Ground Theme (New Super Mario Bros. U)
| "Ground Theme" | |
|---|---|
| The "Ground Theme" in New Super Mario Bros. U | |
Image from Nintendo Music | |
| Composed by: Shiho Fujii | |
| Key | C major |
| BPM | 110 |
| First appearance | New Super Mario Bros. U (2012) |
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) |
The "Ground Theme"[1] is a musical theme composed by Shiho Fujii for above-ground levels in New Super Mario Bros. U.
Reuses[edit]
The following list does not include ports or remakes of New Super Mario Bros. U.
| Game | Description |
|---|---|
| Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2 | The "Ground Theme" can be heard when playing ground-themed levels in the New Super Mario Bros. U style. |
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | The "Ground Theme" is included as a playable track titled "Ground Theme (New Super Mario Bros. U)", which can be played on the Mushroom Kingdom U stage in the latter game and the Super Mario Maker stage in both games. In the latter stage of the latter game, the track is part of the "Style Switch: Ground Theme" medley, which switches depending on the stage's style, along with the Super Mario Bros. "Ground Theme", the Super Mario Bros. 3 "Ground Theme", and the Super Mario World "Ground Theme". |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | The "Ground Theme" is included as a playable track titled "Ground Theme - New Super Mario Bros. U", which can be played on any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage. The medley for the Super Mario Maker stage is retitled "Ground Theme - Super Mario series." |
Arrangements[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
New Super Mario Bros. U[edit]
Arrangements of the "Ground Theme" are included in various themes throughout New Super Mario Bros. U. Full arrangements of the "Ground Theme" include "Title," the "Snowfield Theme," and the "Athletic Theme" (the latter being in D major). Arrangements of the "Ground Theme" are included in "File Select," "Epilogue," "New Super Mario Bros. U Staff Credits," and the theme that plays while choosing challenges. Percussion and vocalizations are also added to the "Ground Theme," the "Snowfield Theme," and the "Athletic Theme" whenever a player rides a Yoshi or holds onto a Baby Yoshi respectively.
All of these arrangements return for the same purpose in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. All return for the same purpose in New Super Luigi U besides the theme that plays while choosing challenges.
The remix of "Ground Theme" with Yoshi percussion is reused for the same purpose in Super Mario Maker and in Super Mario Maker 2 in the New Super Mario Bros. U style. The "Snowfield Theme" and the "Athletic Theme" as well as their respective Yoshi percussion remixes are reused for the same purposes in Super Mario Maker 2 for sky-themed and snow-themed levels, respectively, in the New Super Mario Bros. U style.
In WarioWare: Get It Together!, the athletic theme plays levels 2 and 3 of the New Super Mario Bros. U microgame, though its tempo has been slowed down to match the ticking of the bomb.
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Super Mario Maker[edit]
Super Mario Maker features an ambient arrangement of the "Ground Theme" using eight tracks that fade in and out randomly to create a dynamic mix. The arrangement is heard while editing New Super Mario Bros. U-style ground-themed courses in the Course Maker.
This arrangement returns in Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS and Super Mario Maker 2, where it is used for the same purpose.
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Super Mario Run[edit]
Super Mario Run features multiple arrangements of the "Ground Theme", as the game is heavily based on New Super Mario Bros. U. A faithful arrangement of the original "Ground Theme" plays in overworld levels, and a faithful arrangement of the athletic theme plays in athletic levels, and more ethereal versions of these arrangements play during Coin Rush. An arrangement of the main menu theme can be heard on the level select screen, and an arrangement of the title screen theme plays in the Kingdom Builder. The "Hurry Up!" arrangement, as with those of any other track in the game, is transposed to four semitones higher.
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Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
Super Mario Maker 2 features a music box version of the "Ground Theme" that plays during the nighttime version of ground-themed levels in the New Super Mario Bros. U style.
In addition, with the newly added Snow and Sky course themes retaining the snow and athletic themes from the original game, both themes are also associated with their own ambient variants when editing the course in the Course Maker, and music box arrangements while in nighttime.
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Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games[edit]
The Wii U version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games features an arrangement of the "Ground Theme" as a playable track. The introduction of the arrangement is, itself, an arrangement of "Secret Island Record Room," in reference to how said theme would play before the "Ground Theme" during the Nabbit chase in Acorn Plains Way.
WarioWare: Get It Together![edit]
In WarioWare: Get It Together!, a brief arrangement of the "Ground Theme" plays during level 1 of the New Super Mario Bros. U microgame.
Mario Kart World[edit]
In Mario Kart World, an arrangement of the "Ground Theme" can play in Free Roam.
