Battle Mode (theme)
- This article is about the musical theme from Super Mario Kart. For other general battle course themes in the Mario Kart series, see Battle Course.
| "Battle Mode" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| "Battle Mode" in Super Mario Kart | |||
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) | ||
| |||
"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]
- Main article: Koopa Beach (theme)
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]
- Main article: Rainbow Road (Mario Kart Wii theme)
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.
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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.
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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.
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Gallery[edit]
Image for "SNES Battle Course 1" from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Music
Image for "Battle Course (Super Mario Kart)" from Mario Kart World on Nintendo Music
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] |
- ^ 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)" |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | バトルゲーム Batoru Gēmu |
Battle Game | Super Mario Kart | [1] |
| バトルコース Batoru Kōsu |
Battle Course | Mario Kart World | [2] | |
| Spanish | Circuito de Batalla | Battle Circuit | [4] |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Super Mario Kart (Nintendo Music)
- ^ a b c Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music)
- ^ Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Music)
- ^ Mario Kart World pause menu (Ver. 1.4.0, 1.5.0, 1.7.0)
| Mario Kart World music | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Courses | Race courses | New courses | "Acorn Heights" ("Opening (Special Cup)") • "Boo Cinema" • "Bowser's Castle" ("Opening (Lightning Cup)") • "Cheep Cheep Falls" ("Opening (Leaf Cup)") • "Crown City" ("Opening (Shell Cup)") • "Dandelion Depths" ("Opening (Leaf Cup)") • "DK Spaceport" ("Opening (Mushroom Cup)") • "Dry Bones Burnout" ("Opening (Leaf Cup)") • "Faraway Oasis" ("Opening (Shell Cup)") • "Great ? Block Ruins" • "Mario Bros. Circuit" ("Opening (Mushroom Cup)" · "Replay" · "Trophy Theme") • "Peach Stadium" ("Opening (Shell Cup)" · "Opening (Special Cup)") • "Rainbow Road" ("Opening (Special Cup)" · "Results Screen (Rainbow Road)" · "Victory Lap (Rainbow Road)") • "Salty Salty Speedway" • "Starview Peak" ("Opening (Star Cup)") • "Whistlestop Summit" ("Opening (Mushroom Cup)") |
| Returning courses | "Airship Fortress" ("Opening (Flower Cup)") • "Choco Mountain" ("Opening (Lightning Cup)") • "Desert Hills" • "Dino Dino Jungle" • "DK Pass" • "Koopa Troopa Beach" ("Opening (Shell Cup)") • "Mario Circuit" ("Opening (Special Cup)" · "Staff Credits") • "Moo Moo Meadows" • "Peach Beach" ("Opening (Banana Cup)") • "Shy Guy Bazaar" • "Sky-High Sundae" ("Opening (Star Cup)") • "Toad's Factory" • "Wario Shipyard" ("Opening (Star Cup)") • "Wario Stadium" ("Opening (Flower Cup)") | ||
| Battle courses | "Battle Course" (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!) • "Battle Course" (Mario Kart DS) • "Battle Course" (Mario Kart 64) • "Battle Course" (Super Mario Kart) • "Battle Stadium" • "Chain Chomp Wheel" • "Delfino Pier" • "Thwomp Desert" | ||
| Arrangements | Mario Kart arrangements | Super Mario Kart | "Bowser Castle" • "Choco Island" • "Donut Plains" • "Ghost Valley" • "Koopa Beach" • "Rainbow Road" • "Staff Credits" • "Title Screen" • "Vanilla Lake" |
| Mario Kart 64 | "Character Select" • "DK's Jungle Parkway" • "Frappe Snowland" • "Kalimari Desert" • "Koopa Troopa Beach" • "Moo Moo Farm" • "Rainbow Road" • "Results Screen" • "Title Screen" • "Toad's Turnpike" | ||
| Mario Kart: Super Circuit | "Bowser Castle" • "Cheese Land" • "Peach Circuit" • "Rainbow Road" • "Ribbon Road" • "Shy Guy Beach" • "Yoshi Desert" | ||
| Mario Kart: Double Dash!! | "Baby Park" • "Dry Dry Desert" • "Luigi Circuit" • "Mushroom Bridge" • "Rainbow Road" • "Sherbet Land" | ||
| Mario Kart DS | "Cheep Cheep Beach" • "Delfino Square" • "Figure-8 Circuit" • "Luigi's Mansion" • "Peach Gardens" • "Rainbow Road" • "Shroom Ridge" • "Staff Credits" • "Tick-Tock Clock" • "Waluigi Pinball" • "Yoshi Falls" | ||
| Mario Kart Wii | "Coconut Mall" • "Daisy Circuit" • "DK Summit" • "Dry Dry Ruins" • "Grumble Volcano" • "Luigi Circuit" • "Maple Treeway" • "Moonview Highway" • "Mushroom Gorge" • "Rainbow Road" • "Staff Credits A" • "Wario's Gold Mine" | ||
