced, so consider this on risky falls. Note that contact damage refers to Kirby touching another enemy. Actual attacks and spikes (including Gordos) will still hurt you.
  • For some reason, if you drop a power during the bounce, your bounce will reset and you will rise to one block higher than that point.
• You lose speed when you inhale. Always start to inhale as close to the target as possible to minimize this slow-down.
  • This slow-down is more drastic on the ground. Inhale in the air when possible.
• Swimming
  • To descend quickly, hold Down.
  • If you need to attack upwards, press and hold Up, then wait until Kirby finishes his stroke to press B. You will continue to move while attacking instead of coming to a stop and sinking.
  • When leaving the water, hold A to jump out, or hold Up to float out. Both are used in runs, although jumping out is generally faster.
• Floating is necessary to reach higher places, but when doing so you move slower both vertically and horizontally than a normal jump.
  • You float by either holding Up or pressing A in the air. If you press A, the amount of time you hold the button down will control how much height you gain from the first burst of height.
  • You do not lose most of your speed until after the animation where Kirby puffs up. It is possible to cancel the floating with B before you lose any noticeable amount of speed.
    • When you need more distance than height, quickly cancel the float after puffing up (repeat until you cover the distance). This will keep your speed close to max the entire time
• Invincible Candies do NOT alter your speed in this game. Use them only to run more directly through the level.
• Climbing ladders is slower than jumping but faster than floating up.
  • Descending ladders is faster than falling
  • Press Left or Right to fall off a latter early.
• Kirby has a minigame after every level. Press A as soon as you touch the platform to end the minigame quickly (you should land on the 7 without scrambling).
• There is hitlag when you damage or kill an enemy or destroy a block. Avoid doing so when possible.
  • Note that during this hitlag, no inputs will be acknowledged, so account for this in precise strategies.

General Movement with Meta Knight

• Meta Knight runs much faster than he can move in the air.
  • Unlike Kirby, Meta Knight will continue to run if he hits a wall in mid-air
  • If you attack or receive damage, you will no longer be running, whether you do so on the ground or in the air.
• Meta Knight's slide attack saves time in two cases, under the assumption that jumping is not possible for some reason:
  • If you need to destroy a line of blocks
  • If you need to destroy a couple blocks/enemies and you will fall off a ledge before the slide attack stops
• Meta Knight slows down horizontally when you flap his wings. Only do so when necessary.
• Attacking in the air will briefly lock your vertical speed.
  • This can allow you to jump higher and/or farther
• Flapping Meta Knight's wings is faster than climbing a ladder.
• Falling is faster than descending a ladder.
• Meta Knight's Sword Dive (Down + B in the air or water) is the fastest way to fall.
  • You can move slightly to the left or right while falling.
  • You can cancel the Sword Dive with B after falling a certain distance (approximately 4 blocks. Exact distance is currently unknown).
• Swimming
  • Meta Knight can descend faster by holding Down.
    • For long, vertical drops, use a Sword Dive for an even faster descent.
  • To ascent, do NOT hold Up. Hold Left or Right and press A repeatedly.
• In the air, the fastest way to turn around is to hit a wall and immediately hold the opposite direction.
  • When no wall is there, hold the desired direction without flapping Meta Knight's wings until you start to move in that direction.
• There is hitlag when you damage or kill an enemy or destroy a block. Avoid doing so when possible.
  • Note that during this hitlag, no inputs will be acknowledged, so account for this in precise strategies.