A Tense Moment

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"A Tense Moment"
"A Tense Moment" in Super Mario Galaxy
The image for "A Tense Moment" from Super Mario Galaxy on Nintendo Music.
Image from Nintendo Music
Composed by:
Mahito Yokota
First appearance Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
Latest appearance Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2025)

"A Tense Moment"[1][2] is a musical theme composed by Mahito Yokota for Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel. It plays in many galaxies before bosses.

History[edit]

Super Mario Galaxy[edit]

Super Mario Galaxy marks the first appearance of "A Tense Moment". It plays in King Kaliente's Battle Fleet, Topmaniac and the Topman Tribe, Topmaniac's Daredevil Run, and Revenge of the Topman Tribe.

"A Tense Moment" returns in the Nintendo Switch ports, Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2, for the same purposes. The theme is also included in the official Super Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack album.

Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]

A rearrangement of "A Tense Moment" plays in Super Mario Galaxy 2, also called "A Tense Moment". It plays before the battle with Squizzard in Squizzard's Daredevil Run, before the battle with the Boomsday Machine in Boomsday Machine Daredevil Run, and the cutscene before entering Bowser's Galaxy Generator. This version adds a new section to the melody.

List of Super Mario appearances[edit]

Games[edit]

Work System Year Type Title Credits
Super Mario Galaxy Wii 2007 Original "A Tense Moment"[1] Mahito Yokota
Super Mario 3D All-Stars Nintendo Switch 2020 Original "A Tense Moment" Mahito Yokota
Super Mario Galaxy Nintendo Switch 2025 Original "A Tense Moment"[1] Mahito Yokota
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 Nintendo Switch 2025 Original "A Tense Moment"[1] Mahito Yokota

Albums[edit]

Work Year Type Title Credits
Super Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack 2007 Original "Tension" Mahito Yokota
Super Mario Galaxy (Spotify) 2026 Original "A Tense Moment" Mahito Yokota

Other media[edit]

Work Year Type Title Credits
Nintendo Music 2025[a] Original "A Tense Moment" Mahito Yokota
  1. ^ Added on September 15, 2025

