Rainbow Road (Mario Kart World theme)
| "Rainbow Road" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| "Rainbow Road" in Mario Kart World | |||
 Image from Nintendo Music | |||
| Composed by: Unknown | |||
| BPM | 158 | ||
| Time signature | 4 4 | ||
| Appears in | Mario Kart World (2025) | ||
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"Rainbow Road"[1][2] is a musical theme in Mario Kart World, where it plays when racing on the course of the same name.
History[edit]
Mario Kart World[edit]
- See also: Staff Credits (Mario Kart World theme)
Mario Kart World features the first appearance of "Rainbow Road". The theme is divided into five different tracks that play on different parts of the course and have distinct transitions between each of them. The in-game pause menu does not distinguish these tracks from each other, referring to all of them as simply "Rainbow Road"; however, they are separated and given unique names in the Nintendo Music app.
The first lap of the track plays the main version of the theme, which is simply titled "Rainbow Road" on Nintendo Music. It introduces the main motif of the theme in the A section, which is played on an EWI (resembling the synthesizer used in "Rainbow Road" from Mario Kart 64 and "Rainbow Road" from Mario Kart Wii). The B section consists of a string section that loosely quotes "Super Bell Subway". When the theme loops for the first time, it plays a repeat of the A section, but rather than playing the main motif, it plays a different melody, before going to the B section and looping back to the start. When the player crosses the checkpoint into the second lap, the main instruments of the theme are muted, and after the bar that is playing on the moment ends, it transitions to the second lap theme.
The second lap of the track plays an arrangement called "Rainbow Road (On the Water)", which is a calmer arrangement in 2
2 time, with harp and saxophones underlining the main melody. When reaching the checkpoint, the music changes to an outro without drums, and when it ends, the next theme plays. There are five distinct outros to this theme.
The third lap of the track plays a techno arrangement called "Rainbow Road (Space Station)". It starts with a 4
4 looping bar with repeated bass drum beats that will loop indefinitely until the player reaches the space station, which will cause the theme to start playing. After the intro, the theme quotes "Title Theme" in call and response with an electric guitar melody. At the end of the third lap, before the checkpoint, the music fades to an ambient track called "Rainbow Road (Final Lap Intro)".
The final lap of the track plays an arrangement called "Rainbow Road (Finale)". It is a more grandiose, with a horn section harmonizing alongside the string section, and incorporates "Title Theme" in the B section and "Staff Credits" from Super Mario Kart at the end.
When racing on the route from Peach Stadium to Rainbow Road, a prelude arrangement named "To Rainbow Road" plays, which transitions into "Rainbow Road" once the course is reached. This is the only route in the game with a fixed theme (rather than the various themes that normally play on routes and in Free Roam). "To Rainbow Road" is also the only course intro theme in the game with a unique name in the in-game pause menu, as other courses' intro themes that play when approaching them are not distinguished from the main course theme.
A faint arrangement of the main motif plays at the very end of the theme that plays in the cutscene where the Special Cup is unlocked, called "Special Cup Appears".
An arrangement of the main motif plays at the end of the intro cutscene for the Special Cup, called "Opening (Special Cup)".
The main motif of this theme is incorporated into an arrangement of the Victory Lap theme that plays only during the victory lap of the Special Cup, called "Victory Lap (Rainbow Road)".
This theme is incorporated into an arrangement of the Results Screen theme that plays at the results screen of any race in Rainbow Road, called "Results Screen (Rainbow Road)". It is arranged with similar instruments to Rainbow Road.
An arrangement of the main melody of "Rainbow Road" is incorporated at the end of "Staff Credits", which plays during the game's staff credits and is a medley of various themes from the game.
 Rainbow Road (Section 2 Intro) - The remix heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
| Rainbow Road (On the Water) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
| Rainbow Road (Space Station) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
| Rainbow Road (Finale) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
| To Rainbow Road - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
| Special Cup Appears - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:09 |
| Opening (Special Cup) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
| Victory Lap (Rainbow Road) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
| Results Screen (Rainbow Road) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
| Staff Credits - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
Gallery[edit]
Image for "Rainbow Road (On the Water)" from Mario Kart World on Nintendo Music
Image for "Rainbow Road (Space Station)" from Mario Kart World on Nintendo Music
Image for "Rainbow Road (Finale)" from Mario Kart World on Nintendo Music
Image for "To Rainbow Road" from Mario Kart World on Nintendo Music
Image for "Opening (Special Cup)" from Mario Kart World on Nintendo Music
Image for "Special Cup Appears" from Mario Kart World on Nintendo Music
Image for "Results Screen (Rainbow Road)" from Mario Kart World on Nintendo Music
Image for "Victory Lap (Rainbow Road)" from Mario Kart World on Nintendo Music
Image for "Staff Credits" from Mario Kart World on Nintendo Music
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 | 2025 | Original | "Rainbow Road" | |
| Remix | |||||
| Arrangement | "Rainbow Road (On the Water)" | ||||
| Arrangement | "Rainbow Road (Space Station)" | ||||
| Arrangement | "Rainbow Road (Finale)" | ||||
| Pastiche | "To Rainbow Road" | ||||
| Arrangement | "Opening (Special Cup)" | ||||
| Arrangement | "Special Cup Appears" | ||||
| Arrangement | "Results Screen (Rainbow Road)" | ||||
| Arrangement | "Victory Lap (Rainbow Road)" | ||||
| Arrangement | "Staff Credits" |
References[edit]
- ^ Nintendo Music
- ^ Mario Kart World pause menu
