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
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. This theme draws inspiration from Middle Eastern and Indian music, and utilizes a sitar, tablas, and a fiddle mimicking a shehnai. "Dry Dry Desert" is quoted at about 46 seconds in.

History[edit]

Mario Kart DS[edit]

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

Mario Kart Wii[edit]

Main article: Dry Dry Ruins (theme)

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

Arrangements of the first bar of "Desert Hills" are interspersed into the theme that plays in Dry Dry Ruins. It is titled「カラカラいせき」 ("Karakara Iseki") 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 opening percussion of "Desert Hills (Intro)" is incorporated in the theme that plays during the intro cutscene for the Flower Cup. 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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0:30
Icon of an audio speaker. Desert Hills - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World
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0:30
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
0:25
Help:Media fileHaving 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]
"Desert Hills (Intro)"[1]
Remix
Arrangement "Desert Hills"[1]

Albums[edit]

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

Names in other languages[edit]

"Desert Hills"[edit]

Language Name Meaning Note(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)
Sunshine Desert [1]
Dutch Zonneruïne Sun Ruin [1]
French Désert du Soleil Sun's Desert [1]
German Glühheiße Wüste Glowing Hot Desert [1]
Italian Deserto Picchiasol Sun Beaten Desert [1]
Korean 썬썬 사막
Sseon-sseon Samak
Sun Sun Desert [1]
Polish Wydmowa Wyżyna Dune Upland [3]
Portuguese Colinas Desérticas Desertic Hills [1]
Russian Песчаный путь
Peschanyy put'
Sandy Path [1]
Spanish Desierto Sol-Sol Sun-Sun Desert [1]

"Desert Hills (Intro)"[edit]

Language Name Meaning Note(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]
Dutch Zonneruïne (intro) Sun Ruin (intro) [1]
French Désert du Soleil (intro) Sun's Desert (intro) [1]
German Glühheiße Wüste (Intro) Glowing Hot Desert (Intro) [1]
Italian Deserto Picchiasol (intro) Sun Beaten Desert (intro) [1]
Korean 썬썬 사막 (인트로)
Sseon-sseon Samak (Inteuro)
Sun Sun Desert (Intro) [1]
Portuguese Colinas Desérticas (Introdução) Desertic Hills (Introduction) [1]
Russian Песчаный путь (вступление)
Peschanyy put' (vstupleniye)
Sandy Path (introduction) [1]
Spanish Desierto 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)