Battle Mode (theme)

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This article is about the musical theme from Super Mario Kart. For other battle course themes in the Mario Kart series, see Category:Battle course themes.
"Battle Mode"
"Battle Mode" in Super Mario Kart
The image for "Battle Mode" from Super Mario Kart on Nintendo Music.
Image from Nintendo Music
Composed by:
Soyo Oka
Genre Jazz-funk
Key B-flat Mixolydian, F Mixolydian
First appearance Super Mario Kart (1992)
Latest appearance Mario Kart World (2025)
Quoted by
"Koopa Beach" (Super Mario Kart)
"Rainbow Road" (Mario Kart Wii)

"Battle Mode",[1] also known as "Battle Course",[2] is a musical theme composed by Soyo Oka for Super Mario Kart, where it plays in all battle courses: Battle Course 1, Battle Course 2, Battle Course 3, and Battle Course 4. The main melody is played on an overdriven guitar.

History[edit]

Super Mario Kart[edit]

Super Mario Kart marks the first appearance of "Battle Mode". It is also included in the official album Super Famicom New Game Sound Museum Vol. 5.

The theme that plays in Koopa Beach 1 and Koopa Beach 2 quotes "Battle Mode" approximately 25 seconds in. It is titled "Koopa Beach" in the Nintendo Music app.

Mario Kart Wii[edit]

Mario Kart Wii features two arrangements of "Battle Mode".

The theme that plays in Rainbow Road quotes "Battle Mode" approximately 44 seconds in.

A faithful arrangement of "Battle Mode" plays in SNES Battle Course 4.

Icon of an audio speaker. SNES Battle Course 4 - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart Wii
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]

In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, an arrangement of "Battle Mode" plays in SNES Battle Course 1. It is likewise titled "SNES Battle Course 1" in the Nintendo Music app. This arrangement plays the B section on an organ with heavy panning oscillation.

Icon of an audio speaker. SNES Battle Course 1 - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
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Mario Kart Tour[edit]

In Mario Kart Tour, the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe arrangement of "Battle Mode" plays in all battle courses: GBA Battle Course 1, GCN Cookie Land, DS Twilight House, New York Minute B, and Paris Promenade B.

Mario Kart World[edit]

In Mario Kart World, an arrangement of "Battle Mode" plays in Mario Bros. Circuit during Battle mode. It is titled "Battle Course (Super Mario Kart)" in the Nintendo Music app.

Icon of an audio speaker. Battle Course (Super Mario Kart) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World
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Gallery[edit]

List of Super Mario appearances[edit]

Games[edit]

Work System Year Type Title Credits
Super Mario Kart Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1992 Original "Battle Mode"[1] Soyo Oka
Arrangement "Koopa Beach"[1]
Mario Kart Wii Wii 2008 Arrangement
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Nintendo Switch 2017 Arrangement "SNES Battle Course 1"[3]
Mario Kart Tour iOS, Android 2022[a] Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)
Mario Kart World Nintendo Switch 2 2025 Arrangement "Battle Course (Super Mario Kart)"[2]
  1. ^ Added in the Battle Tour on October 4, 2022

Albums[edit]

Work Year Type Title Credits
Super Famicom New Game Sound Museum Vol. 5 1992 Original 「バトルゲーム」 (Batoru Gēmu) Soyo Oka
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Music) 2024 Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe) "SNES Battle Course 1"
Super Mario Kart (Nintendo Music) 2025 Original "Battle Mode" Soyo Oka
Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music) 2026 Past arrangement (Mario Kart World) "Battle Course (Super Mario Kart)"

Naming[edit]

Internal names[edit]

