Course Clear (Super Mario Bros.)
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| "Course Clear" | |
|---|---|
| "Course Clear" in Super Mario Bros. | |
Image from Nintendo Music | |
| Composed by: Koji Kondo | |
| Key | C major |
| BPM | 150 |
| Time signature | 4 4 |
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. (1985) |
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Party Jamboree (2024) |
"Course Clear"[1][2] is a short musical fanfare composed for Super Mario Bros. by Koji Kondo. It plays whenever the player completes a level, excluding castle levels, which feature their own unique fanfare. The theme has gone on to become a recurring theme in the Super Mario franchise, where it is usually heard when the player successfully completes a level, mission, fight, or some other objective.
The theme is written in common time (4
4) and subdivided into triplets. It uses the same backdoor chord progression as the power-up sound effect, but at a far slower speed. The triumphant whole-step ♭VI–♭VII–I ascent has colloquially been termed the "Mario Cadence" in reference to this theme.
Reuses[edit]
The following list does not include ports and remakes of Super Mario Bros.
| Game | Description |
|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels | Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels reuses the soundtrack from Super Mario Bros., including "Course Clear". |
| WarioWare: Twisted! | "Course Clear" plays after completing a level in the Super Mario Bros. microgame. |
| Mario Calculator | On the calculator, if the summary's resulting digits are sequential by moving up or down in value by 1 (e.g. 123456789 or 987654321), "Course Clear" plays. |
| Mario Clock | The theme plays on every hour. |
| Mario Tennis Open | "Course Clear" plays when the player hits the Goal Pole with a tennis ball in the Super Mario Tennis special game. |
| Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2 | "Course Clear" plays when the player completes a level in the Super Mario Bros. style, excluding castle-themed levels. |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | "Course Clear", along with the opening portion of "Ground BGM", plays during the opening logo for Nintendo. |
Arrangements[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros.[edit]
In Super Mario Bros., the "Power Up" fanfare, which plays when the player collects a power-up, arpeggiates over the same I–♭VI–♭VII harmony as the "Course Clear" theme.
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Super Mario Bros. Special[edit]
Like in Super Mario Bros., "Course Clear" plays in Super Mario Bros. Special whenever the player completed a level, though this arrangement is much choppier and uses harsher chiptune instrumentation than the original.
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Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)[edit]
A very short arrangement of the theme was made for the Crystal Screen Game & Watch version of Super Mario Bros. This arrangement would reappear unchanged for the special-edition and New Wide Screen versions.
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Super Mario All-Stars[edit]
Super Mario All-Stars features an enhanced 16-bit brass arrangement of "Course Clear" in Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels whenever the player completes a level.
This arrangement returns for the same purpose in Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World and Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition.
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Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
In Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, if the player finds all exits in the game, a medley arrangement of "Course Clear" and the "Ground Theme" from Super Mario Bros. will play during the cutscene where Luigi rides in a hot air balloon throwing masks and Koopa Troopas put them on.
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Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, an abbreviated arrangement of the end of "Course Clear" plays when the player reaches the Goal Pole in the e-Reader card levels Classic World 1-1, Classic World 1-2, Classic World 1-3, and Classic World 2-2. Unlike other games, this theme does not signify the end of the level, as the true goal comes after the Goal Pole, so the Super Mario Bros. "Ground Theme" resumes playing until the true goal is reached.
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
In New Super Mario Bros., if the player completes a level when the last two numbers on the time limit are the same, an arrangement of "Course Clear" plays instead of the normal theme, awarding an extra Toad House. It is titled "Course Clear (Special)".[3] This arrangement is reused in all future New Super Mario Bros. titles. In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, it plays after rescuing a Toad in single-player mode or if completing a level when the last two numbers on the time limit are the same in multi-player mode, awarding an extra Toad House. In New Super Mario Bros. 2, it plays if completing a level when the last two numbers on the time limit match the number assigned to the current world, awarding a Rainbow Course. In New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, it plays if completing a level when the last two numbers on the time limit are the same, awarding an item from Toad.
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Super Mario 3D Land[edit]
In Super Mario 3D Land, an arrangement of "Course Clear" plays when completing World 2-3 and Special 1-3. A similar arrangement of the last eight notes of "Course Clear" plays in a cutscene after Special 1-Castle is completed.
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Super Mario Maker[edit]
In Super Mario Maker, if the player completes a level in the Super Mario Bros. style with the Arino KACHO costume, Shinya Arino, host of GameCenter CX, sings along with "Course Clear".[4]
| Japanese script | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
|
クリアしましたよ |
Kuria shimashita yo |
I cleared it! |
If the player completes a level in the Super Mario Bros. style with the GLA costume, a techno arrangement of "Course Clear" featuring car engine revs plays.
