Desert Hills (theme)

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"Desert Hills"
"Desert Hills" in Mario Kart DS
Wario racing on Desert Hills
Composed by:
Shinobu Nagata
Key G Mixolydian
BPM 130
Time signature 4
4
(Common time)
First appearance Mario Kart DS (2005)
Latest appearance Mario Kart World (2025)
Quotes from
"Dry Dry Desert" (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
Quoted by
"Dry Dry Ruins" (Mario Kart Wii)

"Desert Hills"[1] is a musical theme composed by Shinobu Nagata for Mario Kart DS, where it plays in the race course of the same name.

Composition[edit]

"Desert Hills" draws inspiration from Middle Eastern and Indian music, and utilizes a sitar, tablas, and a fiddle mimicking a shehnai. This theme also quotes "Dry Dry Desert" from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! approximately 46 seconds in.

History[edit]

Mario Kart DS[edit]

Mario Kart DS marks the first appearance of "Desert Hills".

Mario Kart Wii[edit]

In Mario Kart Wii, the source-quality version of "Desert Hills" plays in DS Desert Hills.

The theme that plays in Dry Dry Ruins quotes the first bar of "Desert Hills". It is titled「カラカラいせき」 (Karakara Iseki, "Dry Dry Ruins") in the official Mario Kart Wii Platinum Soundtrack album.

Icon of an audio speaker. カラカラいせき - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart Wii
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Mario Kart World[edit]

In Mario Kart World, an arrangement of "Desert Hills" plays when racing in the course of the same name. This arrangement uses a wider percussion selection, a real shehnai in place of the fiddle, and a shamisen and erhu in place of the sitar. The synth choir has also been made quieter. In Knockout Tour, approaching the next checkpoint causes the theme to transition into a coda.

When approaching Desert Hills from a route or during a rally before reaching the course's finish line, a simple prelude arrangement of "Desert Hills" plays. It is titled "Desert Hills (Intro)" in the Nintendo Music app. A remix of "Desert Hills (Intro)" played solely on bass and percussion plays during the rolling start of the Golden Rally.

The theme that plays during the intro cutscene for the Flower Cup quotes the opening percussion of "Desert Hills (Intro)". It is titled "Opening (Flower Cup)" in the Nintendo Music app.

Icon of an audio speaker. Desert Hills (Intro) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World
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Icon of an audio speaker. Desert Hills (Intro) (Knockout Tour) - The remix heard in Mario Kart World
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Icon of an audio speaker. Desert Hills - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World
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Icon of an audio speaker. Desert Hills - The coda heard in Mario Kart World
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0:08
Icon of an audio speaker. Opening (Flower Cup) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World
File info
0:30
Help:Media file • Having trouble playing?

Gallery[edit]

List of Super Mario appearances[edit]

Games[edit]

Work System Year Type Title Credits
Mario Kart DS Nintendo DS 2005 Original Shinobu Nagata
Mario Kart Wii Wii 2008 Original Shinobu Nagata
Arrangement 「カラカラいせき」(Karakara Iseki)[2]
Mario Kart World Nintendo Switch 2 2025 Pastiche "Opening (Flower Cup)"[1]
Arrangement "Desert Hills (Intro)"[1]
 
"Desert Hills"[1]

Albums[edit]

Work Year Type Title Credits
Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music) 2026 Past pastiche (Mario Kart World) "Opening (Flower Cup)"
Past arrangement (Mario Kart World) "Desert Hills (Intro)"
"Desert Hills"

Names in other languages[edit]

"Desert Hills"[edit]

LanguageNameMeaningNote(s)Ref.
Japaneseサンサンさばく
Sansan Sabaku
Sun Sun Desert[1]
Chinese (Simplified)阳光沙漠
Yángguāng Shāmò (Mandarin)
Yèuhnggwōng Sāmohk (Cantonese)
Sunshine Desert[1]
Chinese (Traditional)陽光沙漠
Yángguāng Shāmò (Mandarin)
Yèuhnggwōng Sāmohk (Cantonese)
[1]
DutchZonneruïneSun Ruin[1]
FrenchDésert du SoleilSun's Desert[1]
GermanGlühheiße WüsteGlowing Hot Desert[1]
ItalianDeserto PicchiasolSun Beaten Desert[1]
Korean썬썬 사막
Sseon-sseon Samak
Sun Sun Desert[1]
PolishWydmowa WyżynaDune Upland[3]
PortugueseColinas DesérticasDesertic Hills[1]
RussianПесчаный путь
Peschanyy put'
Sandy Path[1]
SpanishDesierto Sol-SolSun-Sun Desert[1]

"Desert Hills (Intro)"[edit]

LanguageNameMeaningNote(s)Ref.
Japaneseサンサンさばく(イントロ)
Sansan Sabaku (Intoro)
Sun Sun Desert (Intro)[1]
Chinese (Simplified)阳光沙漠(序曲)
Yángguāng Shāmò (Xùqǔ) (Mandarin)
Yèuhnggwōng Sāmohk (Jeuihkūk) (Cantonese)
Sunshine Desert (Overture)[1]
Chinese (Traditional)陽光沙漠(前奏)
Yángguāng Shāmò (Qiánzòu) (Mandarin)
Yèuhnggwōng Sāmohk (Chìhnjau) (Cantonese)
Sunshine Desert (Prelude)[1]
DutchZonneruïne (intro)Sun Ruin (intro)[1]
FrenchDésert du Soleil (intro)Sun's Desert (intro)[1]
GermanGlühheiße Wüste (Intro)Glowing Hot Desert (Intro)[1]
ItalianDeserto Picchiasol (intro)Sun Beaten Desert (intro)[1]
Korean썬썬 사막 (인트로)
Sseon-sseon Samak (Inteuro)
Sun Sun Desert (Intro)[1]
PortugueseColinas Desérticas (Introdução)Desertic Hills (Introduction)[1]
RussianПесчаный путь (вступление)
Peschanyy put' (vstupleniye)
Sandy Path (introduction)[1]
SpanishDesierto Sol-Sol (introducción)Sun-Sun Desert (introduction)[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music)
  2. ^ Mario Kart Wii Platinum Soundtrack
  3. ^ Mario Kart World pause menu (Ver. 1.4.0, 1.5.0, 1.7.0)