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Note(s) Ref.
Japanese 緊迫
Kinpaku		 Tension [1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Nintendo Music
  2. ^ Super Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack
[Edit]
Recurring themes
Donkey Kong franchise Donkey Kong "Hammer BGM" • "Round 1 BGM"
Donkey Kong Jr. "Round 1 BGM"
Donkey Kong (NES) "Title BGM"
Donkey Kong Jr. (NES) "Title BGM"
Donkey Kong Country "Aquatic Ambiance" • "Bonus Room Blitz" • "Cave Dweller Concert" • "Cranky's Theme" • "The Credits Concerto" • "DK Island Swing" • "Fear Factory" • "Forest Frenzy" • "Funky's Fugue" • "Gang-Plank Galleon" • "Ice Cave Chant" • "Life in the Mines" • "Mine Cart Madness" • "Northern Hemispheres" • "Simian Segue" • "Theme" • "Treetop Rock" • "Voices of the Temple"
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest "Crocodile Cacophony (K. Rool's Theme)" • "K. Rool Returns (Title Theme)" • "Lockjaw's Saga (Lockjaw's Locker)" • "Run, Rambi! Run! (Parrot Chute Panic)" • "Snakey Chantey (Rattle Battle)" • "Stickerbush Symphony (Bramble Blast)"
Donkey Kong 64 "DK Rap"
Donkey Kong Country Returns "Mine Menace"
Mario Bros. series Mario Bros. (NES) "Title BGM"
Wrecking Crew series Wrecking Crew "Bonus Phase" • "Golden Hammer" • "Phase BGM"
Super Mario series Super Mario Bros. "Castle BGM" • "Ending" • "Ground BGM" • "Invincibility BGM" • "Underground BGM" • "Underwater BGM"
VS. Super Mario Bros. "Gyōmu-yō Mario Namae-ire"
Super Mario Bros. 2 "Boss BGM" • "Ending" • "Final Boss BGM" • "Ground BGM" • "Please Select Player" • "Underground BGM"
Super Mario Bros. 3 "Airship BGM" • "Athletic BGM" • "Bros. Battle" • "Ending" • "Fortress BGM" • "Fortress Boss" • "Ground BGM" • "King of the Koopas" • "Music Box" • "P Switch BGM / Toad's House" • "Slot Game BGM / Memory Game BGM" • "Throne Room" • "Underwater BGM" • "Warp Zone" • "World 1 Map (Grass Land)" • "World 2 Map (Desert Land)" • "World 3 Map (Water Land)" • "World 4 Map (Giant Land)" • "World 5 Map (Sky Land) - On the Ground" • "World 5 Map (Sky Land) - In the Sky" • "World 6 Map (Ice Land)" • "World 7 Map (Pipe Land)" • "World 8 Map (Dark Land)"
Super Mario Land "Birabuto Kingdom BGM" • "Chai Kingdom BGM" • "Easton Kingdom BGM"
Super Mario World "Bowser BGM" • "Donut Plains (Map Screen)" • "Ending" • "Forest of Illusion (Map Screen)" • "Ground BGM" ("Athletic BGM" · "Bonus Game BGM" · "Castle BGM" · "Ghost House BGM" · "Underground BGM" · "Underwater BGM") • "Koopalings BGM" • "P Switch BGM" • "Special World (Map Screen)" • "Star World (Map Screen)" • "Title BGM" • "Valley of Bowser (Map Screen)" • "Vanilla Dome (Map Screen)" • "Yoshi's Island (Map Screen)"
Super Mario 64 "Big Boo's Haunt" • "Bowser's Road" • "Bowser's Theme" • "Dire, Dire Docks" • "File Select" • "The Final Battle" • "Hazy Maze Cave" • "Lethal Lava Land" • "Main Theme" ("Cool, Cool Mountain" · "Opening" · "Slider") • "The Merry-Go-Round" • "Metal Mario" • "Peach's Castle" • "Piranha Plant's Lullaby" • "Staff Roll" • "Stage Boss" • "Title Theme"
Super Mario Sunshine "Boss Battle" • "Isle Delfino" ("Ricco Harbor" · "Staff Credits") • "Secret Course"
New Super Mario Bros. "Castle Theme" • "Ground Theme" ("Athletic Theme") • "Mega Mario" • "Switch On!" • "Tower Theme"
Super Mario Galaxy "A-wa-wa-wa!" • "Aquatic Race" • "Battlerock Galaxy" • "Buoy Base Galaxy" • "Catastrophe" • "Cosmic Comet" • "Deep Dark Galaxy" • "Dino Piranha" • "Egg Planet" • "Enter Bowser Jr.!" • "Enter the Galaxy" • "Final Battle with Bowser" • "The Galaxy Reactor" • "Gateway Galaxy" • "Gusty Garden Galaxy" • "The Honeyhive" • "Ice Mario" • "Ice Mountain" • "King Bowser" • "King Kaliente" • "Kingfin" • "Luma" • "Major Burrows" • "Megaleg" • "Melty Molten Galaxy" • "Overture" • "Peach's Castle Stolen" • "Purple Comet" • "Rosalina in the Observatory" ("Family") • "Space Athletic" • "Space Junk Road" • "The Star Festival" • "Super Mario 2007" • "Super Mario Galaxy" • "A Tense Moment" • "The Toad Brigade" • "Waltz of the Boos"