| Mario Kart 7 | "Bowser's Castle" • "Daisy Hills" • "Music Park" • "Piranha Plant Slide" • "Rainbow Road" • "Rock Rock Mountain" • "Rosalina's Ice World" • "Toad Circuit" | ||
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | "Bone-Dry Dunes" • "Cloudtop Cruise" • "Dolphin Shoals" • "Dragon Driftway" • "Electrodrome" • "Ice Ice Outpost" • "Mario Circuit" • "Mario Kart 8" • "Rainbow Road" • "Shy Guy Falls" • "Sunshine Airport" • "Super Bell Subway" • "Sweet Sweet Canyon" • "Thwomp Ruins" • "Toad Harbor" • "Twisted Mansion" • "Water Park" • "Wild Woods" | ||
| Mario Kart Tour | "Bangkok Rush" • "Merry Mountain" • "Ninja Hideaway" • "Los Angeles Laps" • "Singapore Speedway" • "Tokyo Blur" • "Vancouver Velocity" | ||
| Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit | "Title Screen" | ||
| Super Mario arrangements | Super Mario Bros. | "Ending" • "Game Over" • "Ground BGM" • "Underground BGM" • "Underwater BGM" | |
| Super Mario Bros. 2 | "Ground BGM" • "Please Select Player" • "Underground BGM" | ||
| Super Mario Bros. 3 | "Airship BGM" • "Athletic BGM" • "Course Clear" • "Ending" • "Fortress Boss BGM" • "Ground BGM" • "Overworld Medley (Super Mario Bros. 3)" • "Underwater BGM" | ||
| Super Mario Land | "Ground BGM" • "Underground BGM" | ||
| Super Mario World | "Ending" • "Ground BGM" ("Bonus Game BGM" · "Castle BGM" · "Underground BGM" · "Underwater BGM") • "Koopalings BGM" • "Overworld Medley (Super Mario World)" • "Title BGM" | ||
| Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins | "Main Theme" | ||
| Super Mario 64 | "Bowser's Road" • "Bowser's Theme" • "Dire, Dire Docks" • "File Select" • "Peach's Castle" • "Piranha Plant's Lullaby" • "Staff Roll" • "Title Theme" ("Cool, Cool Mountain" · "Slider") | ||
| Super Mario Sunshine | "Delfino Plaza" ("Ricco Harbor") • "Secret Course - Sky and Sea" | ||
| New Super Mario Bros. | "Castle BGM" • "Ground BGM" | ||
| Super Mario Galaxy | "Buoy Base Galaxy" • "Egg Planet" • "Enter Bowser Jr.!" • "Final Battle with Bowser" • "Gusty Garden Galaxy" • "Purple Comet" • "Rosalina in the Observatory 3" • "Space Junk Road" | ||
| New Super Mario Bros. Wii | "Beach Theme" • "Castle BGM" • "Castle Boss" • "Credits Theme 1" • "Desert BGM" • "Underwater BGM" • "Volcano BGM" | ||
| Super Mario Galaxy 2 | "Bowser's Galaxy Generator" • "Cloudy Court Galaxy" • "Digga-Leg" • "Melty Monster Galaxy" • "Puzzle Plank Galaxy" • "Starship Mario 1" • "Sky Station Galaxy" • "The Starship's Journey" • "Yoshi Star Galaxy" | ||
| Super Mario 3D Land | "Beach Theme" • "Ground Theme" • "Snow Mountain Theme" | ||
| New Super Mario Bros. U | "Ground Theme" | ||
| Super Mario 3D World | "A Boss Approaches" ("Bowser's Highway Showdown" · "World 8") • "Athletic Theme" • "Captain Toad Goes Forth" • "Double Cherry Pass" • "Hands-On Hall" • "Hisstocrat" • "Piranha Creeper Creek" • "Shifty Boo Mansion" • "Sprawling Savanna" • "Super Bell Hill" | ||
| Super Mario Maker | "Title Screen" | ||
| Super Mario Odyssey | "Break Free (Lead the Way)" • "Fossil Falls" • "Jump Up, Super Star!" • "Peronza Plaza" • "Shiveria Town" • "Steam Gardens" • "Tostarena Ruins" | ||
| Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury | "Attack! Bowser's Fury" • "Plessie Ride!" | ||
| Yoshi arrangements | Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island | "Athletic BGM" • "Bowser" • "Flower Field BGM" • "Opening Melody" • "Stage Boss" • "Stage Start" | |
| Yoshi's Story | "Yoshi's Song" • "Yoshi's Tale" | ||
| Other arrangements | Mario Paint | "Flyswatter Level 1" • "Painting Mode 1" | |
| Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 | "Main Theme" | ||
| Donkey Kong Country | "DK Island Swing" | ||
| Luigi's Mansion | "Title Theme (Humming)" | ||
| WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! | "Voices Being Carried on the Waves" | ||
| Flipnote Studio | "Mario Drawing Song" | ||
| Other | "Awards Ceremony (1st – 3rd Place)" ("Trophy Theme") • "Final Lap Fanfare" • "Mario Kart 64 Title Screen" ("Victory Lap (Rainbow Road)") • "Mission Clear" • "Results Screen" • "Staff Credits" • "Staff Credits" (Mario Kart 64) ("Special Cup Appears" · "Trophy Theme" · "Victory Lap" · "Victory Lap (Rainbow Road)") • "Super Star" • "Title Theme" ("Opening (Knockout Tour)" · "Peach Stadium" · "Rainbow Road" · "Replay" · "Course Select" · "Special Cup Appears" · "Spectating") | ||