Cloudtop Cruise (theme)
| "Cloudtop Cruise" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| "Cloudtop Cruise" in Mario Kart 8 | |||
 Image from Nintendo Music | |||
| Composed by: Atsuko Asahi[1] | |||
| Key | D major, E-flat major | ||
| BPM | 158 | ||
| Time signature | Common time | ||
| First appearance | Mario Kart 8 (2014) | ||
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) | ||
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- “On this title, we set ourselves on a challenge of creating melodies we'd never come up with before, and we put a huge amount of effort into this track. We thought that a full orchestra would be perfect for creating that sense of a vast world in the clouds. We've included the thundercloud version of the track, as well as a medley.”
- —Liner notes in the Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack
"Cloudtop Cruise"[1][2] is a musical theme composed by Atsuko Asahi for Mario Kart 8, where it plays in the race course of the same name. The ending section quotes "Gusty Garden Galaxy" from Super Mario Galaxy and "Sky Station Galaxy" from Super Mario Galaxy 2.
The first portion of the theme plays on amiibo screens in select retail stores.
History[edit]
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
- Main article: Staff Credits (Mario Kart 8 theme)
Mario Kart 8 marks the first appearance of "Cloudtop Cruise". A metal arrangement of the theme, also arranged by Atsuko Asahi, plays in the thundercloud section of the course. It is titled "Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds)" in the Nintendo Music app. In the official Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack album, the normal and thundercloud versions of "Cloudtop Cruise" are played in sequence on the same track. For both themes, a looping drum set beat is added to the instrumentation whenever the player is driving at top speed while in first place.
The theme that plays during the staff credits briefly quotes "Cloudtop Cruise" before transitioning into "Mount Wario" near the end. It is titled "Staff Credits" on the Nintendo Music app and the Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack album.
"Cloudtop Cruise" and all of the other aforementioned themes return in the Nintendo Switch port, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for the same purposes.
 Cloudtop Cruise (Frontrunning) - The remix heard in Mario Kart 8 | File info 0:30 |
| Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart 8 | File info 0:30 |
| Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds) (Frontrunning) - The remix heard in Mario Kart 8 | File info 0:30 |
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit[edit]
In Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, the original version of "Cloudtop Cruise" plays in Chain Chomp Glacier.
Mario Kart World[edit]
In Mario Kart World, an acid jazz arrangement of "Cloudtop Cruise" in A major and B-flat major can play in Free Roam during the day, on the route from Crown City to Peach Stadium in the Shell Cup, and on any VS Race route. It is fully titled "Cloudtop Cruise (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)" in the Nintendo Music app. This arrangement also quotes "Toad's Turnpike" from Mario Kart 64. As with other arrangements of themes from Mario Kart 8, the source game listed in the pause menu is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
| Cloudtop Cruise - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, a remix of "Cloudtop Cruise" arranged by Atsuko Asahi can play in the Mario Circuit stage. It is near identical to the original, except the brass and string leads are replaced by the guitar from the thundercloud version.
| Cloudtop Cruise - The arrangement heard in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | File info 0:30 |
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U remix of "Cloudtop Cruise" can play in any Super Smash Bros.-series and Mario Kart-series stage. It is titled "Cloudtop Cruise - Mario Kart 8" in the game's sound test.
Other appearances[edit]
Super Nintendo World[edit]
At the Super Nintendo World theme park, an arrangement of "Cloudtop Cruise" plays in the Cloudtop Cruise section of Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge.
Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo[edit]
On Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo, the original version of "Cloudtop Cruise" plays as part of the alarm of the same name. The character used to represent the alarm is Donkey Kong.
