Thwomp Desert (theme)
| "Thwomp Desert" | |
|---|---|
| "Thwomp Desert" in Mario Kart Wii | |
| |
| Composed by: Unknown (either Asuka Hayazaki or Ryo Nagamatsu) | |
| Genres | Celtic folk, alternative rock |
| Key | A Phrygian major, A minor |
| Time signature | 6 8 |
| First appearance | Mario Kart Wii (2008) |
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) |
"Thwomp Desert"[1] is a musical theme in Mario Kart Wii, where it plays in the battle course of the same name.
Composition[edit]
"Thwomp Desert" draws Spanish, Arabian, and Celtic folk influences, features shawm, dulcimer, fiddle, acoustic guitar, and recorder instrumentation, and is largely A minor. It begins with a truncated arrangement of the A section that gives way into the actual A section, which loops through a chord progression of A minor > F major > C major > G every five seconds four times. After this, the theme transitions into its B section, which breaks the chord progression and shows hints of C major, beginning with an F major chord that rises to a G major chord, before settling on C major and dropping to B-flat major. It then drops down to A minor before segueing into D dominant 7 and then E7. The first three chords repeat again before the theme dips into A Phrygian dominant (B-flat > A7 > G minor or B-flat > A7) before transitioning to a brief two-bar E Aeolian dominant subsection (C major > D7 > E7) that segues into the C section, which repeats the A section. Following the C section, the theme dives fully into A Phrygian dominant, with a constant A7 chord playing for 16 bars. Following this, the theme dips into two bars of A Aeolian dominant with a section of notes that repeat A > B > C-sharp > B three times, with A lasting one and a half beats and the others lasting only half as long each, before ending on a three-beat-long A note that loops back into the A section.
History[edit]
Mario Kart Wii[edit]
Mario Kart Wii marks the first appearance of "Thwomp Desert". It is also included in the official Mario Kart Wii Platinum Soundtrack album.
Mario Kart World[edit]
In Mario Kart World, an arrangement of "Thwomp Desert" plays in Chain Chomp Desert. It is fully titled "Thwomp Desert (Mario Kart Wii)" in the Nintendo Music app. While the first section of the arrangement is faithful to the original theme, new sections featuring violin, recorder, and electric guitar solos have been added.
 Thwomp Desert (Mario Kart Wii) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
Gallery[edit]
Image for "Thwomp Desert (Mario Kart Wii)" from Mario Kart World on Nintendo Music
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart Wii | Wii | 2008 | Original | 「ドッスンさばく」 (Dossun Sabaku)[2] | |
| Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 | 2025 | Arrangement | "Thwomp Desert (Mario Kart Wii)"[1] |
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart Wii Platinum Soundtrack | 2011 | Original | 「ドッスンさばく」 (Dossun Sabaku) | |
| Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music) | 2026 | Past arrangement (Mario Kart World) | "Thwomp Desert (Mario Kart Wii)" |
Naming[edit]
Internal names[edit]
| Game | File | Name | Meaning
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart Wii | sound/strm/n_ryuusa_n.brstm | N Ryuusa | New Quicksand |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ドッスンさばく Dossun Sabaku | Thwomp Desert | [2] | |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 咚咚沙漠 Dōngdōng Shāmò (Mandarin) Dūngdūng Sāmohk (Cantonese) | Thwomp Desert | [3] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 咚咚沙漠 Dōngdōng Shāmò (Mandarin) Dūngdūng Sāmohk (Cantonese) | [3] | ||
| Dutch | Thwomp-Woestijn | Thwomp Desert | [3] | |
| Russian | Пустыня бамсов Pustynya bamsov | Thwomp's Desert | [3] | |
| Spanish | Desierto Don Pisotón | Thwomp Desert | [3] |
Notes[edit]
- This is the first theme in the Mario Kart series in 6
8 time, and the only battle course theme to not be in common (4
4) time.
References[edit]
- ^ a b Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music)
- ^ a b Mario Kart Wii Platinum Soundtrack
- ^ a b c d e Mario Kart World pause menu (Ver. 1.4.0, 1.5.0, 1.7.0)
