Extra Mode - WiKirby: it's a wiki, about Kirby!
From WiKirby, your independent source of Kirby knowledge.

Extra Mode (originally known as Extra Game) is an additional version of some games amongst the Kirby series, sometimes unlocked by a code, or by beating the game's Story Mode. First appearing in Kirby's Dream Land, the Extra Mode is meant to give the player an increased challenge.
Game appearances[edit]
Kirby's Dream Land[edit]

In Kirby's Dream Land, by pressing ↑, A, and Select together on the title screen, the player can access a harder Dream Land with new enemies and better AI, such as Waddle Dees moving faster and jumping at Kirby and Parasols going after Kirby. The changes in enemies include:
| Main Game | Extra Game |
|---|---|
For the most part, these altered enemies act the same as their normal counterparts, but deal twice as much damage. In addition, Gordos remain unaltered in appearance, but now deal three bars of damage. Finally, every boss and mid-boss has different and generally tougher attack patterns, or are faster. Some stages may also contain elements not found in the original mode, such as the presence of falling Gordos inside the secret room accessed through the moon in Bubbly Clouds.
The game does not disclose the button combination for the Extra Game until the main game is cleared. When Extra Game is cleared, the game reveals the button combination for Configuration Mode (↓, B, and Select), which allows for altering Kirby's maximum health and number of lives, as well as access to the Sound Test. Both of these modes are available from the beginning due to the game lacking save files to track the player's completion.
Additionally, upon completing Extra Game, a roll call of nearly all the enemies in the game is shown to the player along with their names after the credits. Notably, this roll call does not distinguish between Kracko and Kracko Jr. (the latter not receiving his own name until Kirby Super Star).
Kirby's Adventure[edit]
By activating all the Big Switches located in certain stages and then beating Kirby's Adventure, Extra Game is unlocked, which does not allow saving, starts Kirby off with two lives instead of four, and allots him only three pieces of health, as opposed to the usual six. As a result of this change, Energy Drinks now only restore 1 health point. No major changes are made to the stage layouts and the enemies, including their behavior. However, all Sub-Games in this mode are set to the highest difficulty (Challenging), which makes it harder to obtain bonus points or 1-Ups. Upon completing this mode, the Listen to Sounds option is unlocked.
Kirby's Dream Course[edit]

In Kirby's Dream Course, each and every hole in the single and multiplayer courses has an Extra Course equivalent, which is unlocked after getting all the specified medals in single-player mode as follows:
- Earn Bronze Medals or better on all Main Courses in single-player mode to unlock the multiplayer Extra Courses.
- Earn Silver Medals or better on all Main Courses in single-player mode to unlock the single-player Extra Courses.
Here, all courses have "Extra" in front of their names (except Dedede's course). All of the Extra Course boards are the same, except that either Kirby's starting position has changed, the enemies have been changed and/or rearranged, or both. For details about specific changes to each board, see the list of holes in Kirby's Dream Course.
In addition, the scores for Extra Courses are tracked separately, and each Extra Course in single player may have different medal requirements than their Main Course equivalents.
Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble[edit]
After all 32 Red Stars are collected in Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble and the game is completed, the Extra Stage is unlocked. The following changes present in the Extra Stage are as follows:
- Stages start with less time.
- The Orbservor in Level 2 is replaced with the one in Level 4 and vice versa.
- Key locations have been changed.
- Some enemies and clouds move faster.
- Bumpers are added to some stages.
- There are bombs scattered around stages which not only deal damage but fling Kirby into the air and break the floor.
- Some stage geometry is added/changed, particularly in the boss arenas.
- On the world map, Planet Popstar's color changes from yellow to red.
- The "Bonus Star!" menu can be accessed on the world map from the start to freely play the sub-games.
Once Extra Stage is enabled, the game cannot be reverted to normal mode unless the player deletes the save file. Upon completing the Extra Stage with all 32 Red Stars, a unique end screen is displayed where Kirby is celebrating from inside his house as King Dedede stands off to the side and sulks. This also changes the title screen's color from blue to pink.
