Rainbow Road (Mario Kart 8 theme)
| "Rainbow Road" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| "Rainbow Road" in Mario Kart 8 | |||
 Image from Nintendo Music | |||
| Composed by: Shiho Fujii[1] | |||
| First appearance | Mario Kart 8 (2014) | ||
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) | ||
| |||
- “This course is actually located on a space station and we've reflected that in the music by using futuristic-sounding effects.”
- —Liner notes in the Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack
"Rainbow Road"[1][2] is a musical theme composed by Shiho Fujii for Mario Kart 8, where it plays in the race course of the same name. This theme is synthesized to fit the track's space station theme. It is also used in various promotional material for the Booster Course Pass DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
History[edit]
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
Mario Kart 8 marks the first appearance of "Rainbow Road". A looping drum set beat is added to the instrumentation whenever the player is driving at top speed while in first place. Both the original theme and the frontrunning remix return in the Nintendo Switch port, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for the same purposes.
 Rainbow Road (Frontrunning) - The remix heard in Mario Kart 8 | File info 0:30 |
Mario Kart World[edit]
In Mario Kart World, a jazz fusion arrangement of "Rainbow Road" can play in Free Roam during the day and on any VS Race route during nighttime. This arrangement also incorporates the bassline from the intro to "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen". As with other arrangements of themes from Mario Kart 8, the source game listed in the pause menu is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
| Rainbow Road - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the original version of "Rainbow Road" can play in the Mario Circuit stage. It is titled "Rainbow Road (Mario Kart 8)" in the game's sound test.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the original version of "Rainbow Road" can play in any Super Smash Bros.-series and Mario Kart-series stage. It is titled "Rainbow Road - Mario Kart 8" in the game's sound test.
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 | Wii U | 2014 | Original | "Rainbow Road"[1] | Shiho Fujii |
| Remix | |||||
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Wii U | 2014 | Original | "Rainbow Road (Mario Kart 8)"[3] | Shiho Fujii |
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Nintendo Switch | 2017 | Original | "Rainbow Road"[1] | Shiho Fujii |
| Past remix (Mario Kart 8) | |||||
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo Switch | 2018 | Original | "Rainbow Road - Mario Kart 8"[4] | Shiho Fujii |
| Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 | 2025 | Arrangement | "Rainbow Road"[5] |
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack | 2015 | Original | "Rainbow Road" | Shiho Fujii |
Other media[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Music | 2024 | Original | "Rainbow Road" | Shiho Fujii |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | レインボーロード[2] Reinbō Rōdo |
Rainbow Road | |
| Chinese | 彩虹之路[2] Cǎihóng zhī Lù |
Rainbow Road | |
| Dutch | Regenboogbaan[2] | Rainbow Track | |
| French | Route Arc-en-ciel[2] | Rainbow Road | |
| German | Regenbogen-Boulevard[2] | Rainbow Boulevard | |
| Italian | Pista Arcobaleno[2] | Rainbow Track | |
| Korean | 무지개 로드[2] Mujigae Rodeu |
Rainbow Road | |
| Polish | Tęczowa Droga[5] | Rainbow Road | |
| Portuguese | Estrada Arco-Íris[2] | Rainbow Road | |
| Russian | Трасса Радуга[2] Trassa Raduga |
Rainbow Track | |
| Spanish | Senda Arco Iris[2] | Rainbow Path |
Notes[edit]
- On the Nintendo Music app, "Rainbow Road" is labeled as "Selects", classifying it as one "of the very best tracks from the Nintendo Music library", originating from Mario Kart 8. "Rainbow Road" shares this title with "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen" and "Mario Kart Stadium".
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Nintendo Music
- ^ Super Smash Bros. for Wii U sound test
- ^ Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sound test
- ^ a b Mario Kart World pause menu
