KDL3: All copy abilities

EX Palen
Spanish Davideo7

Level: 137

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The last installment carrying the name Kirby’s Dreamland jumped from the handheld to the home consoles, and even though it appeared in the aging SNES (more than a year after the Nintendo 64 had launched), it’s as revered as the previous two installments.

The jump meant more capabilities, so the game clearly showed to be bigger than the ones before. They also expanded the repertoire of copy abilities with the inclusion of a totally new one, the Cleaning ability, and they included three more animal friends that can partner Kirby in addition to the three that were already present in the prequel.

What are we going to see in this guide is basically an explanation of the available copy abilities and their effects. Screenshots will be included to further showcase the effects and to give insight on which enemies can provide said abilities. So, if you’re ready to power our beloved pink ball to save Dreamland for the third time, let’s see what powers he has at its disposal.

Starting off

The game includes a multitude of characters that serve as enemies, between basic ones found throughout the levels, sub-bosses found on specific zones on certain levels and bosses that are the final block in the road. We’re going to focus on the basic enemies that give copy abilities, leaving behind regular ones which provide no ability or are invincible, and also the sub-bosses for they too give out copy abilities if inhaled and swallowed after being defeated. There aren’t sub-bosses for all abilities, which makes it somewhat strange, but sub-bosses in this game aren’t that prominent nor have as much presence as in previous games.

The copy abilities Kirby can obtain in this game elevates up to eight. These abilities are:

Parasol - Kirby simply gains a parasol, or the ability to summon it when used with an animal friend
Spark - Kirby can now produce electricity, either as sparks or as beams.
Cutter - Kirby can now throw a boomerang ahead of him. This ability sees a lot of changes depending with which animal friend it’s used, from not throwing anything to throwing Kirby himself shaped as an edge.
Fire - Kirby turns into a fireball and rushes forward. When used with an animal friend, this power can turn into throwing fireballs through the animal’s mouth.
Cleaning - Kirby gains a broom with which he cleans the ground and throws the dust at the enemies ahead. This ability also sees a lot of changes with the animal friends, as each one uses different ways of cleaning.
Spike - Kirby can summon spikes from his body.
Rock - Kirby turns into a solid rock, he will plummet if used on the air because of the increased weight.
Ice - Kirby gains the ability to use ice in various ways, like beams or snowballs, but also as a shield. This ability is unique in that it doesn’t eliminate enemies, but rather freezes them solid, thus Kirby can push them to serve as projectiles or they will simply vanish after a while.

As it’s been mentioned, the copy abilities provide different effects with each animal friend. When an animal friend is partnered, it also alters the playstyle as Kirby is no longer our character, but it’s instead a support of its friend. These are the changes each animal provides.

Rick, the Hamster: Kirby rides on the back of Rick, meaning it’s now the hamster which does the walking. It does not walk much faster than Kirby, if any at all, disables his ability to fly and can’t inhale enemies, instead it can eat enemies passing right in front of it. However, Rick won’t slip on ice and is also capable of wall-jumping, so it’s worth using on certain occasions.
Coo, the Owl: Coo holds Kirby in its talons as they fly ahead. Coo flies fast, which can be made faster by mashing the A button, being able to resist strong winds and even water currents. It also allows Kirby to fall down to the ground much more slowly, and while Kirby can inhale opponents mid-flight it still needs to be in the ground to swallow them.
Kine, the Fish: Kine contains Kirby within its mouth, allowing him to swallow enemies as usual. Kine excels in water-based levels, where it allows Kirby to still inhale enemies as well as use any copy ability underwater, though with reduced effects, besides being able to defy strong currents. In the ground, however, Kine moves very slowly and also disables Kirby’s ability to fly, despite having jumping capabilities rivaling those of Rick.
Nago, the Cat: One of the new additions, Nago rolls a curled up Kirby with its paws. He can perform multiple jumps, so disabling the ability to fly is somewhat countered. Other than that, Nago acts much as Rick would, without the wall-jumping skill but letting Kirby inhale enemies as usual.
ChuChu, the Octopus: In this occasion, it is ChuChu who rides atop Kirby’s head, glued to him. ChuChu disables Kirby’s ability to fly and inhale enemies, instead she extends her tentacles as a way to “feed” the enemies to Kirby. Despite disabling flight, ChuChu can perform small jumps mid-air, and her main ability relies in being able to stick and walk through ceilings, providing a different approach to passing levels.
Pitch, the Birdie: Normally, this small green bird is carried by Kirby on his hands, but if the player dashes forward then it will be Pitch doing the running with Kirby atop its back. Pitch allows Kirby to fly, but the birdie can barely float unless the jump button is pressed consecutively to make it gain height. Aside from that, its tiny size allows it to go through small spaces, being the only animal friend that doesn’t have to be left behind in such situations.