Other arrangements[edit]
New Super Mario Bros. U E3 Trailer[edit]
The New Super Mario Bros. U E3 Trailer, which played at at E3 2012, features a remix of the "Ground Theme" that ends with a conclusion.[2][3]
Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Live[edit]
The Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Live concert series featured a live big band medley arrangement by the Super Mario Big Band of several themes from the New Super Mario Bros. series, including the "Ground Theme". Several notes from the main melody play at the beginning and one minute and forty-five seconds into the medley while the last few minutes are entirely dedicated to the theme.
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Super Mario Bros. U | Wii U | 2012 | Original | "Ground Theme"[1] | Shiho Fujii |
| Arrangement | "Title"[1] | ||||
| "File Select"[1] | |||||
| "Snowfield Theme"[1] | |||||
| "Athletic Theme"[1] | |||||
| "Epilogue"[1] | |||||
| "New Super Mario Bros. U Staff Credits"[1] | |||||
| Remix | |||||
| New Super Luigi U | Wii U | 2013 | Original | "Ground Theme"[1] | Shiho Fujii |
| Arrangement | "Title"[1] | ||||
| "File Select"[1] | |||||
| "Snowfield Theme"[1] | |||||
| "Athletic Theme"[1] | |||||
| "Epilogue"[1] | |||||
| "New Super Mario Bros. U Staff Credits"[1] | |||||
| Remix | |||||
| New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U | Wii U | 2013 | Original | "Ground Theme"[1] | Shiho Fujii |
| Arrangement | "Title"[1] | ||||
| "File Select"[1] | |||||
| "Snowfield Theme"[1] | |||||
| "Athletic Theme"[1] | |||||
| "Epilogue"[1] | |||||
| "New Super Mario Bros. U Staff Credits"[1] | |||||
| Remix | |||||
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Wii U | 2014 | Original | "Ground Theme (New Super Mario Bros. U)" | Shiho Fujii |
| Super Mario Maker | Wii U | 2015 | Original | Shiho Fujii | |
| Arrangement | |||||
| Past remix (New Super Mario Bros. U) | |||||
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS | 20151 | Original | "Ground Theme (New Super Mario Bros. U)" | Shiho Fujii |
| Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games | Wii U | 2016 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS | 2016 | Original | Shiho Fujii | |
| Past arrangement (Super Mario Maker) | |||||
| Past remix (New Super Mario Bros. U) | |||||
| Super Mario Run | iOS | 2016 | Arrangement | ||
| Android | 2017 | ||||
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo Switch | 2018 | Original | "Ground Theme - New Super Mario Bros. U" | Shiho Fujii |
| New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Original | "Ground Theme"[1] | Shiho Fujii |
| Arrangement | "Title"[1] | ||||
| "File Select"[1] | |||||
| "Snowfield Theme"[1] | |||||
| "Athletic Theme"[1] | |||||
| "Epilogue"[1] | |||||
| "New Super Mario Bros. U Staff Credits"[1] | |||||
| Remix | |||||
| Super Mario Maker 2 | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Original | Shiho Fujii | |
| Arrangement | |||||
| Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. U) | |||||
| Past arrangement (Super Mario Maker) | |||||
| Past remix (New Super Mario Bros. U) | |||||
| WarioWare: Get It Together! | Nintendo Switch | 2021 | Arrangement | ||
| Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. U) | Shiho Fujii | ||||
| Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 | 2025 | Arrangement |
1 - Added as downloadable content on September 30, 2015
Other media[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Super Mario Bros. U E3 Trailer | 2012 | Remix |
Live performances[edit]
| Event | Year | Location | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Live | 2015 | Osaka International Convention Center, Osaka, Japan and Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, Japan[4] | Arrangement | Super Mario Special Band[4] |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 地上のテーマ[1] Chijō no Tēma |
Ground Theme |
Notes[edit]
- On the Nintendo Music app, "Ground Theme" and "Title" are labeled as "Selects," classifying them as some "of the very best tracks from the Nintendo Music library," originating from New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. Both tracks share this title with "World: Acorn Plains."
References[edit]
- ^ 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 Nintendo Music
- ^ VG247.com (June 5, 2012). [E3 2012] New Super Mario Bros. U - E3 Gameplay Trailer. YouTube (English). Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Nintendo UK (June 5, 2012). Wii U - New Super Mario Bros. U E3 Trailer. YouTube (English). Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ a b Seedhouse, Alex (July 1, 2015). Super Mario 30th Anniversary Live concerts announced for Japan. Nintendo Insider. Retrieved June 22, 2025.