Access Ark

Access Ark is a vast mothership in the Kirby series that serves as the headquarters of the Haltmann Works Company, and as the sixth level in Kirby: Planet Robobot.

General Information

Story Mode

In the introduction of Kirby: Planet Robobot, Access Ark uses a laser to shoot down the Halberd and destroy King Dedede's Castle, then releases machinery to mechanize Dream Land. It digs its five feet into each corner of Planet Popstar to increase its grip on the planet. Throughout the majority of the game, Kirby sets out to destroy each foot and then take down the spacecraft from the inside.

After laying waste to each foot, Kirby takes his Warp Star inside the spacecraft. Access Ark's interior has three layers. The first is a dark, ominous area decorated with pillars, carpets, and statues of President Haltmann. The second layer is a brightly-lit white area that incorporates many of the puzzles seen in the previous five levels. Kirby takes a Warp Hole from here into the third layer: a purple and black area containing crystalline platforms and elements. Sentry robots called Security Forces protect all layers, and all Story Mode mid-bosses (excluding the first model of Gigavolt) appear between Stages 4 and 5. Additionally, there is the President's office, though this is off-limits to normal Haltmann Works Company staff.

By collecting at least seven of the 21 Code Cubes scattered throughout Access Ark, Kirby disables the firewall protecting the boss. He then meets Susie for a fourth time, who unleashes Mecha Knight+ on him. After Kirby defeats him, Susie is interrupted by President Haltmann, who battles the hero himself. After his defeat, he attempts to activate the Mother Computer, Star Dream, and loses consciousness. Susie steals the controller off his head and reveals that she has been a corporate spy the whole time and that she has been hoping to steal Star Dream's technology. Before she succeeds, however, the controller on her head explodes, knocking her to the ground. Star Dream gains sentience through the president's body, declares that all life in the universe must be eliminated, and takes off into space. This ushers in Mind in the Program, the seventh level in the game.

After the player has beaten Story Mode, a Warp Star appears inside Access Ark that takes Kirby to the Ability Testing Area in Fine Fields. Additionally, Access Ark contains two of the game's three HAL Rooms.

Meta Knightmare Returns

In the Meta Knightmare Returns sub-game, Meta Knight traverses through Access Ark and faces President Haltmann in his office as Kirby did. However, instead of entering Mind in the Program and facing Star Dream directly, Meta Knight faces clones Star Dream creates of Dark Matter and Queen Sectonia in succession. After Meta Knight defeats these bosses, Star Dream summons Galacta Knight, the final boss of the sub-game. All three of the aforementioned battles occur within the Access Ark.

Battle

In addition to serving as an area, the Access Ark also serves as a boss alongside Star Dream and Star Dream Soul OS (as Star Dream and Access Ark and Star Dream Soul OS and Access Ark, respectively). In both cases, fighting the Access Ark results in it steadily losing pieces of its metal shell, eventually revealing that it is actually a repurposed clockwork star, reminiscent of the one Kirby encounters in Kirby Super Star. This continues to fight Kirby long after the shell is destroyed; the battle lasts another two phases in both Story Mode and The True Arena.

Copy Abilities

Archer	Beam	Bomb	Circus	Crash	Cutter	Doctor
ESP	Fighter	Fire	Hammer	Ice	Jet	Leaf

Mike	Mirror	Ninja	Parasol	Poison	Sleep
Smash Bros.	Spark	Stone	Sword	Wheel	Whip

Robobot Armor Modes

Beam Mode	Bomb Mode	Cutter Mode	ESP Mode	Fire Mode

Ice Mode	Jet Mode	Mike Mode	Parasol Mode
Spark Mode	Stone Mode	Sword Mode	Wheel Mode

Code Cubes

Stage 1

In Treasure Chest after defeating Security Force. Destroy Bomb Block.
In Treasure Chest after defeating Security Force. Pull middle switch.
In Treasure Chest after defeating Security Force. Press switch at right of the room.

Stage 2

Use Poison in optional room to hit all switches.
In room with Skull Panels, bring the third Battery to the Swap Chamber.
In final room, hit all switches, opening the gates to the Code Cube.