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land[edit]
[edit]
Much like in Kirby's Adventure, to unlock this mode in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, the game must be 100% completed with all Big Switches pressed. This time, however, the player can save in this game, but Kirby still has 3 hit points to deal with. When this mode is 100% completed, the second Extra Game, Meta Knightmare, is unlocked from the Sub-Games menu.
Meta Knightmare[edit]
- Main article: Meta Knightmare

In Meta Knightmare, the player plays as Meta Knight and traverses all the levels in the game as fast as possible. The game keeps track of and saves the time taken, to be displayed at the end of the run. Like in the normal Extra Game, Meta Knight only has 3 hit points. It is also not possible to save the game, and Meta Knight obviously cannot utilize any Copy Abilities. To compensate for this, however, Meta Knight can run and fly much faster than Kirby normally can, and use his sword for a wider variety of attacks.
The game is complete once Meta Knight defeats King Dedede at the end of Rainbow Resort, as Nightmare is not fought at all.
Kirby: Canvas Curse[edit]
- Main article: Rainbow Run
Rainbow Run is an extra game in Kirby: Canvas Curse. Within it, Kirby competes for medals by entering Time Trials and Line Trials. Time trials require for Kirby to reach the end of the given room in a limited amount of time, while line trials require Kirby to get to the end of the given room by using the least amount of ink possible. It features 7 levels and a Special Course, which is not found in the storyline and replaces The World of Drawcia. Stages are selected by spinning the wheel and opting for any of the 7 levels. From the hub screen, any hex-shaped icon can be tapped to view high scores or open the option for the two trials pertaining to that stage. In each stage of the 7 levels, there are two designated rooms from the corresponding stage in the main game. The Special Course has its stages focus on certain copy abilities: Stone, Wheel, Missile, and Balloon. Unlike time and line trials, there is a Course A and a Course B for each ability, both of which have a line and a time challenge. The stages in the levels can be played in Rainbow Run once they are unlocked in the main game, while stages in the special course must be unlocked by swapping medals.
Kirby: Squeak Squad[edit]
| “ | Move quickly to collect all the treasure chests! | ” | — Extra Mode caption from Kirby: Squeak Squad |
In Kirby: Squeak Squad, the Extra Mode is unlocked after collecting every Treasure Chest in the main game. In this mode, Kirby is challenged to complete every stage in the main game and collect every Treasure Chest as quickly as possible. The following differences exist between the main game and Extra Mode:
- A global timer counts up while Kirby is inside a stage. When not in a stage, the timer stands still.
- At the end of each stage, the game displays the time it took to clear the stage, and the overall time. Repeating a stage only adds to the global time, so stages cannot be repeated to potentially lower the total.
- After completing all stages in a level with all treasure chests obtained, the game shows the total time it took to complete the level.
- All levels are unlocked immediately from the start, but stages must still be unlocked in sequence within each one.
- All external cutscenes are removed.
The game ends once all 120 treasure chests have been collected, and a total score is given. Progress cannot be saved, so the game must be completed in one sitting.
Kirby Super Star Ultra[edit]
Two game modes in Kirby Super Star Ultra can be considered Extra Modes, with both referencing previous Extra Modes in the series.
Revenge of the King[edit]
- Main article: Revenge of the King
Revenge of the King is a harder version of Spring Breeze, and the plot focuses on King Dedede stealing the Sparkling Stars again, this time to get revenge on Kirby. It closely resembles the Extra Game from Kirby's Dream Land. Kirby has to face harder variations of bosses from Spring Breeze, and a boss who has not appeared since Kirby's Dream Land, Kaboola, now known as Kabula. The intro cutscenes are longer, the enemies have been replaced by harder ones, and the stages are longer, specifically The Revenge, which replaces Mt. Dedede.
Masked Dedede also makes his debut here, and even offers a Hammer to Kirby to ensure a fair fight. The ending cutscene has King Dedede and his Waddle Dees walking into the sunset. This game mode marks the first major appearance of Bandana Waddle Dee, who converses with King Dedede in The Revenge, parodying Revenge of Meta Knight.
