Kirby's Dream Land 2/Cloudy Park

Cloudy Park is the sixth level of the game, and the stages are harder than ever. Strong winds are prevalent throughout the stages, and more Propeller Bombs mean that keeping your Animal Friends is more difficult. With six stages this time around, a very complicated Rainbow Drop puzzle and a fight with a recurring boss, this level will prepare you for the final island of the game.

Section 1
The start of the stage is a cloudy path high above the skies. Be careful as you make your way across the stage, as one false step could cause you to fall into a bottomless pit. There are a few Scarfies along the path, as well as a Propeller Bomb halfway through, enemies that you must be especially careful about. Around the end of the section, there are strong winds blowing you upward, so you don't have to worry about falling, but there are also Gordos situated along these gusts that you can easily collide with.

Section 2
There is less ground for you to stand here, as long fluffy clouds become smaller tall pillars. There are also fragile miniature clouds that vanish if you stand on them for too long. There is a door leading to a mid-boss battle surrounded by temporary platforms, which you can enter if you wish. Further down the path is a bridge of these miniature clouds. The Star Blocks below contain Small Stars, which you can collect by taking the path below. The door at the end is located within a maze of these temporary clouds, but you should make it in without a hitch.

Section 3 - Mid-Boss: Jumpershoot
You've fought this boss many times before and this fight is no different. You will get a random Animal Friend after you defeat him, or Gooey if you already have a partner. Due to how difficult the rest of section 2 is without the ability to float continuously, you should to avoid teaming up with anyone but Coo. If you do get Coo, his flying proficiency will be great help for the rest of the stage.

Section 4
The last section of this stage is a vertical climb up a tower of clouds. There is a constant gust blowing up from below, but there are also Gordos floating along this air stream. Along the climb, you will also encounter various enemies that grant copy abilities, so feel free to pick one you want. At the top, Star Blocks hide a Maxim Tomato to the left and the exit door to the right.

Section 1
This entire section is a simple flat stage with no pits that you can fall into. There are a couple of Gordos at the beginning. There are also special blocks introduced here that can only be destroyed with the Ice ability. You can get a 1-Up and some Small Stars this way, and you are required to use the Ice ability to enter the door at the end of the section. Note that this stage contains Cloudy Park's Rainbow Drop, and you must start the level as Kine in order to reach it.

Section 2
Strong air blows out of the pipes in this level, and you must use these air currents to float over the platforms and to the other side of the giant pit. There are plenty of Small Stars in this section, as well as a 1-Up on the highest platform. Once you're at the highest platform and has Kine with you, you can jump off the platform to land on a small pool with a door in the middle. Enter it as part of the process to reach the Rainbow Drop.

Section 3
There is a current that constantly pushes you toward the right. Unless you have Kine, you will be unable to swim against the current. With Kine, you can swim to the left, where you can find a door to a boss fight. To the right, past some Gordos, is a door leading to another boss fight, one that you must also take after the first.

Section 4 - Mid-Boss: Master Green
As part of the method to reach the Rainbow Drop, you need to defeat and inhale Master Green to get the Spark ability. The fight isn't any different from before, and you will be returned to Section 2 after the fight. However, you want to return to Section 3 again, as you need to fight the other boss that can be reached within section 3.

Section 5 - Mid-Boss: Blocky
After fighting Master Green, you must fight Blocky, not for its Stone ability, but to rescue Rick. Blocky is the same as before, but it might be a bit harder to defeat him if you're not familiar with using the Spark ability, which you must still keep throughout the fight. Once you defeat Blocky, keep your Spark ability, abandon Kine and team up with Rick.

Section 6
When reached here through Section 2, you will be unable to free Coo trapped in the sack unless you have both Rick and the Spark ability. With this combination only, you can destroy the blocks below both Shotzos, freeing Coo. Now, you must abandon Rick and team up with Coo.

Section 7
A strong wind blows you toward the right, so you need Coo's superior flying abilities to overcome the gust. Fly all the way to the right to find a door to another boss battle, which is also part of the method to get the Rainbow Drop. Once you do, let the wind carry you to the left, dodging the Gordos on the way there, to finally get to the room containing the Rainbow Drop. The goal door is to the left of the door to the Rainbow Drop room.

Section 8 - Mid-Boss: Waiu
You will have to defeat Waiu and get his Cutter ability to break through the blocks in the Rainbow Drop room. Do so, and return to Section 7, then get to the Rainbow Drop room to finally claim your reward.

Section 9 - Rainbow Drop
The Rainbow Drop is blocked off by three blocks that must be destroyed with the Cutter ability. The method to get it is long and tedious, but it is ultimately worth it to unlock the true ending of the game.

Section 1
The stage begins with another relatively simple section. You must first run across some dissolving cloud platforms, then wade across a wide pool to reach the door to the next area. It's quite simple and uninteresting, but you can get the Spark ability here if you want.

Section 2
You will be blown in multiple directions throughout this section. Winds will carry you clockwise and counter-clockwise in loops around the section, and you need to work your way toward the door in the center. There are an assortment of enemies that grant copy abilities here, so pick one that you want as you move toward the door.

Section 3
You must make your way toward the bottom of this section to reach the exit. There are plenty of dissolving cloud platforms and Star Blocks, as well as a variety of enemies that you must face on your way down.

Section 1
The starting section has you crossing a mountain temple. There are quite a few Kabu in this section that will ambush you from above, so keep your wits about when going through this stage. The indoor sections have less room to move about, but you don't have to worry about it too much due to the low frequency of enemies here.

Section 2 - Mid-Boss: Captain Stitch
You will have to fight another oversized Gordo to advance through the stage. Captain Stitch shouldn't give you too much trouble, so defeat him quickly to get an Animal Friend or Gooey.

