Castle BGM (Super Mario Bros.)
| "Castle BGM" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| "Castle BGM" in Super Mario Bros. | |||
 Image from Nintendo Music | |||
| Composed by: Koji Kondo | |||
| Key | G minor | ||
| BPM | 180 | ||
| Time signature | 8 4 | ||
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. (1985) | ||
| Latest appearance | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) | ||
| |||
"Castle BGM",[1] also known as "Castle Theme"[2] or "Castle Background Music",[3] is a musical theme composed by Koji Kondo for the castle levels in Super Mario Bros. It has been reused and rearranged in several games since its debut, albeit not to the extent of other musical themes originally from Super Mario Bros.
History[edit]
This section needs Mario & Sonic improvement. Specifically:
- Include Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii) and VS. Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros.[edit]
Super Mario Bros. marks the first apppearance of "Castle BGM". It plays in all of the game's castle levels, although World 8-4 uses the underwater theme in the relevant section.
It also appears in Super Mario All-Stars, Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World and Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition, rearranged for the new soundfont.
 Castle BGM - The arrangement heard in Super Mario All-Stars | File info |
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[edit]
The original version of "Castle BGM" is reused in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels with no changes, as with the rest of Super Mario Bros.'s soundtrack.
Super Mario Bros. Special[edit]
Super Mario Bros. Special features a much choppier arrangement of "Castle BGM" in the game's castle levels, with the tempo fluctuating based on the number of enemies on-screen like the other level themes.
| Castle BGM - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Bros. Special (PC-88) | File info |
| Castle BGM - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Bros. Special (Sharp X1) | File info |
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
In addition to the arrangement contained in the remake of Mario Bros., Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 contains two arrangements of "Castle BGM".
The first can be heard in the World-e level Classic World 1-4, which itself is a compressed version of the Super Mario All-Stars arrangement.
The second can be heard when visiting one of the seven Kings after using a Warp Whistle to skip their world, where a cutscene similar to the game's opening sequence plays and the corresponding Koopaling steals their wand and transforms them before Mario or Luigi arrive for Toad to inform them of what happened.
| Castle BGM - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | File info |
| Koopa Kid Steals Wand - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | File info |
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
In New Super Mario Bros., an arrangement of "Castle BGM" plays during the Danger, Bob-omb! Danger! minigame. It is titled "Run, Bob-omb, Run!" in the Nintendo Music app, named after the minigame's multiplayer version.
| Run, Bob-omb, Run! - The arrangement heard in New Super Mario Bros. | File info |
Super Mario Maker series[edit]
In Super Mario Maker and its 3DS port, the original version "Castle BGM" plays when playing Super Mario Bros.-style castle-themed courses.
When editing such courses, the game plays an ambient arrangement of the theme using eight tracks that fade in and out randomly to create a dynamic mix.
Super Mario Maker 2 maintains both versions of the theme, and also adds a music box arrangement of "Castle BGM" for nighttime castle levels in the Super Mario Bros. style.
| Castle (Editing) (Super Mario Bros.) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker | File info |
| Castle (Night) (Super Mario Bros.) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker 2 | File info |
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
In Super Mario Odyssey, an excerpt of "Castle BGM" briefly plays in the cutscene when Mario captures Bowser at the end of the game, which features a screenshot of Bowser falling into lava in Super Mario Bros. as one of Bowser's past memories.
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show![edit]
In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, various arrangements of the Super Mario Bros. castle theme can be heard within the episodes primarily in scenes where a dangerous situation occurs.
Mario Bros. (Game Boy Advance)[edit]
A chiptune arrangement of "Castle BGM" can be heard during every fourth round of the Battle mode in the Game Boy Advance remake of Mario Bros. included in every Super Mario Advance title and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, an arrangement of "Castle BGM" is used for Bowser's World 3 level. This, in turn, receives its own arrangement in the game's Nintendo Switch remake, which also contains the original Nintendo GameCube version if the Nostalgic Tunes badge is equipped. Both arrangements are titled "Super Bowser Bros. - Castle" in the Sound Gallery and on Nintendo Music.
| Super Bowser Bros. - Castle - The arrangement heard in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | File info 0:30 |
| Super Bowser Bros. - Castle - The arrangement heard in the Nintendo Switch version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | File info 0:30 |
Tetris series[edit]
Tetris DS[edit]
In Tetris DS, a slightly higher-tempo arrangement of "Castle BGM" titled "Bowser Battle" plays in level 10 of Marathon mode.
| Bowser Battle - The arrangement heard in Tetris DS | File info |
Tetris 99[edit]
In Tetris 99, an arrangement of "Castle BGM" plays when the Super Mario Bros. theme is in use and there are 10 players left in the match.
Mario Hoops 3-on-3[edit]
In Mario Hoops 3-on-3, an arrangement of the Super Mario Bros. castle theme, titled 「クッパキャッスル」 (Kuppa Kyassuru, "Koopa Castle") in the game's official soundtrack, serves as the theme for the Bowser's Castle court.
| クッパキャッスル - The arrangement heard in Mario Hoops 3-on-3 | File info |
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis[edit]
In Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, three arrangements of "Castle BGM" play during levels in Lava Dome.
