Meta Knightmare in Dream Land

Summary

Meta Knightmare is a new game mode in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land. It is the first game in the Meta Knightmare series and the first Non-Kirby gamemode with an in-game-timer.

Version Differences

Like Kirby mode, Wii U VC saves time whenever killing a midboss or boss because boss flashes are removed. In Meta Knightmare, this also saves in game time. Since framerate has no affect on in-game-time, this means Wii U VC can be up to a few seconds faster in Meta Knightmare.

Rules

Any% vs. 100%

Meta Knightmare is just beating the game as quickly as possible. MK 100% is beating the game while hitting all of the switches throughout the stages. Since the switches are not tracks by the end of the run, video proof is required for MK 100% runs.

Movement & Tech

Ground Movement

The fastest way to move in Meta Knightmare is by staying on the ground as much as possible.

Sliding off ledges

Sliding off edges like Kirby mode can be used to get off edges more quickly. Unlike Kirby mode, this tech is slower as long as Meta Knight is already in a dash. Sliding off a ledge is slower than dashing speed and Meta Knight will not keep his dash once touching the ground.

Jump-Slash

Jump slashing is accomplished by pressing B almost immediately after pressing A to jump. There are two main advantages to jump slashing.

1. You will always get a max height jump. This makes starting flapping much easier since you barely get height from only tapping A.

2. Meta Knight will actually gain more height compared to doing a full height jump as shown by the gif below. This will also allow Meta Knight to cover a bit more distance as well.

Jump Doubleslash

You can actually cover even more distance by doing an extra slash after your jump slash. This is because it takes longer for Meta Knight to slow down in the air as you preform this. Doing a third slash midair leads to a diminishing return however. I personally prefer to Jump Doubleslash by mashing the B button breifly, but it can take a bit to get used to.

Slash Momentum

An important thing to note with jump slashing is that it becomes impossible to turn around while slashing as shown by the gif below. Because of this, Jump Slashing is a very committal technique.

About Jumpsquat

In Meta Knightmare, there are actually 4 frames of jumpsquat after pressing the jump butto. If you press B during these 4 frames of jumpsquat, your jump input will be completely overwritten and Meta Knight will dash attack instead. This can be easily accomplished by sliding your finger from A to B to jumpslash, so it is important to be mindful about that.

Neutral Flapping

If you let go of the dpad the moment you run off a platform and begin flapping, Meta Knight's horizontal speed from dashing will be retained for much longer. This can be useful when covering long stretches of air.

Shorthop Slashing

When slashing on the ground, Meta Knight will be pushed a few pixels forward. This can be avoiding with shorthop slashing. Make sure you let go of A before pressing B, otherwise you will do a Jump Slash.

Water Slashing

If you slash while entering the water, Meta Knight will ignore the water entirely until you finish slashing. This can be useful for falling quickly as you enter water.