If the player completes a level in the Super Mario Bros. style with the Yamamura costume, he sings along with "Course Clear" via pigeon cooing.
If the player completes a level in the Super Mario Bros. style with the Yu Ayasaki costume, she sings along with "Course Clear" via non-lexical vocables.
If the player completes a level in the Super Mario Bros. style with the Kitty White or Melody costume, a music box version of "Course Clear" plays.
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Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
In Super Mario Odyssey, if the player goes to the Mushroom Kingdom after collecting 999 Power Moons, the top spire of Peach's Castle is replaced with a top hat-like structure resembling Top-Hat Tower; if the player spins Cappy on the rod atop this structure, a dramatic, triumphant, slightly slower arrangement of "Course Clear" plays as the camera zooms out to show the whole castle, with audible fireworks in the background. This arrangement is titled "Congratulations!" in Nintendo Music.
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Yoshi series[edit]
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island[edit]
In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, a peaceful arrangement of "Course Clear" in B major plays after the credits at the end of the game when the Stork delivers Baby Mario and Baby Luigi to their parents.
Yoshi's New Island[edit]
Like in Yoshi's Island, Yoshi's New Island features a peaceful arrangement of "Course Clear" (this time in E-flat major) in the ending cutscene when Baby Mario and Baby Luigi are delivered to their parents.
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Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros.[edit]
In Super Smash Bros., an arrangement of "Course Clear" plays whenever Mario or Luigi wins a fight.
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Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, an orchestrated arrangement of "Course Clear" known as "Mario's Victory" in the game's sound test plays whenever Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, or Dr. Mario wins a fight.
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Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, an arrangement of "Course Clear" plays whenever Mario, Luigi, Peach, or Bowser wins a fight.
This arrangement is reused in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, where it plays whenever Mario, Luigi, Peach, or Dr. Mario wins a match.
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Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, and later Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, a new metal arrangement of "Course Clear" plays whenever Bowser or Bowser Jr. wins a fight.
This arrangement is reused in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where it plays whenever Bowser, Bowser Jr., or Piranha Plant wins a fight.
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Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U features a medley arrangement of several themes from Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, including "Course Clear", titled "Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels Medley". It was arranged by Katsuro Tajima and features arrangements of "Ending", the "Underground Theme", the 1-Up jingle, "Hurry Up", "Underwater BGM", "Invincibility BGM", and "Course Clear". It can be played on the Mushroom Kingdom U and Super Mario Maker stages.
The track returns in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where it can be played on any Super Smash Bros.- and Super Mario-series stage.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features a slightly sped-up and shortened version of the "Course Clear" arrangement from Super Smash Bros. Brawl. This shortened arrangement plays whenever Mario, Luigi, Peach, Dr. Mario, or Daisy wins a fight.
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Paper Mario series[edit]
Paper Mario[edit]
In Paper Mario, an arrangement of "Course Clear" is incorporated into the intro music for the 64th Trivia Quiz-Off.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, an arrangement of "Course Clear" in A major plays whenever the player completes a Bowser intermission.
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Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]
Paper Mario: Sticker Star features a baseball-styled organ arrangement of "Course Clear" plays whenever Mario uses a Newspaper, Toy Bat, or Bat Thing sticker.
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Paper Mario: The Origami King[edit]
In Paper Mario: The Origami King, an arrangement of "Course Clear" in D major plays whenever Mario grabs the top of the Goal Pole and slides down it for the first time at Picnic Road.
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Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix[edit]
In Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix, an arrangement of "Course Clear" plays whenever the player completes the Flagpole Leap minigame.
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Mario Hoops 3-on-3[edit]
In Mario Hoops 3-on-3, an arrangement of "Course Clear" plays whenever the player clears the Mushroom, Flower or Star Tourney, titled "Mario Fanfare" in the game's original soundtrack.
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WarioWare: Smooth Moves[edit]
In WarioWare: Smooth Moves, an orchestral arrangement entitled "SMB Course Clear"[5] is one of the possible songs that the player must conduct on level 3 of the Opening Night microgame.
Art Style: PiCTOBiTS[edit]
A medley arrangement of "Course Clear" and "Ending" titled "Super Mario Bros. Part 5" and composed by chiptune band YMCK is featured in Art Style: PiCTOBiTS.
Mario + Rabbids series[edit]
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle[edit]
In Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, an arrangement of "Course Clear" plays when a battle is completed.
