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Tower of Mid-Bosses
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Notice: It has been suggested that this article be renamed to Mid-Boss Tower. |
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| Please discuss this proposal on the talk page, or rename the article if appropriate. Reason: Name given in the track from Kirby's Return to Dream Land in its remake; "Tower of Mid-Bosses" has never been used specifically, only "Tower of Midbosses" in the Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition Compilation Soundtrack, and if we are going to move the page, might as well move it to the newer name |
The Tower of Mid-Bosses is an area, level or stage commonly seen in various games in the Kirby series. Essentially, the tower takes the form of an area where various mid-bosses are fought in succession, usually in a building or other structure in which Kirby ascends after each fight. In-between each fight is usually a respite area, where Kirby can recover some health and/or use the ability he obtained from the last fight to obtain a treasure in that room. After the last fight, Kirby reaches the highest point of the tower, then proceeds to the exit. Many of these stages also contain a hidden alternate path, featuring more difficult battles with a better reward at the end.
Game appearances[edit]
Kirby's Adventure / Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land[edit]
The Tower of Mid-Bosses first appeared in Kirby's Adventure and later in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land; it is featured in Rainbow Resort - Stage 2. Here, Kirby enters the tower and fights up to seven mid-bosses, one after the other, with short hallway interludes between each fight as Kirby ascends the tower. Alternatively, there is a hidden route through the tower that can be accessed at the beginning. It features fewer mid-bosses, but in return, they are at their hardest difficulty. Completing this harder, hidden route leads to rewards not found in the normal route.
Kirby Super Star[edit]
In Kirby Super Star, the seven base mid-bosses all appear in both the Cavius and Mekkai stages in Milky Way Wishes, though defeating all of them is not required to proceed to the next area.
Kirby's Dream Land 3[edit]
Iceberg - Stage 6 acts mostly as a tower in Kirby's Dream Land 3, as Kirby has to battle all of the six mid-bosses of the game, and then use their abilities to break an ability block after their battles. However, since there are no mid-bosses that give Cutter and Spark, two rooms instead feature regular enemies to give these abilities rather than a mid-boss.
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards[edit]
Due to the lack of proper mid-bosses in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, it features no true tower of mid-bosses. However, a similar concept is used in Ripple Star - Stage 3, instead made up of five enemy ambushes.
Kirby: Squeak Squad[edit]
In Vocal Volcano - Stage 3 of Kirby: Squeak Squad, Kirby is pitted against four mid-bosses in succession, using their powers at the end of each fight to obtain a treasure chest, similar to how it's done in Kirby's Dream Land 3. Who he fights as the last opponent depends on whether or not he obtains the large chest.
Kirby Super Star Ultra[edit]
Both the Cavius and Mekkai stages return unchanged in function in Kirby Super Star Ultra. Additionally, in Revenge of the King's last stage, The Revenge, the four extra mid-bosses and Bandana Waddle Dee are fought in succession.
Kirby Mass Attack[edit]
Kirby Mass Attack, Volcano Valley - Stage 9 is a tower of sorts, pitting the Kirbys against three tougher versions of previous mid-bosses in the game before unlocking the way to a new mid-boss fought at the end. The 10 Kirbys will gain greater rewards if they manage to get through these fights without any losses.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land[edit]
In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Nutty Noon - Stage 5 is largely a nod to the original tower from Kirby's Adventure, and features four mid-boss encounters. However, much like in Kirby's Dream Land 3 and Kirby: Squeak Squad, Kirby utilizes their powers to obtain Energy Spheres in each interlude room. Taking the secret path pits Kirby against tougher encounters facing off against every mid-boss in the game, and some in pairs, but yields greater rewards at the end. The music played in the tower is "Crash! Mid-Boss Tower", an arrangement of "King Dedede's Theme"; this is a reference to Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, which also had an arrangement of "King Dedede's Theme" play in its tower of mid-bosses.
Notably, this is the only stage which features two sets of Energy Sphere pickups, and picking them up on one path also gets the ones on the other.
Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition[edit]
The Smash Combat Chamber EX in Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition essentially serves as a tower of mid-bosses, as all mid-bosses from Kirby's Return to Dream Land, plus Whispy Woods, are battled.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe[edit]
Endless Explosions - Stage 5 serves as a more unorthodox example of the tower in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, this time being one with alternate branching paths, essentially allowing Kirby to choose who he fights. The stage also features more involved interlude sections than previous towers.
Kirby: Planet Robobot[edit]
While there is no dedicated tower stage in Kirby: Planet Robobot, there are several points where Kirby can battle tougher enemies and mid-bosses in succession. One example is Access Ark - Stage 5, where Kirby uses the Robobot Armor to plow through several foes, including holograms from the Holo Defense API and Gigavolt II at the end. This is not meant to be particularly challenging, instead ramping up Kirby's sense of urgency, power, and determination before the final boss fights.
Kirby Star Allies[edit]
Planet Caverna is a sort of tower in Kirby Star Allies, but it features a single hub area which Kirby and his team return to again and again. From this hub, Kirby can choose any order he wishes to battle all of the game's mid-bosses to unlock the way to the exit.