New Super Mario Bros. Wii "Bonus Area" • "Bowser Jr. Battle" • "Castle Theme" • "Coast Theme" • "Desert Theme" • "Forest Theme" • "Ghost House Theme" • "Koopaling Battle" • "Lava Cave / Underground Ruins Theme" • "Lava Theme" • "Title Theme" • "Toad House Minigame" • "Underground Theme" • "Underwater Theme"
Super Mario Galaxy 2 "Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla" • "Bowser's Galaxy Generator" • "Cloudy Court Galaxy" • "Fated Battle" • "Melty Monster Galaxy" • "Puzzle Plank Galaxy" • "Slimy Spring Galaxy" • "Starship Mario" • "The Starship's Journey" • "Super Mario Galaxy 2 Trailer Theme" ("Sky Station Galaxy" · "Wild Glide Galaxy") • "Teleporter Melody" • "Yoshi Star Galaxy"
Super Mario 3D Land "Beach Theme" • "Castle Theme"[conjectural] • "Main Theme" • "Snow Course" • "Victory Parade"
New Super Mario Bros. U "Ground Theme" ("Athletic Theme")
Super Mario 3D World "A Boss Approaches" • "Captain Toad Goes Forth" • "Chainlink Charge" • "Piranha Creeper Creek" • "Super Bell Hill"
Super Mario Maker "Flying Battleship Theme" • "Title"
Super Mario Odyssey "Fossil Falls" • "Jump Up, Super Star!" • "New Donk City"
Dr. Mario series Dr. Mario "Chill" • "Fever" • "Game Over" • "Selection Screen" • "Title Screen" • "Vs. Game Over"
Mario Kart series Super Mario Kart "Awards Ceremony (1st – 3rd Place)" • "Bowser Castle" • "Donut Plains" • "Ghost Valley" • "Mario Circuit" • "Rainbow Road" • "Super Mario Kart Title Screen"
Mario Kart 64 "Battle Arenas" • "Choco Mountain" • "D.K.'s Jungle Parkway" • "Frappe Snowland" • "Kalimari Desert" • "Koopa Troopa Beach" • "Luigi Raceway" • "Mario Kart 64 Title Screen" • "Moo Moo Farm" • "Rainbow Road" • "Results (1st – 4th Place)" • "Staff Credits" • "Toad's Turnpike"
Mario Kart: Super Circuit "Bowser Castle" • "Peach Circuit"
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! "Baby Park" • "Luigi Circuit" • "Peach Beach"
Mario Kart DS "Cheep Cheep Beach" • "Luigi's Mansion" • "Peach Gardens" • "Waluigi Pinball"
Mario Kart Wii "Coconut Mall" • "Grumble Volcano" • "Luigi Circuit" • "Wii Maple Treeway" • "Moo Moo Meadows" • "Mushroom Gorge" • "Rainbow Road" • "Wario's Gold Mine"
Mario Kart 7 "Neo Bowser City" • "Piranha Plant Slide" • "Rainbow Road" • "Toad Circuit"
Mario Kart 8 "Bowser's Castle" • "Cloudtop Cruise" • "Mario Circuit" ("Mario Kart Stadium") • "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen" • "Rainbow Road" • "Twisted Mansion"
Mario Party series Mario Party 9 "Good Job!"
Yoshi series Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island "Athletic BGM" • "Bowser" • "Flower Field BGM" • "Goal!" • "Opening Melody" • "Powerful Mario" • "Yoshi's Island"
Yoshi's Story "Yoshi's Song" ("Yoshis on the Beach") • "Yoshi's Story!" • "Yoshi's Tale"
Wario franchise Wario Land 3 "Out of the Woods"[conjectural]
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! "Pyoro: Stage" • "Sci-Fi (Dribble & Spitz) - Drifting Away" • "Title" ("Reality (Dr. Crygor) - Stage")
WarioWare: Twisted! "Mona Pizza"
WarioWare: Touched! "Ashley's Theme"
Luigi's Mansion series Luigi's Mansion "Title Theme (Humming)" ("Professor E. Gadd's Lab")
Mario vs. Donkey Kong series Mario vs. Donkey Kong "Mini Mario Stage"[conjectural] • "Title Theme"
Super Smash Bros. series Super Smash Bros. Melee "Rainbow Cruise"
Other The Legend of Zelda "Magic Whistle Melody" • "Overworld Theme"
Mario Paint "Drawing Board 1" • "Gnat Attack: Level 1" • "Save & Load"
