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 | |||
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) | ||
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"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]
This section needs improvement. Specifically:
- Add Super Nintendo World and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ("Your King Has Returned") information
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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".
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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.
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Other appearances[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3, Hop! Step! Jump![edit]
| It has been requested that at least one audio and/or video file related to this section be uploaded. Specifics: The arrangement Please upload music, sound effects, voice clips, or any videos for this section. See the help page for help getting started. |
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.
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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]
Image for the "Hurry Up!" version of "Airship BGM" from Super Mario Bros. 3 on Nintendo Music
Image for "Attack of the Airships" from Super Mario Galaxy on Nintendo Music
Image for "The Skies above Peach's Castle" from Super Mario Odyssey on Nintendo Music
"Airship Theme - Super Mario Bros. 3" in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Image for "Airship BGM (Super Mario Bros. 3)" from Mario Kart World on Nintendo Music
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)" |
- ^ 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]
- ^ a b Super Mario Series for Piano: Intermediate-Advanced Edition. Page 17.
- ^ a b c Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo Music)
- ^ Super Smash Bros. series sound tests
- ^ Paper Mario Game Music Soundtrack CD
- ^ Mario Basketball 3on3 Original Soundtrack
- ^ Super Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack
- ^ Super Smash Bros. Brawl sound test
- ^ Paper Mario: Sticker Star sound test
- ^ Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS sound test
- ^ Super Smash Bros. Wii U sound test
- ^ Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam sound test
- ^ Paper Mario: Color Splash sound test
- ^ Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo Music)
- ^ Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sound test
- ^ Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music)
- ^ a b The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)