Bowser Castle (Super Mario Kart theme)

"Bowser Castle"
	"Bowser Castle" in Super Mario Kart
	; Image from Nintendo Music
	Composed by:; Soyo Oka
Key	E Dorian
First appearance	Super Mario Kart (1992)
Latest appearance	Mario Kart World (2025)
Arrangement of
	"Bowser BGM" (Super Mario World)
Quoted by
	"Bowser's Castle" (Mario Kart World)

"Bowser Castle",^[1] also known as simply "Castle",^[2] is a musical theme composed by Soyo Oka for Super Mario Kart, where it plays in all Bowser Castle race courses: Bowser Castle 1, Bowser Castle 2, and Bowser Castle 3. It is an arrangement of "Bowser BGM" from Super Mario World that omits most of the intro and contains a unique melody for the second half.

History[edit]

Mario Kart series[edit]

Super Mario Kart[edit]

Super Mario Kart marks the first appearance of "Bowser Castle". It is also included in the official album Nintendo Sound Selection Vol.2: Loud Music.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit[edit]

In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, an arrangement of "Bowser Castle" with chiptune instrumentation plays in the extra tracks Bowser Castle 1, Bowser Castle 2, and Bowser Castle 3.

Bowser Castle (Extra Track) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart: Super Circuit	File info 0:30

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Mario Kart Tour[edit]

In Mario Kart Tour, the original version of "Bowser Castle" plays in SNES Bowser Castle 3, which was first added in the 2023 Bowser Tour.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]

In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as part of Wave 6 of the Booster Course Pass, a heavy metal arrangement of "Bowser Castle" plays in SNES Bowser Castle 3. It is likewise titled "SNES Bowser Castle 3" in the Nintendo Music app. The AKAI S1000 brass hits from the original theme are retained, though their sound also deviates from the original at times. A looping drum set beat is added to the instrumentation whenever the player is driving at top speed while in first place.

The version of the theme that plays during the final lap features a unique intro; this distinction is shared with "Rock Rock Mountain" and "DK Jungle" in Mario Kart 7, "Toad Harbor", "Mute City", and "GBA Ribbon Road" in Mario Kart 8, and "Peach Beach" in Mario Kart World.

SNES Bowser Castle 3 - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe	File info 0:30

SNES Bowser Castle 3 (Frontrunning) - The remix heard in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe	File info 0:30

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Mario Kart World[edit]

Mario Kart World features two arrangements of "Bowser Castle".

The theme that plays in Bowser's Castle quotes "Bowser Castle" approximately 15 seconds in. It is likewise titled "Bowser's Castle" in the Nintendo music app and the game's pause menu.

A faithful, metalstep arrangement of "Bowser Castle" can play on VS Race routes coming from Airship Fortress, Wario Shipyard, Dry Bones Burnout, and Bowser's Castle during the day. It is fully titled "Bowser Castle (Super Mario Kart)" in the Nintendo Music app. The corresponding Nintendo Music image depicts Free Roam gameplay, a scenario in which the arrangement cannot play.

Bowser's Castle - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World	File info 0:30

Bowser Castle (Super Mario Kart) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World	File info 0:30

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Other appearances[edit]

Super Nintendo World[edit]

At the Super Nintendo World theme park, a brief arrangement of "Bowser Castle" plays during the boss battle against Lava Bowser in Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge.

Gallery[edit]

Image for "Bowser Castle (Final Lap)" from Super Mario Kart on Nintendo Music
Image for "SNES Bowser Castle 3" from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Music
Image for "Bowser Castle (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	"Bowser Castle"^[1]	Soyo Oka
Mario Kart: Super Circuit	Game Boy Advance	2001	Arrangement
Mario Kart Tour	iOS, Android	2023^[a]	Original		Soyo Oka
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe	Nintendo Switch	2023^[b]	Arrangement	"SNES Bowser Castle 3"^[3]
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe	Nintendo Switch	2023^[b]	Remix
Mario Kart World	Nintendo Switch 2	2025	Arrangement	"Bowser Castle (Super Mario Kart)"^[4]

^ Added in the 2023 Bowser Tour on May 2, 2023
^ Added in Wave 6 of the Booster Course Pass on November 9, 2023

Albums[edit]

Work	Year	Type	Title	Credits
Nintendo Sound Selection Vol.2: Loud Music	2004	Original	"Castle"	Soyo Oka
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Music)	2024	Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)	"SNES Bowser Castle 3"
Super Mario Kart (Nintendo Music)	2025	Original	"Bowser Castle"	Soyo Oka
Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music)	2026	Past arrangement (Mario Kart World)	"Bowser Castle (Super Mario Kart)"

Other media[edit]

Work	Year	Type	Title	Credits
Super Nintendo World	2021	Arrangement		Dani Donadi^[5]

Naming[edit]

Internal names[edit]

Game	File	Name	Meaning
Mario Kart Tour	`BgmRaceClassic_Gsfc_BowserCastle3.pck`	BGM Race Classic G SFC Bowser Castle 3	BGM Race Classic Game Super Famicom Bowser Castle 3
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe	`Audio/Resource/Stream/pBGM_Cnsw_57_N.bfstm`	BGM C NSW 5 7	BGM Charger^[6] Nintendo Switch Wave 5 Course 7

Names in other languages[edit]

Language	Name	Meaning	Ref.
Japanese	クッパじょう Kuppa-jō	Bowser's Castle	^[1]
Chinese (Simplified)	酷霸城堡 Kùbà Chéngbǎo (Mandarin) Houhba Sìhngbóu (Cantonese)	Bowser Castle	^[7]
Chinese (Traditional)	庫巴城堡 Kùbā Chéngbǎo (Mandarin) Fubā Sìhngbóu (Cantonese)	Bowser Castle	^[7]
Spanish	Castillo de Bowser	Bowser's Castle	^[7]
Thai	ปราสาทบาวเซอร์ Bpraasàat Baaosəə	Bowser Castle	^[7]

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c Super Mario Kart (Nintendo Music)
^ Nintendo Sound Selection Vol.2: Loud Music
^ Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Music)
^ Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music)
^ Dani Donadi. Profile. Linkedin. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
^ The Cutting Room Floor:Project Names/Nintendo. The Cutting Room Floor. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Mario Kart World pause menu (Ver. 1.4.0, 1.5.0, 1.7.0)

[3] Added in the 2023 Bowser Tour on May 2, 2023

[4] Added in Wave 6 of the Booster Course Pass on November 9, 2023

[SMKNM-1] Super Mario Kart (Nintendo Music)

[2] Nintendo Sound Selection Vol.2: Loud Music

[5] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Music)

[6] Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music)

[7] Dani Donadi. Profile. Linkedin. Retrieved July 16, 2025.

[ProjectNames-8] The Cutting Room Floor:Project Names/Nintendo. The Cutting Room Floor. Retrieved February 2, 2025.

[PauseMenu-9] Mario Kart World pause menu (Ver. 1.4.0, 1.5.0, 1.7.0)

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[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" • "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" • "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" • "Fated Battle" • "Melty Monster Galaxy" • "Puzzle Plank 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	"Ripple Course"
	Wario Land 3	Out of the Woods' theme^{[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	"Balloon Trip" • "Eine kleine Nachtmusik: I. Allegro" • "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 • Scribes • Super Mario Embroidery World • Super Mario Kart (Barcode Battler II) •