Athletic Theme (New Super Mario Bros.)
- Not to be confused with Athletic Theme (New Super Mario Bros. U).
| "Athletic Theme" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| "Athletic Theme" in New Super Mario Bros. | |||
 Image from Nintendo Music | |||
| Composed by: Unknown (either Asuka Hayazaki, Hajime Wakai, or Koji Kondo) | |||
| Key | C major | ||
| BPM | 113 | ||
| Time signature | 2 2 (with swung eighths) | ||
| First appearance | New Super Mario Bros. (2006) | ||
| Latest appearance | It's Me, Mario! Stop Motion Shorts ("Playing Catch-Up", 2026) | ||
| |||
"Athletic Theme",[1] also known as "Athletic BGM",[2] is a musical theme in New Super Mario Bros., where it plays in the athletic levels.
Composition[edit]
"Athletic Theme" is an uptempo swing arrangement of "Ground Theme" from the same game that features clarinet, muted trumpet, vibraphone, piano, trombone, and acoustic bass. The B section of the arrangement adds a new melody played on a square synthesizer.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
New Super Mario Bros. marks the first appearance of "Athletic Theme".
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a bluegrass/country arrangement of "Athletic Theme" plays in athletic levels. The piano, clarinet, vibraphone, and square synthesizer from the original theme are replaced with accordion, banjo, and muted electric guitar.
 Athletic Theme - The arrangement heard in New Super Mario Bros. Wii | File info 0:30 |
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
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In New Super Mario Bros. 2, an arrangement of "Athletic Theme" arranged by Kenta Nagata plays in athletic levels. It is based on the New Super Mario Bros. Wii arrangement, except the accordion is replaced with a capella vocals. It is also included in the official album The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music.
A woodblock beat is added to the instrumentation whenever Mario or Luigi are in their Raccoon/Fox forms.
A bell synth arpeggiator is added to the instrumentation whenever the Gold Ring is active.
| Athletic Theme - The arrangement heard in New Super Mario Bros. 2 | File info 0:30 |
Mario & Sonic series[edit]
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Nintendo DS)[edit]
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In the Nintendo DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, a medley arrangement of "Ground BGM" from Super Mario World, "Underwater BGM" from Super Mario Bros., and "Athletic Theme" from New Super Mario Bros. is a playable song in the Ultimate Figure Skating Dream Event. It is titled the "Mario Medley".
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)[edit]
In the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, an arrangement of "Athletic Theme" can be chosen as the background music for events. It is titled "Athletic BGM (New Super Mario Bros.)" in the game's sound test. The drums featured in this arrangement are reused from "That's The Way I Like It" from Sonic Adventure 2, performed by Hisanori Kumamaru.
| Athletic BGM (New Super Mario Bros.) - The arrangement heard in the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games | File info 0:30 |
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games[edit]
In the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, the arrangement of "Athletic Theme" from the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games can once again be chosen as the background music for events. It is titled "Athletic Theme: New Super Mario Bros." in the game's sound test.
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games[edit]
In Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, the arrangement of "Athletic Theme" from the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games can once again be chosen as the background music for events. It is titled "Athletic Theme: New Super Mario Bros. (Remix)" in the game's sound test.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games[edit]
In the Wii U version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the arrangement of "Athletic Theme" from the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games can once again be chosen as the background music for events. As with Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, it is titled "Athletic Theme: New Super Mario Bros. (Remix)" in the game's sound test.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, an arrangement of "Athletic Theme" arranged by Yusuke Takahama can play in the Golden Plains and Super Mario Maker stages. This arrangement also quotes "Ground Theme" from New Super Mario Bros. approximately 55 seconds in. It is titled "Athletic Theme / Ground Theme (New Super Mario Bros. 2)" in the game's sound test. It is also included in the official album Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U: A Smashing Soundtrack.
| Athletic Theme / Ground Theme (New Super Mario Bros. 2) - The arrangement heard in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS | File info 0:30 |
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS arrangement of "Athletic Theme" can play in the Mushroom Kingdom U and Super Mario Maker stages. It is simply titled "Athletic Theme / Ground Theme" in the game's sound test.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS arrangement of "Athletic Theme" can play in any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage. It is fully titled "Athletic Theme - New Super Mario Bros. 2" in the game's sound test.
It's Me, Mario! Stop Motion Shorts[edit]
In the It's Me, Mario! Stop Motion Shorts episodes "Top Hat" and "Playing Catch-Up", an arrangement of "Athletic Theme" plays throughout their majority.
