Airship BGM

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This article is about the musical theme from Super Mario Bros. 3. For other uses, see Airship Theme.
"Airship BGM"
"Airship BGM" in the Japanese and American versions of Super Mario Bros. 3
"Airship BGM" in the European version of Super Mario Bros. 3
The image for "Airship BGM" from Super Mario Bros. 3 on Nintendo Music
Image from Nintendo Music
Composed by:
Koji Kondo
Key Atonal[1]
BPM 110
Time signature 4
4
(Common time)
First appearance Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)
Latest appearance The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026)
Arranged in
"Attack of the Airships" (Super Mario Galaxy)
"Airship Theme" (New Super Mario Bros. Wii)
Quoted by
"Paper Mario Medley" (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS)

"Airship BGM",[2] also known as "Airship Theme",[3] is an atonal[1] musical theme composed by Koji Kondo for Super Mario Bros. 3, where it plays in the airship and tank levels. The theme begins with a triplet-based rhythm evoking a military march, which plays throughout the rest of the theme. It is loosely based on "Mars, the Bringer of War", the first movement of Gustav Holst's The Planets. This theme is often used as a leitmotif for airships and occasionally even Bowser and his minions in subsequent games and other media in the Super Mario franchise.

Composition[edit]

"Airship BGM" is orchestrated as chiptune with a timpani PCM sample. The original version of this theme is short, lasting 30 seconds, though later arrangements would go on to extend the theme. In the Japanese and American versions of Super Mario Bros. 3, the first part of the theme plays the PCM sample slightly after the other channels by about a twelfth note, leading to slight desynchronization and the percussion being cut off early as the second part begins. This is corrected in the European version, but retained in the Super Mario Maker series.

History[edit]

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Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario All-Stars / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]

Super Mario Bros. 3 marks the first appearance of "Airship BGM". It is also included in the official albums Super Mario World, Game Sound Museum: Super Mario Bros. 3, Famicom Sound History Series: Mario the Music, Happy! Mario 20th - Super Mario Sound Collection, and The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music.

In the Super Nintendo Entertainment System remake of Super Mario Bros. 3 in Super Mario All-Stars, an arrangement of "Airship BGM" plays for the same purpose as in the original game. This arrangement is played on brass and timpani, and it skips the 2-bar timpani solo after the track loops.

The Game Boy Advance remake of Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, features two arrangements of "Airship BGM":

  • An arrangement of the first half of "Airship BGM" plays during the opening cutscene before transitioning into an original composition.
  • A faithful arrangement of "Airship BGM" plays for the same purpose as in the original game.
Icon of an audio speaker. Airship BGM - The arrangement heard in Super Mario All-Stars
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Icon of an audio speaker. Opening - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
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Icon of an audio speaker. Airship BGM - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
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Super Mario Galaxy[edit]

Main article: Attack of the Airships

In Super Mario Galaxy, an orchestral arrangement of "Airship BGM" arranged by Mahito Yokota plays during the opening cutscene as Bowser wreaks havoc onto the Mushroom Kingdom. It is titled "Attack of the Airships" in the Nintendo Music app and the official Super Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack album.

Icon of an audio speaker. Attack of the Airships - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Galaxy
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New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]

Main article: Airship Theme (New Super Mario Bros. Wii)

In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, an arrangement of "Airship Theme" arranged by Shiho Fujii plays in all airship levels: World 4-Airship, World 6-Airship, and World 8-Airship. The melody is played on an organ instead of brass, and it contains a unique countermelody before it loops.

Icon of an audio speaker. Airship Theme - The arrangement heard in New Super Mario Bros. Wii
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Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2[edit]

In Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, and Super Mario Maker 2, the original version of "Airship BGM" plays in Super Mario Bros. 3-style airship-themed levels.

An ambient arrangement of "Airship BGM" plays while editing Super Mario Bros. 3-style airship-themed levels in the Course Maker. This arrangement uses eight tracks that fade in and out randomly to create a dynamic mix.

