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Meta Knightmare Returns

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Meta Knightmare Returns
KPR MKR logo.png
Logo for Meta Knightmare Returns
Details
Type(s) Time Attack - Solo
Levels 6
Players 1
Appears in Kirby: Planet Robobot
Theme music

Clip of the title screen music for Meta Knightmare Returns.

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Fight new bosses and tougher enemies while Kirby takes a nap!
— Meta Knightmare Returns intro text

Meta Knightmare Returns is an Extra Mode which is unlocked after completing the Story Mode in Kirby: Planet Robobot. It stars Meta Knight, having him run through most of the Story Mode stages in a continuous time attack with limited recovery items and enhanced foes.

This is the third title of the "Meta Knightmare" time attack series, with the first two being Meta Knightmare from Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land and Meta Knightmare Ultra from Kirby Super Star Ultra, and the first to appear in a non-remake game. In a Miiverse Q&A, Shinya Kumazaki mentioned that this mode is essentially a "what if" scenario disconnected from the main story, so it does not align with the canon of the Story Mode.

Story

The story is effectively an alternate version of the main story, where Meta Knight leads the attack on the invading Haltmann Works Company instead of Kirby, who the player is informed is still taking his nap. Meta Knight battles through all the areas, damaging the legs of the Access Ark, then climbing inside to deal with its president. Once this is done, Meta Knight poses in triumph, presuming his task complete, when he is spotted by the mother computer, Star Dream, who was observing the battle, and now declares Meta Knight to be the new admin. As part of the initiation, Star Dream pits Meta Knight against two of its most powerful clones, Dark Matter Clone and Sectonia Clone. When they are defeated, Star Dream summons Galacta Knight from across dimensions to challenge its new admin, but Galacta Knight deals a decisive slash to the computer as soon as he is freed. With difficulty, Meta Knight defeats his magenta rival, sealing him away once more.

In the Japanese and Korean versions, Star Dream does not summon the clones as a test, but rather to fulfill Meta Knight's wish for battle, much like Galactic Nova did in Meta Knightmare Ultra. Many of the parallels between Star Dream and Galactic Nova were lost in the other foreign localizations, in particular the "READY. ->", "OK. ->", and "3... 2... 1... GO!" phrases shared between them.[1]

Gameplay differences

Meta Knight runs through a continuous stream of stages in each level, with no overworld map to use, and few recovery items to be found along the way. Many of the areas that feature the Robobot Armor in the Story Mode are skipped, though Meta Knight is capable of destroying numerous obstacles with his sword that only the Robobot Armor would be able to in Story Mode, such as Iron Balls and giant metal blocks.

In-between each level, Meta Knight can find rest areas in the docking bay of the Halberd which will save the player's progress and fully heal Meta Knight. Continuing a game will place Meta Knight back at the last save point used. When a level is complete, the time taken to complete it will be shown to the player with the overall time kept in a top time scoreboard once the game is finished.

Bosses

Enhanced versions of all bosses and mid-bosses previously encountered in Story Mode are re-fought in this mode (though only up to President Haltmann, also excluding Mecha Knight+, the Invader Armor and the ones faced using the Robobot Armor). After Meta Knight defeats President Haltmann 2.0, he is given a triad of new bosses to face.

Meta Knight encounters the following bosses through his run:

Moveset

The following table lists Meta Knight's standard moveset in Meta Knightmare Returns:

Meta Knight's moveset in Kirby: Planet Robobot
Skill Image Button Execution Skill Image Button Execution
Overhead Slash
KPR Meta Overhead Slash.png
B
Up Thrust
KPR Meta Up Thrust.png
↑ + B
Knight Beam
KPR Meta Knight Beam.png
B at full stamina
Meta Spin Slash
KPR Meta Spin Slash.png
Hold B, and then release
Meta Triple Slash
KPR Meta Triple Slash.png
B twice after Overhead Slash
Mach Tornado
KPR Meta Mach Tornado.png
Hold B, and then release + ↑
Meta Multithrust
KPR Meta Multithrust.png
B after Meta Triple Slash
Sky Knight Sword
KPR Meta Sky Knight Sword.png
Hold ↑, and then B
Piercing Slash
KPR Meta Piercing Slash.png
Dash + B
Underwater Spin
KPR Meta Underwater Spin.png
B while underwater
Knight Spin
KPR Meta Knight Spin.png
Dash + B in midair
Meta Condor Dive
KPR Meta Condor Dive.png
Dash + ↓ + B in midair
Meta Chop and Thrust
KPR Meta Chop and Thrust.png
B in midair
Shuttle Loop
KPR Meta Shuttle Loop.png
↓↑ + B
Down Thrust
KPR Meta Down Thrust.png
↓ + B in midair
Hover
KPR Meta Hover.png
A in midair

Meta Points

When Meta Knight defeats foes, he gains spheres of energy called Meta Points from them, which automatically fly to him. Gaining a certain amount of points is necessary to perform special moves (detailed below). Meta Knight can also find bubbles containing large quantities of points inside them, usually from side-chambers, or as a gift from Bandana Waddle Dee. Meta Knight can hold up to 50 Meta Points, which will not reset unless the game is quit and continued from a save point.

Meta Knight's Special Moves
Move Image Description Meta Points Needed
Meta Quick
KPR Meta Quick.png
Meta Knight speeds up for a short amount of time. Does not stack with Invincible Candy. 8
Heal
KPR Meta Healing.png
Meta Knight recovers all of his health. 10
Galaxia Darkness
KPR Meta Galaxia Darkness.png
Time stops as Meta Knight sweeps his cape forward and the screen goes dark. After a short time, a flash of light sweeps across the screen in a horizontal line across Meta Knight's position, dealing large damage to all foes in its path. This is directly taken from his same Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U. 18
Meta Knightmares
KPR Meta-Knights.png
Time stops and Meta Knight jumps off of the screen. His four Meta-Knights swoop across the stage, then all five land in the foreground and do a triumphant pose, with an explosion in the background. This deals severe damage to all foes on screen, with power similar to the fully charged Crash ability. 35

Trivia

Gallery

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
Japanese メタナイトでゴー リターンズ
Meta Naito de Gō Ritānzu
Go with Meta Knight Returns
French Meta Knight - le retour Meta Knight - The return
German Albtraumeta-Knights Rückkehr Nightmare Meta-Knight's Return
Italian Meta Knight: il ritorno Meta Knight: The return
Korean Go! 메타나이트 리턴즈
Go! meta naiteu liteonjeu
Go! Meta Knight Returns
Spanish Meta Knight contrataca Meta Knight strikes back


References