Castle BGM (Super Mario World)
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| "Castle BGM" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| "Castle BGM" in Super Mario World | |||
Image from Nintendo Music | |||
| Composed by: Koji Kondo | |||
| Key | F Dorian (first half); C minor (repeating bars) | ||
| BPM | 104 | ||
| Time signature | Common time | ||
| First appearance | Super Mario World (1990) | ||
| Latest appearance | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) | ||
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"Castle BGM",[1] also known as simply "Castle",[2] is a musical theme composed by Koji Kondo for Super Mario World, where it plays in the castle levels. It is a slower-paced, more foreboding arrangement of "Ground BGM" from the same game.
Composition[edit]
"Castle BGM" is a slow arrangement of "Ground BGM" that flattens most instances of the mediant and leading tone to put the melody in the Dorian mode. The theme is transposed to C minor for the repeating bars.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
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Super Mario World marks the first appearance of "Castle BGM", and it returns in the port of the game included in Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World for the same purpose. It is also included in the official albums Super Mario World, Nintendo Super Famicom Game Music, Happy! Mario 20th - Super Mario Sound Collection, and The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music.
In the Game Boy Advance remake of Super Mario World, Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, an arrangement of "Castle BGM" plays for the same purpose as in the original game.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
- Main article: Castle Theme (New Super Mario Bros. Wii)
In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the theme that plays in the castle levels quotes "Castle BGM" approximately 26 and 42 seconds in.
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Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
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In Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, and Super Mario Maker 2, the original version of "Castle BGM" plays in Super Mario World-style castle-themed levels. Additionally, the theme that plays in Super Mario World-style airship-themed levels is based on "Castle BGM". This arrangement is played on brass and string instruments with a timpani and orchestral percussion as the accompaniment. For both themes, additional bongo percussion is added to the instrumentation whenever the player rides a Yoshi.
Ambient arrangements of "Castle BGM" and the airship arrangement play while editing Super Mario World-style castle-themed and airship-themed levels respectively in the Course Maker. Both arrangements uses eight tracks that fade in and out randomly to create a dynamic mix.
Exclusively in Super Mario Maker 2, music box arrangements of "Castle BGM" and the airship arrangement play in the nighttime versions of 'Super Mario World-style castle-themed and airship-themed levels respectively.
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Super Mario World television series[edit]
An arrangement of the second half of "Castle BGM" can be heard throughout various episodes in the Super Mario World television series, generally in scenes relating to the Koopalings. It appears to be composed using only the original game's right speaker, evident by the fact that the arrangement's intro lacks a few notes from the original theme's intro.
Mario Teaches Typing series[edit]
Mario Teaches Typing[edit]
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In Mario Teaches Typing, an arrangement of "Castle BGM" plays in the advanced level, Mario's Tunnel of Doom.
Mario Teaches Typing 2[edit]
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In Mario Teaches Typing 2, an arrangement of "Castle BGM" plays in the advanced level, Mario's Tunnel of Doom. This arrangement has a new, extended part of the melody.
Super Mario Bros. Mushroom World[edit]
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In Super Mario Bros. Mushroom World, an arrangement of "Castle BGM" is one of the several themes that can play during gameplay.
Mario Discovery Series[edit]
Mario is Missing![edit]
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The Super Nintendo Entertainment System and PC versions of Mario is Missing! both feature two arrangements of "Castle BGM":
- An arrangement of the first half of "Castle BGM" plays in Bowser's Castle.
- An arrangement of the second half of "Castle BGM" plays during boss battles.
In the Nintendo Entertainment System version of Mario is Missing!, a chiptune arrangement of "Castle BGM" plays in Bowser's Castle. It is the only version of Mario is Missing! to feature only one arrangement of "Castle BGM", as the theme that plays during boss battles is instead an original composition.
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Mario's Time Machine[edit]
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System version of Mario's Time Machine features two arrangements of "Castle BGM":
- A mashup arrangement of "Castle BGM" and "Vanilla Dome (Map Screen)" from Super Mario World plays in the game's title screen.
