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** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder'': Sunbaked Desert is the ''fourth'' numbered world, contrasting the majority of 2D ''Mario'' games where the desert world is the second. It's a vast, sandy landscape that is normally abundant in water, but has dried up since Bowser Jr.'s stolen it all for himself; it features white-colored dunes plus a pristine oasis at the south and a wide, majestic palatial citadel at the north whose levels have exotic features like a musical stage where Ninjis dance, a mansion that stores large boxes, and a maze full of advanced contraptions. Unlike it's predecessor desert worlds which are stereotypically Egyptian-themed, Sunbaked Desert follows a [[ArabianNightsDays Middle Eastern theme]].
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** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder'': Sunbaked Desert is the ''fourth'' numbered world, contrasting the majority of 2D ''Mario'' games where the desert world is the second. It's a vast, sandy landscape that is normally abundant in water, but has dried up since Bowser Jr.'s stolen it all for himself; it features white-colored dunes plus a pristine oasis at the south and a wide, majestic palatial citadel at the north whose levels have exotic features like a musical stage where Ninjis dance, a mansion that stores large boxes, and a maze full of advanced contraptions. Unlike it's its predecessor desert worlds which are stereotypically Egyptian-themed, Sunbaked Desert follows a [[ArabianNightsDays Middle Eastern theme]].
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** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' has Worlds 2 and 6. In addition to classic features like quicksands, sand-dwelling enemies (including the debut of the living cacti known as Pokey) and an overall arid environment, these worlds have various caves and dungeons where Mario and his friends have to dig through sand. And since there are many enemies patrolling the inner parts of the sand, the holes the dig leaves will make them fall under and approach the characters, potentially harming them.
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** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' has Worlds 2 and 6. In addition to classic features like quicksands, sand-dwelling enemies (including the debut of the living cacti known as Pokey) and an overall arid environment, these worlds have various caves and pyramid dungeons where Mario and his friends have to dig through sand. And since there are many enemies patrolling the inner parts of the sand, the holes the dig leaves will make them fall under and approach the characters, potentially harming them.
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** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder'': Sunbaked Desert is the ''fourth'' numbered world, contrasting the majority of 2D ''Mario'' games where the desert world is the second. It's a vast, sandy landscape that is normally abundant in water, but has dried up since Bowser Jr.'s stolen it all for himself; it features white-colored dunes plus a pristine oasis at the south and a wide, majestic palatial citadel at the north whose levels have exotic features like a musical stage where Ninjis dance, a mansion that stores large boxes, and a maze full of advanced contraptions.
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** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder'': Sunbaked Desert is the ''fourth'' numbered world, contrasting the majority of 2D ''Mario'' games where the desert world is the second. It's a vast, sandy landscape that is normally abundant in water, but has dried up since Bowser Jr.'s stolen it all for himself; it features white-colored dunes plus a pristine oasis at the south and a wide, majestic palatial citadel at the north whose levels have exotic features like a musical stage where Ninjis dance, a mansion that stores large boxes, and a maze full of advanced contraptions. Unlike it's predecessor desert worlds which are stereotypically Egyptian-themed, Sunbaked Desert follows a [[ArabianNightsDays Middle Eastern theme]].
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** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder'': Sunbaked Desert is the ''fourth'' numbered world, contrasting the majority of 2D ''Mario'' games where the desert world is the second. It's a vast, sandy landscape that is normally abundant in water, but has dried up since Bowser Jr.'s stolen it all for himself; it features white-colored dunes plus a pristine oasis at the south and a wide, majestic palatial citadel at the north whose levels have exotic features like a musical stage where Ninjis dance, a mansion that stores large boxes, and a maze full of advanced contraptions.
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* ''VideoGame/SuperKiwi64'': The third and fourth levels take place within a wide, scorched desert with some ancient buildings and functional furnaces. The former level has a furnace with a switch that floods much of the level with lava, but there's another whose switch reverts the flood.
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* ''VideoGame/SuperKiwi64'': ''VideoGame/SuperKiwi64'':
** The third and fourth levels take place within a wide, scorched desert with some ancient buildings and functional furnaces. The former level has a furnace with a switch that floods much of the level with lava, but there's another whose switch reverts theflood.flood.
** The second level of the ''Doomsday'' campaign aims for TheWildWest instead of the Middle East motifs seen in the base campaign's desert levels. It's a scorched land whose features include cacti, crystal statues shaped like bird necks, a pair of rails where a train does an endless WrapAround trip, some saloons, small plateaus that can be climbed, and more uniquely a set of floating cubic devices that can be used by the kiwi to gain extra height while gliding (with them, it's even possible to go through the whole level without ever touching the ground).
** The third and fourth levels take place within a wide, scorched desert with some ancient buildings and functional furnaces. The former level has a furnace with a switch that floods much of the level with lava, but there's another whose switch reverts the
** The second level of the ''Doomsday'' campaign aims for TheWildWest instead of the Middle East motifs seen in the base campaign's desert levels. It's a scorched land whose features include cacti, crystal statues shaped like bird necks, a pair of rails where a train does an endless WrapAround trip, some saloons, small plateaus that can be climbed, and more uniquely a set of floating cubic devices that can be used by the kiwi to gain extra height while gliding (with them, it's even possible to go through the whole level without ever touching the ground).
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Crosswicking
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* ''VideoGame/SuperKiwi64'': The third and fourth levels take place within a wide, scorched desert with some ancient buildings and functional furnaces. The former level has a furnace with a switch that floods much of the level with lava, but there's another whose switch reverts the flood.
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** Stage 2 in ''Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2'' ([[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Genesis]]) takes place in a desert. This stage features TempleOfDoom, LethalLavaLand and EternalEngine [[HailfirePeaks elements all within it]].