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Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope[edit]
In Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Rabbid Mario plays an arrangement of "Course Clear" on his mandolin for his victory pose when obtaining a Purified Darkmess Energy Crystal.
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The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]
Various arrangements of "Course Clear" are featured in several songs in The Super Mario Bros. Movie: "Press Start", "Platforming Princess", "World 1-1", "The Adventure Begins", "Fighting Tooth and Veil", and "Level Complete". These songs were all composed by Brian Tyler.
Other arrangements[edit]
2016 Summer Olympics closing ceremony[edit]
The closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil prominently featured several Super Mario elements in the "Warming up! Tokyo 2020" portion of the proceedings, which were included to present the then-upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. The end of this presentation featured an orchestral arrangement of "Course Clear" that played as fireworks went off over Maracanã Stadium.[6]
Nintendo Live 2023[edit]
Nintendo Live 2023 in Seattle, Washington, USA featured a live performance by the Super Mario Super Big Band of themes from various Super Mario games, including an arrangement of the "Course Clear" portion of "Level Complete" from The Super Mario Bros. Movie.[7]
Gallery[edit]
Image for "Course Clear (Special)" from New Super Mario Bros. on Nintendo Music
Image for "Congratulations!" from Super Mario Odyssey on Nintendo Music
List of appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. | Nintendo Entertainment System | 1985 | Original | "Course Clear"[1] | Koji Kondo |
| Arrangement | "Power Up"[1] | ||||
| VS. Super Mario Bros. | VS. System | 1986 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels | Family Computer Disk System | 1986 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Super Mario Bros. Special | NEC PC-88, Sharp X1, Samsung SPC-1500 | 1986 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Mario Bros. | Game & Watch (Crystal Screen) | 1986 | Arrangement | ||
| All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros. | Family Computer Disk System | 1986 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Super Mario Bros. | Game & Watch (Special Edition) | 1987 | Past arrangement (Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch, Crystal Screen)) | ||
| Super Mario Bros. | Game & Watch (New Wide Screen) | 1988 | Past arrangement (Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch, Crystal Screen)) | ||
| 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 World 2: Yoshi's Island | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1995 | Arrangement | Koji Kondo | |
| Super Mario Bros. | Game & Watch (Mini Classics) | 1998 | |||
| Super Smash Bros. | Nintendo 64 | 1999 | Arrangement | Hirokazu Ando | |
| Super Mario Bros. Deluxe | Game Boy Color | 1999 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Super Smash Bros. Melee | Nintendo GameCube | 2001 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 | Game Boy Advance | 2001 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | Game Boy Advance | 2003 | Arrangement | ||
| Classic NES Series: Super Mario Bros. | Game Boy Advance | 2004 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | Nintendo GameCube | 2004 | Arrangement | ||
| WarioWare: Twisted! | Game Boy Advance | 2004 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix | Nintendo GameCube | 2005 | Arrangement | ||
| New Super Mario Bros. | Nintendo DS | 2006 | Arrangement | "Course Clear (Special)"[3] | |
| Mario Hoops 3-on-3 | Nintendo DS | 2006 | Arrangement | ||
| WarioWare: Smooth Moves | Wii | 2006 | Arrangement | "SMB Course Clear"[5] | |
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Wii | 2008 | Arrangement | ||
| Art Style: PiCTOBiTS | Nintendo DSi | 2009 | Arrangement | "Super Mario Bros. Part 5" | YMCK |
| Mario Calculator | Nintendo DSi | 2009 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Mario Clock | Nintendo DSi | 2009 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| New Super Mario Bros. Wii | Wii | 2009 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros.) | "Course Clear (Special)"[3] | |
| Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition | Wii | 2010 | Past arrangement (Super Mario All-Stars) | ||
| Super Mario 3D Land | Nintendo 3DS | 2011 | Arrangement | ||
| Mario Tennis Open | Nintendo 3DS | 2012 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| New Super Mario Bros. 2 | Nintendo 3DS | 2012 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros.) | "Course Clear (Special)"[3] | |
| Paper Mario: Sticker Star | Nintendo 3DS | 2012 | Arrangement | ||
| New Super Mario Bros. U | Wii U | 2012 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros.) | "Course Clear (Special)"[3] | |
| New Super Luigi U | Wii U | 2013 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros.) | "Course Clear (Special)"[3] | |
