Mario Kart World‘s Mirror Mode Is A Little Too Confusing To Activate

Playing in Mirror Mode is like racing on every Mario Kart course’s slightly weirder twin, and it’s back again in Mario Kart World. If you’ve already memorized every twist and turn of the game’s courses and are looking for an extra challenge, flipping their layouts via Mirror Mode might spice up your gameplay—it just takes a bit of extra, somewhat-confusing work to unlock.

How to unlock Mirror Mode

To unlock Mirror Mode in Mario Kart World, you’ll need to do all the Knockout Tour rallies and Grand Prix cups at 150cc. If you’re like me and initially did everything at 100cc because you were intimidated by all the new courses, it’ll be a little annoying to go through all of them again right away. Luckily, you don’t need to win or even place in these races—if you’re not up for the challenge, even just standing still in the Knockout Tour rallies so you get eliminated in the first round works! (Just make sure to check for the tiny green checkmarks below the 150cc buttons to confirm you’ve done every cup and rally).

Activating Mirror Mode isn’t without some mystery, however. Players are also theorizing that you need to meet some requirements in Free Roam. I had these covered already when I unlocked Mirror Mode, but we’re not positive if they really make a difference yet. These requirements include:

10 P Switches

10 ? Panels

10 Peach Medallions

Once you’ve met these requirements, head back to the Grand Prix menu and do the Special Cup (you also don’t need to win or place here). If you’ve succeeded, after the usual credits roll, you’ll get to see a charming little cutscene and a popup that lets you know you’ve unlocked Mirror Mode. After that, head to VS mode—you’ll now find Mirror Mode listed under the Class setting alongside its new 50, 100, and 150cc pals.

If Mirror Mode somehow doesn’t unlock after you complete these tasks, check to make sure that you’ve really done all the cups and rallies in 150cc. After that, if you still don’t unlock it through the Special Cup, we’d recommend just driving around in free roam to scrounge around for coins and rack up some extra distance before trying the Special Cup again—it’s possible that these might also factor into Mirror Mode.

How to unlock Mirror Mode in Free Roam

Mirror Mode is a VS classic, but Mario Kart World lets Free Roam fans in on the fun, too. If you want to flip your Free Roam map, you’ll need to first have unlocked the regular Mirror Mode through the steps above. After that, head to Peach Stadium in Free Roam. Begin driving along the course from the start and climb the usual floating platforms, but once you’re high enough, jump off the course down onto the castle’s large red roof (reminder that you can rewind if you miss!). From there, you’ll want to find the castle’s tower and then drive straight into the Peach stained glass a-la Mario 64. You’ll get another little cutscene, and then the entire world will be flipped!

Once you’re done with Mirror Mode, just drive back into the same stained glass to restore the world to its original layout. Happy racing! (Or should I say gnicar yppaH?)