** Stage 5 in ''Sparkster'' ([[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]]) also takes place in a desert, with a few TempleOfDoom elements as well. Generalissimo Lioness' Wolf Soldiers are even dressed in Arabian garb for this stage. The boss of the stage is a robotic SegmentedSerpent.
** Stage 5 in ''Sparkster'' ([[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]]) also takes place in a desert, with a few TempleOfDoom elements as well. Generalissimo Lioness' Wolf Soldiers are even dressed in Arabian garb for this stage. The boss of the stage is a robotic SegmentedSerpent.
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** Stage 2 in ''Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2'' ([[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis ([[Platform/SegaGenesis Genesis]]) takes place in a desert. This stage features TempleOfDoom, LethalLavaLand and EternalEngine [[HailfirePeaks elements all within it]].
** Stage 5 in ''Sparkster''([[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem ([[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]]) also takes place in a desert, with a few TempleOfDoom elements as well. Generalissimo Lioness' Wolf Soldiers are even dressed in Arabian garb for this stage. The boss of the stage is a robotic SegmentedSerpent.
** Stage 5 in ''Sparkster''
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* ''VideoGame/StriderArcade'' has a desert camp stage exclusive to the UsefulNotes/PCEngine version, where it is (optionally) inserted between the original first two levels.
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* ''VideoGame/StriderArcade'' has a desert camp stage exclusive to the UsefulNotes/PCEngine Platform/PCEngine version, where it is (optionally) inserted between the original first two levels.
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** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'', World 2 takes place in Desert Land. Some levels do have oasis with water where Mario and Luigi can swin in, while others have pyramids (and one of them can be explored from the interior). Fire Snakes, Chain Chomps, Fire Bros. (only present in a hidden part of the map) and the Angry Sun are first seen here as well.
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** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'', ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'': World 2 takes place in Desert Land. Some levels do have oasis with water where Mario and Luigi can swin in, while others have pyramids (and one of them can be explored from the interior). Fire Snakes, Chain Chomps, Fire Bros. (only present in a hidden part of the map) and the Angry Sun are first seen here as well.
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** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'': Desert stages are scattered throughout the worlds, such as 3-1 (a large sandy terrain which has a tall tower where the level's exit lies at the top, and is home to the sand-dwelling Sandmaargh), 5-1 (a sandy DeathMountain that has to be climbed while dealing with enemies like Pokeys and Boomerang Bros.) and 6-2 (the interior of a pyramid filled with dunes that rise and lower periodically).
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** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'': Desert stages are scattered throughout the worlds, such as 3-1 (a large sandy terrain which has a tall tower where the level's exit lies at the top, and is home to the sand-dwelling Sandmaargh), 5-1 (a sandy DeathMountain that has to be climbed while dealing with enemies like Pokeys and Boomerang Bros.) and 6-2 (the interior of a pyramid filled with dunes that rise and lower periodically). Remixed versions of these levels appear in the Special Worlds as well.
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** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'', this is one of the added settings for level making and playing, being available in four of the game styles (including the one based on ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'', which didn't have any explicitly themed worlds at all). The excluded style is ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', which instead receives a level theme based on Chocolate Island (a DeathMountain world). When played in Night mode, wind will blow (its direction and rate will depend on the game style).
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** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'', this ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'': This is one of the added settings for level making and playing, being available in four of the game styles (including the one based on ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'', which didn't have any explicitly themed worlds at all). The excluded style is ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', which instead receives a level theme based on Chocolate Island (a DeathMountain world). When played in Night mode, wind will blow (its direction and rate will depend on the game style).
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* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'' has Angry Aztec. The main floor hazard here is lots and lots of sand, but it doesn't swallow you up; it just hurts for a slice of melon, complete with {{Knockback}}, if you touch it when you're not {{invincib|ilityPowerUp}}le.
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* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'' has Angry Aztec. The main floor hazard here is lots and lots of scorching sand, but it doesn't swallow you up; it just hurts for a slice of melon, complete with {{Knockback}}, if you touch it when you're not {{invincib|ilityPowerUp}}le.{{Knockback}}. Appropriately, this level is where Donkey Kong gets his InvincibilityPowerUp and Diddy Kong gets his [[FlyingFirepower jetpack]].
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* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' has its fair share of desert-themed levels, usually filled with sandy hills and open spaces. examples include, but not limited to:
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* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' has its fair share of desert-themed levels, usually filled with sandy hills hills, pyramids, and wide open spaces. examples include, but not limited to:
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* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
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* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' has its fair share of desert-themed levels, usually filled with sandy hills and open spaces. examples include, but not limited to:
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** Sand Sanctuary Zone in ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars''.
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* ''VideoGame/{{Bug}}'':
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* ''VideoGame/{{Bug}}'':''VideoGame/{{Bug|1995}}'':
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** ''Bug Too!'' has "Lawrence of Arachnia", which takes place on the set of the titular film. Scene 2 in particular takes place in the sandy parts of the desert.
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** ''Bug Too!'' ''VideoGame/BugToo'' has "Lawrence of Arachnia", which takes place on the set of the titular film. Scene 2 in particular takes place in the sandy parts of the desert.
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** Mirage Road in ''VideoGame/{{Sonic Rush|Series}}''.
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** Mirage Road in ''VideoGame/{{Sonic Rush|Series}}''.''VideoGame/SonicRush''.
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* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':
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* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
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** ''VideoGame/SonicForces''' GreenHillZone appears to be mixed with a desert, because of Eggman's industries taking over the area. The [[SandIsWater waterfall is sandy]], too.
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** ''VideoGame/SonicForces''' GreenHillZone appears to be mixed with a desert, because of Eggman's industries taking over the area. The [[SandIsWater waterfall is waterfalls are sandy]], too.too.