| New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U | Wii U | 2013 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros.) | "Course Clear (Special)"[3] | |
| Yoshi's New Island | Nintendo 3DS | 2014 | Arrangement | Masayoshi Ishi | |
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS | 2014 | Arrangement | ||
| Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) | |||||
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Wii U | 2014 | Arrangement | "Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels Medley" | Katsuro Tajima |
| Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) | |||||
| Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS) | |||||
| Super Mario Maker | Wii U | 2015 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| 2015[a] | Vocalization | Shinya Arino | |||
| 2015[b] | Arrangement | ||||
| 2016[c] | Vocalization | ||||
| 2016[d] | Vocalization | ||||
| 2016[e] | Arrangement | ||||
| Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS | 2016 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle | Nintendo Switch | 2017 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Mario Odyssey | Nintendo Switch | 2017 | Arrangement | "Congratulations!"[2] | |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo Switch | 2018 | Arrangement | ||
| Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS) | |||||
| New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros.) | "Course Clear (Special)"[3] | |
| Super Mario Maker 2 | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Paper Mario: The Origami King | Nintendo Switch | 2020 | Arrangement | ||
| Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. | Game & Watch | 2020 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope | Nintendo Switch | 2022 | Arrangement | ||
| Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) | Nintendo Switch | 2024 | Arrangement | ||
| Past Arrangement (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door) |
Film and television[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 2023 | Arrangement | "Press Start" | Brian Tyler |
| "Platforming Princess" | ||||
| "World 1-1" | ||||
| "The Adventure Begins" | ||||
| "Fighting Tooth and Veil" | ||||
| "Level Complete" |
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Famicom Music | 1986 | Original | "SUPER MARIO BROS." | Koji Kondo |
| Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3, Hop! Step! Jump! | 1989 | Arrangement | "Super Mario Bros. 1, 2 —Nonstop Dancing Edition—" | Ikuro Fujiwara |
| Famicom 20th Anniversary Original Sound Tracks Vol.1 | 2004 | Original | 「コースクリア ファンファーレ~シーン移動BGM」 (Kōsu Kuria Fanfāre ~ Shīn Idō BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Game Sound Museum: Super Mario Bros. | 2004 | Original | 「シーン移動BGM」 (Shīn Idō BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Famicom Sound History Series: Mario the Music | 2004 | Original | 「コースクリア ファンファーレ~シーン移動BGM」 (Kōsu Kuria Fanfāre ~ Shīn Idō BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Happy! Mario 20th - Super Mario Sound Collection | 2005 | Original | 「コースクリア ファンファーレ」 (Kōsu Kuria Fanfāre) | Koji Kondo |
| Super Mario History 1985-2010 | 2010 | Original | "Course Clear" | Koji Kondo |
| Nintendo FAMICOM MUSIC | 2013 | Original | 「コースクリア ファンファーレ」 (Kōsu Kuria Fanfāre) | Koji Kondo |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2023 | Arrangement | "Press Start" | Brian Tyler |
| "Platforming Princess" | ||||
| "World 1-1" | ||||
| "The Adventure Begins" | ||||
| "Fighting Tooth and Veil" | ||||
| "Level Complete" |
Other media[edit]
| Work | Format | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAMICOM 20TH ANNIVERSARY GAMEMUSIC DVD | DVD | 2004 | Original | 「コースクリア ファンファーレ~シーン移動BGM」 (Kōsu Kuria Fanfāre ~ Shīn Idō BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| New Sounds in Brass: Super Mario Bros. | Music score | 2010 | Arrangement | Takashi Hoshide |
Live performances[edit]
| Event | Year | Location | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Summer Olympics closing ceremony | 2016 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Arrangement | ||
| Nintendo Live 2023 | 2023 | Seattle Convention Center, Seattle, Washington, USA | Arrangement | Super Mario Super Big Band |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | コースクリア[1] Kōsu Kuria |
Course Clear | |
| Italian | Percorso completato[8] | Course clear |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Super Mario History 1985-2010 tracklist
- ^ a b Nintendo Music
- ^ a b c d e f g h Nintendo Music
- ^ Linkums (WhatTheyCallGames) (November 5, 2015). What does Arino Kacho's costume say in Mario Maker?. YouTube (English). Retrieved September 7, 2023.
- ^ a b WarioWare: Smooth Moves Sound Studio
- ^ Olympics (September 25, 2016). Rio 2016 Closing Ceremony Full HD Replay | Rio 2016 Olympic Games (2:43:29). YouTube (English). Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ Hitbox Hero (September 3, 2023). Nintendo Live 2023 - Super Mario Super Big Band uncut full show (44:57). YouTube (English). Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Super Mario All-Stars - 25th Anniversary Edition | Wii | Giochi | Nintendo IT. Nintendo of Italy (Italian). Retrieved August 18, 2024.