History Main / ShiftingSandLand

* JamesBond for Gameboy. You have to find a escape spot in the desert. Fortunately for the player, the desert is a toroid, and they should have already encountered the coordinates for the destination. Unfortunately for the player, scorpions love to sting and, in a subversion, dehydration ''is'' a concern.

* Act 2 of ''Diablo II''.

Enemies in this world usually include vultures, snakes, [[ScaryScorpions scorpions]], [[SandWorm huge sandworms]], giant antlions at the bottom of sand traps and other BigCreepyCrawlies. Also vaguely [[{{Qurac}} Arabian-style]] bandits -- turbaned and scimitared versions of whatever {{Mooks}} the BigBad hires. Expect [[EverythingTryingToKillYou homicidal animated]] cacti, [[AllDesertsHaveCacti even if the desert is clearly not American]]. Be sure that any attractive underdressed women that you meet are planning to poison you, stab you, and set you on fire.

* Gobi's Valley in ''{{Banjo-Kazooie}}''.

Provided you manage to enter the desert without having to accomplish some kind of [[ImpassableDesert quest]] beforehand, you'll have to deal with {{Quicksand|Sucks}}. Also common are [[SandIsWater rivers and whirlpools of sand flowing into]] BottomlessPits. Camel may be found around here, usually to ride. [[Disney/{{Aladdin}} Watch out, they spit!]]. Flying carpets and dust devils are another common mode of travel. Be assured that you will be going to a TempleOfDoom at some point. The nongame varient is the ThirstyDesert.

* ''MySims'' has a desert region, accessed by pickaxe.

* This is the theme of two levels in ''VideoGame/CastleCrashers''. Here you find scorpions, men wearing turbans, men wearing weird chainmail helmets, a giraffe animal orb as well as the shovel item, some aliens (sure, why not?) and a giant sandcastle. You spend the last part of the desert area playing volleyball with the badguys, which makes you wonder if the desert is both a desert and a beach.

* The Sandsea in ''VideoGame/DragonFable'' and ''VideoGame/AdventureQuestWorlds''?
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' has the Triet Desert, complete with sandstorms and an oasis.
** And [[SandWorm a giant hulking sandworm]] that can [[NightmareFuel swallow you whole]]!

* Sector 3 - PYR in ''{{Metroid}} Fusion'' ([[HailfirePeaks also]] a [[LethalLavaLand lava level]]), and parts of Chozo Ruins (''MetroidPrime'') and Agon Wastes (''Prime 2: Echoes'').

* Fiery Sands, the third dungeon in ''ChildrenOfMana'', is one of these.

* Pretty much any ''Zelda'' game has one of these.

* Sandy Grave and the Forgotten City in ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania}}: Portrait of Ruin'' both start in the desert and lead into pyramids.

** TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast has the Desert of Mystery, [[TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]] has the Yarna desert, and [[TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]] has ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Sand Land]]'', though in the latter it doesn't affect gameplay at all, seeing as you can only stop at the temple.

* The desert around Las Venturas in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto: San Andreas'' qualifies to some degree: although it's rather realistic, it has Native American reservations, ghost towns, rock formations with funny names, an abandoned airport, oil pumps, a big Hoover-like dam, a geyser, and even [[DoubleEntendre ''Area 69'']], the local version of the Area 51.

[[quoteright:291:[[VideoGame/PaperMario http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/PMsndlnd_6069.png]]]]

** Dozing Sands in ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam Mario & Luigi: Dream Team]]''

* Sand Zone from ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' is the game's local reservoir of sand[[hottip:*:And there's no SlippySlideyIceWorld to apply sand to. AndThatsTerrible!]]. Also a location of [[PsychoSerum red flowers]] storehouse.

** ''Mario Kart Super Circuit'' has Yoshi Desert and Sunset Wilds. [[hottip:*:The Choco Island tracks from ''Super Mario Kart'' have also retroactively become desert courses for some reason, as they share a tileset and background with Sunset Wilds.]]

** Hidden Base and Sand Ocean in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'' as well.

* ''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 [[MercyInvincible invin]][[InvincibilityPowerUp cible]].

** Oh yes, and in ''Emerald'', there's the Mirage Tower that disappears into the sand once you get a fossil from it. Clearly a load-bearing fossil. Also, underneath the desert is the Desert Underpass where the other fossil that disappeared before in Mirage Tower becomes available.

The video game desert is a vast, hot and dry place, usually with [[BuildLikeAnEgyptian Egyptian-style pyramids]]. It can be a big part of games set in a ScavengerWorld, or the second world on the itinerary after GreenHillZone. Thankfully, heat stroke and dehydration are usually not a problem.

* The desert around Las Venturas in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto: San Andreas'' qualifies to some degree: although it's rather realistic, it has Native American reservations, ghost towns, rock formations with funny names, an abandoned airport, oil pumps, a big Hoover-like dam, a geyser, and even the [[DoubleEntendre ''Area 69'']], the local version of the Area 51.

* Fiery Sands, the third dungeon in ''ChildrenOfMana'', is one of these

* Motavia in ''PhantasyStarI'' and ''IV''.

** TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast has the Desert of Mystery, [[TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]] has the Yarna desert, and [[TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]] has [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Sand Land]], though in the latter it doesn't affect gameplay at all, seeing as you can only stop at the temple.