Other appearances[edit]
Nintendo Super Mario Brothers Musical Toothbrush[edit]
The Nintendo Super Mario Brothers Musical Toothbrush includes a speaker that plays a two-minute higher-pitched remix of "Athletic Theme". It is titled the "Nintendo Game song".[3] This remix omits the intro.[4]
Taiko no Tatsujin[edit]
Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Minna de Party Sandaime!, Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Kettei-Ban, Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Chogouka-Ban, and Taiko no Tatsujin 14 feature a medley of "Ground Theme", "Underground Theme", "Switch On!", "Bonus Area", "Athletic Theme", and "Course Clear" from New Super Mario Bros. Wii as a playable song. It is titled the "New Super Mario Bros. Wii Medley".
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 "Ground Theme" and "Athletic Theme" from New Super Mario Bros., "Title Theme" from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and "Ground Theme" from New Super Mario Bros. U.
Nintendo Live 2023[edit]
Nintendo Live 2023 in Seattle, Washington, USA featured a live big band medley arrangement of "Athletic Theme" and "Ground Theme" from the same game performed by the Super Mario Super Big Band.[5]
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Super Mario Bros. | Nintendo DS | 2006 | Original | "Athletic Theme"[1] | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games | Nintendo DS | 2009 | Arrangement | "Mario Medley"[6] | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games | Wii | 2009 | Arrangement | "Athletic BGM (New Super Mario Bros.)"[2] | |
| New Super Mario Bros. Wii | Wii | 2009 | Arrangement | ||
| Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games | Wii | 2011 | Past arrangement (Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games [Wii]) | "Athletic Theme: New Super Mario Bros."[7] | |
| New Super Mario Bros. 2 | Nintendo 3DS | 2012 | Arrangement | 「アスレチックBGM」(Asurechikku BGM)[8] | Kenta Nagata |
| Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games | Wii U | 2013 | Past arrangement (Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games [Wii]) | "Athletic Theme: New Super Mario Bros. (Remix)"[9] | |
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS | 2014 | Arrangement | "Athletic Theme / Ground Theme (New Super Mario Bros. 2)"[10] | Yusuke Takahama |
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Wii U | 2014 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS) | "Athletic Theme / Ground Theme"[11] | Yusuke Takahama |
| Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games | Wii U | 2016 | Past arrangement (Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games [Wii]) | "Athletic Theme: New Super Mario Bros. (Remix)"[12] | |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo Switch | 2018 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS) | "Athletic Theme - New Super Mario Bros. 2"[13] | Yusuke Takahama |
Film and television[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| It's Me, Mario! Stop Motion Shorts | 2025 | Arrangement |
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U: A Smashing Soundtrack | 2015 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS) | "Athletic Theme / Ground Theme" | Yusuke Takahama |
| The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music | 2015 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. 2) | 「アスレチックBGM」 (Asurechikku BGM) | Kenta Nagata |
| New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo Music) | 2025 | Original | "Athletic Theme" |
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 | Arrangement | Super Mario Special Band | |
| Nintendo Live 2023 | 2023 | Seattle Convention Center, Seattle, Washington, USA | Arrangement | Super Mario Super Big Band |
Other media[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Super Mario Brothers Musical Toothbrush | 2007[4] | Remix | "Nintendo Game song"[3] |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | アスレチックのテーマ Asurechikku no Tēma | Athletic Theme | [1] | |
| アスレチックBGM Asurechikku BGM | Athletic BGM | [8] |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo Music)
- ^ a b Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii) sound test
- ^ a b "Plays the Nintendo Game song for 2 minutes to help kids brush longer." – Nintendo Super Mario Brothers Musical Toothbrush – Soft (1ct). Discount Pool and Party Supplies. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ^ a b Zoulutine (July 11, 2026). Showcase! (2007) Super Mario Bros DS Musical Toothbrush. YouTube (English). Retrieved August 5, 2026.
- ^ Hitbox Hero (September 3, 2023). Nintendo Live 2023 - Super Mario Super Big Band uncut full show (30:19). YouTube (English). Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Nintendo DS) Ultimate Figure Skating music selection
- ^ Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Wii) sound test
- ^ a b The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music
- ^ Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games sound test
- ^ Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS sound test
- ^ Super Smash Bros. for Wii U sound test
- ^ Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U) sound test
- ^ Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sound test