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars "Beware of Forest Mushrooms" • "Bowser's Keep" • "Hello, Happy Kingdom" • "Super Mario House"
Miscellaneous "Galop infernal" • "Mute City" • "Title BGM" (Excitebike) • "Totakeke's theme"
[Edit]
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) / Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo Switch)
Playable characters Mario • Luigi
Forms Bee Mario • Rainbow Mario • Boo Mario • Ice Mario • Fire Mario • Spring Mario • Flying Mario
Non-playable characters Apricot Luma • Princess Peach • Rosalina • Lumas • Polari • Hungry Lumas • Lumalees • Comet Luma • Toads • Toad Brigade (Toad Brigade captain · Mailtoad · Blue Toad · Yellow Toad · Green Toad) • Star Bunnies • Honeybees • Queen Bee • Boards • (Bill Board · Gil Board · Jill Board · Phil Board) • Ray • Penguins • Coach • Penguru • Penguin Racers • Gearmos • Worm • Spooky Speedster • Guppy • Cosmic Mario
Enemies Amp • Atomic Boo • Ball Beamer • Banzai Bill • Bat • Big Ruby Rock • Blooper • Bob-omb • Bomb Boo • Bomp • Bone Twister • Bonefin • Boo • Bullet Bill • Cataquack • Cheep Cheep • Chomp • Clampy • Cluckboom • Crabber • Dry Bones • Electrogoomba • Fire Shooter • Flipbug • Giant Gringill • Golden Chomp • Goomba • Goombeetle • Grand Goomba • Gringill • Ice bat • Ice Bubble • Jam-o'-War • Jammyfish • Koopa Troopa • Lava Bubble • Li'l Cinder • Magikoopa • Mandibug • Mecha-Bowser • Micro Goomba • Mikey Mine • Mini Chomp • Monty • Octoguy • Piranha Plant • Pokey Head • Pokeynut • Pokeyplant • Pulse Beam • Pumpkinhead Goomba • Rocto • Ruby Rock • Sentry Beam • Sentry Garage • Slurple • Space Mine • Spiky Topman • Spiny Cheep-Cheep • Spiny Piranha Plant • Spoing • Spangler • Spring Topman • Spring Vault • Thwomp • Topmini • Torpedo Ted • Tox Box • Tracks • Undergrunt • Urchin • Water Shooter • Wiggler • Zap Ball
Obstacles Banzai Bill Cannon • Bars / crystal • Bill Blaster • Black hole • Bramble • Burner • Cannon • Cannonball • Chomp box • Crushing pillar • Dark matter • Deadly quicksand • Electric Ball • Electric rail • Eye Beamer • Fire Bar • Fire geyser • Fireball • Freezing water • Giant prickly plant • Gravity field • Honey • Ice Ball • Lava • Lava burst • Lava Geyser • Lava tide • Meat • Meteor • Moving sand • Mud • Poisonous swamp • Prickly plant • Quicksand • Sand tide • Snow • Spike • Spiky iceberg • Spotlight • Spring • Torpedo tube • Water tide • Whirlpool • Wind
Bosses Dino Piranha • King Kaliente • Mandibug Stack • Bugaboom • Megaleg • Kamella • Tarantox • Topmaniac • Bowser • Bouldergeist • Bowser Jr. • Major Burrows • Baron Brrr • Undergrunt Gunner • Kingfin
Items and power-ups ? Coin • 1-Up Mushroom • Bee Mushroom • Bomb • Boo Mushroom • Coin • Fire Flower • Gold Shell • Grand Star • Green Power Star • Green Shell • Ice Flower • Key • Life Mushroom • Note • Power Star • Purple Coin • Rainbow Star • Red Power Star • Red Shell • Red Star • Silver Star • Spring Mushroom • Star Bit • Star Chip
Objects ? Block • Airship • Arrow Sign • Banandelion • Bar • Beacon • Block • Blue switch • Bob-omb dispenser • Bolt • Bolt Lift • Bone • Bowser Statue • Brick Block • Bubble • Bubbler • Butterfly • Cage • Cannon • Case • Cloud • Coconut • Coin Block • Conveyor Belt • Cosmic block • Crate • Crystal • Dome • Fish • Flipswitch Panel • Floaty Fluff • Flower (environmental object) • Flower (platform) • Gold Treasure Box • Giant Star Bit • Gravity spotlight • Gravity switch • Ground Pound Switch • Hanging vine • Hole • Honey wall • Ice • Key Door • Launch Star • Leaf pile • Lever Switch • Lift • Matter • Pole • Portrait • Pull Star • Pyramid • Robot turtle • Rock spire • Rolling Ball • Rubbery bulb • Seagull • Semisolid Platform • Shock Wave Generator • Shrinking platform • Sign • Sliding block • Sling Pod • Sling Star • Snow sculpture • Snowman • Star Wand • Springboard • Sproutle Vine • Starshroom • Stone block • Stone circle / Shell circle • Stone wheel • Swing • Tennis ball • Tiny lamp • Torch • Tornado • Trash • Treasure chest • UFO • Underwater ring • Valve • Volcano • Warp Pad • Warp Pipe • Water spout • Waterfall • Watermelon • Yellow square
