Mario Kart World does feature series staple Mirror Mode races after all, and although the requirements to unlock it remain slightly hazy, anyone who does will also be able to explore it in the new Free Roam mode thanks to a Super Mario 64 Easter egg.
Before launch, it wasn’t clear if Switch 2 racing game Mario Kart World would include Mirror Mode at all. After all, the main idea of the latest racing game is how the whole world is interconnected, with different tracks leading to the next, thanks to intermission laps. How would Mirror Mode even work in that context? Well, it appears Nintendo has some kind of parallel dimension explanation for us.
As spotted by Twitterer @Ninjinaut, after you’ve unlocked Mirror Mode, if you head over to the Peach Stadium course in Free Roam, and make your way up to the stained glass windows featuring the princess herself, you’ll be able to drive straight through them to be transported into a mirrored version of the world.
Some nice Mirror Mode Easter egg haha pic.twitter.com/7q5GIqZ91lJune 7, 2025
Anyone who’s played Super Mario 64 will recognise that the stained glass design is pretty much identical to a window found in the classic 1996 3D platformer, which you could jump through to access a secret level. The windows might not lead to a slide this time, but it’s still an obvious nod.
But how do you unlock Mirror Mode in Mario Kart World in the first place? While there’s still some debate over the exact requirements, we’ve got a full guide on the steps that should definitely work. As well as completing all the Grand Prix cups and Knockout Tours at 150cc, you’ll also need to spend some time in Free Roam collecting Peach Medallions, ? Panels, and completing P-Switch challenges.
We believe you need to do about 10 of each of those Free Roam bits, but it might be a bit less. After that, you’ll need to play the Special Cup again to unlock the mode. Happy hunting!