Mario Kart World: Where the journey is the destination. And it's a ten-hour one.
What happens when you stop chasing trophies in Mario Kart World and simply explore?
YouTuber Getlucky asked himself just that – and made the effort to get as much out of Mario Kart World as possible. In a ten-hour video, he documented the game's barely noticed open world.
Yes, it's exactly as the headline says. Beyond the familiar racetracks, there are over 200 connecting paths linking the courses together, most of which players rarely notice.
More Than Just A Home Stretch
Whether you're racing in a Grand Prix or a knockout match, the game isn’t just about lap-based circuits. One of its most overlooked features is the network of drivable interlinking roads between tracks.
As many of you know, instead of fading into a loading screen, the game lets you actually drive from one course to the next.
And it turns out, the developers put real thought into keeping players on the right track. Subtle design cues like cleverly placed barriers, banked turns, and faint holographic arrows guide you along the intended path – often so naturally, you don’t even realize there were other options.
34 Cents Per Route?
With over ten hours of recorded footage, Getlucky shows just how much time and patience it takes to explore every single connection.
By his count, there are 202 unique inter-track routes – bringing the total number of drivable segments to 232, including the standard tracks.
Fun fact: At a price point of $80 for the game, that works out to about 34 cents per route.
Want To Try It Yourself?
If you want to start your own full-world karting journey, head into VS Race and enable "Free Course Selection" in the settings. Alternatively, you can access the entire course network by opening a Private Room in Online Play and pressing the “+” button to bring up the Full Course Map.
Important: This feature is not available in Online Play with random players – in those matches, you’ll be limited to standard 3-lap races with preset auto-transitions between courses.
Brilliant Gag Or Wasted Potential?
The response to Getlucky’s video has been overwhelmingly positive.
Reactions to the game’s hidden feature, however, are more mixed. Some players are thrilled, even saying it changed how they view the game’s high price point:
“This might sound silly, but now I get why the game costs 80 bucks. That cinematic, almost tear-jerking moment on Rainbow Boulevard really sold it for me.”
Others are a bit more nuanced:
“Sure, the quality varies a lot between routes, but some of them are so cool they feel like proper tracks. The path to Daisy’s Castle, for example, is fantastic. Honestly, it’s a shame it’s not a standalone course.”
And then there are those who remain unimpressed – calling the in-between sections dull or visually underwhelming, especially when compared to Mario Kart 8. The open world might be a nice idea, they say, but offers little in terms of actual gameplay.
So what do you think? Does Mario Kart World earn its premium price with this hidden feature – or is Nintendo just making us take the scenic route?