Exclusively in Super Mario Maker 2, a music box arrangement of "Airship BGM" plays in the nighttime version of Super Mario Bros. 3-style airship-themed levels.

Icon of an audio speaker. Airship Theme (Edit) - Super Mario Bros. 3 - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker
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Icon of an audio speaker. Airship Theme (Night) - Super Mario Bros. 3 - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker 2
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Super Mario Odyssey[edit]

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In Super Mario Odyssey, the theme that plays during the opening cutscene quotes "Airship BGM" approximately 15 seconds in. It is titled "The Skies above Peach's Castle" in the Nintendo Music app. It is also included in the official Super Mario Odyssey Original Soundtrack album.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]

In The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, an arrangement of "Airship BGM" arranged by Michael Tavera plays during scenes involving the Doom Ship and Doom Sub. This arrangement samples the climbing sound effect from Super Mario Bros. 2.

Paper Mario series[edit]

Paper Mario[edit]

In Paper Mario, an arrangement of "Airship BGM" arranged by Yuka Tsujiyoko plays when the Koopa Bros. fire Bullet Bills at Mario when he reaches the Koopa Bros. Fortress's rooftop. It is titled "Bill Blaster! Go Faster!" in the official Paper Mario Game Music Soundtrack CD album.

Icon of an audio speaker. Bill Blaster! Go Faster! - The arrangement heard in Paper Mario
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Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]

In Paper Mario: Sticker Star, an arrangement of "Airship BGM" played on a saxophone plays in Bowser Jr.'s Flotilla. It is titled "Battleship" in the game's sound test.

Icon of an audio speaker. Battleship - The arrangement heard in Paper Mario: Sticker Star
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Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]

In Paper Mario: Color Splash, an arrangement of "Airship BGM" played on a French horn, titled "Bowser's Airship Aloft" in the game's sound test, plays outside the Crimson Tower when the giant bucket of paint is carried up by the airship. The music stops abruptly when the airship is held down by an anchor. After Mario frees the anchor from Bowser Tape, the music continues playing when he boards the airship himself. This arrangement also plays in the flashback of Slurp Guys arming themselves and jumping off the airship to attack Port Prisma. It also quotes "Main Theme" from the same game.

Icon of an audio speaker. Bowser's Airship Aloft - The arrangement heard in Paper Mario: Color Splash
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Mario Hoops 3-on-3[edit]

In Mario Hoops 3-on-3, an arrangement of "Airship BGM" plays during the cutscene where Ninja steals the Rainbow Tourney trophy. It is titled 「飛空艇登場のテーマ」 (Hikūtei Tōjō no Tēma, "Airship Appearance Theme") in the official Mario Basketball 3on3 Original Soundtrack album.

Icon of an audio speaker. 飛空艇登場のテーマ - The arrangement heard in Mario Hoops 3-on-3
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Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, an orchestral arrangement of "Airship BGM" arranged by Motoi Sakuraba can play in the Luigi's Mansion stage. It also plays in The Subspace Emissary during the boss battle against Petey Piranha, during cutscenes involving Bowser, and during the battles against False Bowser, False Diddy Kong, and Wario. It is titled "Airship Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)" in the game's sound test. This arrangement also quotes "Timer Warning" from Super Mario Bros.

Icon of an audio speaker. Airship Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3) - The arrangement heard in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
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Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U[edit]

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Main article: Paper Mario Medley

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, a medley arrangement of "Blue Skies, White Clouds" and "Battleship" from Paper Mario: Sticker Star and "Rogueport" from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door arranged by Saki Kasuga can play in the Paper Mario stage. It is titled the "Paper Mario Medley" in the game's sound test.

In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the Super Smash Bros. Brawl arrangement of "Airship BGM" can play in the Luigi's Mansion and Super Mario Maker stages.