Besides these friends, Kirby can also summon Gooey as an ally. It becomes the second player’s character to aid Kirby, or it will be controlled by the AI if no player two is present. Gooey can basically do everything Kirby does, including the copy abilities with the same effects as if Kirby uses them. The downside is that Kirby has to sacrifice half of his health to summon Gooey, but said health can be recovered if Kirby swallows it back.

Enemies

Here we see Sasuke, a cool-named (though not as much back then?) red enemy that grants the Parasol ability when swallowed. It can be seen falling down from above using its hat as a parachute, on the ground it’s totally harmless as it merely walks around waiting to be inhaled or eliminated.

This rare, little hut-like enemy is named Klinko and grants the Parasol ability when swallowed. It mainly jumps around by doing small hops, however it’s also capable of long leaps that can catch you off-guard if not ready.

This is Sparky, quite aptly named as it grants the Spark ability when swallowed. It either stays static or hops around, at times stopping to produce a short electric surge from its body as a means of defense.

Here we have a fish-like enemy, Bobin, which quite unexpectedly grants the Spark ability when swallowed. Found in stages which have water, it will always fix into Kirby and start following him while emitting sparks from its mouth. As can be seen in the screenshot above, it can hop to solid ground to keep pursuing Kirby, though it will attempt to return to the water if it can.

One of the most classic enemies our pink ball has faced, Sir Kibble grants the Cutter ability when swallowed. Kibble throws the blade atop its helmet as a boomerang in its attempt to harm Kirby. Be careful, as the blade will return to him even if inhaled/eliminated after launching it, and also be careful of its jumps if you happen to pass above it.

This green enemy is named Kapar, and besides the obvious reference to the legendary Kappa, it grants the Cutter ability when swallowed. When found on land, Kapar mostly stands still and is capable of great jumps as well as throwing its corona on a straight line. While in the water, Kapar swims after Kirby and can also throw its corona.

This cute little walking flame is called Bobo, and obviously grants the Fire ability when swallowed. It can come in different sizes, but all of them simply walk around from here to there, without attempting to harm Kirby more than by contact. Their size may affect their speed and movements a bit, but still nothing of big importance.

This little red dragon goes by the name Galbo, and grants the Fire ability when swallowed. It stays still on its place, appearing as dormant, but once a character gets close enough it will somewhat awake and spit a fire breath at the coming menace.

This very rare enemy shaped like a dark sun is named Magoo, and grants the Fire ability when swallowed. Found only in the two magmatic areas of the game, Magoo simply jumps in and out of the lava continuously until inhaled or eliminated.

This little enemy attached to a broom is Broom Hatter, and while it used to not give any ability, it now grants the newly included Cleaning ability when swallowed. It walks around like in previous games, though this time its broom has offensive capabilities with a bigger sweep, and apparently moves faster.

This little witch is named Keke, and grants the Cleaning ability when swallowed. Interestingly, its not the witch itself what Kirby inhales but actually its broom. She simply glides through the air, as if following Kirby from above and slowly closing in on him. Inhaling its broom or defeating it causes it to roll away, contrary to the rest of enemies which explode on the spot.

This little and innocent-looking buddy is Tick, and it grants the Spike ability when swallowed. It normally sports this innocent look when facing Kirby, and he stands totally still so it’s absolutely harmless if faced head on. When not facing Kirby it has a malicious look and moves around, and if Kirby passes above it the tip of its head enlarges in an attempt to impale Kirby.