Meta Knightmare Ultra[edit]
- Main article: Meta Knightmare Ultra
The other Extra Mode is known as Meta Knightmare Ultra, following up on Nightmare in Dream Land's Meta Knightmare mode, and has Meta Knight playing through the events of every main game mode (except Gourmet Race and Revenge of the King) in one long time attack run. Save points appear between each set of stages, allowing the player to take on the game in segments. New to this mode, Meta Knight earns points from defeating enemies which can be spent on various benefits, such as temporarily increasing his speed or summoning a Sword Knight or Blade Knight as a helper.
Instead of fighting Marx at the end, Meta Knight calls upon Galactic Nova to summon the ancient warrior Galacta Knight, who up to that point had been sealed away for fear of him being too powerful. Clearing Meta Knightmare Ultra is required to unlock The True Arena.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land[edit]
| “ | Extra Mode is now available! A whole new adventure awaits. | ” | — Kirby's Return to Dream Land unlock quote |
Extra Mode is unlocked in Kirby's Return to Dream Land after clearing the Main Mode with 70% completion. Extra Mode in this title plays a lot like the Main Mode, but with the following changes:
- Health of all playable characters is cut by 40%. The bar is colored green, and only reaches half-way across the portrait to illustrate this.
- Many items, including Point Stars and 1-Ups, have different designs.
- There are more enemies, and they move and attack faster, with some being different sizes and/or having increased health.
- Key Dees run faster, making key-based challenges more difficult.
- Super Ability timers run out faster.
- Another Dimension's rift walls are colored red, and move faster.
- All bosses and mid-bosses from the Story Mode have new "EX" forms, which have altered designs and are generally tougher with new attacks, souped-up variations of their pre-existing attacks and more health.
- Bosses' relevant Special Pages also have new text, and their health bars also feature more colors, transitioning between red to green.
- A completely new boss, HR-D3, is added directly after defeating Metal General EX.
- The "Final Battle EX" cutscene leading up to the final fight with Magolor EX features an additional scene where he transforms into his new color scheme. Magolor's second form also has a different name: Magolor Soul.
- All Challenge Stages are more difficult, featuring more Score Coins, tougher obstacles, and tighter windows for obtaining platinum medals.
- The mode's "Special Staff Credits" have different gameplay snapshots, adorned with golden frames, and credit sections feature Kirby portraits like the ones seen in the credits for Milky Way Wishes from Kirby Super Star.
Clearing Extra Mode is required to unlock The True Arena.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe[edit]
- Main article: Dededetour
In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Dededetour is distinct from previous Extra Modes by featuring King Dedede as the primary playable character. Serving as the spiritual successor to the previous Meta Knightmare modes, Dedede plays through the stages in one long time attack run, modified to accommodate for the lack of Hypernova, as well as including hidden warp holes that allow him to jump forward through stages. Dedede battles stronger "DX" versions of all the bosses and mid-bosses up to the end of Royal Road, and fights a different set of bosses at the end of the game. As with Meta Knightmare Ultra, save points periodically appear to allow the player to take on the run in segments, and the best times will be displayed on a leaderboard at the end. StreetPass allows for sharing times between players.
Unlike in Story Mode, there are no Sun Stones or Rare Keychains to collect, and very few normal keychains and food items, while Invincible Candy is more common. Regardless, Dedede must simply try to finish his run as quickly as he can. If he enters certain side chambers where Sun Stones would be in Kirby's playthrough, he can either obtain some collectibles (usually food and 1-Ups) or find a Warp Hole to reach the end faster. Clearing Dededetour is required to unlock The True Arena.
Kirby: Planet Robobot[edit]
- Main article: Meta Knightmare Returns

Meta Knightmare Returns is the Extra Mode present in Kirby: Planet Robobot. It plays similarly to Dededetour, though it also takes cues from Meta Knightmare Ultra. Much like these two modes, Meta Knight takes on the game in a long time attack run, fighting stronger "2.0" versions of the bosses in the process. Some bosses from Story Mode are omitted, with Meta Knight instead fighting a trio of different bosses in sequence after defeating President Haltmann 2.0. The save point and leaderboard systems from Dededetour are retained.
