Athletic BGM (Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island)
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| "Athletic BGM" | |
|---|---|
| "Athletic BGM" in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island | |
Image from Nintendo Music | |
| Composed by: Koji Kondo | |
| Genre | Big band[1] |
| Key | F major |
| BPM | 134 |
| Time signature | 2 2 (with swung eighths) |
| First appearance | Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995) |
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) |
"Athletic BGM",[2] also known as "Obstacle Course",[3] is a musical theme composed by Koji Kondo for Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where it plays in the athletic levels.
History[edit]
Yoshi series[edit]
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island[edit]
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island marks the first appearance of "Athletic BGM". It is also included in the official albums Super Mario: Yossy Island Original Sound Version and Nintendo Sound Selection Vol.3: B-Side Music.
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3[edit]
In the Game Boy Advance remake of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, an arrangement of "Athletic BGM" plays for the same purpose as in the original game.
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Yoshi Touch & Go[edit]
In Yoshi Touch & Go, a G major steelpan arrangement of "Athletic BGM" can play in the Marathon mode.
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Itadaki Street series[edit]
Itadaki Street DS[edit]
In Itadaki Street DS, an arrangement of "Athletic BGM" plays when the player lands on a chance square. It is titled 「アスレチック」 (Asurechikku, "Athletic") in the game's sound test.
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Fortune Street[edit]
In Fortune Street, an arrangement of "Athletic BGM" plays when the player lands on a Venture square and during the Dart of Gold minigame when played on a Super Mario-series board.
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Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl features three arrangements of "Athletic BGM".
An arrangement of "Athletic BGM" arranged by Shota Kageyama can play in the Yoshi's Island stage. It is titled "Obstacle Course" in the game's sound test. The theme is dynamic: during the spring and summer phases of the stage, the normal variation plays, and during the fall and winter phases, a more relaxed variant plays. The spring and summer version also incorporates a brief arrangement of "Bowser" from the same game. In custom stages and the sound test, only the spring and summer variation is available.
A jazz arrangement of "Flower Field BGM" arranged by Noriyuki Iwadare can also play in the Yoshi's Island stage. This theme also incorporates a brief arrangement of "Athletic BGM". It is titled "Yoshi's Island" in the game's sound test.
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Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, "Obstacle Course" from Super Smash Bros. Brawl can once again play in the Yoshi's Island stage. The two seasonal variants are divided into two seperate tracks in the game's sound test, where they are titled "Obstacle Course (Spring/Summer)" and "Obstacle Course (Fall/Winter)" respectively.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, "Obstacle Course" from Super Smash Bros. Brawl can play in the Woolly World stage. Unlike Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, the two seasonal variants are combined into one track in the game's sound test, where it is titled "Obstacle Course (Yoshi's Island)".
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, "Obstacle Course" from Super Smash Bros. Brawl can play in any Super Smash Bros.-series and Yoshi-series stage. Like in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the two seasonal variants are combined into one track in the game's sound test, where it is titled "Obstacle Course - Yoshi's Island".
"Yoshi's Island" from Super Smash Bros. Brawl also returns and can play in the same stages. It is titled "Yoshi's Island (Brawl)" in the game's sound test.
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as part of Wave 4 of the Booster Course Pass, an arrangement of "Athletic BGM" plays in the Yoshi's Island race course. It is likewise titled "Yoshi's Island" in the Nintendo Music app. A looping drum set beat is added to the instrumentation whenever the player is driving at top speed while in first place.
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Mario Kart Tour[edit]
In Mario Kart Tour, an arrangement of "Athletic BGM" plays in the Yoshi's Island race course, which was first added in the 2023 Yoshi Tour.
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Mario Kart World[edit]
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In Mario Kart World, an arrangement of "Athletic BGM" can play in Free Roam and during routes in Grand Prix or VS Race. In Grand Prix, it is one of the themes that can play on the route from Dino Dino Jungle to Great ? Block Ruins in the Banana Cup. This theme also incorporates an arrangement of "Stage Start" from the same game at the end of the A section. It is simply titled "Athletic BGM" in the game's pause menu.
WarioWare: Move It![edit]
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In WarioWare: Move It!, a brief arrangement of "Athletic BGM" plays in the Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island microgame.
Other appearances[edit]
Mario & Zelda Big Band Live[edit]
The "Mario & Zelda Big Band Live" concert series featured a live bluegrass arrangement of "Athletic BGM" with fiddle, mandolin, and banjo instrumentation and upright bass accompaniment. It is titled 「ヨッシーアイランド アスレチックのテーマ」 (Yosshī Airando Asurechikku no Tēma, "Yoshi's Island Athletic Theme") in the DVD release, and 「ヨッシーアイランド アスレチックのテーマ (スーパーファミコン:「ヨッシーアイランド」より)」 (Yosshī Airando Asurechikku no Tēma (Sūpā Famikon: `Yosshī Airando' Yori), "Yoshi's Island Athletic Theme (SUPER FAMICOM: 「YOSHI'S ISLAND」)") in the CD release.