Mario Kart Wii[edit]
- Main article: Koopa Castle (Mario Kart Wii theme)
In Mario Kart Wii's iteration of Bowser's Castle, a chiptune arrangement of "Castle BGM" with organ accompaniment and snare drum percussion is heard in the intro of the course's theme, titled 「クッパキャッスル」 (Kuppa Kyassuru, Koopa Castle) in the game's official soundtrack.
| クッパキャッスル - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart Wii in the first and third sections | File info |
| クッパキャッスル - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart Wii in the second section | File info |
| クッパキャッスル - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart Wii in the moving hallway | File info |
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games[edit]
In the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, an arrangement of "Castle BGM" is featured in the second segment of the Mario World routine in Dream Figure Skating. It is titled "Dream Figure Skating: Mario 2" in the game's sound test.
| Dream Figure Skating: Mario 2 - The arrangement heard in the Wii version Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games | File info 0:30 |
Mario Golf: World Tour[edit]
In Mario Golf: World Tour, part of the Bowser's Castle theme consists of an arrangement.
Mario Party: Island Tour[edit]
In Mario Party: Island Tour, the theme that plays when a player is in the Bowser Zone in Perilous Palace Path is an arrangement of "Castle BGM".
Mario Party 10[edit]
In Mario Party 10, the theme that plays in the final section of Chaos Castle quotes "Castle BGM".
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, a medley arrangement of "Castle BGM", "Ground BGM", "Underwater BGM" and "Underground BGM" from Super Mario Bros., titled "Super Mario Bros. Medley", can be played on the Mushroom Kingdom U and Super Mario Maker stages. It was arranged by the theme's original composer, Koji Kondo.
| Super Mario Bros. Medley - The arrangement heard in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | File info |
WarioWare: Get It Together![edit]
The WarioWare: Get It Together! microgame based on and named after Super Mario Bros. takes place in World 8-4 and plays the original version of "Castle BGM".
The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]
Two arrangements of "Castle BGM" can be heard in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In "Strange New World", an elongated arrangement of its basslinecan be heard when Toad explains to Mario that Luigi has landed in the Dark Lands. In "Fighting Tooth and Veil", a full orchestral arrangement of the theme plays when the cages holding Luigi, Cranky Kong, the Kongs, the Penguins, and Lumalee are being lowered into the lava after Peach loses her Ice powers.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie[edit]
A short arrangement of "Castle BGM" plays in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in "Your King Has Returned," which plays when Mario and Peach approach Bowser on Planet Bowser.
Other arrangements[edit]
Famicom Music[edit]
A funk arrangement of "Castle BGM" is included in the track "SUPER MARIO BROS (ARRANGE VERSION)" in the Famicom Music album.
Sound Mario Bros.[edit]
An arrangement of "Castle BGM" titled 「クッパ・インフェルノ」 (Kuppa Inferuno, "Koopa Inferno") is featured in the Sound Mario Bros. album. The track ends with an arrangement of the Super Mario Bros. version of "Ending".
Taiko no Tatsujin series[edit]
Taiko no Tatsujin: Nijiiro Version and Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival contain a medley track titled "Super Mario Bros". It includes Super Mario Bros.' castle theme along with "Ground BGM", "Underground BGM", "Invincibility BGM", "Underwater BGM", "World Clear", and "Ending", alongside various sound effects.
Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo[edit]
The original version of "Castle BGM" plays when using the Super Mario Bros. theme of Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo, where it is titled "Bowser Battle".
