"It's like GTA" is an easy shorthand for any open-world game, since Rockstar's wildly popular series is largely responsible for turning that genre into the ubiquitous format of AAA gaming. In that sense, yeah, Mario Kart World is a little like GTA with its massive map and big array of side activities. It turns out, however, that there's an even bigger connection: literal grand theft auto.
"In Mario Kart World, NPCs will park their cars, exit them, and walk around," as Mario trivia enthusiast Supper Mario Broth explains in a Bluesky post. "However, the game does not actually keep track who each car belongs to. As such, a different NPC than the owner may drive away with a car, seemingly stealing it."
This detail was previously noted by HIGO_Mario_Fan on Twitter back in June, but the exposé in Supper Mario Broth's annotated video is incredible stuff – like watching a reality crime show from the Mushroom Kingdom.
In Mario Kart World, NPCs will park their cars, exit them, and walk around. However, the game does not actually keep track who each car belongs to. As such, a different NPC than the owner may drive away with a car, seemingly stealing it.
— @mariobrothblog.bsky.social (@mariobrothblog.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-09-17T16:52:19.220Z
"The Green Shy Guy just parked his car and is exiting it," the annotations begin. "He proceeds to walk away, leaving his car unattended. The car is approached by a Yellow Toad, who looks around suspiciously. He's breaking into Green Shy Guy's car! And now he's stealing it! And the Green Shy Guy is still here! How do we tell him?!"
The big, red letters on "stealing it" are the most entertaining thing I've seen all week, but there's some debate on whether theft is really what's going on here. In the replies to Supper Mario Broth's post, there are suggestions that maybe this is a property-free world where all the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom share their cars. Maybe Yellow Toad and Green Shy Guy are married and sharing the car.
But come on – you all saw the way Yellow Toad was looking around before he jumped into that car and started hotrodding through town. We really got Mario NPCs committing grand theft auto before GTA 6, folks.
Master the open world with the full Mario Kart World track list.