In Bowser Jr.'s official reveal trailer "The Future King" ("The Future of Evil" in British English), the Super Smash Bros Brawl arrangement of "Airship BGM" plays at the beginning when Bowser Jr. appears, and the original version of "Battleship" from Paper Mario: Sticker Star plays when gameplay footage is shown for the first time. The trailer originally released on October 23, 2014, and it is playable in the "Videos" menu in the Wii U version.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Super Smash Bros. Brawl arrangement of "Airship BGM" can play in any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage. It is titled "Airship Theme - Super Mario Bros. 3" in the game's sound test.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]

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In Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, an arrangement of "Airship BGM" is incorporated into the theme that plays during the final boss battle with Bowser and Paper Bowser. It is titled "Double Bowsers!" in the game's sound test.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]

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The Super Mario Bros. Movie features two arrangements of "Airship BGM" arranged by Brian Tyler, both of which are also included in the film's official soundtrack.

An arrangement of the first half of "Airship BGM" plays in the film's opening when Bowser arrives at the Snow Kingdom. It is titled "King of the Koopas".

An arrangement of the second half of "Airship BGM" plays when Bowser's Minions launch Bullet Bills at Mario and Donkey Kong while they are on the Rocket Barrel. It is titled "Fighting Tooth and Veil".

Icon of an audio speaker. King of the Koopas - The arrangement heard in The Super Mario Bros. Movie
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Mario Kart World[edit]

In Mario Kart World, a djent arrangement of "Airship BGM" can play on the route from Toad's Factory to Bowser's Castle in the Lightning Cup and on VS Race routes coming from Airship Fortress, Wario Shipyard, Dry Bones Burnout, and Bowser's Castle during the day. It is fully titled "Airship BGM (Super Mario Bros. 3)" in the Nintendo Music app.

Icon of an audio speaker. Airship BGM (Super Mario Bros. 3) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World
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Other appearances[edit]

Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3, Hop! Step! Jump![edit]

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The Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3, Hop! Step! Jump! album features a medley arrangement of various themes from Super Mario Bros. 3 arranged by Ikuro Fujiwara, including "Airship BGM". It is titled "Super Mario Bros. 3 —Nonstop Special Dance Version—".

Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Live[edit]

The "Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Live" concert series featured a live big band jazz medley arrangement of "Airship BGM" from Super Mario Bros. 3, "Bowser's Road" from Super Mario 64, "Final Battle with Bowser" from Super Mario Galaxy, "Bowser's Highway Showdown" from Super Mario 3D World, and "Bowser" from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.

Icon of an audio speaker. Bowser Koopa Medley - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Live
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Super Mario Orchestra Concert[edit]

The "Super Mario Orchestra Concert" series featured a live orchestral medley arrangement of several musical themes from Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3, including "Airship BGM".

Gallery[edit]

List of Super Mario appearances[edit]

Games[edit]

Work System Year Type Title Credits
Super Mario Bros. 3 Nintendo Entertainment System 1988 Original "Airship BGM"[2] Koji Kondo
Super Mario All-Stars Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1993 Arrangement Soyo Oka
Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1994 Past arrangement (Super Mario All-Stars) Soyo Oka
Paper Mario Nintendo 64 2000 Arrangement "Bill Blaster! Go Faster!"[4] Yuka Tsujiyoko
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Game Boy Advance 2003 Arrangement Taiju Suzuki
Mario Hoops 3-on-3 Nintendo DS 2006 Arrangement 「飛空艇登場のテーマ」 (Hikūtei Tōjō no Tēma)[5]
Super Mario Galaxy Wii 2007 Arrangement "Attack of the Airships"[6] Mahito Yokota
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Wii 2008 Arrangement "Airship Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)"[7] Motoi Sakuraba
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Wii 2009 Arrangement Shiho Fujii
Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition Wii 2010 Past arrangement (Super Mario All-Stars) Soyo Oka
Paper Mario: Sticker Star Nintendo 3DS 2012 Arrangement "Battleship"[8]
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Nintendo 3DS 2014 Arrangement "Paper Mario Medley"[9] Saki Kasuga
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Wii U 2014 Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) "Airship Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)"[10] Motoi Sakuraba
Past arrangement (Paper Mario: Sticker Star)
Super Mario Maker Wii U 2015 Original Koji Kondo
Arrangement
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Nintendo 3DS 2015 Arrangement "Double Bowsers!"[11] Yoko Shimomura
Paper Mario: Color Splash Wii U 2016 Arrangement "Bowser's Airship Aloft"[12]
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS Nintendo 3DS 2016 Original Koji Kondo
Past arrangement (Super Mario Maker)
Super Mario Odyssey Nintendo Switch 2017 Arrangement "The Skies above Peach's Castle"[13] Naoto Kubo
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Switch 2018 Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) "Airship Theme - Super Mario Bros. 3"[14] Motoi Sakuraba
Super Mario Maker 2 Nintendo Switch 2019 Original Koji Kondo
Past arrangement (Super Mario Maker)
Arrangement
Mario Kart World Nintendo Switch 2 2025 Arrangement "Airship BGM (Super Mario Bros. 3)"[15]