This spiky turtle is named Togezo, and grants the Spike ability when swallowed. Like others before it, they simply walk around, but keeping up with its turtle theme their speed is quite low. Additionally, if feeling endangered, they extend their spikes and hide within their shell, rendering them immobile and open for attacks or inhale attempts.

This very rare enemy to the left, found camouflaged atop the cactus of Sand Canyon Stage 2 exclusively, is named Boten and grants the Spike ability when swallowed. It’s almost impossible to spot it from a distance, but once Kirby gets too close it hops off its hiding and extends its spikes. After that, it will slowly approach Kirby and from time to time stop to take shelter by enlarging their spikes as a means of defense.

This walking stone is Rocky, and quite evidently grants the Rock ability when swallowed. It mainly moves around very slowly, but it tends to pick locations which are high so it can curl into a stone and roll down towards Kirby to damage him.

This rare, triangle-shaped enemy is called Gansan, and obviously grants the Rock ability when swallowed. Like Rocky, it moves slowly though it does it rolling around due to lacking actual feet, and also tends to come from above to roll down more heavily and ram into Kirby. Despite appearing in very few levels, as we can see, it doesn’t mean it comes in low numbers.

This little snowman is called Chilly, and it grants the Ice ability when swallowed. Found mostly on icy levels, Chilly stays still on its spot, often conjuring a freezing aura around it that pretends to shield it from Kirby getting too close.

This rare tiny monster is Wappa, and it grants the Ice ability when swallowed. It generally walks around, but when Kirby gets close it curls into a ball and moves faster than when it walks.

Last, but not least, is Bukiset. This knight-like enemy is unique in that it can provide any copy ability, but just one at a time based on the weapon he’s wielding. This weapon also has different effects, all of them attempting to damage Kirby from a distance. From left to right and from top to bottom: cutter (shoots long range projectiles), spark (shoots bolts of electricity), fire (shoots flames), spike (its sword extends forward), parasol (swings it forward), ice (shoots ice crystals), rock (throws stones) and cleaning (swings its broom).

Sub bosses

Here we see Jumper Shoot, a sub-boss that grants the Parasol ability when swallowed. It moves around by spinning like a top, either on the ground or through the air. It also launches its sandal as projectile, which can be inhaled and then spat out to greatly damage it.

Here we see Boboo, a sub-boss that grants the Fire ability when swallowed. Basically a much bigger version of Bobo, it attacks by turning into a fireball and ramming into Kirby. When hitting a wall, it leaves some stars behind which can be inhaled and the spat out to damage it.

This is Haboki, a sub-boss that grants the Cleaning ability when swallowed. Haboki moves around dusting the floor, and can also jump great distances. Any dust cloud it creates can be inhaled by Kirby to be then spat out to damage it.

Captain Stitch appears in the scene, a sub-boss that grants the Spike ability. It is invincible, not unlike the Gordos we seen through the stages, so it can only be harmed when it loses its spikes. It moves slowly through the stage, both in the ground and in the air, and attacks by either launching its spikes forward or directly launching himself. In the former, the spikes can be inhaled after they bounce off a wall and spat out to damage the vulnerable captain; in the latter, once it bounces off the wall it appears with a shocked look and loses its spikes which can be inhaled and spat out.

Here’s Blocky, a sub-boss that grants the Rock ability when swallowed. It moves around with small hops, but attacks fiercely. It can charge at Kirby until it crashes into a wall, or it can jump high and plummet to the ground to Kirby’s initial location. In either case, the impact leaves behind some stars that Kirby can inhale to spit out later as projectiles to damage it.

The last sub-boss is Yuki, which grants the Ice ability when swallowed. Yuki attacks in a variety of ways: it can perform successive jumps, toss copies of its head at Kirby or sliding into a wall, after which loses its head due to the impact. In any attack, it leaves behind either snowballs or its own head that can be inhaled and spat out as projectiles.

Kirby Powers

When having the Parasol ability, Kirby will always carry a parasol with him. It serves as a shield from attacks coming from above, and it can also be swung forward to eliminate enemies or block incoming attacks. Additionally, the parasol will allow Kirby to drift in the air, softening the fall.