Gallery[edit]
Image for the "Hurry Up!" variant on Nintendo Music
Image for "Super Bowser Bros. - Castle" from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GameCube) on Nintendo Music
Image for "Run, Bob-omb! Run!" from New Super Mario Bros. on Nintendo Music
Image for "Super Bowser Bros. - Castle" from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) on Nintendo Music
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. | Nintendo Entertainment System | 1985 | Original | "Castle BGM"[1] | Koji Kondo |
| VS. Super Mario Bros. | VS. System | 1986 | Original | "Castle BGM"[1] | Koji Kondo |
| Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels | Family Computer Disk System | 1986 | Original | "Castle BGM"[1] | Koji Kondo |
| Super Mario Bros. Special | NEC PC-88, Sharp X1, Samsung SPC-1500 | 1986 | Arrangement | ||
| All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros. | Family Computer Disk System | 1986 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| 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 Mario Collection Screen Saver | Microsoft Windows | 1997 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Super Mario Bros. Deluxe | Game Boy Color | 1999 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Super Mario Advance | Game Boy Advance | 2001 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 | Game Boy Advance | 2001 | Past arrangement (Super Mario Advance) | ||
| Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 | Game Boy Advance | 2002 | Past arrangement (Super Mario Advance) | ||
| Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | Game Boy Advance | 2003 | Past arrangement (Super Mario Advance) | ||
| Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga | Game Boy Advance | 2003 | Past arrangement (Super Mario Advance) | ||
| Classic NES Series: Super Mario Bros. | Game Boy Advance | 2004 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | Nintendo GameCube | 2004 | Arrangement | "Super Bowser Bros. - Castle"[1] | |
| Tetris DS | Nintendo DS | 2006 | Arrangement | "Bowser Battle" | |
| New Super Mario Bros. | Nintendo DS | 2006 | Arrangement | "Run, Bob-omb, Run!"[1] | |
| Mario Hoops 3-on-3 | Nintendo DS | 2006 | Arrangement | 「クッパキャッスル」 (Kuppa Kyassuru)[4] | Masayoshi Soken |
| Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis | Nintendo DS | 2006 | Arrangement | Lawrence Schwedler | |
| Mario Kart Wii | Wii | 2008 | Arrangement | 「クッパキャッスル」 (Kuppa Kyassuru)[5] | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games | Wii | 2009 | Arrangement | "Dream Figure Skating: Mario 2"[6] | |
| Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition | Wii | 2010 | Past arrangement (Super Mario All-Stars) | ||
| Mario Golf: World Tour | Nintendo 3DS | 2014 | Arrangement | Motoi Sakuraba | |
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Wii U | 2014 | Arrangement | "Super Mario Bros. Medley"[7] | Koji Kondo |
| Mario Party 10 | Wii U | 2015 | Arrangement | "Chaos Castle Theme 3"[8] | |
| Super Mario Maker | Wii U | 2015 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Arrangement | |||||
| Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS | 2016 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Past arrangement (Super Mario Maker) | |||||
| Super Mario Odyssey | Nintendo Switch | 2017 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Tetris 99 | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Mario Maker 2 | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Arrangement | |||||
| Past arrangement (Super Mario Maker) | |||||
| Super Mario Bros. 35 | Nintendo Switch | 2020 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. | Game & Watch | 2020 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| WarioWare: Get It Together! | Nintendo Switch | 2021 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | Nintendo Switch | 2024 | Arrangement | "Super Bowser Bros. - Castle"[9] [1] | |
| Past arrangement (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door [Nintendo GameCube]) | "Super Bowser Bros. - Castle"[9] [1] | ||||
| Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition | Nintendo Switch | 2024 | Original | Koji Kondo |
Film and television[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 2023 | Arrangement | "Strange New World"[10] | Brian Tyler |
| "Fighting Tooth and Veil"[11] | ||||
| The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | 2026 | Arrangement | "Your King Has Returned"[12] | Brian Tyler |
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. Original Soundtrack | 1986 | Original | 「オーケストラ・ヴァーション」 (Ōkesutora Vāshon) | |
| Famicom Music | 1986 | Original | "SUPER MARIO BROS". | Koji Kondo |
| Arrangement | "SUPER MARIO BROS (ARRANGE VERSION)" | |||
| Sound Mario Bros. | 1986 | Arrangement | 「クッパ・インフェルノ」 (Kuppa Inferuno) | |
| Famicom 20th Anniversary Original Sound Tracks Vol.1 | 2004 | Original | 「クッパステージBGM」 (Kuppa Sutēji BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| FAMICOM 20TH ANNIVERSARY GAMEMUSIC DVD | 2004 | Original | 「クッパステージBGM」 (Kuppa Sutēji BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Game Sound Museum: Super Mario Bros. | 2004 | Original | 「クッパステージBGM」 (Kuppa Sutēji BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Famicom Sound History Series: Mario the Music | 2004 | Original | 「クッパステージBGM～ワーニング～クッパステージBGM（ハリーアップ！）～クッパを倒したときのファンファーレ」 (Kuppa Sutēji BGM ~ Wāningu ~ Kuppa Sutēji BGM (Harī Appu!)~ Kuppa o Taoshita Toki no Fanfāre) |
Koji Kondo |
| Disk System Selection Iitokodori CD SIDE A | 2004 | Original | 「クッパステージBGM」 (Kuppa Sutēji BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Happy! Mario 20th - Super Mario Sound Collection | 2005 | Original | 「城BGM」 (Shiro BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Mario Basketball 3on3 Original Soundtrack | 2006 | Arrangement | 「クッパキャッスル」 (Kuppa Kyassuru) | Masayoshi Soken |
| Mario Kart Wii Platinum Soundtrack | 2011 | Arrangement | 「クッパキャッスル」 (Kuppa Kyassuru) | |
| Nintendo FAMICOM MUSIC | 2013 | Original | 「城の中BGM」 (Shiro no Naka BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U: A Smashing Soundtrack | 2015 | Arrangement | "Super Mario Bros. Medley" | Koji Kondo |
| The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music | 2015 | Original | 「城BGM」 (Shiro BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2023 | Arrangement | "Strange New World" | Brian Tyler |
| "Fighting Tooth and Veil" | ||||