It turns out that Dedede didn’t take the Star Rod out of the Fountain of Dreams to harm Dream Land; he did it to protect it! Hidden inside the dreams of Dream Land’s inhabitants was a creature of pure darkness known only as the Nightmare. It’s up to you to save Dream Land by defeating the Nightmare and putting the Star Rod back where it belongs.
Nightmare
The Nightmare first appears as an orb, and the battle takes place in the sky. Kirby’s only method of attack uses the Star Rod to throw stars at the Nightmare, so this fight plays out a lot more like a shooter than the Kirby you’re used to.
This fight is simple mechanically: shoot stars at the Nightmare and don’t get hit by its dark stars. They are pretty easy to see coming and dodge well in advance. The fight is made trickier by an unseen timer ticking down for the entire exchange. As the battle between Kirby and the Nightmare rages on, they fall closer and closer to the ground. If Kirby touches the ground, he loses a life, and you start the fight over. Make each shot count, and don’t dawdle! Time is not on your side!
Once you defeat the Nightmare’s orb form, the fight is far from over. He reveals his true form as the Nightmare Vampire! This is where the fight really begins.
To defeat the Nightmare Vampire, use the Star Rod to shoot stars into the glowing parts under his cloak. He keeps them covered until the moment he attacks; that’s when you strike! He teleports across the room before pretty much every attack, so you don’t get a lot of time to damage him when he reveals his weak point.
All in all, the Nightmare Vampire isn’t hard if you are quick and accurate. Take your time learning his patterns; there’s no hurry this time, and his moves are easy enough to dodge. Shoot the Star Rod several times whenever you see the Nightmare Vampire’s weak point to deal extra damage. You’ve got this!