This stage starts at the base of a ladder. You can start up the ladder and you'll find Cutter and Shock enemy types, which you can easily enough inhale if either of those abilities interest you. At the top of the ladder, fly to the upper left for an easy blue star, but otherwise start right with a Key. You'll easily open the gate nearby. Continue right and a Bandana Waddle Dee in the background will toss you an Assist Star. Proceed onward from there to find a boss.
Mini-Boss: Hornhead
This guy will stare at you for a bit, then charge. He has a nasty horn, so be ready to jump his charge. When he reaches the edge of the screen, he'll be temporarily indisposed and a star will fall on the ground. You can use that to hit him if you must, but you likely have a better means of offense, thanks to the enemies you encountered along the way. Strike your foe in the backside until it turns, then give yourself some distance. It may either charge in a straight line, or float above the ground before zigging in and out of the foreground while crossing the screen. That makes it easy to avoid its attacks. When it reaches the far side of the screen, it'll again leave itself open to attack. Just keep avoiding its very basic rushes and attack when there's an opening. Easy!
Once you defeat Hornhead, a door will appear. Pass through it and then advance right, past some enemies that are walking in circles around stumps. Watch for shots from foes in the background. You'll find a 3D Warpstar. Ride it to the background, then head right to another 3D Warpstar. Fly to the foreground, then travel left and defeat a boar that resembles the boss you defeated a moment ago. Past that, burn some brush to reveal a
Keychain.
Head right now and you'll see a large crate. Break it open for a Key. Carry that right, being careful to avoid shots from the distant enemy on the background ledge. When you get to the 3D Warpstar, ride it back to that ledge. Head left, past the enemy, to open a gate and obtain the stage's first
Sun Stone. Then return to the right and ride the star back to the foreground.
Continue right and you'll find a bear that charges you. Past it, there's another 3D Warpstar. Ride that back to the background area. You'll see a door to your left, but ignore it for a moment. Instead, head to the right to find a hidden passage. You'll pass to the right and find a chamber that contains the
Rare Keychain: Dark Matter. Now go back left, past the door. You can burn some brush for a 1up. Finally, pass through the door you've been neglecting.
On the other side of that doorway, you'll find a long area leading to the right. Head along there, avoiding the spiked floating enemies that circle about, and a snowball with a spiky red hat (you can gulp it down for the Needle ability, though it's not particularly useful to do so at this juncture). Ascend along some wooden ledges and continue right until you see a set of horizontal ledges with a
Keychain positioned between them. Here, spiked enemies make loops, but they're easy to avoid if you want the Keychain. Grab it and keep going to reach a door.
Pass through that door and then head left behind a spiked enemy. Jump up, onto the ledge overhead. Take a few steps right and hop up again, then again. Keep hopping up along the ledges around the stationary spiked enemies, until you reach and pass through the door at the top of the chamber. It leads to an area of the stage you had seen previously. As you head left, you'll gain invincibility, which you should use to charge through enemies. Trigger an explosion to reveal a 3D Warpstar. Ride it to the foreground and head right to find a
Sun Stone. Keep going from there and you'll find another 3D Warpstar. Ride it, then proceed left past more enemies. You should come to another of the bears that likes to charge you. It is asleep, and hiding a door. Defeat the enemy, then pass through the door.
Now you are in an area with what looks almost like a rowboat hanging from a bar. Jump into the cradle and let it slide to the right, which you make happen by tilting your handheld in that direction. On the far end, carefully take out a fire-breathing enemy and then climb a ladder beyond it. From the top of that ladder, head left using another of the moving cradles (don't pass under the overhead cannon while it is firing, though), then take out the sword-wielding enemy and keep going. You will find another ladder.
Climb the ladder, then grab a Key and hop into the nearby cradle. You have to ride it over a furnace that occasionally emits a geyser of flame. Wait for one such geyser to recede while you are position near it but not actually overhead. Then tilt your handheld right and hop you slide by in time to avoid the next impending blast. Soon, you can jump to another cradle and pass another such furnace. If you get to the far side there, you can open a gate to grab some food, and drop down through a ledge for the final
Sun Stone in the stage. Then float up out of the shaft and keep ascending the main vertical area to reach a high ledge. Proceed left along it to find a Warpstar. Ride that and you'll eventually reach a final area. Head right past a few last enemies to reach the area goal.
NEXT: Fine Fields - Stage 5
