Mario Kart 8 Deluxe includes all sorts of references to different parts of Nintendo’s history, but some of them are harder to find than others.

At this point, a new Mario Kart game tends to be a collection of everything that has come before rather than a brand new title. Yes, there will be new tracks, new characters, and maybe even new features. However, for the most part, the tracks and characters will be ones from Mario’s past, and even from other Nintendo franchises such as The Legend of Zelda and F-Zero.

Not every reference to the past is as obvious of the addition of a track or character, though. Players have to go looking for some, and there may even be a chance that some of the game’s Easter eggs will never be discovered. Whoever added the one referenced below must have been thinking that was likely going to be the case.

Assuming this Easter egg was a part of Mario Kart 8, and not added via Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it has remained undiscovered for more than six years. Well, maybe not undiscovered, but those who have seen it, or heard it, may not have realized what they were listening to. The hidden gem can be found on the game’s Water Park track when driving close to the Aqua Cups.

The Easter egg takes the form of a tune. The tune is the merry-go-round music that plays during Big Boo’s Haunt in Super Mario 64. We’d suggest watching the clip above to the very end as, during the first half, it’s difficult to distinguish the hidden tune from the track’s actual music. At the end, the Easter egg is left to play uninterrupted. After hearing it, start the clip again and the Big Boo’s Haunt music will stand out.

What always strikes us about this sort of thing is that developers don’t need to include this sort of thing. In fact, on the surface, it appears to be almost pointless. However, if and when these Easter eggs are discovered, it reminds players that the people creating the games care. It also must be extremely satisfying for something to be discovered in a game for the first time even though it has been there for six years.

Source: @MarioBrothBlog, Twitter