Film and television[edit]

Work Year Type Title Credits
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 1990 Arrangement Michael Tavera
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2023 Arrangement "King of the Koopas"[16] Brian Tyler
"Fighting Tooth and Veil"[16]

Albums[edit]

Work Year Type Title Credits
Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3, Hop! Step! Jump! 1989 Arrangement "Super Mario Bros. 3 —Nonstop Special Dance Version—" Ikuro Fujiwara
Super Mario World 1991 Original 「飛行船BGM」(Hikōsen BGM) Koji Kondo
Paper Mario Game Music Soundtrack CD 2001 Past arrangement (Paper Mario) "Bill Blaster! Go Faster!" Yuka Tsujiyoko
Game Sound Museum: Super Mario Bros. 3 2004 Original 「飛行船BGM」(Hikōsen BGM) Koji Kondo
Famicom Sound History Series: Mario the Music 2004 Original 「飛行船BGM~ワーニング~飛行船BGM ハリーアップ!」
(Hikōsen BGM ~ Wāningu ~ Hikōsen BGM Harī Appu!)
Koji Kondo
Happy! Mario 20th - Super Mario Sound Collection 2005 Original 「飛行船BGM」(Hikōsen BGM) Koji Kondo
Mario Basketball 3on3 Original Soundtrack 2006 Past arrangement (Mario Hoops 3-on-3) 「飛空艇登場のテーマ」 (Hikūtei Tōjō no Tēma)
The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music 2015 Original 「飛行船BGM」(Hikōsen BGM) Koji Kondo
Super Mario Odyssey Original Soundtrack 2018 Past arrangement (Super Mario Odyssey) 「オープニング ~ピーチ城上空~」(Ōpuningu ~Pīchi-jō Jōkū~) Naoto Kubo
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) 2023 Past arrangement (The Super Mario Bros. Movie) "King of the Koopas" Brian Tyler
"Fighting Tooth and Veil"
Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo Music) 2024 Past arrangement (Super Mario Odyssey) "The Skies above Peach's Castle" Naoto Kubo
Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo Music) 2025 Original "Airship BGM" Koji Kondo
Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music) 2026[a] Past arrangement (Mario Kart World) "Airship BGM (Super Mario Bros. 3)"
  1. ^ Added to the album on June 15, 2026

Live performances[edit]

Event Year Location Type Title Credits
Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Live 2015 Osaka International Convention Center, Osaka, Japan and Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, Japan Arrangement Super Mario Special Band
Super Mario Orchestra Concert 2018 ROHM Theater Kyoto Arrangement

Other media[edit]

Work Year Type Title Credits
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/Wii U The Future King 2014 Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) Motoi Sakuraba
Past arrangement (Paper Mario: Sticker Star)

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Note(s) Ref.
Japanese 飛行船BGM
Hikōsen BGM
Airship BGM [2]

References[edit]