Locations Terrace Good Egg Galaxy • Honeyhive Galaxy • Loopdeeloop Galaxy • Flipswitch Galaxy • Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor • Sweet Sweet Galaxy
Fountain Space Junk Galaxy • Rolling Green Galaxy • Battlerock Galaxy • Hurry-Scurry Galaxy • Bowser's Star Reactor • Sling Pod Galaxy
Kitchen Beach Bowl Galaxy • Bubble Breeze Galaxy • Ghostly Galaxy • Buoy Base Galaxy • Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada • Drip Drop Galaxy
Bedroom Gusty Garden Galaxy • Freezeflame Galaxy • Dusty Dune Galaxy • Honeyclimb Galaxy • Bowser's Dark Matter Plant • Bigmouth Galaxy
Engine Room Gold Leaf Galaxy • Sea Slide Galaxy • Toy Time Galaxy • Bonefin Galaxy • Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor • Sand Spiral Galaxy
Garden Deep Dark Galaxy • Dreadnought Galaxy • Matter Splatter Galaxy • Melty Molten Galaxy • Snow Cap Galaxy
Gate Gateway Galaxy • Boo's Boneyard Galaxy
Planet of Trials Rolling Gizmo Galaxy • Bubble Blast Galaxy • Loopdeeswoop Galaxy • Grand Finale Galaxy
Other Castle Gardens • Comet Observatory • Garage • Library • Bowser's Galaxy Reactor • Pipe interior
Moves Backward somersault • Carry • Climb • Crouch • Dash • Double jump • Double kick • Fly • Ground pound • Jump • Kick • Long jump • Rocket Start • Co-Star Super Jump • Side somersault • Skate • Slide • Spin • Spin jump • Start Dash • Stomp • Sweep kick • Swim • Triple jump • Wall jump
Gameplay elements amiiboa • Bob-omb Blasting • Completion • Galaxies • Gravity • Letter • Life meter • Mandibug clan • Missions • Octo-Army • Prankster Comet • Ray surfing • Star List • Star Pointer • Topman Tribe • Trial Galaxies • Wii Message Board
Story elements Rosalina's Storybook • Star Festival
Music "A-wa-wa-wa!" • "Aquatic Race" • "Battlerock Galaxy" • "Buoy Base Galaxy" • "Catastrophe" • "Cosmic Comet" • "Deep Dark Galaxy" • "Dino Piranha" • "Egg Planet" • "Enter Bowser Jr.!" • "Final Battle with Bowser" • "The Galaxy Reactor" • "Gateway Galaxy" • "Gusty Garden Galaxy" • "Help!" • "The Honeyhive" • "Ice Mario" • "Ice Mountain" • "King Bowser" • "King Kaliente" • "Kingfin" • "Luma" • "Major Burrows" • "Megaleg" • "Melty Molten Galaxy" • "Overture" • "Peach's Castle Stolen" • "Purple Comet" • "Rosalina in the Observatory" ("Family") • "Space Athletic" • "Space Junk Road" • "The Star Festival" • "Super Mario 2007" • "Super Mario Galaxy" • "A Tense Moment" • "The Toad Brigade" • "Waltz of the Boos"
Web media Anket • "Cosmic Power-Up with Mario and Yoshi" • Iwata Asks • Personality quiz: Movie match • Playtest: Super Mario Galaxy • Quick Poll • Super Mario Galaxy (Flash game)
Further info 7-Eleven • Baskin-Robbins • Gallery • Glitches • Mario Galaxy Orchestra • Multimedia • Nintendo Music (soundtrack) • Original soundtrack • Pre-release and unused content • Quotes • Staff (Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2) • Super Mario 128 • Super Mario 3D All-Stars • SUPER MARIO BROS. 25th Anniversary Special Sound Track PRESS START Edition • Super Mario Bros. 40th Anniversary Trial Play Event • Super Mario Galaxy (Spotify) • Super Mario Galaxy Official Sticker Collection • Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 • Super Mario History 1985-2010 • Trading cards
a Exclusive to the Nintendo Switch version
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