** Ares Island in ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers''.
** Ares Island in ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers''.
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* In ''VideoGame/DensetsuNoStafy4'', the sixth stage is Flourishing Desert, filled with [[RuinsForRuinsSake ruins]], [[BuildLikeAnEgyptian pyramids]], and [[AllDesertsHaveCacti cacti]], of course. And since it isn't a ''Starfy'' game without water to swim in, the third stage in the area is an oasis.
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Cheese Cat-astrophe now has its own page.
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** In ''Cheese Cat-Astrophe Starring WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales'', the first part of World 1, the Desert, takes place in the Sand Dunes.
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** In ''Cheese Cat-Astrophe ''VideoGame/CheeseCatAstrophe Starring WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales'', the first part of World 1, the Desert, takes place in the Sand Dunes.
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** Yellow Dunes in ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheRainbowCurse''.
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** Yellow Dunes in ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheRainbowCurse''.''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheRainbowCurse'' features scorching hot deserts and ancient ruins.
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** In ''Cheese Cat-Astrophe Starring WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales'', the first part of World 1, the Desert, takes place in the Sand Dunes.
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[[caption-width-right:350:[[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} "It's flat and immense, and the heat is intense."]]]]
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[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maxresdefault_07.jpeg]]]]
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[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosU https://static.tvtropes.
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* ''VideoGame/MonstersIncScreamTeam'': All of the levels in the Desert training field take place in different sections of a desert. The most explicit instance is in the levels The Sphynx and The Oasis. The former features ancient archs and pillars that have to be traversed to reach items and the dummies in need of a scare; there are also platforms that have to be pounded in a certain order indicated by a central spot. In the latter, as its name implies, there's a large oasis whose deep water has to be avoided, as well as palm trees and sandcastles.
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** ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'': World 2 in all games in the subseries (called Layer-Cake Desert in ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosU''). Besides bringing back features seen in previous games' desert levels, these worlds also introduce geyser-like streams of sand that elevate Mario and his friends towards higher spots, including Star Coins that would be unreachable otherwise.
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** ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'': World 2 in all games in the subseries (called Layer-Cake Desert in ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosU'').''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosU'', giving it a touch of LevelAte). Besides bringing back features seen in previous games' desert levels, these worlds also introduce geyser-like streams of sand that elevate Mario and his friends towards higher spots, including Star Coins that would be unreachable otherwise.
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** ''VideoGame/MegaManZero3'' revisits the desert from the first entry and has Zero fighting Anubis Necromancess V, a revived version of Anubis Necromancess III from the same game.
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* In the ''VideoGame/TinyToonAdventures'' LicensedGame for the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem, Stage 2-1 takes place in a desert. In the first half of the stage, you have to deal with [[QuicksandSucks quicksand]], and in the second half, you find an oasis.
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* In the ''VideoGame/TinyToonAdventures'' LicensedGame for the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem, ''VideoGame/TinyToonAdventures'': Stage 2-1 takes place in a desert. In the first half of the stage, you have to deal desert, with [[QuicksandSucks quicksand]], and an oasis featuring spiky aquatic enemies in the second half, you find an oasis.half. The quicksand is surprisingly strong, requiring the player to quickly jump out of it should their character fall onto it to avoid losing a life. There are red crustacean enemies that can jump fairly high as well.
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* ''VideoGame/LandOfIllusion Starring WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse'' has the Desert. Sentient cacti and [[VileVulture vultures]] serve as enemies. This stage has a path that leads to the [[PalatialSandcastle Sand Castle]], as well as a [[BuildLikeAnEgyptian Pyramid]] that holds the Cloud Shoes that Mickey will need to recover in order to walk across clouds.
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[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maxresdefault_07.jpeg]]]]
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Examples of ShiftingSandLand in {{Platform Game}}s.
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* Stage 2 of ''VideoGame/AladdinVirginGames'' takes place in a desert. In this stage, Aladdin must collect the three pieces of the Scarab, while dodging the palace guards, snakes, and Iago.
* Gobi's Valley in ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie''. Sand doesn't suck the player in, but it's so hot that walking on it is harmful. There are also many pyramids with different traps and challenges.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bug}}'':
** The original game has Reptilia, an American desert filled with cacti, [[ScaryScorpions scorpions]], ''literal'' [[StrongAnts army ants]] that fired grenades, cowboy snakes, green chameleons ([[FridgeLogic don't ask]]), and the ever-annoying {{invincible|MinorMinion}} horned lizards.
** ''Bug Too!'' has "Lawrence of Arachnia", which takes place on the set of the titular film. Scene 2 in particular takes place in the sandy parts of the desert.
* ''VideoGame/ClusterTruck'' has its first world as a desert, except with a whole ton of trucks populating it instead of anything else.
* ''VideoGame/CommanderKeen'':
** In ''Secret of the Oracle'', the 4th EpisodicGame in the series, the north-west section of the World Map consists of a desert. It contains 3 levels, 2 of which are mandatory in order to proceed. Surprisingly, although the same game also features 4 pyramids, they are not located in this area of the map but rather in a forest more to the south.
** In the fanmade Episode 8 (''Dead in the Desert''), Keen is stranded in a desert planet. Many of the levels explored here are set on hot yellow sandy dunes, many of which have a labyrinthic design underground, though there are some levels showcasing other settings (such as LethalLavaLand and DownTheDrain) for variety's sake. Once Keen retrieves the PlotCoupon that allows him to repair his ship and escape, he's betrayed by a creature who was trying to help him, and the climax pits the two in a boss battle. After Keen defeats his enemy, he escapes the planet and the episode ends.
%%* In ''VideoGame/DisneyPrincessEnchantedJourney'', Agrabah is this.
* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'' has Angry Aztec. The main floor hazard here is lots and lots of sand, but it doesn't swallow you up; it just hurts for a slice of melon, complete with {{Knockback}}, if you touch it when you're not {{invincib|ilityPowerUp}}le.