The stages are modified to accommodate for the lack of Robobot Armor, and there are no Code Cubes or Rare Stickers to collect. Meta Knight's moveset allows him to tackle most obstacles which would normally require the armor, however. Like Meta Knightmare Ultra, defeating enemies will give Meta Knight points to spend on various benefits, such as increasing his speed or recovering his health. Clearing Meta Knightmare Returns is required to unlock The True Arena.
Kirby Star Allies[edit]
Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go![edit]
- Main article: Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!
The main Extra Mode in Kirby Star Allies is called Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!. It is a combination between previous time attack Extra Modes and Helper to Hero, in which the player selects a Friend or Dream Friend who makes their way through the game's stages and recruits allies without Kirby's help. Instead of Rare Picture Pieces, the allies can obtain Power-Up Hearts which increase their attack strength, total health, and movement speed. Each Guest Star mode is slightly personalized to account for the types of obstacles that the chosen Friend can handle, and Dream Friend routes are further personalized to take advantage of their unique abilities and reference their original games.
After defeating Hyness at The Divine Terminus, the allies learn that he had summoned Galacta Knight from his vessel. Just before the confrontation begins, a butterfly lands upon Galacta Knight's lance, which causes him to disappear and be replaced by a new warrior, Morpho Knight. Clearing Guest Star at least once is required to unlock the Fiery Showdown and higher difficulties of The Ultimate Choice.
Heroes in Another Dimension[edit]
- Main article: Heroes in Another Dimension
The final major update to the game added a new extra mode called Heroes in Another Dimension, which offers a difficult romp through stages set in Another Dimension, culminating in fights against more powerful parallel bosses. The stages require Kirby and his Dream Friends to solve challenging puzzles to collect Friend Hearts; the final outcome is determined by how many Friend Hearts were accrued in total. Clearing Heroes in Another Dimension is required to unlock the Soul Melter EX difficulty of The Ultimate Choice, and clearing it with at least 100 Friend Hearts will unlock The Three Mage-Sisters as a Dream Friend. Notably, this mode's story is a direct follow-up to the events of the game's Story Mode, indicating that it is most likely part of the same continuity.
[edit]
- Main article: Devilish Mode
Exclusive to Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn is the option of selecting the Devilish Mode when entering stages. In this mode, Kirby is tasked with getting to the end of the stage as normal, but now has a star-shaped health bar composed of Life Pieces, which deplete if Kirby gets hurt from any enemy or obstacle. Devils also constantly harass him with their attacks, with the type encountered depending on which stage Kirby is currently on. If Kirby reaches the end of the stage, any retained Life Pieces will be added to a reward roadmap, used to unlock new furniture. Depleting all Life Pieces will force the player to restart from the beginning of the stage.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land[edit]
- Main article: Isolated Isles: Forgo Dreams
Isolated Isles: Forgo Dreams is the extra mode for Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Like Heroes in Another Dimension, this mode directly follows up on the main game's plot, most likely indicating it's part of the same continuity. After completing the main story, Kirby approaches Clawroline on the Observation Tower in Waddle Dee Town. Elfilin and Clawroline chat, and it is revealed that Leongar (a.k.a. Leon) has still not appeared, having been kept captive in Soul Forgo's dreams. A dimensional rift then opens up, sucking Kirby and Elfilin into it, though they can leave at any time.
The gameplay is similar to Heroes in Another Dimension, but with a World Map like the main story mode and without Hero Doors. Kirby must search dreamlike stages made up of segments of main story stages for pieces of Leon's soul. Kirby must collect at least 250 of these fragments to revive Leon, while collecting all 300 rewards him with the Leon & Carol figure. When Kirby and Elfilin succeed in reviving Leon, however, he is possessed again and turned into Forgo Leon, leaving Kirby to battle him. After Forgo Leon is defeated, Soul Forgo comes to and prepares to battle Kirby until suddenly, a butterfly appears and absorbs Soul Forgo. The butterfly turns back into Morpho Knight and battles Kirby with new Soul Forgo-based moves, as well as returning and altered moves from Kirby Star Allies. After Morpho Knight disintegrates upon defeat, a shadowed figure resembling Fecto Elfilis is briefly seen before vanishing. It also leaves behind a blueprint for the Morpho Knight Sword Evolved Copy Ability. Kirby and Elfilin try to wake up the unconscious Leon, but to no avail. Just then, Clawroline (now referred to as Carol) and the rest of the Beast Pack arrive with all of the pieces of Leon's soul, which they use to resurrect him once more. After this, the credits roll, showing Leon making friends with the residents of Waddle Dee Town and hinting at a mysterious figure's presence within the Colosseum.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]
[edit]
| “ | Extra Mode is now available! A whole new adventure awaits. | ” | — Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe unlock quote |
Extra Mode is unlocked in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe after clearing the Story Mode once regardless of completion percentage. This mode reprises the same role as the original Wii version, featuring most of the same alterations, but also introducing new ones:
- Playable characters' health bars are colored purple instead of green.