Section 3
Strong winds blow you upwards across this section. Quickly dodge the Gordos as they come, and go in the door before you get crushed!

Section 4
This section is basically a mirrored version of the last section, except it is filled with water. You will move slightly slower here without Kine, but the strategy here is still the same: dodge Gordos, get to the door.

Section 5
A strong wind constantly blows you upward, so there is no risk of falling to your death. However, there are plenty of hazards waiting for you above. You must clear away Star Block formations as you rise to the top, carefully avoiding enemies as you do. There are a lot of nice items like 1-Ups and Maxim Tomatoes to be found here, but unless you know the stage perfectly, it is much easier to get them if you have Coo with you. The goal door is at the very top, opposite an energy drink.

Section 1
Don't stand in one place for too long, as most of this section consists of dissolving cloud platforms! Pieces of the ground will quickly disintegrate as you walk by them, and the arrangement of the platforms and enemies mean that you will not have much space or time to dodge enemies as the floor breaks. Use Kirby's floating abilities as much as you can here to minimize the ground you touch, and look for any solid platforms if you want to take a break and plan ahead.

Section 2
A strong gust blows toward the left, but you can only progress to the right. Luckily, the wind only blows through the top half of the screen, so you won't be affected by it if you fly low or stay on the ground. However, there are many obstacles that makes lying low harder, such as deviously placed Gordos and dissolving cloud bridges. Keep the wind in mind as you make your way through the section, and you should reach the door without much trouble.

Section 3
You are presented with 5 doors here, each leading to a different room. Only one of the doors take you to the room with the exit. The second door from the left is the one you're looking for, but you can also go through the fourth door from the left for some extra items. The other doors contain only enemies.

Section 4
Go through the leftmost door in Section 3 and you will be confronted by 5 Propeller Bombs. In this small space, there is absolutely no way to avoid them or defeat them if you have an Animal Friend with you. To return, you need to defeat all 5 enemies, which is much easier if you're playing alone as Kirby only.

Section 5
If you enter the second door from the left, you will find the exit door. You will also be rewarded with 5 energy drinks to bring you back to full health.

Section 6
Enter the door at the center and you will have to fight five Scarfies. Do not attempt to inhale them, unless you want to get chased by all 5 of them at once in that tiny chamber. You must use copy abilities or your air puffs to defeat them. Do so carefully, as Scarfies blow up upon death, and can hurt you quite a bit if you get caught in the explosions.

Section 7
Five Small Stars await you in this room, reached through the fourth door from the left. There are no enemies to fight here and the door back is immediately available to you, so there really is no reason to skip this room.

Section 8
The rightmost door leads to a small room with five Mumbies, which you need to defeat to return to Section 3. Mumbies cannot be inhaled, so if you lack a copy ability, you have to defeat them using your air puffs. The lack of space will make this task extra difficult, but it is still easier to avoid taking damage than in the middle door.

Section 1 - Mid-Boss: Master Green
Once again, you must fight this giant jellyfish, but this time there's a twist. A strong wind blows toward the right, which means you will be pushed to the right whenever you jump. Try to stay on the ground when evading Master Green's attacks. You have to be extra careful of his lightning projectiles and ground bolt, as you must jump into the air to evade them, which might push you right into Master Green.

Section 2
A random Animal Friend awaits you in this room, but unless you have the Spark ability from Master Green, you can't leave with them.

Section 3
A powerful gust tosses you around this cloudy section. Coo would be quite helpful here as you can fly against the wind and collect the Small Stars, but you don't need to fight the wind to get to your destination. Simply let the wind carry you over there, while evading the enemies along the way. You can obtain the Stone ability from Rocky halfway through the section, which lets you plow through the rest of the section while invincible. At the bottom of the section is a lake with the door, as well as an Energy Drink.

Section 4
Small Stars are scattered around this vast underwater labyrinth. Find your way around this maze's twist and turns to get them all. One of the paths here leads to the door. Your main worry here is the enemies that swim around in the water, but they shouldn't be hard to take out.

Section 5
A blast of air pushes you straight up into the sky. Do not move at all in the air current, as it will safely let you avoid every enemy as you ascend to the very top. There are a bunch of items once you reach the top, with a 1-Up, Small Stars and a Maxim Tomato, which should heal you up for the boss battle of Cloudy Park.

Boss: Kracko
A staple of the Kirby series, this menacing cloud has two stages of battle. Kracko will start out as just an eyeball, peering at you from the clouds. Here, he can emit a sweeping beam as he move across the ground, which can easily be dodged by flying up high. Eventually, Kracko will jump out of the clouds, sending two Co-Krackos which you can inhale and use to damage Kracko. While hovering in the air, Kracko gains four orbiting spheres. He can send the spheres as a single projectile, or spread them out around him and explode them. You can inhale the spheres and spit them out too. Kracko will often dive back into the ground after a few attacks, leaving a Co-Kracko behind.

Once you've defeated Kracko's first form, he will weakly roll along the ground, which can still damage you if you touch it, before turning into its true form. Kracko final form will no longer dive into the ground, and he gains some new attacks. He can send Co-Krackos more frequently, which actually gives you more chances to damage him, although Kracko himself now has more health. Kracko can also swoop close to the ground, pouring electrified rain along the floor. Kracko's most notable attack is his spark beam, which can quickly travel across the screen and shot in many angles. However, the beam will not hit you if you stay at the top half of the screen, so hover up into the skies whenever Kracko starts the attack. Whittle down his health and Kracko will soon be defeated for good.

The guardians of six of the seven Rainbow Islands have been defeated. The clouds clear, revealing the ominous Dark Castle, King Dedede's stronghold. One final challenge lies ahead, can Kirby succeed in this long quest?