"Mario Kart World's Screen Conceals Legendary Nintendo Easter Egg"

Nintendo fans have uncovered a beloved hidden gem in the Nintendo Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World — the return of Totaka's Song, a long-running Easter egg composed by legendary Nintendo developer Kazumi Totaka.

The secret melody makes its appearance on the character selection screen. Simply highlight Yoshi in the roster and let the green dinosaur dance in place for a few moments. After a short delay, Yoshi will begin humming the iconic tune — a delightful nod to one of Nintendo’s most enduring musical secrets.

"I was idling on the Character Select screen when I noticed Mario began humming after enough time passed," shared Reddit user charizardtelephone. "I thought, 'Huh, they could totally hide hidden tunes like that.' Wait. Hidden music? In a Nintendo game? With Yoshi? It was too good to be true."

Totaka’s Song in Mario Kart World
byu/charizardtelephone inmariokart

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Totaka's Song has appeared in various forms across dozens of Nintendo titles, often when Kazumi Totaka is involved in development or voice work. From Super Smash Bros. and Wii Sports to Animal Crossing and Pikmin, the melody has become a signature Easter egg. In Mario Kart World, the tune returns as Yoshi hums it during his idle animation — a charming callback to similar behavior seen in Mario Kart 8.

"After a few seconds, lo and behold, Yoshi begins humming Totaka's Song like the idle Yoshis do in Mario Kart 8," charizardtelephone continued. "Very cool Easter egg. Not sure if anyone else has noticed it yet."

Mario Kart World is already making waves in Japan, surpassing the physical sales of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at the original Switch launch. As a launch bundle option, it marks Nintendo’s first major hit on the Switch 2. Up next, fans can expect more details on Donkey Kong Bananza during an upcoming Nintendo Direct presentation later this week.