With the Spark ability, Kirby will stay on the spot and generate an electrical barrier around him, which will eliminate any incoming enemy. More useful when the enemies are coming at you rather than advancing through a stage, so it’s better used with an animal friend to exploit its mid and long range offensive capabilities.

When holding the Cutter ability, Kirby will throw a yellow boomerang ahead. By jumping out of its way, the boomerang will continue its trajectory, being able to hit enemies behind Kirby in a single attack. Best ability to eliminate enemies from a distance.

With the Fire ability, Kirby can dash forward engulfed in flames at high speed. Besides being able to eliminate almost everything in its path, Kirby is invincible when in his fireball state, thus being impervious to incoming attacks. Great for speeding up a stage and wiping out several enemies at once.

When having the Cleaning ability, Kirby can summon a broom to clean the floor. This ability works at very close range, as either the swing of the broom or the small dust clouds created with the weeping eliminates an enemy. Since Kirby stays still when cleaning, this ability isn’t much different than Spark in terms of effectiveness.

With the Spike ability, Kirby extends spikes from his whole round body. Any enemy it hits will be eliminated, but once again, Kirby stands still on the spot not being impervious to damage, so better save this ability to be used with animal friends.

When having the Rock ability, Kirby solidifies his body and increases his weight to effectively become a rock himself. Kirby becomes impervious to damage in this form, and will plummet if used on the air to smash down enemies. Kirby can also roll down the hills, bashing any enemy it comes in contact with.

When holding the Ice ability, Kirby shoots a close ranged ice beam from its mouth. It is quite useful even if Kirby doesn’t directly eliminate an enemy, the frozen projectile can clear the path ahead even beyond the screen and thus can help speeding up a stage.

Rick Powers

When holding the Parasol ability, Rick will summon a parasol to balance it with its nose and having Kirby shaped as a ball on top of it. Great to tackle enemies which are above the player, but its horizontal reach is its worst flaw.

When having the Spark ability, Rick will use what appears to be a whip of electricity, which sweeps the screen in front of it from up to down. Quite similar to its effects in the prequel, though this time it’s not a beam and thus its movement is slower.

With the Cutter ability, Rick throws Kirby as a big boomerang, essentially being a bigger and thus stronger version of Kirby’s standard use of the ability. The downside is that this time the boomerang doesn’t go backwards, because Kirby will always attempt to return to Rick.

When having the Fire ability, Rick will remain on the spot while shooting several fireballs from its mouth. Its mid range makes it quite useful, as it can be maintained technically forever, but there are other mid range abilities far more useful.

When holding the Cleaning ability, Rick will summon a blue feather duster and clean the area in front of him. Probably the alternative to the Parasol due to its horizontal range, but not very useful outside of that.

The Spike ability is surely Rick’s least useful one. The spikes grow from Rick’s back, just beneath where Kirby stands, meaning it can only hit enemies which are behind him and leaving its front wide open for attacks. Avoid this combination if you can, or use it if you want a harder challenge.

With the Stone ability, it is Rick who curls up and becomes a boulder itself. Kirby balances on top of it, allowing it to roll in any direction, and the size of the boulder means hardly any enemy will avoid its demise. Kirby is still vulnerable to attacks, so watch out for jumping enemies or menaces from above.

When holding the Ice ability, Rick and Kirby make it snow around them. More defensive than offensive, since Rick stays still on the spot when using it, so better use a mid ranged ability rather than this one.

Coo Powers

When having the Parasol ability, Coo summons a parasol atop its head and starts spinning wildly like a top. Quite useful as it allows Coo to keep moving in any desired direction, so it doesn’t lose pace when clearing a stage.

When holding the Spark ability, Kirby throws a single and vertical bolt of electricity. Coo can’t move while using this attack, so it’s mostly used on short bursts whenever an enemy passes below.

With the Cutter ability, Coo throws a single feather as if it was a shuriken on a straight line. May not be a boomerang like previous instances, but still big enough to be a threat for various enemies resting ahead.

When having the Fire ability, Kirby sets himself ablaze and drives Coo diagonally down. If used on the ground, as its Kirby the one engulfed in flames, Coo is wide open for attacks, so be careful and maximize its potential by using it in the air.

