Mario Kart 8: A case study in total internal reflection

Nintendo’s Mario Kart 8 features several underwater tracks, allowing players the opportunity to race through aquatic environments. One of the courses, titled “Water Park,” features a scene where the player surfaces from water by driving up a ramp. From the player’s perspective, an unrefracted image of a Ferris wheel and two trees is present above the water line as shown in Fig. 1. Of course, this view ignores the index of refraction difference of water and air; the only distinction players can make between the two environments is a marginally visible blue hue to the features above the water line.