Desert Hills

Desert Hills is the first track of the Flower Cup in Mario Kart DS. It reappears as a retro track in Mario Kart Wii as the first track of the Leaf Cup. It is set to return again in Mario Kart World^[1].

As its name implies, the track takes place on a desert with many steep hills. There's also an oasis beside the first turn.

Layout

Mario Kart DS

This track takes place in a plain desert and is one of the few tracks to have Pokeys. When a racer touches a Pokey, they flip to the side and drop their items. CPU racers sometimes may get hit by a Pokey, when the Pokey continues moving in their direction, continuously flipping them over and slowing them down greatly. It's also the first track to feature Fire Snakes (the second being Grumble Volcano). If you touch a Fire Snake, you spin around. The sand here slows the drivers sharply. It ends with long, sharp, winding turns. In a similar vein to Airship Fortress, this track's inspired by World 2, Desert Land, in Super Mario Bros. 3 (which is also known as Desert Hill).

Mission Information

• 2-6: Wario must defeat five Pokeys.
• 4-4: Wario must drive through 7 numbered gates in order.

Mario Kart Wii

This track returns as a retro course in Mario Kart Wii. It has many of the same features as the DS version, such as Pokeys and Fire Snakes (the Fire Snakes now have eyes). It's the first course in the Leaf Cup. The track still includes a shortcut involving the pyramid, but with quicksand replacing the pyramid to make the shortcut more challenging

Mario Kart World

In Mario Kart World, Dessert Hills returns once again, as a retro track in the Star Cup of the game

Shortcuts

• Before the second turn, use a Mushroom or 2 to cut through the deep sand between the pyramid and the wall.
• At the last section with the winding road and sandy hills, use a Mushroom to speed onto the first big hill and angle yourself such that you will land in the middle of the second. Time a hop right as you land to bounce over the second hill, and you will have cleared both hills.
• At the beginning of the course, drive forward a bit and drift to the right. When you release your mini-turbo, hop into the sand. Next, line up the vehicle and use a mushroom. Spin drift and you'll proceed to clip the wall. If all done correctly, you'll land at the end of the first turn of the course.^{✱ for MKWii}

Glitches

• If you hit the hit the left dark terrain right before you touch the water, you will fall through it with no splash.^{✱ for MKDS}

Time Trial data

Mario Kart DS

Staff Ghost

World Record

Mario Kart Wii

Staff Ghosts

Trivia!

• With the inclusion of the Angry Sun, Fire Snakes, and the various Pyramids and other structures, Desert Hills could be based on Desert Land from Super Mario Bros. 3.

Previous track: Luigi's Mansion	Current track: Desert Hills	Next track: Delfino Square

Previous track: GCN Waluigi Stadium	1st reappearance: Mario Kart Wii	Next track: GBA Bowser Castle 3

Previous track: DK Spaceport	2nd reappearance: Mario Kart World	Next track: 3DS Shy Guy Bazaar

Mario Kart DS courses
Nitro cups	Mushroom Cup	Figure-8 Circuit • Yoshi Falls • Cheep Cheep Beach • Luigi's Mansion
	Flower Cup	Desert Hills • Delfino Square • Waluigi Pinball • Shroom Ridge
	Star Cup	DK Pass • Tick-Tock Clock • Mario Circuit • Airship Fortress
	Special Cup	Wario Stadium • Peach Gardens • Bowser Castle • Rainbow Road
Retro cups	Shell Cup	SNES Mario Circuit 1 • N64 Moo Moo Farm • GBA Peach Circuit • GCN Luigi Circuit
	Banana Cup	SNES Donut Plains 1 • N64 Frappe Snowland • GBA Bowser's Castle 2 • GCN Baby Park
	Leaf Cup	SNES Koopa Beach 2 • N64 Choco Mountain • GBA Luigi Circuit • GCN Mushroom Bridge
	Lightning Cup	SNES Choco Island 2 • N64 Banshee Boardwalk • GBA Sky Garden • GCN Yoshi Circuit
Battle Courses		Nintendo DS • Twilight House • Palm Shore • Tart Top • N64 Block Fort • GCN Pipe Plaza
Unused Tracks		Dokan Course • Test Circle • GCN Mario Circuit

Mario Kart Wii courses
Wii cups	Mushroom Cup	Luigi Circuit • Moo Moo Meadows • Mushroom Gorge • Toad's Factory
	Flower Cup	Mario Circuit • Coconut Mall • DK Summit • Wario's Gold Mine
	Star Cup	Daisy Circuit • Koopa Cape • Maple Treeway • Grumble Volcano
	Special Cup	Dry Dry Ruins • Moonview Highway • Bowser's Castle • Rainbow Road
Retro cups	Shell Cup	GCN Peach Beach • DS Yoshi Falls • SNES Ghost Valley 2 • N64 Mario Raceway
	Banana Cup	N64 Sherbet Land • GBA Shy Guy Beach • DS Delfino Square • GCN Waluigi Stadium
	Leaf Cup	DS Desert Hills • GBA Bowser Castle 3 • N64 DK's Jungle Parkway • GCN Mario Circuit
	Lightning Cup	SNES Mario Circuit 3 • DS Peach Gardens • GCN DK Mountain • N64 Bowser's Castle
Battle Courses		Block Plaza • Delfino Pier • Funky Stadium • Chain Chomp Wheel • Thwomp Desert • Galaxy Colosseum • SNES Battle Course 4 • GBA Battle Course 3 • N64 Skyscraper • GCN Cookie Land • DS Twilight House

Mario Kart World courses
Mushroom Cup	Mario Bros. Circuit • Crown City • Whistlestop Summit • DK Spaceport
Flower Cup	DS Desert Hills • 3DS Shy Guy Bazaar • N64 Wario Stadium • DS Airship Fortress
Star Cup	DS DK Pass • Starview Peak • Sky-High Sundae • 3DS Wario Shipyard
Shell Cup	SNES Koopa Troopa Beach • Faraway Oasis • Crown City • Peach Stadium
Banana Cup	GCN Peach Beach • Salty Salty Speedway • GCN Dino Dino Jungle • Great ? Block Ruins
Leaf Cup	??? • ??? • ??? • ???
Lightning Cup	??? • ??? • ??? • ???
Other Confirmed Courses	SNES Mario Circuit • SNES Ghost Valley • SNES Choco Island 2 • SNES Vanilla Lake 1 • N64 Choco Mountain • Wii Moo Moo Meadows • Wii Toad's Factory • Acorn Heights • Boo Cinema • Dry Bones Burnout • Dandelion Depths • Bowser's Castle • Rainbow Road