Fortress Boss (Super Mario Bros. 3)

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"Fortress Boss"
"Fortress Boss" in Super Mario Bros. 3
The image for "Fortress Boss" from Super Mario Bros. 3 on Nintendo Music
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.

Icon of an audio speaker. Fortress Boss - The arrangement heard in Super Mario All-Stars
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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.

Icon of an audio speaker. Castle Boss - The arrangement heard in New Super Mario Bros.
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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.

Icon of an audio speaker. Koopa Battle - The arrangement heard in New Super Mario Bros. Wii
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Icon of an audio speaker. Castle Boss Battle - The arrangement heard in New Super Mario Bros. Wii
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Icon of an audio speaker. Bowser Jr. Battle - The arrangement heard in New Super Mario Bros. Wii
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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.

Icon of an audio speaker. Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World / SMB 3) - The arrangement heard in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
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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.

Icon of an audio speaker. Fortress Boss - Super Mario Bros. 3 - The arrangement heard in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
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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]

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]