Mario Kart's Character Hides Secret Nintendo Detail

Nintendo has discreetly placed a legendary recurring Easter egg within its Nintendo Switch 2 launch title, Mario Kart World, as discovered by dedicated fans.

Totaka's Song, a beloved melody that has made secret appearances in numerous Nintendo titles, has surfaced once more—this time on the character selection screen of Mario Kart World.

To hear it, navigate to Yoshi on the character roster and let the vibrant green dinosaur continue his dance. After a short wait, Yoshi begins humming a familiar tune—he’s performing Totaka’s Song.

"While idling on the Character Select screen, I noticed Mario humming after a while," shared Reddit user charizardtelephone. "I thought, 'That’s neat—what if there are hidden tunes too?' Then it clicked. Secret music? In a Nintendo game? Featuring Yoshi? It seemed almost too perfect to be real."

Listen to Yoshi humming Totaka’s Song right here:

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

Renowned Japanese composer Kazumi Totaka has woven versions of this melody into many games he’s worked on, both as a composer and as Yoshi’s voice actor. From Super Smash Bros. and Wii Sports to Animal Crossing and Pikmin, Totaka’s Song is cleverly embedded in each one.

"After several seconds, sure enough, Yoshi started humming Totaka’s Song, just like the idle Yoshis in Mario Kart 8," charizardtelephone elaborated, recounting the discovery in Mario Kart World. "It’s a really cool hidden detail. I wonder if others have spotted it yet."

In Japan, Mario Kart World is already outperforming the physical sales of the Switch 1 launch title, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Bundled with the new console, the game stands as Nintendo’s first major hit for the Switch 2. Next in line is Donkey Kong Bananza, which will receive a full preview in an upcoming Nintendo Direct broadcast later this week.