* In ''VideoGame/TheFlintstones1993'', the third level, Desert Drive, takes place in a desert. In this level, Fred drives the Flintmobile across the desert in search of [[StrayingBaby Pebbles]], dealing with such hazards as cacti, quicksand, and cow skulls.
* The Deserts around Spargus City in ''VideoGame/Jak3Wastelander''.
* ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' examples:
** The second stage of [[PalmtreePanic Ice Cream Island]] in ''VideoGame/KirbysAdventure'' and its GBA remake is a desert island.
** ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3'' has the first true desert world in the series, Sand Canyon, as the game's third world.
** ''[[VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards Kirby 64]]'' also has Rock Star, a [[ShatteredWorld shattered]] desert planet, as the second planet Kirby and company travel to, though the latter levels don't have a sand theme.
** Sky Sands from ''VideoGame/KirbyAirRide'' is a desert track. And not to mention, Top Ride's Sand track.
** ''VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn'' has Pyramid Sands and Dusk Dunes as sand-themed levels, both located in the second world, Hot Land.
** Raisin Ruins in ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' also has a fair bit of RuinsForRuinsSake, as the name would imply.
** Yellow Dunes in ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheRainbowCurse''.
** Gigabyte Grounds in ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot''. It also has a few EternalEngine elements to it, owing to the game's "Machinery and Robot" theme.
** Originull Wasteland in ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand''. It's actually a dried-up sea, with shipwrecks and dead marine animals as far as the eye can see.
* ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet:''
** The Mexican-themed Canyons from the first game.
** The Egypt-themed Golden Sands from the PSP game.
** La Marionetta from the PS Vita game is circus-themed, but also inexplicably placed in a desert. Downplayed since most of the levels are indoors.
* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' games:
** In ''VideoGame/TheBugsBunnyBirthdayBlowout'', Stage 2 takes place in a desert.
** In ''VideoGame/LooneyTunes (1992)'', Stage 6 takes place in the desert, where Road Runner is being pursued by Wile E. Coyote, who serves as the stage's boss.
** In ''VideoGame/DesertDemolition Starring [[WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote]]'', Act One of "Red Rock Rondevous" and Act One of "Granite Gulch" take place in the sandy parts of the desert.
* In ''VideoGame/LostHome'', the second world is a desert where the player encounters enemies like buzzards and meerkats, and includes a level where it is possible to die from the heat.
* Several of these are to be found in the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' franchise, usually with Arabian-themed bosses at the end.
** Pharaoh Man in ''VideoGame/MegaMan4''.
** Flame Man from ''VideoGame/MegaMan6'' takes place around in an [[{{Qurac}} Arabian]] temple filled with oil.
** Ground Man in ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass'' has a temple full of it.
** Commando Man in ''VideoGame/MegaMan10''.
** Overdrive Ostrich's stage in ''VideoGame/MegaManX2''. First part of the level features a sandstorm (albeit one created by a machine). The boss fight zone wraps around, creating a sense of "featureless desolate expanse."
** ''VideoGame/MegaManZero1'' has one which, like some other areas in the game, hosts more than one stage; in fact, it is technically the most-visited area mission-wise, with two missions fully traversing it and two missions requiring you to travel a short distance through it before going underground. This is perhaps intentional, since it's the first game in a series in which most of the Earth is now a barren wasteland. All four times you must deal with [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot fire-breathing camels]].
** ''VideoGame/MegaManZero2'' kicks off in a desert as well, and has you face off against a titanic Scorpion robot.
** ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'' features a desert as well.
* ''VideoGame/OriAndTheWillOfTheWisps'' has the Windswept Wastes, the once-home of the Gorleks before TheCorruption forced them to flee, leaving behind [[BuildLikeAnEgyptian Egyptian-esque ruins]].
* In ''VideoGame/{{Quackshot}}'', Mexico and Egypt both start out as desert-themed levels. Both these levels end at a pyramid with a LockedDoor which Donald needs a key from another level to unlock.
* ''VideoGame/QuestForTheShavenYakStarringRenHoekAndStimpy'' has the Stinking Dry Desert, which serves as the second world of the game. Enemies include cacti that shoot prickles, lizards, vultures that lay eggs, scorpions that act as mirages of lemonade glasses, [[DemBones wildebeest skeletons]], spiders, crabs, and hopping toads. The boss of the world is a spitting cobra.
* ''Quik the Thunder Rabbit'' has Oblivion Desert (Level 2, unsurprisingly), whose sandy ground is host to a strange abundance of [[AllDesertsHaveCacti saguaros]] and palm trees.
* The Planets Aridia and Tabora in the ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank'' series. Tabora is sort of a [[HailfirePeaks double dip]], as the caverns below the desert are filled with [[LethalLavaLand hot lava]].
* ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins'' has the Desert of Dijiridoos and Grumbling Grottoes which are also [[HailfirePeaks mixed]] with GustyGlade and BandLand.
* ''VideoGame/RocketKnightAdventures'':
** Stage 2 in ''Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2'' ([[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Genesis]]) takes place in a desert. This stage features TempleOfDoom, LethalLavaLand and EternalEngine [[HailfirePeaks elements all within it]].
** Stage 5 in ''Sparkster'' ([[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]]) also takes place in a desert, with a few TempleOfDoom elements as well. Generalissimo Lioness' Wolf Soldiers are even dressed in Arabian garb for this stage. The boss of the stage is a robotic SegmentedSerpent.
* ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}''
** ''VideoGame/Shantae2002'' has the Men's Desert and the Ladies Desert, deserts filled with ScorpionPeople, {{Sand Worm}}s, and upside-down pyramids floating in the sky.