Gallery[edit]
Image for "Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds)" from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Music
Image for "Staff Credits" from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Music
"Cloudtop Cruise - Mario Kart 8" in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Image for "Cloudtop Cruise (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)" from Mario Kart World on Nintendo Music
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 | Wii U | 2014 | Original | "Cloudtop Cruise"[2] | Atsuko Asahi |
| Remix | |||||
| Arrangement | "Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds)"[2] | ||||
| Remix | |||||
| Arrangement | "Staff Credits"[2] | Ryo Nagamatsu | |||
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Wii U | 2014 | Remix | "Cloudtop Cruise"[3] | Atsuko Asahi |
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Nintendo Switch | 2017 | Original | "Cloudtop Cruise"[2] | Atsuko Asahi |
| Past remix (Mario Kart 8) | |||||
| Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8) | "Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds)"[2] | ||||
| Past remix (Mario Kart 8) | |||||
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo Switch | 2018 | Past remix (Super Smash Bros. for Wii U) | "Cloudtop Cruise - Mario Kart 8"[4] | Atsuko Asahi |
| Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit | Nintendo Switch | 2020 | Original | Atsuko Asahi | |
| Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 | 2025 | Arrangement | "Cloudtop Cruise"[5] |
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack | 2015 | Original | "Cloudtop Cruise" | Atsuko Asahi |
| Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8) | ||||
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Music) | 2024 | Original | "Cloudtop Cruise" | Atsuko Asahi |
| Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8) | "Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds)" | |||
| Mario Kart World (Nintendo Music) | 2026 | Past arrangement (Mario Kart World) | "Cloudtop Cruise (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)" |
Other media[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Nintendo World | 2021 | Arrangement | Dani Donadi[6] | |
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo) | 2024 | Original | "Cloudtop Cruise" | Atsuko Asahi |
Names in other languages[edit]
"Cloudtop Cruise"[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スカイガーデン Sukai Gāden | Sky Garden | [2] | |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 空中花园 Kōngzhōng huāyuán | Sky Garden | [2] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 空中花園 Kōngzhōng huāyuán | [2] | ||
| Dutch | Wildewolkenweg | Wild Cloudway | [2] | |
| French (Canada) | Dans les nuages | In the Clouds | [2] | |
| French (Europe) | Voie céleste | Celestial Way | [2] | |
| German | Wolkenstraße | Cloudstreet | [2] | |
| Italian | Vascello Nuvolante | "Cloudflying" Vessel – "Nuvolante" is a pun of "nuvola" (cloud) and "volante" (flying) | [2] | |
| Korean | 스카이 가든 Seukai Gadeun | Sky Garden | [2] | |
| Portuguese | Via Nublada | Cloudy Way | [2] | |
| Russian | Заоблачный круиз Zaoblachnyy kruiz | Cloudstrider Cruise | [2] | |
| Spanish | Ruta Celeste | Celestial Route | [2] |
"Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds)"[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スカイガーデン（雷雲） Sukai Gāden (raiun) | Sky Garden (thundercloud) | [2] | |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 空中花园（雷云） Kōngzhōng huāyuán (léiyún) | Sky Garden (Thunder Cloud) | [2] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 空中花園（雷雲） Kōngzhōng huāyuán (léiyún) | [2] | ||
| Dutch | Wildewolkenweg (donderwolken) | Wild Cloudway (thunderclouds) | [2] | |
| French (Canada) | Dans les nuages (dans les nuages) | In the Clouds (in the clouds) | [2] | |
| French (Europe) | Voie céleste (dans les nuages) | Celestial Way (in the clouds) | [2] | |
| German | Wolkenstraße (Gewitterwolken) | Cloudstreet (Thunderclouds) | [2] | |
| Italian | Vascello Nuvolante (temporale) | "Cloudflying" Vessel (storm) | [2] | |
| Korean | 스카이 가든(뇌운) Seukai Gadeun (noeun) | Sky Garden (thundercloud) | [2] | |
| Portuguese | Via Nublada (temporal) | Cloudy Way (thunderclouds) | [2] | |
| Russian | Заоблачный круиз (грозовые тучи) Zaoblachnyy kruiz (grozovyye tuchi) | Cloudstrider Cruise (storm clouds) | [2] | |
| Spanish | Ruta Celeste (nubes tormentosas) | Celestial Route (stormclouds) | [2] |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Music)
- ^ Super Smash Bros. for Wii U sound test
- ^ Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sound test
- ^ Mario Kart World pause menu
- ^ Dani Donadi. Profile. Linkedin. Retrieved July 16, 2025.