Trek across a desert which is lined with dry sand. You'll have to leap off of falling platforming and avoid sinking in pools of quicksand. — Sonic the Hedgehog 3 instruction manual
Due to taking place in a desert with sand-colored shuttle loops and quicksand pits, Desert Palace Zone features many rocky pillars and tall palm trees set around in the environment with the sand dunes in the background.
Gameplay
This Zone is fast-paced and straightforward. When the player goes through the tall shuttle loop, the player has to pass over a large quicksand pit that functions as the mud-pit in Azure Lake Zone. On the other side of the pit, there is a blue and red colored switch that activates a Spring attachment on the other side of quicksand pit. The other player will be bounced backwards once activating it.
From there, there is a uphill to climb, and before the starting point there is crumbling grounds that the player has to jump over or run past quickly. If the players falls down the cliff, the player returns to the quicksand pit section.
Trivia
The tall shuttle loop can act strangely by blocking the route, making impossible to backtrack.
The music of Desert Palace Zone is similar to the music of Lava Reef Zone Act 1.
Trek across a desert which is lined with dry sand. You'll have to leap off of falling platforming and avoid sinking in pools of quicksand. 
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