** ''VideoGame/ShantaeRiskysRevenge'' has the Baron Desert, which has Nagas, Sandstone Golems, and the Ammo Baron's army preparing for their takeover of Scuttle Town.
** ''VideoGame/ShantaeAndThePiratesCurse'' has Tan Line Island, featuring the return of the ScorpionPeople, quicksand, and a FantasyCounterpartCulture of Egypt.
** ''VideoGame/ShantaeHalfGenieHero'': Tassel Town is this as well as GustyGlade and RuinsForRuinsSake, the latter courtesy of a sandstorm that destroyed the town centuries prior. Encountered in the level are cactus-like Spikebugs, BirdPeople [[BombardierMook who drop said Spikebugs from the air]], a bow-wielding AmazonBrigade, and {{Sand Worm}}s, both smaller individual ones, and a giant specimen that chases Shantae in the auto-scrolling tower section [[spoiler: before returning as the world's boss under Lingerbean's command]].
* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':
** Desert Dodge in ''VideoGame/SegaSonicTheHedgehog''
** Sandopolis Zone in ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic The Hedgehog 3]]'', and Desert Palace Zone in the 2-Player mode.
** Yellow Desert in ''VideoGame/SonicBlast''.
** Sand Hill in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''.
** Wild Canyon, Hidden Base and Sand Ocean in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''.
** Mirage Road in ''VideoGame/{{Sonic Rush|Series}}''.
** Dusty Desert in ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic '06]]'', of the SandIsWater variety.
** And the first level of ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheSecretRings'', fitting for a game based on the Literature/ArabianNights.
** Shamar in ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed''.
** Oil Desert Zone in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4''.
** Desert Ruins in ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld''.
** Mirage Saloon Zone in ''VideoGame/SonicMania'', with a couple of [[TheWildWest Wild West]] vibes.
** ''VideoGame/SonicForces''' GreenHillZone appears to be mixed with a desert, because of Eggman's industries taking over the area. The [[SandIsWater waterfall is sandy]], too.
* In ''VideoGame/SongsForAHero'', an Egyptian-styled desert is the fourth level, divided into three acts: [[PunnyName Lühnee Dunes, Pyramid Skeeme and Ottoh Tomb]], though this trope is more present in the first one. The enemies are vultures, giant sand verms and walking cactuses, and the Hero can suffer hallucinations from the heat and get stuck in moving sand.
* ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon'' has an assortment of desert levels in the first three games, complete with an unusually sensible distribution of cacti (no clearly non-American style desert has them). The majority of the Peace Keepers world is arid/desert (with little actual sand); Scorch in the second game is Arabian-style with sloping hills of sand acting as the level borders; the third game's Desert Ruins is a (presumably Egyptian-style) ruin half-buried in the sands of the desert, and Dino Mines in the third game is Wild West in concept.
* ''VideoGame/StriderArcade'' has a desert camp stage exclusive to the UsefulNotes/PCEngine version, where it is (optionally) inserted between the original first two levels.
* The ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' games frequently include a desert world with pyramids and [[AllDesertsHaveCacti Pokey]], usually as the second world in the game:
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' has Worlds 2 and 6. In addition to classic features like quicksands, sand-dwelling enemies (including the debut of the living cacti known as Pokey) and an overall arid environment, these worlds have various caves and dungeons where Mario and his friends have to dig through sand. And since there are many enemies patrolling the inner parts of the sand, the holes the dig leaves will make them fall under and approach the characters, potentially harming them.
** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'', World 2 takes place in Desert Land. Some levels do have oasis with water where Mario and Luigi can swin in, while others have pyramids (and one of them can be explored from the interior). Fire Snakes, Chain Chomps, Fire Bros. (only present in a hidden part of the map) and the Angry Sun are first seen here as well.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'' has Birabuto, one of Sarasaland's kingdoms. Uniquely for a ''Mario'' game, it is the ''first'' world. It is based on real-life Egypt, and many pyramids can be seen on the background. The boss is King Totomesu, a living sphinx that breathes fire.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'': The TropeNamer is Shifting Sand Land, the eighth world. It is a relatively flat location packed with hazards like instant-death quicksand, Fly Guys, Pokeys and a pyramid full of traps (and home to the level's boss: Eyerok). A small oasis is located here as well.
** ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'': World 2 in all games in the subseries (called Layer-Cake Desert in ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosU''). Besides bringing back features seen in previous games' desert levels, these worlds also introduce geyser-like streams of sand that elevate Mario and his friends towards higher spots, including Star Coins that would be unreachable otherwise.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' has the Dusty Dune Galaxy, while ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' has the Slipsand Galaxy. In both games, the nonstandard gravity makes sand move and behave in unique ways (sometimes working in Mario's favor, sometimes not).
** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'': Desert stages are scattered throughout the worlds, such as 3-1 (a large sandy terrain which has a tall tower where the level's exit lies at the top, and is home to the sand-dwelling Sandmaargh), 5-1 (a sandy DeathMountain that has to be climbed while dealing with enemies like Pokeys and Boomerang Bros.) and 6-2 (the interior of a pyramid filled with dunes that rise and lower periodically).
** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'': The map of World 2 is desert-themed, but only the first level (Conkdor Canyon) is actually set in a desert; the sandfalls located in certain spots can be used to reach high places. There's also Plessie's Dune Downhill in World 8, where sand sculptures modeled after Bowser can be found.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'': Tostarena in the Sand Kingdom is a desert with ruins, a Mexican-inspired town, and sombrero wearing sugar skull inhabitants. It's the third world (followng up the Cap and Cascade Kingdoms), and is unique in that the desert is initially ''cold'' (to the point some ice crystals are formed), though this is reversed later when the heat is restored. Outside this kingdom, and as an EasterEgg, [[spoiler:at the ''very'' edge of the grasslands surrounding Peach's Castle you can see a desert, a reference to how desert worlds often come after grass ones in the ''Mario'' series.]]
** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'', this is one of the added settings for level making and playing, being available in four of the game styles (including the one based on ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'', which didn't have any explicitly themed worlds at all). The excluded style is ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', which instead receives a level theme based on Chocolate Island (a DeathMountain world). When played in Night mode, wind will blow (its direction and rate will depend on the game style).
** ''VideoGame/MarioAdventure''[='=]s seventh world is ostensibly this, but it functions more as a MinigameGame of sorts.
* In the ''VideoGame/TinyToonAdventures'' LicensedGame for the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem, Stage 2-1 takes place in a desert. In the first half of the stage, you have to deal with [[QuicksandSucks quicksand]], and in the second half, you find an oasis.
* In ''VideoGame/WackyRaces1991'', Stage A-2 takes place in a desert, with giant armadillos, [[ScaryScorpions scorpions]], and [[QuicksandSucks quicksand]]. The boss of this stage is Sgt. Blast and Private Meekly in the Army Surplus Special.
%%* ''VideoGame/WarioLand'':
%%** Desert Ruins from ''VideoGame/WarioLand3''.
%%** Arabian Night from ''VideoGame/WarioLand4''.
%%** Pecan Sands from ''VideoGame/WarioWorld''.
%%** Whoopsy Desert and Disturbing Tomb from ''VideoGame/WarioLandShakeIt''.
%%* The Wasteland levels in ''VideoGame/WonderBoy1'' and ''VideoGame/AdventureIsland'' series, where [[WizardNeedsFoodBadly food]] [[DroughtLevelOfDoom is scarce]], unsurprisingly.
* There is World 2 in ''VideoGame/YoshisWoollyWorld'' which combines this with LethalLavaLand.
----
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* Stage 2 of ''VideoGame/AladdinVirginGames'' takes place in a desert. In this stage, Aladdin must collect the three pieces of the Scarab, while dodging the palace guards, snakes, and Iago.
* Gobi's Valley in ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie''. Sand doesn't suck the player in, but it's so hot that walking on it is harmful. There are also many pyramids with different traps and challenges.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bug}}'':
** The original game has Reptilia, an American desert filled with cacti, [[ScaryScorpions scorpions]], ''literal'' [[StrongAnts army ants]] that fired grenades, cowboy snakes, green chameleons ([[FridgeLogic don't ask]]), and the ever-annoying {{invincible|MinorMinion}} horned lizards.
** ''Bug Too!'' has "Lawrence of Arachnia", which takes place on the set of the titular film. Scene 2 in particular takes place in the sandy parts of the desert.
* ''VideoGame/ClusterTruck'' has its first world as a desert, except with a whole ton of trucks populating it instead of anything else.
* ''VideoGame/CommanderKeen'':
** In ''Secret of the Oracle'', the 4th EpisodicGame in the series, the north-west section of the World Map consists of a desert. It contains 3 levels, 2 of which are mandatory in order to proceed. Surprisingly, although the same game also features 4 pyramids, they are not located in this area of the map but rather in a forest more to the south.
** In the fanmade Episode 8 (''Dead in the Desert''), Keen is stranded in a desert planet. Many of the levels explored here are set on hot yellow sandy dunes, many of which have a labyrinthic design underground, though there are some levels showcasing other settings (such as LethalLavaLand and DownTheDrain) for variety's sake. Once Keen retrieves the PlotCoupon that allows him to repair his ship and escape, he's betrayed by a creature who was trying to help him, and the climax pits the two in a boss battle. After Keen defeats his enemy, he escapes the planet and the episode ends.
%%* In ''VideoGame/DisneyPrincessEnchantedJourney'', Agrabah is this.
* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'' has Angry Aztec. The main floor hazard here is lots and lots of sand, but it doesn't swallow you up; it just hurts for a slice of melon, complete with {{Knockback}}, if you touch it when you're not {{invincib|ilityPowerUp}}le.
* In ''VideoGame/TheFlintstones1993'', the third level, Desert Drive, takes place in a desert. In this level, Fred drives the Flintmobile across the desert in search of [[StrayingBaby Pebbles]], dealing with such hazards as cacti, quicksand, and cow skulls.
* The Deserts around Spargus City in ''VideoGame/Jak3Wastelander''.
* ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' examples:
** The second stage of [[PalmtreePanic Ice Cream Island]] in ''VideoGame/KirbysAdventure'' and its GBA remake is a desert island.
** ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3'' has the first true desert world in the series, Sand Canyon, as the game's third world.
** ''[[VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards Kirby 64]]'' also has Rock Star, a [[ShatteredWorld shattered]] desert planet, as the second planet Kirby and company travel to, though the latter levels don't have a sand theme.
** Sky Sands from ''VideoGame/KirbyAirRide'' is a desert track. And not to mention, Top Ride's Sand track.
** ''VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn'' has Pyramid Sands and Dusk Dunes as sand-themed levels, both located in the second world, Hot Land.
** Raisin Ruins in ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' also has a fair bit of RuinsForRuinsSake, as the name would imply.
** Yellow Dunes in ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheRainbowCurse''.
** Gigabyte Grounds in ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot''. It also has a few EternalEngine elements to it, owing to the game's "Machinery and Robot" theme.
** Originull Wasteland in ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand''. It's actually a dried-up sea, with shipwrecks and dead marine animals as far as the eye can see.
* ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet:''
** The Mexican-themed Canyons from the first game.
** The Egypt-themed Golden Sands from the PSP game.
** La Marionetta from the PS Vita game is circus-themed, but also inexplicably placed in a desert. Downplayed since most of the levels are indoors.
* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' games:
** In ''VideoGame/TheBugsBunnyBirthdayBlowout'', Stage 2 takes place in a desert.
** In ''VideoGame/LooneyTunes (1992)'', Stage 6 takes place in the desert, where Road Runner is being pursued by Wile E. Coyote, who serves as the stage's boss.
** In ''VideoGame/DesertDemolition Starring [[WesternAnimation/WileECoyoteAndTheRoadRunner Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote]]'', Act One of "Red Rock Rondevous" and Act One of "Granite Gulch" take place in the sandy parts of the desert.
* In ''VideoGame/LostHome'', the second world is a desert where the player encounters enemies like buzzards and meerkats, and includes a level where it is possible to die from the heat.
* Several of these are to be found in the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' franchise, usually with Arabian-themed bosses at the end.
** Pharaoh Man in ''VideoGame/MegaMan4''.
** Flame Man from ''VideoGame/MegaMan6'' takes place around in an [[{{Qurac}} Arabian]] temple filled with oil.
** Ground Man in ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass'' has a temple full of it.
** Commando Man in ''VideoGame/MegaMan10''.
** Overdrive Ostrich's stage in ''VideoGame/MegaManX2''. First part of the level features a sandstorm (albeit one created by a machine). The boss fight zone wraps around, creating a sense of "featureless desolate expanse."
** ''VideoGame/MegaManZero1'' has one which, like some other areas in the game, hosts more than one stage; in fact, it is technically the most-visited area mission-wise, with two missions fully traversing it and two missions requiring you to travel a short distance through it before going underground. This is perhaps intentional, since it's the first game in a series in which most of the Earth is now a barren wasteland. All four times you must deal with [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot fire-breathing camels]].
** ''VideoGame/MegaManZero2'' kicks off in a desert as well, and has you face off against a titanic Scorpion robot.
** ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'' features a desert as well.
* ''VideoGame/OriAndTheWillOfTheWisps'' has the Windswept Wastes, the once-home of the Gorleks before TheCorruption forced them to flee, leaving behind [[BuildLikeAnEgyptian Egyptian-esque ruins]].
* In ''VideoGame/{{Quackshot}}'', Mexico and Egypt both start out as desert-themed levels. Both these levels end at a pyramid with a LockedDoor which Donald needs a key from another level to unlock.
* ''VideoGame/QuestForTheShavenYakStarringRenHoekAndStimpy'' has the Stinking Dry Desert, which serves as the second world of the game. Enemies include cacti that shoot prickles, lizards, vultures that lay eggs, scorpions that act as mirages of lemonade glasses, [[DemBones wildebeest skeletons]], spiders, crabs, and hopping toads. The boss of the world is a spitting cobra.
* ''Quik the Thunder Rabbit'' has Oblivion Desert (Level 2, unsurprisingly), whose sandy ground is host to a strange abundance of [[AllDesertsHaveCacti saguaros]] and palm trees.
* The Planets Aridia and Tabora in the ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank'' series. Tabora is sort of a [[HailfirePeaks double dip]], as the caverns below the desert are filled with [[LethalLavaLand hot lava]].
* ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins'' has the Desert of Dijiridoos and Grumbling Grottoes which are also [[HailfirePeaks mixed]] with GustyGlade and BandLand.
* ''VideoGame/RocketKnightAdventures'':
** Stage 2 in ''Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2'' ([[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Genesis]]) takes place in a desert. This stage features TempleOfDoom, LethalLavaLand and EternalEngine [[HailfirePeaks elements all within it]].
** Stage 5 in ''Sparkster'' ([[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]]) also takes place in a desert, with a few TempleOfDoom elements as well. Generalissimo Lioness' Wolf Soldiers are even dressed in Arabian garb for this stage. The boss of the stage is a robotic SegmentedSerpent.
* ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}''
** ''VideoGame/Shantae2002'' has the Men's Desert and the Ladies Desert, deserts filled with ScorpionPeople, {{Sand Worm}}s, and upside-down pyramids floating in the sky.
** ''VideoGame/ShantaeRiskysRevenge'' has the Baron Desert, which has Nagas, Sandstone Golems, and the Ammo Baron's army preparing for their takeover of Scuttle Town.
** ''VideoGame/ShantaeAndThePiratesCurse'' has Tan Line Island, featuring the return of the ScorpionPeople, quicksand, and a FantasyCounterpartCulture of Egypt.
** ''VideoGame/ShantaeHalfGenieHero'': Tassel Town is this as well as GustyGlade and RuinsForRuinsSake, the latter courtesy of a sandstorm that destroyed the town centuries prior. Encountered in the level are cactus-like Spikebugs, BirdPeople [[BombardierMook who drop said Spikebugs from the air]], a bow-wielding AmazonBrigade, and {{Sand Worm}}s, both smaller individual ones, and a giant specimen that chases Shantae in the auto-scrolling tower section [[spoiler: before returning as the world's boss under Lingerbean's command]].
* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':
** Desert Dodge in ''VideoGame/SegaSonicTheHedgehog''
** Sandopolis Zone in ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic The Hedgehog 3]]'', and Desert Palace Zone in the 2-Player mode.
** Yellow Desert in ''VideoGame/SonicBlast''.
** Sand Hill in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''.
** Wild Canyon, Hidden Base and Sand Ocean in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''.
** Mirage Road in ''VideoGame/{{Sonic Rush|Series}}''.
** Dusty Desert in ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic '06]]'', of the SandIsWater variety.
** And the first level of ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheSecretRings'', fitting for a game based on the Literature/ArabianNights.
** Shamar in ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed''.
** Oil Desert Zone in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4''.
** Desert Ruins in ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld''.
** Mirage Saloon Zone in ''VideoGame/SonicMania'', with a couple of [[TheWildWest Wild West]] vibes.
** ''VideoGame/SonicForces''' GreenHillZone appears to be mixed with a desert, because of Eggman's industries taking over the area. The [[SandIsWater waterfall is sandy]], too.