Game File Name Meaning

Mario Kart Wii sound/strm/r_sfc_battle_n.brstm R SFC Battle Retro Super Famicom Battle Course 4
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Audio/Resource/Stream/pBGM_BSFC_BATTLE1_N.bfstm BGM B SFC Battle 1 BGM Battle Super Famicom Battle Course 1
Mario Kart Tour BgmRaceBattle_Bagb_BattleCourse1.pck BGM Race Battle B AGB Battle Course 1 BGM Race Battle Battle Advanced Game Boy Battle Course 1
BgmRaceBattle_Bds_TwilightHouse.pck BGM Race Battle B DS Twilight House BGM Race Battle Battle DS Twilight House
BgmRaceBattle_Bgc_CookieLand.pck BGM Race Battle B GC Cookie Land BGM Race Battle Battle GameCube Cookie Land
BgmRaceBattle_Bmob_NewYork1.pck BGM Race Battle B Mob New York 1 BGM Race Battle Battle Mobile New York Minute B
BgmRaceBattle_Bmob_Paris1.pck BGM Race Battle B Mob Paris 1 BGM Race Battle Battle Mobile Paris Promenade B

Names in other languages[edit]

LanguageNameMeaningNote(s)Ref.
Japaneseバトルゲーム
Batoru Gēmu		Battle GameSuper Mario Kart[1]
バトルコース
Batoru Kōsu		Battle CourseMario Kart World[2]
SpanishCircuito de BatallaBattle Circuit[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Super Mario Kart (Nintendo Music)
  2. ^ a b c d Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music)
  3. ^ Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Music)
[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)" • "Funky the Main Monkey (Funky'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)" • "Token Tango (Bonus Level)"
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! "Big Boss Blues"
Donkey Kong 64 "DK Island" • "DK Rap"
Donkey Kong Country Returns "Jungle Hijinxs" • "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.: The Lost Levels "Ending"
Super Mario Bros. 2 "Boss BGM" • "Ending" • "Final Boss BGM" • "Ground BGM" • "Please Select Player" • "Title BGM" • "Underground BGM"
Super Mario Bros. 3 "Airship BGM" • "Athletic BGM" • "Bros. Battle" • "Ending" • "Fortress BGM" • "Fortress Boss" • "Ground BGM" • "Invincibility 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") • "Invincibility BGM" • "Koopalings BGM" • "P Switch BGM" • "Rescuing Princess Peach" • "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 Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins "Main Theme"
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" • "Powerful Mario" • "Staff Roll" • "Stage Boss" • "Title Theme"
Super Mario Sunshine "Boss Battle" • "Isle Delfino" ("Bianco Hills" · "Ricco Harbor" · "Staff Credits") • "Secret Course"
New Super Mario Bros. "Castle Theme" • "Ground Theme" ("Athletic Theme") • "Mario Vs. Luigi - Final Results" • "Mega Mario" • "Switch On!" • "Tower Theme" • "Volcano Theme"
Super Mario Galaxy "A-wa-wa-wa!" • "Aquatic Race" • "Attack of the Airships" • "Battlerock Galaxy" • "Beach Bowl Galaxy" • "Bowser Appears" • "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" • "Help!" • "The Honeyhive" • "Ice Mario" • "Ice Mountain" • "King Bowser" • "King Kaliente" • "Kingfin" • "Luma" • "Major Burrows" • "Megaleg" • "Melty Molten Galaxy" • "Overture" • "Peach's Castle Stolen" • "Pipe Interior" • "Purple Comet" • "Rosalina in the Observatory" ("Family") • "Space Athletic" • "Space Junk Road" • "Speedy Comet" • "Star Ball" • "The Star Festival" • "Super Mario 2007" • "Super Mario Galaxy" • "A Tense Moment" • "The Toad Brigade" • "Waltz of the Boos"
