Mario Kart 8

Dry Dry Desert is a hot, sandy Egyptian-themed track, with lots of pyramids, obelisks, and large stone statues of Hammer Bros. to see in the background. There’s even a huge Hammer Bros. Sphinx (based on the Great Sphinx of Giza), which is rumoured to be cursed. I always liked the aesthetic of this course – the harsh lighting and shimmering heat effects really give the feeling of a parched, scorching expanse.

Those who played the original version of this track in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! on the GameCube may remember that it contained devastating whirlwinds – but the desert air is much calmer this time round. It’s also slightly wetter than before, for there is a lush oasis towards the end of the track, allowing players to drive underwater for a short time. However, there are multiple water spouts here that will launch your kart into the air if you’re not careful, slowing you down.

This being a desert track, there are obviously a few Pokeys bopping around. These cheerful, modular cactus creatures stand tall on the track – until racers come close, that is. Then they turn themselves into spiky arches that can be driven through for the Coin that appears at their centre… but you have to be precise to avoid risking an accident.

Like Shy Guys, Pokeys can trace their origins back to Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (a Japan-only game set in the Middle East) and thus entered the Mario franchise with the repurposed Western release, Super Mario Bros. 2. Typically, Pokeys are composed of three to five segments with sharp spines protruding from them. They have either flowers or spikes on their heads. To defeat a Pokey in a standard Super Mario game, each body section must usually be destroyed.

Roughly halfway through a lap, racers will encounter a massive sinkhole that can drag slower racers down to their doom. In Double Dash!!, a giant spiky Piranha Plant dwelled at the bottom of the sinkhole, ready to swallow anyone who drove into it. This ‘Pit Plant’, as it was called, was inspired by antlion larvae. These insects excavate conical pit-traps in loose soil or sand and then partially bury themselves at the bottom. They can detect the approach of other insects by sensing vibrations in the ground. Any insects that enter the trap find it difficult to climb out again because of the loose surface, and they are quickly pounced on by the antlion larva, which sucks out their body fluids before tossing the dry husk aside. In Mario Kart 8, the Pit Plant has vanished, but the quicksand still presents a danger. Players with a Mushroom can use it to cut across a portion of the sinkhole to save some time, but those without should probably skirt the edges to avoid getting in too deep.

Next time, we’ll be looking at a short, fast course that has had a major graphical overhaul since its last appearance: Donut Plains 3.