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.
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.

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.

Audio.svg Ground Theme - The arrangement heard in Super Mario All-Stars
File infoMedia:SMAS SMB3 Overworld.oga
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

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.

Audio.svg Ground Theme - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
File infoMedia:SMA4 Overworld Theme.oga
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

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.

Audio.svg Ground Theme (Editing) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker
File infoMedia:SMM SMB3 Overworld Edit.oga
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

Super Mario Run[edit]

In Super Mario Run, the background music for Remix 10 includes an arrangement of the "Ground Theme".

Audio.svg Remix 10 - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Run
File infoMedia:SMR Remix 10 Theme.oga
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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 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, 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.

Audio.svg Ground Theme (Night) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker 2
File infoMedia:SMM2 SMB3 Ground Night.oga
Audio.svg Desert Theme (Edit) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker 2
File infoMedia:SMM2 SMB3 Desert Edit.oga
Audio.svg Forest Theme (Edit) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker 2
File infoMedia:SMM2 SMB3 Forest Edit.oga
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

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.

Audio.svg Super Mario Bros. 3 - The arrangement heard in Super Smash Bros. Melee
File infoMedia:SSBM Super Mario Bros. 3.oga
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

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".

Audio.svg Hammer Dance - The arrangement heard in Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
File infoMedia:DDRMM Hammer Dance.oga
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

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.

Audio.svg Mario Tetris 3 - The arrangement heard in Tetris DS
File infoMedia:Tetris DS Mario Tetris 3.oga
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

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.

WarioWare: Move It![edit]

In WarioWare: Move It!, the original version of the "Ground Theme" plays during the third level of the Super Mario Bros. 3 microgame, but its tempo is changed to match the ticking of the bomb, and the theme's pitch increases as the microgame's speed increases.[3]

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 Arrangement

1 - Added as downloadable content

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
Japanese 地上BGM
Chijō BGM
Above-ground BGM

References[edit]

  1. ^ Super Smash Bros. series Sound Tests
  2. ^ Sly DC. Nelsonic Super Mario Bros. 3 Game Watch. November 28, 2015. YouTube. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  3. ^ GameXplain. All Nintendo Microgames in WarioWare: Move It (Metroid Dread, Mario Pinball Land & More!)." (November 2, 2023). YouTube. Retrieved November 2, 2023.