Kirby Star Allies: Tips and Tricks!

Kirby Star Allies for Nintendo Switch is all about teaming up with friends to beat the bosses. That doesn't mean you have to play with real-life friends to complete the game (though that's super fun, too). It means Kirby makes friends with former enemies and tackles even the biggest baddies with a group. Here are the tips and tricks you need to complete the game and find all the hidden stuff in Kirby Star Allies!

Look for stars on the level map

Stars don't only appear within the playable levels. You can also find them scattered around the level map. If you grab these before you even start playing the first level, you're way ahead of the game in terms of collecting extra lives.

Use those multi-friend ability combos!

There are some secrets hidden throughout the levels, like special Illustration Pieces and hidden rooms that unlock new stages. Many of them aren't accessible unless you're using combo abilities. For example, combining the stone ability with the water ability will turn you into a sliding rock and send you whizzing into walls that will break and reveal a secret room. Make sure to take advantage of power combos whenever you can.

You can also enable combo powers between your party members. For example, Burning Leo can light up the yo-yo so he can do extra damage.

Use the Dream Palace to make new adventuring friends

The Dream Palace is a special land you can visit between each stage you clear. When you use the Dream Palace, you've got a chance to add or replace one of the friends in your party with another character. You don't have to wait until they appear on a level.

When you grab the Dream Rod, the friend wheel starts spinning. Whatever friend it stops on will be added to your party (or you can replace him with someone currently in your party).

Remember, you can only use the Dream Palace once until you clear a new stage.

Cut that grass!

Lots of things are hidden in those patches of grass, like health boosts, stars, and even special Illustration Pieces. Use a sword, yo-yo, or fire to cut away those patches as you pass them to reveal the items hidden inside.

Lose the ally baggage

If you don't want to have three additional allies running round with you, killing baddies before you've even had a chance to suck them in, you can drop them without having to copy their powers to eliminate them from the group. Press the L, R, and Y buttons at the same time to prepare the drop and then select which party member you want to remove. Drop them all if you really want to work on your Kirby game.

How to unlock the Dream Palace in Dream Land

In the fifth section of Donut Dome use the combo ability of stone and water to turn yourself into a slider and crash your way down the pathway. You'll hit some rock buttons that will break away a wall that will reveal a secret round-trip room, identified with a red star.

Enter that room and jump on the Big Switch to unlock the Dream Palace.

How to unlock Extra Eclair (extra stage)

In the fourth section of Honey Hill, use the yo-yo and fire combination to light the long rope on fire that sits below the cannon. Run up jump into the cannon. This will shoot you into the air and reveal a secret round-trip room, identified with a red star.

When you enter the room, quickly get to the wall release switch, which raises up and stops the giant ball of Waddle Dees from rolling down and breaking the bridge. You don't want the bridge broken because a Dream Rod is sitting on top of it.

Cross the bridge and grab the Dream Rod. Use it to open the locked door in front of you. Run in and jump on the Big Switch to unlock the Extra Eclair extra stage.

How to get the hidden Illustration Piece in Extra Eclair

In the third section, there is a very tall tree just after the area with a lot of grass patches. Hover up to the top of the tree and knock down the dangling acorn. There is a special key inside that you'll use to unlock the door up ahead.

Unlock the door, collect the Picture Pieces and head through the round-trip door, marked by the red star.

Make sure you have four party members total before entering this room.

Switch over to the fire ability if you're not already using it and light the fuse right near the entrance. Hover your way to the top and then drop down the other side. Jump into one of the cannons (your party members will follow).

The cannon will shoot you up through multiple blocks and drop you next to a hidden chest. The Illustration Piece is inside.

How to unlock the Dream Palace in Planet Popstar

Toward the end of the third section in Friendly Field, there's an exit door on the ground level. Don't leave through that door.

Instead, hover upward, following the flying Waddle Dees. You'll see a platform, slightly to the left high above everything else. Land on this platform and perform the wind and cutter abilities to send a cyclone up to the platform above, which is covered with leaves. The cyclone will sweep away the leaves so Kirby and his pals can fly through and land on the platform.

Sweeping away the leaves also reveals a round-trip door, identified by a red star. Enter this room.

Once inside, jump on the Big Switch to unlock the Dream Palace in Planet Popstar, which just makes it so you don't have to travel back to Dream Land in order to access the Dream Palace again (which you can do if you want).

How to unlock Inside Island (extra stage)

In the second section, when you come across two waterfalls, you'll need to use your friends and your combo abilities to reveal the hidden round-trip door.

If no one in your party has a weapon on fire, Copy the fire ability from a nearby fire Waddle Dee. Then, light someone's weapon on fire and copy the Parasol ability by grabbing it from the switch. Push up on your joystick to trigger the power up on the Parasol, turning it into a Chumasol. Wait a few seconds. The party member that has a flaming weapon will light the wick. Then, stand over the closest waterfall from the wick until it passes. Then, run to the next waterfall and stand there until the wick passes. It will light a stack of dynamite on fire, breaking a stone wall and revealing the round-trip door, identified by the red star.

Enter the round-trip room and head over to the Big Switch to unlock the extra stage, Inside Island.

This guide is being updated in real time as we discover new tips and tricks. Keep it bookmarked and check back often!

Your tips?

Do you have any tips or tricks for beating Kirby Star Allies and finding all of the hidden items? Put them in the comments and we'll add them to the list!