* In ''VideoGame/SongsForAHero'', an Egyptian-styled desert is the fourth level, divided into three acts: [[PunnyName Lühnee Dunes, Pyramid Skeeme and Ottoh Tomb]], though this trope is more present in the first one. The enemies are vultures, giant sand verms and walking cactuses, and the Hero can suffer hallucinations from the heat and get stuck in moving sand.
* ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon'' has an assortment of desert levels in the first three games, complete with an unusually sensible distribution of cacti (no clearly non-American style desert has them). The majority of the Peace Keepers world is arid/desert (with little actual sand); Scorch in the second game is Arabian-style with sloping hills of sand acting as the level borders; the third game's Desert Ruins is a (presumably Egyptian-style) ruin half-buried in the sands of the desert, and Dino Mines in the third game is Wild West in concept.
* ''VideoGame/StriderArcade'' has a desert camp stage exclusive to the UsefulNotes/PCEngine version, where it is (optionally) inserted between the original first two levels.
* The ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' games frequently include a desert world with pyramids and [[AllDesertsHaveCacti Pokey]], usually as the second world in the game:
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' has Worlds 2 and 6. In addition to classic features like quicksands, sand-dwelling enemies (including the debut of the living cacti known as Pokey) and an overall arid environment, these worlds have various caves and dungeons where Mario and his friends have to dig through sand. And since there are many enemies patrolling the inner parts of the sand, the holes the dig leaves will make them fall under and approach the characters, potentially harming them.
** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'', World 2 takes place in Desert Land. Some levels do have oasis with water where Mario and Luigi can swin in, while others have pyramids (and one of them can be explored from the interior). Fire Snakes, Chain Chomps, Fire Bros. (only present in a hidden part of the map) and the Angry Sun are first seen here as well.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'' has Birabuto, one of Sarasaland's kingdoms. Uniquely for a ''Mario'' game, it is the ''first'' world. It is based on real-life Egypt, and many pyramids can be seen on the background. The boss is King Totomesu, a living sphinx that breathes fire.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'': The TropeNamer is Shifting Sand Land, the eighth world. It is a relatively flat location packed with hazards like instant-death quicksand, Fly Guys, Pokeys and a pyramid full of traps (and home to the level's boss: Eyerok). A small oasis is located here as well.
** ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'': World 2 in all games in the subseries (called Layer-Cake Desert in ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosU''). Besides bringing back features seen in previous games' desert levels, these worlds also introduce geyser-like streams of sand that elevate Mario and his friends towards higher spots, including Star Coins that would be unreachable otherwise.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' has the Dusty Dune Galaxy, while ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' has the Slipsand Galaxy. In both games, the nonstandard gravity makes sand move and behave in unique ways (sometimes working in Mario's favor, sometimes not).
** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'': Desert stages are scattered throughout the worlds, such as 3-1 (a large sandy terrain which has a tall tower where the level's exit lies at the top, and is home to the sand-dwelling Sandmaargh), 5-1 (a sandy DeathMountain that has to be climbed while dealing with enemies like Pokeys and Boomerang Bros.) and 6-2 (the interior of a pyramid filled with dunes that rise and lower periodically).
** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'': The map of World 2 is desert-themed, but only the first level (Conkdor Canyon) is actually set in a desert; the sandfalls located in certain spots can be used to reach high places. There's also Plessie's Dune Downhill in World 8, where sand sculptures modeled after Bowser can be found.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'': Tostarena in the Sand Kingdom is a desert with ruins, a Mexican-inspired town, and sombrero wearing sugar skull inhabitants. It's the third world (followng up the Cap and Cascade Kingdoms), and is unique in that the desert is initially ''cold'' (to the point some ice crystals are formed), though this is reversed later when the heat is restored. Outside this kingdom, and as an EasterEgg, [[spoiler:at the ''very'' edge of the grasslands surrounding Peach's Castle you can see a desert, a reference to how desert worlds often come after grass ones in the ''Mario'' series.]]
** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'', this is one of the added settings for level making and playing, being available in four of the game styles (including the one based on ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'', which didn't have any explicitly themed worlds at all). The excluded style is ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', which instead receives a level theme based on Chocolate Island (a DeathMountain world). When played in Night mode, wind will blow (its direction and rate will depend on the game style).
** ''VideoGame/MarioAdventure''[='=]s seventh world is ostensibly this, but it functions more as a MinigameGame of sorts.
* In the ''VideoGame/TinyToonAdventures'' LicensedGame for the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem, Stage 2-1 takes place in a desert. In the first half of the stage, you have to deal with [[QuicksandSucks quicksand]], and in the second half, you find an oasis.
* In ''VideoGame/WackyRaces1991'', Stage A-2 takes place in a desert, with giant armadillos, [[ScaryScorpions scorpions]], and [[QuicksandSucks quicksand]]. The boss of this stage is Sgt. Blast and Private Meekly in the Army Surplus Special.
%%* ''VideoGame/WarioLand'':
%%** Desert Ruins from ''VideoGame/WarioLand3''.
%%** Arabian Night from ''VideoGame/WarioLand4''.
%%** Pecan Sands from ''VideoGame/WarioWorld''.
%%** Whoopsy Desert and Disturbing Tomb from ''VideoGame/WarioLandShakeIt''.
%%* The Wasteland levels in ''VideoGame/WonderBoy1'' and ''VideoGame/AdventureIsland'' series, where [[WizardNeedsFoodBadly food]] [[DroughtLevelOfDoom is scarce]], unsurprisingly.
* There is World 2 in ''VideoGame/YoshisWoollyWorld'' which combines this with LethalLavaLand.
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