Fortress Boss (Super Mario Bros. 3)
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"Fortress Boss" | |
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"Fortress Boss" in Super Mario Bros. 3 | |
![]() Image from Nintendo Music | |
Composed by: Koji Kondo | |
Key | E minor |
BPM | 178 |
Time signature | 4 4 |
First appearance | Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) |
Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) |
"Fortress Boss"[1] is a musical theme composed by Koji Kondo for the boss battles against Boom Boom and the Koopalings in Super Mario Bros. 3. It has been rearranged as boss music in several games throughout the Super Mario franchise.
Reuses[edit]
The following list does not include ports or remakes of Super Mario Bros. 3.
Game | Description |
---|---|
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2 | "Fortress Boss" plays whenever the "Boss Music" sound effect is triggered in Super Mario Bros. 3-style courses. |
Arrangements[edit]
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Two arrangements of "Fortress Boss" can be heard throughout The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, as the show is based on Super Mario Bros. 3.
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario All-Stars[edit]
In Super Mario All-Stars, its re-release, Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World, and its Wii port, Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition, an arrangement of "Fortress Boss" plays during the boss battles against Boom Boom and the Koopalings in the game's remake of Super Mario Bros. 3.
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Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, the Game Boy Advance remake of Super Mario Bros. 3, an arrangement of "Fortress Boss" plays during the boss battles against Boom Boom and the Koopalings, just like in the original game.
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
In New Super Mario Bros., an arrangement of "Fortress Boss" plays during Castle boss battles.
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New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
New Super Mario Bros. Wii features a new arrangement of "Fortress Boss" titled "Koopa Battle"[2] very similar to the arrangement heard in New Super Mario Bros. It can be heard during Koopaling Tower battles.
Two other themes in New Super Mario Bros. Wii feature elements from "Fortress Boss". The intro of "Castle Boss Battle",[2] which plays during Koopaling Castle battles, and the intro of the theme heard when fighting Bowser Jr. are both based on the intro of "Fortress Boss".
"Koopa Battle" and "Castle Boss Battle" return for the same purpose in New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, Super Mario Run, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, although "Koopa Battle" no longer plays in fights against the Koopalings, as only Boom Boom and Boss Sumo Bro appear in towers in New Super Mario Bros. U and its rereleases. The Bowser Jr. battle theme returns in New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. Only "Castle Boss Battle" returns for the same purpose in New Super Mario Bros. 2, as the Reznors use a rearrangement of the Super Mario World boss theme.
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Mario Strikers series[edit]
Mario Strikers Charged[edit]
In Mario Strikers Charged, an arrangement of "Fortress Boss" is incorporated into Bowser's theme.
Mario Strikers: Battle League[edit]
In Mario Strikers: Battle League, a metal arrangement of "Fortress Boss" is one of two themes that can play during a match if Lava Castle is chosen for both halves of the stadium.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a medley arrangement of "Fortress Boss" and "Castle BGM" from Super Mario World, titled "Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World / SMB 3)" and arranged by Yusuke Takahama, can play in the Luigi's Mansion stage, as well as when encountering False Peach and/or Zelda in the Subspace Emissary. It was originally able to be played in the Delfino Plaza stage,[3] but it cannot in the final game. This arrangement returns in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, where it can play in Luigi's Mansion and Super Mario Maker stages, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where it can play in any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage.
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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, an arrangement of "Fortress Boss" that also incorporates "World 6 Map (Ice Land)" and "World 8 Map (Dark Land)," titled "Fortress Boss - Super Mario Bros. 3" and arranged by Akihiro Honda, can play in any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage. This arrangement also features the sound of a Vine growing from a ? Block, as well as the power-up sound effect and, in the Ice Land section, a pitch-shifted version of the sound of a Warp Pipe being entered (which is also used when the player is damaged), with all but the Warp Pipe sound using modern instruments that replicate the original 8-bit sounds.
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Mario & Sonic series[edit]
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games[edit]
In Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, an arrangement of "Fortress Boss" is included in the music heard in Mario's Figure Skating Spectacular.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games[edit]
The Wii U version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games features two arrangements of "Castle Boss Battle" from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, used as Larry and Wendy's themes.
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit[edit]
In Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, an arrangement of "Fortress Boss" plays when Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings appear on the track.
