Kirby's Return to Dream Land/Continuity Nod


 * As seen in this image, many of the stone transformations are Call Backs to other characters and elements of the series, with some of the forms like the block with the gold star, the weight, and the bodybuilder coming directly from Kirby Super Star and the Master Hand transformation being a reference to Super Smash Bros., with him previously appeared in Kirby and The Amazing Mirror.
 * Many riffs from KSS' theme appear in several endgame tracks, including the ever-present Milky Way Wishes fanfare.
 * The
 * As mentioned below, final form is referred to as  in Extra Mode, a nod to Drawcia and Marx. In addition,  first form is reminiscent of Nightmare, and   mouth forms a large eye similar to Dark Matter and Zero. His second form in normal mode has one too, although it's a lot less noticeable, only visible in certain attacks.
 * battle music also contains a couple of Call Backs to previous bosses. first form has a loose variation of Dark Matter's theme from Dream Land 3, while  music is reminiscent of Nightmare's, and around the 1:50 mark contains the triumphant fanfare from Milky Way Wishes.
 * There are some Recurring Riffs that are heard in the credits. The Milky Way Wishes ending theme and the trailer music for the cancelled Kirby GCN can be heard in it near the end, and are sprinkled throughout the song.
 * You also get to hear the music from the GCN trailer in some of the boss battles in The Arena and The True Arena.
 * The song that plays on the map screen for Dangerous Dinner starts as a remix of Miracle Matter's theme.
 * Both the Arena and True Arena return from KSS.
 * In Extra Mode, the credits are adorned with small images of Kirby in various jobs, identically to Milky Way Wishes' end credits.
 * Level 5 of Nutty Noon is a miniboss tower like the one in Kirby's Adventure, including the secret harder route hidden behind a barred door. Dedede's theme plays in the background like the one in the Nightmare in Dreamland remake. It also has elements from the miniboss tower from Kirby's Dreamland 3, where you must copy the miniboss's power in order to get the next Plot Coupon.
 * The end of level goal game is based of the one in Kirby's Adventure.
 * Collectible stars for extra lives return from the Dark Matter trilogy, although they require one hundred of them now.
 * The Item Challenge and the secret HAL rooms hit you with a medley of various versions of Green Greens.
 * As you traverse the last few resting areas in the True Arena--BAM! Kirby's Dream Land 3's Iceberg theme out of nowhere!
 * HR-D3 is modeled after the version of Robo Mecha Dedede in the original Kirby GCN.
 * HR-D3 did appear as the final boss of Chapter 2 of the Kirby Quest sub-game in Kirby Mass Attack, though in that game it had King Dedede's insignia on its chestplate and generally resembles him; in this game it does not.
 * One of the Grand Doomer's last few attacks when you first fight him vaguely resemble an attack found in the final battle against Drawcia Soul in Kirby's Canvas Curse.
 * One of King Doo's Palette Swaps resembles the Dark Matter Trilogy Big Bad, Zero.
 * The tune that plays when the game is selected on the Wii Menu is a shortened form of the title screen music from the original game, Kirby's Dream Land.
 * The map for Cookie Country is very similar to Vegetable Valley.
 * Fatty Puffer's name references Fatty Whale, a similarly large aquatic boss from Kirby Super Star (although Puffer is based on a fish and Whale on, obviously, a mammal).
 * Whispy Woods EX is purple-themed, like his "Revenge" form in Kirby Super Star Ultra and several attacks of his are the same (the poisoned apples and tornado spitting). Also, as a very obscure retro callback to the original Kirby's Dream Land game, his pointy nose does damage if you touch it which was an Early Installment Weirdness thing he had.
 * If Kirby jumps into an enemy from directly below them, the enemy will be hurt, similarly to Kirby's Dreamland 3 and Kirby 64.
 * If Mike Kirby's last attack is charged up, he yells "CHESTO!" in an incredibly deep voice, similarly to Mike Kirby's last attack in Super Star.