Rock 1
A mostly straightforward level with one annoying powerup combination.


After Whispy Woods, you should have double fire, and if not, there is a fire enemy towards the beginning that you can grab. The three clips show the double fire route for the first room. The route is designed so that you don't land on any enemies during the recovery period between double fires.


Once inside, float up to the ceiling and double fire across while grabbing Shard 1. A safer strat that's easier for getting the right height is shown on the right. In both instances, use the star piece as a visual cue. Afterwards, grab stone on the Cairn enemy below after throwing away double fire.


The Kacti miniboss takes four hits and is straightforward with the rock powerup. The fastest way to grab Shard 2 is to use the powerup twice, ending farther left by the time of the fourth hit. Note that the animation where Kirby comes out of stone form also does damage and even has a larger hitbox. An easier strat, as shown on the right, just involves standing underneath the miniboss in stone form.


After exiting the autoscroller, there will be a cliff and a hill. Puffing right before hitting the ground cancels the nosedive animation, and since both uphill and downhill slopes slow down Kirby, jumping prevents you from losing speed. By far the scariest part of this level is combining with the Sparky at the end of the hill. There are many ways the Sparky can move, and missing the throw means resetting the level. Afterwards, run back across the hill and break the barrier with the yoyo to get Shard 3.


After climbing the hill once more, make it through the gauntlet of enemies. It's fastest to go underneath, as shown on the left, but floating up and running on the blocks doesn't lose too much time, either. The yoyo is helpful for clearing out enemies, but keep in mind that you get sent back to walking speed after using it.