Kalimari Desert
- This article is about the race course from Mario Kart 64. For its musical theme, see Kalimari Desert (theme).
Kalimari Desert (named Kara Kara Desert on a few occasions)[1][2] is the fourth and final course of the Mushroom Cup in Mario Kart 64.
Kalimari Desert reappears in Mario Kart 7 as the first course of the Leaf Cup, and in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as the third course of the Turnip Cup. The course also reappears in Mario Kart Tour, debuting in the Tokyo Tour. In Mario Kart Tour, there exists a rerouted version of this course called Kalimari Desert 2, which takes racers into the tunnel. Kalimari Desert in 8 Deluxe combines the original Kalimari Desert as its first lap and Kalimari Desert 2 as its second and third laps. Both variants made their last appearance in the Pipe Tour.
Mario Kart 64[edit]
Course layout[edit]
The course takes place in a desert surrounded by sand, the darker portions counting as out-of-bounds, and there is a large mesa left of the track. The course opens with a gradual U-turn to the left, with the first set of Item Boxes being in the middle. Racers go across train tracks and turn right slightly before coming across a second set of Item Boxes before the second crossing. The final set of items comes after a long, gradual left turn. Following a slight turn right then left leads to the finish line. The train track can be driven around in a loop, but it is not counted as a lap if driven the entire way around and only puts players who take it behind.
There are two trains that move clockwise around the track constantly, often getting in the way of racers and launching them upward if driven into. The number of coaches attached to them depends on how many players are playing: single-player features one coal tender and five passenger cars; two-player VS mode has shorter trains, an engine, a coal tender, and a passenger car each; two-player Grand Prix and both three- and four-player VS mode have no coal tender or passenger cars. CPU drivers always stop at a train track if the train is present. One can drive through the gap between the coaches of the train to bypass it.[3]
The railroad crossing sounds are taken from real Japanese National Railway railroad crossing signals with electronic bells. In addition, the railroad crossing signs' lettering appears to be mirrored. The signs in later iterations of the course are unlettered.
Shortcuts[edit]
At the first train track crossing, a player can take a shortcut by following the train track into the tunnel until passing where the finish line is on the main route. By turning around, a player can use a Star before driving forward to return on the course. The method can be used to skip most of the track, but it cannot be done during the final lap.
Mario Kart 7[edit]
Kalimari Desert makes its classic course debut in Mario Kart 7 as the first course of the Leaf Cup. There are now two shortcut ramps near the end of the first turn and before the third turn of the track. Each one ends in a Glide Ramp, allowing players to glide over the train tracks. These ramps are in the off-road and accessible with a Dash Mushroom or other boosting item. Several wooden ramps also litter the inside and outside of the track, and as always, can be tricked on to gain a small boost. The train tunnel can no longer be entered because it is now an out-of-bounds area, making the lap glitch impossible in this game. The trains are also shorter: they have only three passenger carts while they had five in the original version of the track, and they now seem to travel more slowly.
Much like in Mario Kart 64, two trains are present, but only one train is present when doing online multiplayer races. Unlike in Mario Kart 64, the mini-map of this course does not show the path of the train track. The electric crossing bell sounds are also replaced with more appropriate American-style mechanical crossing bell sounds. Later versions of the course would retain this change.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
N64 Kalimari Desert[edit]
Kalimari Desert reappears in Mario Kart Tour, starting with the Tokyo Tour. The course's starting line now features a wooden banner with the classic Mario Kart logo on it and a wooden wagon wheel resting along the right side of the post, rather than taking its appearance from Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart 7. Since racers are always moving forward, colliding into the train causes them to launch over it unharmed while they perform a Jump Boost. The train can also be knocked into the air with a Super Horn, a Mega Mushroom or a Bowser's Shell.
The course uses the source quality version of the original music track from Mario Kart 7 rather than the original sequenced music track with the Nintendo 64's audio compression.[4]
The course also appears as Kalimari Desert R (reversed), Kalimari Desert T (with ramps), and Kalimari Desert R/T (reversed with ramps). The former two were introduced along with the normal variant in the Tokyo Tour, while the latter was introduced in the 2019 Holiday Tour. In the R variant, a glide ramp along the main route allows racers to glide over the train. In the R and R/T variants, the train itself travels in the opposite direction. In the T variant, Kanaami Roads guide racers over both train crossings. In the R/T variant, the course is now a figure-eight: Racers use Kanaami Road to go across the mesa on two occasions. As a result, racers spend a large portion of the race driving the course forwards despite it being a "reverse"/trick variant.
Appearances[edit]
Combining the totals for the two different iterations together, Kalimari Desert has appeared in forty-six different tours, as of the Night Tour, the most out of any course to date, beating the second most frequent course, DS Waluigi Pinball, by thirty tours.
For this course's tour appearances, see List of N64 Kalimari Desert tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour § N64 Kalimari Desert.
Top-tier and middle-tier items[edit]
Select "show" to reveal the drivers, karts, and gliders for which N64 Kalimari Desert and its variants are always favored or favorite courses. For instances in which additional drivers, karts, and gliders temporarily had this course and its variants as favored or favorite courses, see List of N64 Kalimari Desert tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour.