In version 4.0.0, a secret path is available in this stage which functions much the same, but pits Kirby against twin encounters of each mid-boss and yields greater rewards, much like previous towers.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land[edit]
Kirby and the Forgotten Land's version of the "tower" takes the form of the stage The Battle of Blizzard Bridge, in Winter Horns. Rather than being partitioned into several different rooms, however, the main part of the stage takes place on one long continuous bridge.
Like with some other towers, there is a secret path to take on this stage, which can be found right at the start from the area where the hidden Maxim Tomato can be found. This leads to a harder version of the area with greater rewards.
Similarly to both Kirby's Dream Land 3 and Kirby: Squeak Squad, each fight contains a side-area in between featuring a puzzle requiring the ability from the previously fought boss to rescue a captured Waddle Dee.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]
In Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, Nutty Noon - Stage 5 is mostly unchanged from the original Wii version. Here, the tower has four music tracks that can play compared to the original. In Story Mode, the main path still plays "Crash! Mid-Boss Tower", while the secret path plays "VS Waddle Tank" (due to the removal of Scope Shot). In Extra Mode, the main path plays "Macho of Dedede", and the secret path plays "History of Kirby Fighters" from Kirby Fighters 2.
In Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler, Locandra Dimension - 4-3 is an equivalent to the Tower of Mid-Bosses. Like most of the others, it too has a secret path.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World[edit]
Besides The Battle of Blizzard Bridge reprising its role from the original Nintendo Switch version, in Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World, the Crystal Beast Pack Volcano Battle Starry Stage functions a lot like a Tower of Mid-Bosses, as it requires Kirby to defeat a Galactal and all four crystal mid-bosses spread throughout the stage to get through it.
Kirby Air Riders[edit]
In Kirby Air Riders, the Journey's End stage in Road Trip's New Game + functions a lot like a Tower of Mid-Bosses, though the rider is required to defeat all four bosses before proceeding to the final battle with Galactic Nova. As the rider is riding Leo, one of the legendary Air Ride Machines, it is more like a segment with special abilities.
Segments with Special Abilities[edit]
Starting with Kirby's Return to Dream Land, some final stages have segments with crowds of mid-bosses that can be defeated with Special Abilities.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land / Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]
In Kirby's Return to Dream Land and its remake, Kirby can slice the crowd of mid-bosses with the Ultra Sword Super Ability in Dangerous Dinner - Stage 3.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe[edit]
In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Kirby can inhale the huge crowd of mid-bosses and eventually Flowery Woods with the Hypernova ability in Royal Road - Stage 5.
Additionally, Royal Road - Stage 8 EX functions similarly, but instead features the mid-bosses that are fought with the Hypernova ability.
Kirby: Planet Robobot[edit]
In Kirby: Planet Robobot, Kirby can destroy the huge crowd of mid-bosses with the Robobot Armor's Jet Mode in Access Ark - Stage 5.
Kirby Star Allies[edit]
In Kirby Star Allies, Kirby and his friends can defeat a series of mid-boss twins and eventually Yggy Woods using the Friend Star in Extra Planet δ.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land / Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World[edit]
In Kirby and the Forgotten Land and its Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, Kirby is encouraged to defeat all four mid-bosses with attackable Mouthful Modes in Forgo Zone.
Gallery[edit]
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Riding the elevator of Tower of Mid-Bosses of Mekkai in Kirby Super Star. -
Reaching one of the sets of three doors of mid-bosses in Kirby's Dream Land 3. -
The base of the tree stairway of the tower in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. -
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A door to the battle with the undead mid-boss is locked in Volcano Valley - Stage 9 in Kirby Mass Attack. -
In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, three King Doos are about to take a super hit in Dangerous Dinner - Stage 3. -
In Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition, Kirby fights Whispy Woods in the end of Smash Combat Chamber EX. -
In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Kirby fights Flame Galboros with Cutter Ability in Endless Explosions - Stage 5. -
Kirby inhales Flowery Woods and the health bar in Royal Road - Stage 5, breaking the fourth wall in Kirby: Triple Deluxe. -
In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, the Waddle Dee Steel Fortress takes its revenge in Royal Road - Stage 8 EX. -
In Kirby: Planet Robobot, Kirby fights Gigavolt II with Robobot Armor in the end of Access Ark - Stage 5. -
The first five battles must be fought in order to reach to the goal door of Planet Caverna in Kirby Star Allies. -
In Kirby Star Allies, Kirby and his allies are igniting Yggy Woods in Extra Planet δ. -
The mouth of the bridge of mid-bosses in Kirby and the Forgotten Land. -
In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Kirby is washing away Wild Edge using Water-Balloon Mouth in Forgo Zone. -
Entering the tower in Nutty Noon - Stage 5 in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe. -
In Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, Kirby uses the Ultra Sword to dispatch three King Doos at once. -
Magolor approaches the tower of Locandra Dimension - 4-3 in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe.
Trivia[edit]
- In most cases, the first part of any given Tower stage features no music, often replacing it with an ominous wind. This helps build up a serious mood to the challenge.
- In many ways, this type of stage can be seen as similar to The Arena and other Boss Endurance modes.
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