New Super Mario Bros. Wii "Airship Theme" • "Bonus Area" • "Bowser Jr. Battle" • "Castle Theme" • "Coast Theme" • "Desert Theme" • "Forest Theme" • "Fortress Theme" • "Ghost House Theme" • "Koopaling Battle" • "Lava Cave / Underground Ruins Theme" • "Lava Theme" • "Sudden Encounter" • "Super Star" • "Title Theme" • "Toad House Minigame" • Tower boss theme[conjectural] • "Underground Theme" • "Underwater Theme"
Super Mario Galaxy 2 "Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla" • "Bowser's Galaxy Generator" • "Cloudy Court Galaxy" • "Digga-Leg" • "Fated Battle" • "Melty Monster Galaxy" • "Puzzle Plank Galaxy" • "Slimy Spring Galaxy" • "Starship Mario" • "The Starship's Journey" • "Sky Station Galaxy" ("Super Mario Galaxy 2 Trailer Theme" · "Wild Glide Galaxy") • "Teleporter Melody" • "Yoshi Star Galaxy"
Super Mario 3D Land "Beach Theme" • Castle Theme[conjectural] • "Main Theme" • "Snow Course" • "Toad House" • "Victory Parade" • World 2-3's theme[conjectural]
New Super Mario Bros. U "Ground Theme" ("Athletic Theme")
Super Mario 3D World "A Boss Approaches" • "Beep Block Skyway" • "The Bullet Bill Express" • "Captain Toad Goes Forth" • "Chainlink Charge" • "Double Cherry Pass" • "Light the Color Panels!" • "Piranha Creeper Creek" • "Sprawling Savanna" • "Super Bell Hill"
Super Mario Maker "Flying Battleship Theme" • "Title"
Super Mario Odyssey "Fossil Falls" • "Jump Up, Super Star!" • "New Donk City" • "Peronza Plaza" • "Steam Gardens" • "Tostarena Ruins"
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)" • "Battle Mode" • "Bowser Castle" • "Donut Plains" • "Ghost Valley" • "Koopa Beach" • "Mario Circuit" • "Rainbow Road" • "Super Mario Kart Title Screen"
Mario Kart 64 "Banshee Boardwalk" • "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" • "Bowser's Castle" • "GCN DK Mountain" • "Dry Dry Desert" • "Luigi Circuit" • "Peach Beach"
Mario Kart DS "Cheep Cheep Beach" • "Figure-8 Circuit" • "Luigi's Mansion" • "Peach Gardens" • "Tick-Tock Clock" • "Waluigi Pinball"
Mario Kart Wii "Coconut Mall" • "Daisy Circuit" • "Grumble Volcano" • "Luigi Circuit" • "Wii Maple Treeway" • "Moo Moo Meadows" • "Mushroom Gorge" • "Rainbow Road" • "Wario's Gold Mine"
Mario Kart 7 "DK Jungle" • "Music Park" • "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 franchise Yoshi "Mushroom BGM"
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island "Athletic BGM" • "Bowser" • "Flower Field BGM" • "Goal!" • "Ground BGM" • "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: Super Mario Land 3 "Main Theme"
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 "Battling Monsters" • "Beware of Forest Mushrooms" • "Bowser's Keep" • "Hello, Happy Kingdom" • "Super Mario House"
Miscellaneous "Galop infernal" • "The Mario Drawing Song" • "Mute City" • "Title BGM" (Excitebike) • "Totakeke's theme"
[Edit]
Super Mario Kart
Playable characters Bowser • Donkey Kong Jr. • Koopa Troopa • Luigi • Mario • Princess • Toad • Yoshi
Courses Mushroom Cup Mario Circuit 1 • Donut Plains 1 • Ghost Valley 1 • Bowser Castle 1 • Mario Circuit 2
Flower Cup Choco Island 1 • Ghost Valley 2 • Donut Plains 2 • Bowser Castle 2 • Mario Circuit 3
Star Cup Koopa Beach 1 • Choco Island 2 • Vanilla Lake 1 • Bowser Castle 3 • Mario Circuit 4
Special Cup Donut Plains 3 • Koopa Beach 2 • Ghost Valley 3 • Vanilla Lake 2 • Rainbow Road
Battle courses Battle Course 1 • Battle Course 2 • Battle Course 3 • Battle Course 4
Items and objects Question Block items Banana Peel • Feather • Ghost • Green Shell • Lightning • Mushroom • Red Shell • Star
CPU-only items Egg • Fireball • Poison Mushroom
