Ground Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)
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| "Ground Theme" | |
|---|---|
"Ground Theme" in Super Mario Bros. 3 | |
| Composed by: Koji Kondo | |
| Key | C major |
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) |
| Latest appearance | WarioWare: Move It! (2023) |
The "Ground Theme"[1] is a musical theme composed by Koji Kondo for above-ground levels in Super Mario Bros. 3.
Reuses[edit]
The following list does not include ports or remakes of Super Mario Bros. 3.
| Game | Description |
|---|---|
| WarioWare: Twisted! | The "Ground Theme" plays during the Super Mario Bros. 3 microgame, with its tempo being altered to correspond with the ticking of the bomb. |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii) | The "Ground Theme" is included as a playable track that can be heard in the music gallery. |
| 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 Super Mario Bros. 3 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 (Super Mario Bros. 3)", which can be played on the Peach's Castle (64) stage in the latter game and the Super Mario Maker stage in both games. It was released as downloadable content alongside the stages on September 30, 2015. |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | The "Ground Theme" is included in the medley track "Ground Theme - Super Mario series", which can only be played on the Super Mario Maker stage and switches Ground Themes depending on the stage's style. It is the only Ground Theme in this track that is not available as a standalone track in the Sound Test and My Music. |
| WarioWare: Move It! | The "Ground Theme" plays in the Super Mario Bros. 3 microgame, with its tempo being altered to correspond with the ticking of the bomb. |
Arrangements[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nelsonic Game Watch)[edit]
In Super Mario Bros. 3 for the Nelsonic Game Watch, a short arrangement of the theme can be heard at the start of each game.[2]
Super Mario All-Stars[edit]
A 16-bit arrangement of the "Ground Theme" can be heard on Super Mario Bros. 3 ground levels in Super Mario All-Stars, as well as Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World and Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition.
 Ground Theme - The arrangement heard in Super Mario All-Stars | File info |
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
An arrangement of the "Ground Theme" similar to one heard in Super Mario All-Stars can be heard in Game Boy Advance remake of Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. This version is much more compressed than the Super Mario All-Stars version and uses different, lower-quality synthetic instruments. Additionally, it directly starts using timbales instead of bongos before the transitional ones.
| Ground Theme - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | File info |
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
In New Super Mario Bros. 2, the loading chime sometimes plays a brief arrangement of the "Ground Theme".
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 Super Mario Bros. 3-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.
| Ground Theme (Editing) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker | File info |
Super Mario Run[edit]
In Super Mario Run, the background music for Remix 10 includes an arrangement of the "Ground Theme".
| Remix 10 - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Run | File info |
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 Super Mario Bros. 3 style.
In addition, with the newly added Desert and Forest themes retaining the original "Ground Theme" as in the Desert Land and Pipe Land levels of the original game rather than introducing unique themes (unlike the Snow theme, which received a theme not used in the original game), two new arrangements for editing courses in the respective themes were introduced, with the former prominently featuring the harmonica, banjo, and pan flute in its instrumentation, and the latter prominently featuring marimba, pan flute, pizzicato strings, and tuba.
| Ground Theme (Night) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker 2 | File info |
| Desert Theme (Edit) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker 2 | File info |
| Forest Theme (Edit) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker 2 | File info |
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
An arrangement of the "Ground Theme" is a recurring background track in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, as the show is based on Super Mario Bros. 3.
This arrangement is also used for the menu screen on the show's complete series DVD box set.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Melee features a rock/jazz/reggae arrangement medley of the "Ground Theme" and Grass Land map theme titled "Super Mario Bros. 3". It prominently features brass, keyboard, and electric guitar in its instrumentation.
The arrangement returns in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, now titled "Super Mario Bros. 3 (Melee)", where it can be played on Brawl's Yoshi's Island stage; in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, now titled "Ground Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)", where it can be played on Melee's Yoshi's Island stage and the Super Mario Maker stage; and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where it can be played on any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage. The Brawl version has slightly different instruments.
| Super Mario Bros. 3 - The arrangement heard in Super Smash Bros. Melee | File info |
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features a new arrangement medley of the "Overworld Theme", the level clear jingle, and the Grass Land map theme titled "Ground Theme - Super Mario Bros. 3". The overall arrangement is a blend of acoustic and chiptune-inspired instrumentation.
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix[edit]
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix includes a ska arrangement of the "Ground Theme" as a playable song titled "Hammer Dance".
| Hammer Dance - The arrangement heard in Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix | File info |
Tetris DS[edit]
In Tetris DS, an arrangement of the "Ground Theme" titled "Mario Tetris 3" can be heard in levels 4, 5, and 6 in Marathon mode.
| Mario Tetris 3 - The arrangement heard in Tetris DS | File info |
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games[edit]
The Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games features a tropical arrangement of the "Ground Theme" played on the melodica with steel drum accompaniment.