- Even more enemies are added to stages, on top of the ones already present in the original Wii version's Extra Mode.
- Another Dimension's rift walls are colored red and gold, instead of red.
- Kirby is unable to summon Helper Magolor.
- All regular food items found within stages are replaced with Point Stars. Maxim Tomatoes found outside of boss stages are replaced with regular food items.
- Different music from the Story Mode plays for the Tower of Mid-Bosses in Nutty Noon - Stage 5.
Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler[edit]
| “ | Magolor's adventure isn't over yet! You can now play Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler. | ” | — Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe unlock quote |
- Main article: Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler
Additionally, Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler is also unlocked after clearing the Story Mode, featuring Magolor as the main playable character. In it, after he is defeated in the main story, Magolor is cast adrift through another dimension and loses most of his magical power. He has to traverse various otherworldly realms and slowly regain his magic so that he can find a way back home. This Extra Mode features new and recurring enemies, along with souped-up versions of some of the Story Mode bosses. The mode can also be played with up to four players, each one a different colored Magolor.
Clearing Extra Mode and Magolor Epilogue are required to unlock The True Arena.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World[edit]
- Main article: Star-Crossed World
Star-Crossed World is a new extra mode for Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World. Unlike Isolated Isles: Forgo Dreams, this extra mode is unlocked after defeating Gorimondo; new stages can be accessed after watching a cutscene and visiting the Fallen-Star Volcano.
In this extra mode, each level receives two additional stages, which have been crystallized due to the effects of falling meteors. These stages feature hardier "Crystal" enemies and mid-bosses, new Mouthful Modes, and other additional gameplay mechanics. Instead of Waddle Dees, the primary collectibles in these stages are a type of star-shaped creature known as Starries. There are a total of 120 Starries to rescue. Of this total, 80 Starries must be rescued in order to access the final (and only) boss of the campaign, Genwel Meteonelfilis. After the credits, a new Colosseum cup is unlocked.
Trivia[edit]
- The Extra Game command for Kirby's Dream Land (↑, A, and Select together) is reprised as the Soul Melter EX command (↑, A, and - together) for The Ultimate Choice in Kirby Star Allies.
- In Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Classics, there is a special version of Kirby's Adventure with both the Extra Game and Sound Test already unlocked.
Names in other languages[edit]
[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | エキストラゲーム ekisutora gēmu エクストラゲーム ekusutora gēmu |
Extra Game |
| Korean | 엑스트라 게임 egseuteula geim |
Extra Game |
[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | エクストラモード ekusutora mōdo |
Extra Mode |
| Chinese | 特别模式 tè bié mó shì |
Special Mode |
| French | Mode extra | Extra mode |
| German | Extra-Modus | Extra Mode |
| Korean | 엑스트라 모드 egseuteula modeu |
Extra Mode |
| Spanish | Modo extra | Extra mode |
| Game design and mechanics of the Kirby games | |
|---|---|
| Game design | Bad ending • CPU • Cutscene • Damage • Difficulty • Easter egg • Fourth wall • Game Over • Goal Game • GRAB IT! • Heads-up display • Health • Idle animation • Level hub • Model • Motion controls • Multiplayer • Music • Online features • Pause • Score • Sub-Game • Sprite • Staff credits • Title screen • World Map |
| Recurring game mechanics and elements | |
| Recurring game modes and menus | Extra Mode • Jukebox • Options • Past Adventures • Story Mode • Theater |
| Meta | |