The Real-Life Mario Kart Track – The Ateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
We are sure many know about the otherworldly trail located on the stretch across the Toyama and Nagano prefectures north of Tokyo.
This 90km route, dubbed ‘The Roof of Japan’ is full of sightseeing opportunities, such as views of the 3,015-meter Mt. Tateyama and 2,478-meter Mt. Akazawa-dake peaks, and access to the highest altitude hot spring and the country's highest waterfall. Although, what catches everyone’s eyes is the famous snow corridor that creates a glacial wonderland.
Located along the pathway of Yuki no Otani, this polar trail is the result of snow plough truck drivers creating a path for tourists and sightseers to walk through. The journey takes around 50 minutes and is an immersive experience like no other, seeing incredible views surrounded by snow. But what many people may not know is that a fan-favourite Mario Kart track, Frappe Snowland, is undeniably inspired directly by the snow corridors of Japan .
Released in 1996, Mario Kart 64 was the first game to bless the player's screens with this icy circuit. The track, seemingly simple, is full of winding roads where you try to dodge snowmen as they pop up and try to knock you out of your rhythm. However, you eventually reach a section which sees you drifting, accelerating, and in typical Mario Kart fashion, never breaking, through a snow corridor with an uncanny resemblance to the snow corridor of the Ateyama Kurobe Alpine Route.
What makes this map so legendary though is the game-breaking lap skip exploit which was a speed runner's dream. By going backwards at the start of the race, and then boosting out of bounds you could trick the game into thinking you had completed a lap.
The racetrack has been updated and revamped in a few ways over the years, with the 2005 version of the DS and the later adaptation in 2020 in Mario Kart Tour, but none can come close to the nostalgia that the Nintendo 64 version provides. With an incredible soundtrack and charming retro graphics, Frappe Snowland still brings us joy every time we tackle it.