- An arrangement of the first half of "Castle BGM" is one of two themes that can play in Bowser's Castle, the other being an arrangement of "Ghost House BGM" from Super Mario World.
The PC version of Mario's Time Machine features two arrangements of "Castle BGM":
- A brief medley arrangement of "Koopalings BGM" and "Castle BGM" from Super Mario World plays at the end of the opening cutscene.
- An arrangement of "Castle BGM" is one of two themes that can play in Bowser's Museum, the other being an arrangement of "Ghost House BGM".
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Paper Mario series[edit]
Paper Mario[edit]
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In Paper Mario, the theme that plays in Toad Town Tunnels quotes "Castle BGM" approximately 34 seconds in. It is included in the track "Toad Town Variations" in the official Paper Mario Game Music Soundtrack CD album.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]
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In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the theme that plays in Palace of Shadow quotes "Castle BGM" approximately 25 seconds in. It is likewise titled "Palace of Shadow" in the Nintendo Music app.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a medley arrangement of "Castle BGM" and "Fortress Boss" from Super Mario Bros. 3 arranged by Yusuke Takahama can play in the Luigi's Mansion stage. It also plays when encountering False Peach and/or Zelda in The Subspace Emissary. It is titled "Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World / SMB 3)" in the game's sound test. This arrangement was originally able to be played in the Delfino Plaza stage,[3] but in the final game, it cannot play in that stage.
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Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, "Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World / SMB 3)" from Super Smash Bros. Brawl can play in the Luigi's Mansion and Super Mario Maker stages.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, "Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World / SMB 3)" from Super Smash Bros. Brawl can play in any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage. It is formatted as "Castle / Boss Fortress - Super Mario World / SMB 3" in the game's sound test.
WarioWare: Get It Together![edit]
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In WarioWare: Get It Together!, an arrangement of "Castle BGM" plays in level 3 of the Super Mario World boss microgame. This arrangement uses higher-quality samples, but it is otherwise near identical to the original.
Illumination film series[edit]
The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]
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The Super Mario Bros. Movie features two brief arrangements of "Castle BGM" arranged by Brian Tyler, both of which are also included in the film's official soundtrack.
The first arrangement plays during Mario's first run through the Training Course. It is titled "World 1-1".
The second arrangement is incorporated in the theme that plays during the staff credits approximately 1 minute and 34 seconds in. It is titled "Level Complete".
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie[edit]
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In The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, a brief arrangement of "Castle BGM" is incorporated in the theme that plays during the staff credits approximately 56 seconds in. It is titled "1up" in the film's official soundtrack.
Mario Kart World[edit]
In Mario Kart World, a groove metal arrangement of the second half of "Castle BGM" can play on VS Race routes coming from Airship Fortress, Wario Shipyard, Boo Cinema, Dry Bones Burnout, and Bowser's Castle during the day. It is fully titled "Castle BGM (Super Mario World)" in the Nintendo Music app.
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Other appearances[edit]
Super Mario World album[edit]
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The official Super Mario World soundtrack album features a medley arrangement of "Underground BGM", "Ghost House BGM", and "Castle BGM" from Super Mario World arranged by Soichi Noriki and performed by the Mario World Band. It is titled "Mario! Stay Alert!"