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Daigassou! Band Brothers[edit]
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The Japan-only Nintendo DS title Daigassou! Band Brothers features an arrangement of "Athletic BGM" as a playable song.
Gallery[edit]
Image for "Yoshi's Island" from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Music
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1995 | Original | "Athletic BGM"[2] | Koji Kondo |
| Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 | Game Boy Advance | 2002 | Arrangement | Taiju Suzuki | |
| Yoshi Touch & Go | Nintendo DS | 2005 | Arrangement | ||
| Itadaki Street DS | Nintendo DS | 2007 | Arrangement | 「アスレチック」 (Asurechikku)[4] | |
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Wii | 2008 | Arrangement | "Obstacle Course"[5] | Shota Kageyama |
| "Yoshi's Island"[5] | Noriyuki Iwadare | ||||
| Fortune Street | Wii | 2011 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS | 2014 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) | "Obstacle Course (Spring/Summer)"[6] | Shota Kageyama |
| "Obstacle Course (Fall/Winter)"[6] | |||||
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Wii U | 2014 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) | "Obstacle Course (Yoshi's Island)"[7] | Shota Kageyama |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo Switch | 2018 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) | "Obstacle Course - Yoshi's Island"[8] | Shota Kageyama |
| "Yoshi's Island (Brawl)"[8] | Noriyuki Iwadare | ||||
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Nintendo Switch | 2023[a] | Arrangement | "Yoshi's Island"[2] | |
| Remix | |||||
| Mario Kart Tour | iOS, Android | 2023[b] | Arrangement | ||
| WarioWare: Move It! | Nintendo Switch | 2023 | Arrangement | ||
| Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 | 2025 | Arrangement | "Athletic BGM"[9] |
- ^ Added in Wave 4 of the Booster Course Pass on March 9, 2023
- ^ Added in the 2023 Yoshi Tour on April 4, 2023
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario: Yossy Island Original Sound Version | 1995 | Original | 「アスレチック」 (Asurechikku) | Koji Kondo |
| Mario & Zelda Big Band Live CD | 2003 | Past arrangement (Mario & Zelda Big Band Live [Live performance]) | 「ヨッシーアイランド アスレチックのテーマ (スーパーファミコン:「ヨッシーアイランド」より)」 (Yosshī Airando Asurechikku no Tēma (Sūpā Famikon: `Yosshī Airando' Yori)) |
Yoshihiro Arita |
| Nintendo Sound Selection Vol.3: B-Side Music | 2005 | Original | 「アスレチック」 (Asurechikku) | Koji Kondo |
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U: A Smashing Soundtrack | 2015 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) | "Obstacle Course (Spring/Summer)" | Shota Kageyama |
Live performances[edit]
| Event | Year | Location | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario & Zelda Big Band Live | 2003 | Nihon Seinenkan Hall, Tokyo, Japan | Arrangement | 「ヨッシーアイランド アスレチックのテーマ (スーパーファミコン:「ヨッシーアイランド」より)」 (Yosshī Airando Asurechikku no Tēma (Sūpā Famikon: `Yosshī Airando' Yori))[10] |
Yoshihiro Arita |
Other media[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island: A Magical Tour of Yoshi's Island | 1996 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Mario & Zelda Big Band Live (DVD) | 2003 | Past arrangement (Mario & Zelda Big Band Live [Live performance]) | 「ヨッシーアイランド アスレチックのテーマ」 (Yosshī Airando Asurechikku no Tēma) |
Yoshihiro Arita |
| Nintendo Music | 2024 | Original | "Athletic BGM" | Koji Kondo |
| Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe) | "Yoshi's Island" |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | アスレチック[2] Asurechikku |
Athletic |
Notes[edit]
- On the Nintendo Music app, "Athletic BGM" is labeled as "Selects", classifying it as one "of the very best tracks from the Nintendo Music library", originating from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. "Athletic BGM" shares this title with "Flower Field BGM" and "Goal!"
References[edit]
- ^ Balmont, James (June 19, 2023). An introduction to OG Nintendo super-composer Koji Kondo. Dazed. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Nintendo Music
- ^ Super Smash Bros. series sound tests
- ^ Itadaki Street DS sound test
- ^ a b Super Smash Bros. Brawl sound test
- ^ a b Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS sound test
- ^ Super Smash Bros. Wii U sound test
- ^ a b Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sound test
- ^ Mario Kart World pause menu
- ^ Mario & Zelda Big Band Live CD