When holding the Cleaning ability, Coo turns into a duster and Kirby holds it out in front of him. Can only be done in the ground, if used in the air the duo will plummet immediately. Probably one of the worst copy abilities for Coo to have, but it does still have its use.

With the Spike ability, Kirby enlarges and extends as a needle to reach foes below. Basically a variant of Spark but without covering the whole gap until reaching the ground, so its effectiveness is reduced somewhat.

When having the Rock ability, Kirby turns into a stone like usual but drags Coo with him. Coo is open for attacks, and besides the change means the duo plummets to the ground inevitably. Even less useful than Cleaning, though it could be of help during downhills as its easier to slide down than flying.

When holding the Ice ability, Coo shoots three ice crystals at the same time. The spiritual successor to its Cutter ability in the prequel, though the crystals follow a straight line instead of spreading out. Quite useful due to range and coverage, probably the safest bet when picking Coo.

Kine Powers

When having the Parasol ability, Kine takes a parasol out of its mouth and faces upwards. Kine can still move and jump, though it’s vulnerable to attacks from the sides and below, as the parasol acts as a shield. If it jumps, the parasol eases off its fall. Not very useful, but it can have its occasion to shine.

When holding the Spark ability, a light bulb appears on its mouth, allowing it to illuminate dark areas. Kine can still move while the attack is active, with the bulb able to damage enemies, but the bulb will break if used for too long. Very toned down after how useful it was in the prequel.

With the Cutter ability, Kine spits out a crescent-shaped laser, or some form of energy. It travels without stopping, crushing anything in its path, but it shrinks over time and ends up fading away. Inversed from the prequel, seems like Kine was overused on that one if he’s had such limitations imposed over itself.

Finally an improvement from the prequel, because with the Fire ability Kine demonstrates probably the most useful of them all. Kine fires a big ring of fire that travels without stopping, another blast that can crush anything in its path, but the ring stays the same size until it goes off-screen. A bit overpowered, maybe?

With the Cleaning ability, Kine takes a plunger out of its mouth for as long as the action button is held. Enemies that cross its path get attached to the plumber, so ramming into other enemies will eliminate them, and also letting go of the button will throw them as projectiles. Quite the curious approach to cleaning, but very effective nonetheless.

When holding the Spike ability, Kine grows spikes all over its body (or so I want to think, its expression is as if Kirby grows spikes within it, impaling it from the inside). Basically a bigger version of Kirby’s standard ability, so more used for defense against incoming enemies.

With the Rock ability, Kirby turns into a Stone inside Kine, so they plummet down due to the added weight. Contrary to the parasol, it is now Kine’s mouth aiming to the ground, so while it’s open to attacks from above it is protected from below and can crush enemies after a jump. Not sure if that makes it better or worse, but whatever.

When having the Ice ability, Kine encases it in a solid block of ice. An extremely defensive ability, for Kine is invincible when frozen, but it’s unable to move at all. It’s basically an ice-enhanced version of Kirby’s standard Rock ability, though this one can’t be controlled at will and Kine will defrost over time on its own.

ChuChu Powers

When having the Parasol ability, both Kirby and ChuChu hop into an upside-down parasol and start spinning around at mild speed. They can freely move forward and jump while doing so, eliminating any enemy they have contact with.

When holding the Spark ability, ChuChu will charge a laser (which can be kept on hold) and fire it straight forward, eliminating any enemy it comes in contact with. It can also bounce off some walls as well, meaning it has a similar effect to the boomerang Kirby throws when holding Cutter.

Speaking of which, nothing is shot when it’s ChuChu the one having the Cutter ability. Instead, ChuChu becomes something not unlike an axe’s edge and Kirby swings her, eliminating any enemy she comes in contact with.

ChuChu best shows her versatility with the Fire ability. Initially, Kirby only produces a small stream of flames through his mouth which can be maintained even when walking, eliminating any enemy that gets too close. During a jump, however, Kirby can direct said flames into ChuChu, which makes her distend like if it was a hot air balloon, allowing them to effectively fly.

When holding the Cleaning ability, ChuChu and Kirby emulate Keke and ride a broom with which they can fly somewhat. The broom leaves a trail of dust, which is harmful for enemies and can eliminate them. May not be as useful when you have to give your back to enemies to eliminate them, but still comes handy at certain times.