Stage 3

Use Bomb Mode to activate switches by using a Boomstepper to the right, then left. Use Boomsteppers to destroy Durable Blocks.
Use Ice Mode to filter smog. Climb grates at the top right. Enter optional garage door. Use the crank to create water spouts. Freeze the water spouts in order to go to the background. Freeze the water spouts in the background and destroy the Bomb Block to allow the Key Dee to bring the Battery to the Swap Chamber.
Use Spark Mode to power the screen in the background. Follow the correct path as displayed by the screen in the background: Ice Mode, Fire Mode, Spark Mode. Put the head on the snowman; he gives a 3D Warp Star. Place Cannon at end of third fuse. Bring the wire block to complete the circuit. Power the circuit. Unscrew platforms to keep the current going.

Stage 4

In the second room, skip the door and wait for the Push Blocks to create a floor to an optional room. Enter the door. Take the Battery and avoid getting hit by the Push Blocks, climbing them like stairs. Take Battery to table saw.
In the following room, in the right area of one of the Push Block segments.
Go to the left in the branching path area with the Push Blocks.

Stage 5

After battle with Holo-Ice Dragon, use heavy block to destroy gold Durable Blocks.
After Holo-Kracko, place heavy block in hole. Press switch in background to drop Treasure Chest.
Press all switches in second Jet Mode segment.

Stage 7

Make sure Key Dee doesn't get run over by Waddle Dee Drivers.
In desert area, enter optional room. Use Doctor's Science Lab to cool Fire Blocks and melt Ice Blocks. Press switch in foreground to drop Batteries, activating Swap Chambers.
In Treasure Chest after defeating Miasmoros 2.0 and Bonkers 2.0.

Stage 8

Use Robobot Armor to deflect billiards balls at pile.
In room with wire, rotate the crank counterclockwise until the screw falls out, revealing a couple of Waddle Dees, playing Kirby's Adventure on the Famicom, and a Code Cube. The Waddle Dees will be scared and run away, giving Kirby the Code Cube.
Defeat Clanky Woods with Robobot Armor.

Rare stickers

Stage	Rare Sticker	Guide
Stage 1	Haltmann Works. Co Logo	In room with tubes, go to bottom tube in area with Esper.
Stage 2	Nightmare Wizard	In the room with the Tilt Gondolas, there is a hole in the ceiling. Hovering up to it reveals the Rare Sticker.
Stage 3	Zero	Slice the chain on the catapult without using the crank.
Stage 4	Galacta Knight	After fighting Security Force, skip the door, as Push Blocks will appear above. Hover up and go into the background. Go to the beginning of the room.
Stage 5	Susie	In room with Cannons after Jet Mode crash, hover above to find a Sticker. Hover above that and enter secret area from star. When at split path, make Cannon go all the way to the left, past the Blue Point Star.
Stage 7	Crazy Hand	In underwater segment, after Barbar with Red Point Star, swim upward.
Stage 8	Dream Hatcher	Enter moon after pressing switch. Unscrew left-most screw in the foreground.

Trivia

At one point in Stage 1 of Access Ark, Kirby must run under blocks with falling Bombers. This may be a homage to Stage 5 of Rainbow Resort from Kirby's Adventure and its remake, in which Kirby must do the same thing.
The themes in the 7 EX Stage are Neo Star's level select music from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Machine Passage's music from Kirby Air Ride, Spectacle Space's music from Kirby: Canvas Curse (which in turn is a remix of Nightmare's theme from Kirby's Adventure), and the original version of Revenge of Meta Knight's "Taking Over the Halberd" music from Kirby Super Star.
- The music in the 8 EX Stage is "C-R-O-W-N-E-D" (Magolor Soul's theme, which originated in Kirby's Return to Dream Land) from Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe and the Goal Game's music from Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Fantasy Meadows' alternate music, Green Greens' music from Kirby Air Ride (which in turn is a remix of Green Greens' music from Kirby's Dream Land), and the original 8-bit title screen music from Kirby's Adventure.
The music in the Ability Testing Area reuses music from Kirby: Triple Deluxe: the music that plays in the areas with just the Copy Abilities is reused from Fine Fields' music, and the music that plays in the area with the Robobot Armor is reused from the music of Green Greens (which is a remix of Green Greens' music from Kirby's Dream Land) from the Dedede's Drum Dash sub-game.
The music that plays in the HAL Room of Stage 1 is reused from the main theme of Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe.
In Stage 8, Kirby tilts platforms with faces engraved in them. This is inspired by the face motif used throughout Kirby: Triple Deluxe.
- In addition, the first half of Stage 8 plays a remixed version of C-R-O-W-N-E-D.
The Ability Testing Area and the final hidden area in the 8 EX Stage are the only places in the main game where non-mechanical versions of Bronto Burt, Scarfy, and Cappy can be seen.