Mario Kart World[edit]
In Mario Kart World, two separate arrangements of "Fortress Boss" and "Castle Boss Battle" respectively can play during routes in VS Race and in Free Roam for the latter. In Grand Prix, the latter is one of four arrangements that can play on the route from Sky-High Sundae to Wario Shipyard in the Star Cup.
Gallery[edit]
Image for the "Hurry Up!" variant on Nintendo Music
Image for "Boom Boom Battle" from New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe 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 | "Fortress Boss"[1] | Koji Kondo |
Super Mario All-Stars | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1993 | Arrangement | ||
Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1994 | Past arrangement (Super Mario All-Stars) | ||
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | Game Boy Advance | 2003 | Arrangement | Taiju Suzuki | |
New Super Mario Bros. | Nintendo DS | 2006 | Arrangement | ||
Mario Strikers Charged | Wii | 2007 | Arrangement | ||
Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Wii | 2008 | Arrangement | "Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World / SMB 3)" | Yusuke Takahama |
New Super Mario Bros. Wii | Wii | 2009 | Arrangement | "Koopa Battle"[2] | Kenta Nagata[2] |
"Castle Boss Battle"[2] | Kenta Nagata[4] | ||||
Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition | Wii | 2010 | Past arrangement (Super Mario All-Stars) | ||
New Super Mario Bros. 2 | Nintendo 3DS | 2012 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Kenta Nagata ("Castle Boss Battle") | |
New Super Mario Bros. U | Wii U | 2012 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Kenta Nagata ("Koopa Battle") | |
Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Kenta Nagata ("Castle Boss Battle") | ||||
New Super Luigi U | Wii U | 2013 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Kenta Nagata ("Koopa Battle") | |
Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Kenta Nagata ("Castle Boss Battle") | ||||
New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U | Wii U | 2013 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Kenta Nagata ("Koopa Battle") | |
Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Kenta Nagata ("Castle Boss Battle") | ||||
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games | Wii U | 2013 | Arrangement | ||
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Wii U | 2014 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) | "Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World/SMB 3)" | Yusuke Takahama |
Super Mario Maker | Wii U | 2015 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games | Wii U | 2016 | Arrangement | ||
Arrangement | |||||
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS | 2016 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
Super Mario Run | Android, iOS | 2016 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Kenta Nagata ("Koopa Battle") | |
Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Kenta Nagata ("Castle Boss Battle") | ||||
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo Switch | 2018 | Arrangement | "Fortress Boss - Super Mario Bros. 3" | Akihiro Honda |
Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) | "Castle / Boss Fortress - Super Mario World / SMB 3" | Yusuke Takahama | |||
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Kenta Nagata ("Koopa Battle") | |
Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Kenta Nagata ("Castle Boss Battle") | ||||
Super Mario Maker 2 | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Original | "Boss Music" | Koji Kondo |
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit | Nintendo Switch | 2020 | Arrangement | Ryo Nagamatsu | |
Mario Strikers: Battle League | Nintendo Switch | 2022 | Arrangement | ||
Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 | 2025 | Arrangement |
Film and television[edit]
Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 | 1990 | Arrangement | Michael Tavera |
Albums[edit]
Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|
Super Mario World | 1991 | Original | 「砦のボス」 (Toride no Bosu) | Koji Kondo |
Game Sound Museum: Super Mario Bros. 3 | 2004 | Original | 「砦のボス」 (Toride no Bosu) | Koji Kondo |
Famicom Sound History Series: Mario the Music | 2004 | Original | 「砦のボス~ワーニング~砦のボス ハリーアップ!」 (Toride no Bosu ~ Wāningu ~ Toride no Bosu Harī Appu!) |
Koji Kondo |
Nintendo Sound Selection Vol.2: Loud Music | 2004 | Original | 「砦のボス」 (Toride no Bosu) | Koji Kondo |
Arrangement | 「砦のボス」 (Toride no Bosu) | Kazumi Totaka | ||
Happy! Mario 20th - Super Mario Sound Collection | 2005 | Original | 「砦のボス」 (Toride no Bosu) | Koji Kondo |
Names in other languages[edit]
Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Japanese | 砦のボス[1] Toride no Bosu |
Fortess Boss |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Nintendo Music
- ^ a b c d e New Super Mario Bros. Wii: Simplified Piano Solos
- ^ Pre-release screenshot of Delfino Plaza's My Music menu in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
- ^ やさしくひける New スーパーマリオブラザーズ Wii. yamaha music media. Retrieved July 23, 2023.