Miscellaneous items and objects Coin • Jump • Kart • Trophy • Zipper
Techniques Drift • Mini-Turbo • Hop • Rocket Start
Species, enemies, and obstacles Big Cheep Cheep • Bullet Bill • Gopher • Flopping Cheep Cheep • Ice • Lakitu • Oil slick • Snow block • Super Thwomp • Thwomp • Warp Pipe
Music "Awards Ceremony (1st – 3rd Place)" • "Battle Mode" • "Bowser Castle" • "Choco Island" • "Donut Plains" • "Finish! (1st – 4th Place)" • "Finish! (5th – 8th Place)" • "Ghost Valley" • "Koopa Beach" • "Mario Circuit" • "Race Results (Donkey Kong Jr.)" • "Rainbow Road" • "Selection Screens" • "Staff Credits" • "Super Mario Kart Title Screen" • "Vanilla Lake"
Promotional content Howard Lincoln Answers Your Questions • Mario Kart Dice • Mario no Game Collection 21 • Nintendo Collector Cards • Power Challenge Trading Cards • Super Mario Embroidery World • Super Mario Kart (Barcode Battler II) • Super Mario Kart (sliding puzzle) • Super Mario Kart: Checkered Flag • Super Mario Kart: Drive Mario • Super Mario Kart: Gekisō! Mario Kart • Super Mario Kart Kuru Kuru Puzzle • Super Mario Kart: Mario Kart Grand Prix • Super Mario Kart: Super Mario no Puzzle Kart • Super Mario Kart: Yūshō wa dare? • Wario Cheat of the Day
Miscellaneous Battle Mode • Finish line • Gallery • Go! Go! Mario Circuit • Nintendo Classic Mini: SNES developer interview • Nintendo Music (soundtrack) • Pre-release and unused content • Staff • "Super Comboy" (song) • Super Mario Kart: Doki Doki Race • "Super Mario Kart - Record Breaking Tips with Sami Cetin (Wii U/SNES)"
Adaptations Super Mario (Super Mario Kart 1 · Super Mario Kart 2 · Super Mario Kart 3) • Super Mario-kun (Volume: 6)
[Edit]
Mario Kart Wii
Drivers
Small Baby Mario • Baby Luigi • Baby Peach • Baby Daisy • Toad • Toadette • Koopa Troopa • Dry Bones
Medium Mario • Luigi • Peach • Daisy • Yoshi • Birdo • Diddy Kong • Bowser Jr.
Large Wario • Waluigi • Donkey Kong • Bowser • King Boo • Rosalina • Funky Kong • Dry Bowser
Any Mii
Vehicles
Karts Small Standard Kart S • Booster Seat • Mini Beast • Cheep Charger • Tiny Titan • Blue Falcon
Medium Standard Kart M • Classic Dragster • Wild Wing • Super Blooper • Daytripper • Sprinter
Large Standard Kart L • Offroader • Flame Flyer • Piranha Prowler • Jetsetter • Honeycoupe
Bikes Small Standard Bike S • Bullet Bike • Bit Bike • Quacker • Magikruiser • Jet Bubble
Medium Standard Bike M • Mach Bike • Sugarscoot • Zip Zip • Sneakster • Dolphin Dasher
Large Standard Bike L • Flame Runner • Wario Bike • Shooting Star • Spear • Phantom
Courses
Wii Grand Prix Mushroom Cup Luigi Circuit • Moo Moo Meadows • Mushroom Gorge • Toad's Factory
Flower Cup Mario Circuit • Coconut Mall • DK Summit • Wario's Gold Mine
Star Cup Daisy Circuit • Koopa Cape • Maple Treeway • Grumble Volcano
Special Cup Dry Dry Ruins • Moonview Highway • Bowser's Castle • Rainbow Road
Retro Grand Prix Shell Cup GCN Peach Beach • DS Yoshi Falls • SNES Ghost Valley 2 • N64 Mario Raceway
Banana Cup N64 Sherbet Land • GBA Shy Guy Beach • DS Delfino Square • GCN Waluigi Stadium
Leaf Cup DS Desert Hills • GBA Bowser Castle 3 • N64 DK's Jungle Parkway • GCN Mario Circuit
Lightning Cup SNES Mario Circuit 3 • DS Peach Gardens • GCN DK Mountain • N64 Bowser's Castle
Battle stages Wii Stages Block Plaza • Delfino Pier • Funky Stadium • Chain Chomp Wheel • Thwomp Desert
Retro Stages SNES Battle Course 4 • GBA Battle Course 3 • N64 Skyscraper • GCN Cookie Land • DS Twilight House
Tournament arena Galaxy Colosseum
Other
Items and objects Item Box items