Thwomp Desert

Thwomp Desert is a battle course in Mario Kart Wii.

Course layout
Drivers battle in the middle of a quicksand pit surrounded by cacti, where players are gradually sucked down to the center of the pit. Although the area outside of the quicksand trap seems secure, Item Boxes appear near the center of the pit. Players can prevent being drawn into the pit by simply driving away from it, as well as jumping on the buried remains of Thwomps near the trap.

Sometimes, the giant Thwomp crashes into the ground, crushing players under it and creating waves in the quicksand that push the racers away from the center. Hitting the center of the pit (the player can actually drive very close to the pit center and not get sucked in) results in the player sinking into the sand, and Lakitu eventually retrieves them after a few seconds. Hitting the cacti causes players to spin out briefly, costing them a balloon or three coins.

Tournaments
A tournament took place on this battle course, where players had to battle a Big Pokey, which was located at the center of the course. Bob-ombs were used to attack it, and as it got damaged, body segments would move around. Making contact with the Big Pokey or its body segments would immobilize and knock the player(s) around for a few seconds. This tournament was the first tournament of October 2008, and it was later repeated as the second tournament of September 2009.

Notably, playing in this competition then playing a battle in Thwomp Desert without restarting the game changed the sand physics to work like the tournament, which would cause desyncs during online play.

Profiles

 * Mario Kart Wii European website: "With sinking sand and a giant Thwomp waiting for you at the centre of this dustbowl arena, it would be wise to drift around the edges as you attempt to secure victory."

Trivia

 * Thwomp Desert is one of only two Mario Kart Wii battle courses (along with Chain Chomp Wheel) with something other than opponents appearing on the map, as the Thwomp appears.
 * This is the only course in the Mario Kart series to have music in 12/8 time.

Steinwüste Deserto Twomp