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 area 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 areas. 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 area 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[]

	This section contains information that does not coincide with the main series canon.

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 Returns, 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. 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 NESP.
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 the moon after pressing switch. Unscrew left-most screw in the foreground.

Etymology[]

Access Ark is based on access, which can refer to various things, such as computer data storage or a telecommunications network. "Ark" can mean "a place of protection or security; refuge; asylum"; this references it as the current living area of the Haltmann Works Company.

Its Japanese name, Acciss Arcs, is a corruption of this.

In Other Languages[]

Names, etymology and in other regions
Language	Name	Definition, etymology and notes
	アクシスアークス	Officially romanized as Acciss Arcs.
	Access Ark
	액세스 아크	Officially romanized as Access Ark.
	Orbitale Offensive	Translates to Orbital Offensive.
	Accès Analogique	Translates to Analog Access.
	Mondo Access	Translates to World Access.
	Sistema Servidor	Translates to Server System.

Music[]

"Working Sounds" plays in Stage 1 in the first room. "Haltmann Works Co. Hq" plays in Stage 1 after entering the Access Ark. "Secret Area: Hal Room" plays while in the HAL Room; this is the title theme of Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe. "Pristine Office March" plays in Stage 2, 3, and the first room of Stage 4. "L86" plays in Stage 4 after entering the Warp Window and in the first room of Stage 5. "Pink Ball Revolution" plays in Stage 5 after obtaining the Robobot Armor. "Haltmann Works Co. Theme Song" plays in Stage 6 during the "Duel in the President's Office" cutscene and the beginning of the "My Name is Haltmann" cutscene. "Inner Stuggle" plays in Stage 6 when fighting Mecha Knight+. "Loveless Command" plays in Stage 6 during the "My Name is Haltmann" cutscene after President Haltmann starts speaking. "Crazy Rolling in Money" plays in Stage 6 when fighting President Haltmann. "Fatal Error" plays in Stage 6 during the "Apocalyptic Wish" cutscene after Susie steals the helmet that controls Star Dream. "Apocalyptic Reboot" plays in Stage 6 during the "Apocalyptic Wish" cutscene after Star Dream activates. Stages 7 and 8 feature music from past games: "Air Ride: Machine Passage" from Kirby Air Ride plays in the first, second, third, and eighth rooms of Stage 7; "Spectacle Space" from Kirby: Canvas Curse, which is a remix of "Nightmare Wizard" from Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, plays in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rooms of Stage 7; "Neo Star Select" from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards plays in the puzzle room; "Havoc aboard the Halberd" from Kirby Super Star plays in the seventh room of Stage 7; "Crowned:Ver.2" from Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe, which is a remix of "C-R-O-W-N-E-D" from Kirby's Return to Dream Land, plays throughout Stage 8; "Green Greens" from Kirby Air Ride, which is a remix of "Green Greens" from Kirby's Dream Land, plays in Stage 8 after obtaining the Robobot Armor; "Title Screen" from Kirby's Adventure plays in Stage 8 in the final secret area by entering the moon.

Trivia[]

At one point in Stage 1 of Access Ark, Kirby must run under blocks with falling Bombers. This is a reference to Stage 5 of Rainbow Resort, in which Kirby must do the same thing.
The music in the Ability Testing Area is 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 from the Dedede's Drum Dash sub-game, which is a remix of Green Greens' music from Kirby's Dream Land.
The Access Ark could be based on the two Death Stars from the Star Wars franchise.
In Stage 8, Kirby tilts platforms with faces engraved in them. This is inspired by the face motif used throughout Kirby: Triple Deluxe.
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.
The second half of the auto-scrolling segment found in the 7 EX stage is nearly identical to the first room in Chapter 7 of Revenge of Meta Knight, notably after the second set of Teleporters.

Stage 3 (Level 3)
Stage 5 (Level 5)
Stage 5 (Level 5)
Stage 5 (Level 5)
Stage 5 (Level 5)
Stage 5 (Level 5)
Stage 5 (Level 5)
Stage 5 (Level 5)
Stage 5 (Level 5)

In Kirby Star Allies, when playing Guest Star Susie: Extermination by Blaster♥, some stage layout in Levels 3 and 5 is changed to reflect Stages 3 and 5 of Access Ark from Kirby: Planet Robobot. Smog clouds in the former stage are represented by Electro Saws. Holo-Doomers, Holo-Ice Dragon, and Holo-Kracko in the latter stage are represented by large enemies, and Security Forces in the Jet Robobot Armor sequence are represented by big Shotzos perched on Bomb Blocks.
"L86" is part of the medley that plays in Heroes in Another Dimension, "The Legend of Last World."