This arrangement returns in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games and the Wii U version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Other arrangements[edit]
Super Mario World[edit]
A jazz arrangement of the "Ground Theme" arranged by Soichi Noriki and performed by the Mario Club Band is included in the Super Mario World album, titled "Go! Go! Raccoon Mario".
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. 3 | Nintendo Entertainment System | 1988 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Super Mario Bros. 3 | Nelsonic Game Watch | 1990 | Arrangement | ||
| 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 Smash Bros. Melee | Nintendo GameCube | 2001 | Arrangement | "Super Mario Bros. 3" | Shogo Sakai |
| Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | Game Boy Advance | 2003 | Arrangement | Taiju Suzuki | |
| WarioWare: Twisted! | Game Boy Advance | 2004 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix | Nintendo GameCube | 2005 | Arrangement | "Hammer Dance" | |
| Tetris DS | Nintendo DS | 2006 | Arrangement | "Mario Tetris 3" | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games | Wii | 2009 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Wii | 2008 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Melee) | "Super Mario Bros. 3 (Melee)" | Shogo Sakai |
| Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition | Wii | 2010 | Past arrangement (Super Mario All-Stars) | ||
| Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games | Wii | 2011 | Arrangement | ||
| New Super Mario Bros. 2 | Nintendo 3DS | 2012 | Arrangement | ||
| Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games | Wii U | 2013 | Past arrangement (Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games) | ||
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Wii U | 2014 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Melee) | "Ground Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)" | Shogo Sakai |
| 20151 | Original | "Ground Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)" | Koji Kondo | ||
| Super Mario Maker | Wii U | 2015 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Arrangement | |||||
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS | 20151 | Original | "Ground Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)" | Koji Kondo |
| Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games | Wii U | 2016 | Past arrangement (Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games) | ||
| Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS | 2016 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Past arrangement (Super Mario Maker) | |||||
| Super Mario Run | Android, iOS | 2016 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo Switch | 2018 | Original | "Ground Theme - Super Mario series" | Koji Kondo |
| Arrangement | "Ground Theme - Super Mario Bros. 3" | Masafumi Takada | |||
| Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Melee) | "Ground Theme - Super Mario Bros. 3 (Melee)" | Shogo Sakai | |||
| Super Mario Maker 2 | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Past arrangement (Super Mario Maker) | |||||
| WarioWare: Move It! | Nintendo Switch | 2023 | Original |
1 - Added as downloadable content
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Famicom Graffiti: Nintendo Cartridge Edition | 1990 | Arrangement | 「MEDLEY III（マリオブラザーズ～スーパーマリオブラザーズ～スーパーマリオブラザーズ3）」 (MEDLEY III (Mario Burazāzu ~ Sūpā Mario Burazāzu ~ Sūpā Mario Burazāzu 3)) |
|
| Game Music Graffiti - Nintendo Complete Works Collection | 1990 | Arrangement | 「MEDLEY III（マリオブラザーズ～スーパーマリオブラザーズ～スーパーマリオブラザーズ3）」 (MEDLEY III (Mario Burazāzu ~ Sūpā Mario Burazāzu ~ Sūpā Mario Burazāzu 3)) |
|
| Super Mario World | 1991 | Original | 「地上BGM」 (Chijō BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Arrangement | "Go! Go! Raccoon Mario" | Soichi Noriki | ||
| Super Smash Bros. Melee: Smashing...Live! | 2003 | Arrangement | "Smash Bros. Great Medley" | Shogo Sakai |
| Game Sound Museum: Super Mario Bros. 3 | 2004 | Original | 「地上BGM」 (Chijō BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Famicom Sound History Series: Mario the Music | 2004 | Original | 「地上BGM～ワーニング～地上BGM ハリーアップ！」 (Chijō BGM ~ Wāningu ~ Chijō BGM Harī Appu!) | Koji Kondo |
| Happy! Mario 20th - Super Mario Sound Collection | 2005 | Original | 「地上BGM」 (Chijō BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music | 2015 | Original | 「地上BGM」 (Chijō BGM) | Koji Kondo |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 地上BGM[?] Chijō BGM |
Above-ground BGM |
References[edit]
- ^ Super Smash Bros. series Sound Tests
- ^ Sly DC (November 28, 2015). Nelsonic Super Mario Bros. 3 Game Watch (0:09). YouTube (English). Retrieved December 1, 2023.