With the Spike ability, ChuChu creates five spikes from its body which are then shot at a short distance in five different directions. Capable of defeating multiple enemies at once, but its short range like most Spike abilities clearly limit its potential.

Much like happened with the Parasol ability, when holding the Rock ability Kirby is turned to stone and ChuChu swings him around in circles. They’re able to move back and forth while spinning, increasing the range of the attack.

When having the Ice ability, Kirby spits out snowballs which are grabbed by ChuChu’s tentacles and spread ahead at different angles. The range doesn’t seem to vary a lot, so this attack is more consistent than it may look at first glance.

Nago Powers

When having the Parasol ability, Nago and Kirby step into an upside-down parasol and use it as a pogo stick. This way, they can hop back and forth at a great height, eliminating any enemy they happen to crush. Be careful with controlling the leaps, though.

Quite a unique ability we have here. With the Spark ability, Nago rubs Kirby for as long as the action button is held, creating static electricity around it. Said electricity can damage enemies, but in turn the electricity goes away with each enemy it touches. Hard to master, but can be a useful weapon at times.

When holding the Cutter ability, Nago swings Kirby in a very quick move to create a crescent-shaped blast of energy that travels diagonally upwards. Such trajectory hampers its potential, an horizontal trajectory would be much more useful, but whatever.

When having the Fire ability, Kirby spits out a small flame that travels the ground a bit, enlarging and shrinking throughout before finally consuming itself. It will also consume once it touches an enemy, but its range allows for a great distance to launch the attack.

With the Cleaning ability, Nago constantly wipes the ground with a flattened Kirby. They can freely move back and forth while performing the attack, eliminating any enemy that gets too close to the cleaning duo.

When holding the Spike ability, Nago holds Kirby tight as the pink ball produces spikes that are launched forward on a straight line. The duo can’t move while this move is performed or maintained, but its mid range somewhat makes up for the loss of mobility.

When having the Rock ability, Nago uses Kirby as if it was a jackhammer. The now solidified Kirby crushes any enemy crossing their path, though once again the ability comes at the price of being unable to move from the spot.

With the Ice ability, Kirby spits a constant stream of small snowballs downwards as long as the attack is maintained. While doing so, it also propels him and Nago upwards, thus allowing them to somewhat fly and keep moving through the stage.

Pitch Powers

What an interesting combination we have here. With the Parasol ability, Kirby uses the parasol as a golf club to hit Pitch away, and the birdie eliminates any enemy in its path. Pitch can be recalled by pressing the action button again, or it will automatically return once it stops moving altogether.

Another interesting combination. When holding the Spark ability, Kirby uses a remote controller to direct the electrified Pitch in any direction he desires. The ability can be cancelled by pressing the action button again, or if Kirby is damaged, because he can’t move while the attack is performed and thus is left wide open.

When having the Cutter ability, Pitch shapes itself like a boomerang and is thrown forward as such. Pitch returns to Kirby after a while, so it has no backwards movement. Quite the repetitive attack, as we’ve seen, but this also allows you to pick friends due to their unique skills instead of what abilities are better combined.

With the Fire ability, it’s now Pitch who is set ablaze and flies forward, though not at great speed, crushing any enemy crossing its path. Pitch then attempts to return to Kirby, and make sure it returns because otherwise you cannot enter doors.

When holding the Cleaning ability, Pitch turns into a bucket and allows Kirby to throw blobs of water far ahead. The angle can be adjusted to increase the range and even affect airborne enemies. One of the most useful abilities, even if it can miss at short distances.

When having the Spike ability, Pitch dashes forward with its beak seemingly sharpened to the point of being a needle, continuously pecking as it moves. Quite a straightforward ability to eliminate multiple enemies in a single run.

With the Stone ability, Kirby and Pitch take a leap forward, with the birdie turning briefly into a stone so as to crush any enemy that happens to pass by. The only Rock technique that gives some movement and can’t be maintained.

When holding the Ice ability, Pitch turns into a manual snowmaking machine. While holding the action button, Kirby will spin the handle making Pitch produce snow in front of him and freeze any enemy close by. However, Kirby is unable to move while performing this attack.