Ribbon Road (theme)
| "Ribbon Road" | |
|---|---|
| "GBA Ribbon Road" in Mario Kart: Super Circuit | |
| |
| Composed by: Unknown | |
| Key | B major |
| BPM | 140 |
| Time signature(s) | 4 4 |
| First appearance | Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001) |
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) |
"Ribbon Road"[1] is a musical theme composed for Mario Kart: Super Circuit, where it plays in Ribbon Road.
Arrangements[edit]
Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]
In Paper Mario: Sticker Star, the theme that plays during regular battles incorporates a loose arrangement of "GBA Ribbon Road".
A more distorted variant plays when Mario's HP is running low.
 Battle Theme - The arrangement heard in Paper Mario: Sticker Star | File info 0:30 |
| Battle Theme (Low Health) - The low health variant of the arrangement heard in Paper Mario: Sticker Star | File info 0:30 |
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
- “This is really different from the original track. We hadn't expected to end up with this kind of steady stomping sound, but it ends up working surprisingly well. I hope you agree!”
- —Liner notes in the Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack
Ribbon Road returns as a classic course in Mario Kart 8 as part of the Animal Crossing × Mario Kart 8 DLC, and its Nintendo Switch port Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as part of the full game. It features heavy alterations to the music:
- The song has been changed to a surf rock tone and sped up to 170 BPM.
- Most of the song is now in C major and the last section is in F major.
- In the first section, the main xylophone melody has been stretched out, transposed down by an octave, and overlaid by an electric guitar. For the rest of the song, it is completely replaced by the electric guitar.
- The arpeggio in the bridge section is now a descending one.
- Some notes have been shifted around.
It is titled "GBA Ribbon Road" in the Nintendo Music app. An additional, looping drum set beat is layered on top on the theme when the player driving at full speed in first place.
The final lap version of the theme also uses a shorter intro; this distinction is shared with "Rock Rock Mountain" and "DK Jungle" in Mario Kart 7, "Toad Harbor" and "Mute City" in Mario Kart 8, and "SNES Bowser Castle 3" in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
| GBA Ribbon Road - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart 8 | File info 0:30 |
| GBA Ribbon Road (Frontrunning) - The frontrunning version of the arrangement heard in Mario Kart 8 | File info 0:30 |
Mario Kart World[edit]
In Mario Kart World, a faithful, country arrangement of "Ribbon Road" can play during the route from Whistlestop Summit to DK Spaceport in Grand Prix, in any VS Race route, and in Free Roam during the day. It is titled "Ribbon Road" in the game's pause menu.
| Ribbon Road - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart: Super Circuit | Game Boy Advance | 2001 | Original | ||
| Paper Mario: Sticker Star | Nintendo 3DS | 2012 | Arrangement | ||
| Mario Kart 8 | Wii U | 2015[g 1] | Arrangement | "GBA Ribbon Road"[2] | Kenta Nagata[3] |
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Nintendo Switch | 2017 | Past arrangement | "GBA Ribbon Road"[2] | Kenta Nagata[3] |
| Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 | 2025 | Arrangement | "Ribbon Road"[1] |
- ^ Added in the Animal Crossing × Mario Kart 8 DLC on April 23, 2015
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack | 2015 | Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8) | "GBA Ribbon Road" | Kenta Nagata |
Gallery[edit]
Image for "GBA Ribbon Road" from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Music
Names in other languages[edit]
This section is a stub. Please consider expanding it to include any missing information. Specifics: Actual foreign names in Mario Kart World's pause menu
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | リボンロード[2] Ribon Rōdo |
Ribbon Road | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 缎带之路[2] Duàndài zhī lù |
Ribbon Road | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 絲帶之路[2] Sīdài zhī lù |
Ribbon Road | |
| Dutch | Sprintlint[2] | Dash Ribbon | |
| French | Route Ruban[2] | Ribbon Road | |
| German | Party-Straße[2] | Party Road | |
| Italian | Strada del Fiocco[2] | Bow Road | |
| Korean | 리본 로드[2] Ribon Rodeu |
Ribbon Road | |
| Portuguese | Estrada de Fita[2] | Ribbon Road | |
| Russian | Серпантин[2] Serpantin |
Serpentine/Streamer | |
| Spanish (NOA) | Ruta Listón[2] | Ribbon Route | |
| Spanish (NOE) | Ruta del Lazo[2] | Ribbon Route |