Nintendo Live 2023[edit]
Nintendo Live 2023 in Seattle, Washington, USA featured a live performance of themes from various Super Mario games, including an arrangement of the "Castle BGM" portion of "Level Complete" from The Super Mario Bros. Movie, perfromed by the Super Mario Super Big Band.[4]
Gallery[edit]
Image for the "Hurry Up!" version of "Castle BGM" from Super Mario World on Nintendo Music
Image for "Castle BGM (Super Mario World)" from Mario Kart World on Nintendo Music
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario World | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1991 | Original | "Castle BGM"[1] | Koji Kondo |
| Super Mario Bros. Mushroom World | Pinball | 1992 | Arrangement | ||
| Mario is Missing! | MS-DOS | 1992 | Arrangement | Rob Wallace | |
| Mario is Missing! | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1993 | Arrangement | ||
| Mario is Missing! | Nintendo Entertainment System | 1993 | Arrangement | ||
| Mario's Time Machine | MS-DOS | 1993 | Arrangement | Rob Wallace | |
| Mario's Time Machine | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1993 | Arrangement | Mark Knight | |
| Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1994 | Original | "Castle BGM"[1] | Koji Kondo |
| Mario Teaches Typing | PC | 1995 | Arrangement | ||
| Mario Teaches Typing 2 | PC | 1996 | Arrangement | ||
| Paper Mario | Nintendo 64 | 2000 | Arrangement | "Toad Town Variations"[5] | Yuka Tsujiyoko |
| Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 | Game Boy Advance | 2001 | Arrangement | ||
| Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | Nintendo GameCube | 2004 | Arrangement | "Palace of Shadow"[6] | |
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Wii | 2008 | Arrangement | "Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World / SMB 3)"[7] | Yusuke Takahama |
| New Super Mario Bros. Wii | Wii | 2009 | Arrangement | Shiho Fujii | |
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Wii U | 2014 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) | "Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World / SMB 3)"[8] | Yusuke Takahama |
| Super Mario Maker | Wii U | 2015 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Remix | |||||
| Arrangement | |||||
| Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS | 2016 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Past remix (Super Mario Maker) | |||||
| Past arrangement (Super Mario Maker) | |||||
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo Switch | 2018 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) | "Castle / Boss Fortress - Super Mario World / SMB 3"[9] | Yusuke Takahama |
| Super Mario Maker 2 | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Past remix (Super Mario Maker) | |||||
| Past arrangement (Super Mario Maker) | |||||
| Arrangement | |||||
| WarioWare: Get It Together! | Nintendo Switch | 2021 | Arrangement | ||
| Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 | 2025 | Arrangement | "Castle BGM (Super Mario World)"[10] |
Film and television[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario World | 1991 | Arrangement | Michael Tavera | |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 2023 | Arrangement | "World 1-1"[11] | Brian Tyler |
| "Level Complete"[11] | ||||
| The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | 2026 | Arrangement | "1up"[12] | Brian Tyler |
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario World | 1991 | Original | 「城BGM」 (Shiro BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Arrangement | "Mario! Stay Alert!" | Soichi Noriki | ||
| Nintendo Super Famicom Game Music | 1992 | Original | 「お城BGM」 (O-Jō BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Paper Mario Game Music Soundtrack CD | 2001 | Past arrangement (Paper Mario) | "Toad Town Variations" | Yuka Tsujiyoko |
| Happy! Mario 20th - Super Mario Sound Collection | 2005 | Original | 「お城BGM」 (O-Jō BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music | 2015 | Original | 「お城BGM」 (O-Jō BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2023 | Past arrangement (The Super Mario Bros. Movie) | "World 1-1" | Brian Tyler |
| "Level Complete" | ||||
| Super Mario World (Nintendo Music) | 2025 | Original | "Castle BGM" | Koji Kondo |
| The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2026 | Past arrangement (The Super Mario Galaxy Movie) | "1up" | Brian Tyler |
| Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music) | 2026[a] | Past arrangement (Mario Kart World) | "Castle BGM (Super Mario World)" |
- ^ Added to the album on July 6, 2026
Live performances[edit]
| Event | Year | Location | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Live 2023 | 2023 | Seattle Convention Center, Seattle, Washington, USA | Arrangement | Super Mario Super Big Band |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | お城BGM Oshiro BGM |
Castle BGM | [1] |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Super Mario World (Nintendo Music)
- ^ Super Smash Bros. sound tests
- ^ Screenshot of Delfino Plaza's My Music menu in Super Smash Bros. Brawl taken from a pre-release build of the game shown on the Smash Bros. DOJO!! promotional website
- ^ Hitbox Hero (September 3, 2023). Nintendo Live 2023 - Super Mario Super Big Band uncut full show (45:22). YouTube (English). Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Paper Mario Game Music Soundtrack CD
- ^ Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GameCube) (Nintendo Music)
- ^ Super Smash Bros. Brawl sound test
- ^ Super Smash Bros. for Wii U sound test
- ^ Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sound test
- ^ Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music)
- ^ a b The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- ^ The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)