Main Theme (Super Mario 64)
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| "Main Theme" | |
|---|---|
| "Main Theme" in Super Mario 64 | |
Image from Nintendo Music | |
| Composed by: Koji Kondo | |
| Key | C major |
| BPM | 114 |
| Time signature | 2 2 (with swung eighths) |
| First appearance | Super Mario 64 (1996) |
| Latest appearance | It's Me, Mario! Stop Motion Shorts (2025) |
The "Main Theme",[1] also known as the "Super Mario 64 Main Theme"[2][3] or "Ground BGM",[4] is a musical theme composed by Koji Kondo for Super Mario 64, where it plays in the levels Bob-omb Battlefield and Whomp's Fortress, as well as the outside sections of Tall, Tall Mountain and Tiny-Huge Island.
History[edit]
This section is a stub. Please consider expanding it to include any missing information. Specifics: Information on Super Nintendo World appearance
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
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- See also: Cool, Cool Mountain (theme), Course Clear (Super Mario 64), Opening (Super Mario 64), Slider
Super Mario 64 marks the first appearance of "Main Theme", and it returns for the same purpose in the Nintendo DS remake, Super Mario 64 DS, and the Nintendo Switch port, Super Mario 3D All-Stars. It is also included in the official albums Super Mario 64 Original Soundtrack, Nintendo 64 Original Soundtrack Greatest Hits, Happy! Mario 20th - Super Mario Sound Collection, and The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music.
The theme that plays during the opening cutscene incorporates an arrangement of the main motif of the "Main Theme". It is titled "Opening" in the Nintendo Music app and the official Super Mario 64 Original Soundtrack album.
A frantic bluegrass/country arrangement of the main motif of the "Main Theme" played in D major at a presto tempo plays in the levels Tower of the Wing Cap, Vanish Cap Under the Moat, Tick Tock Clock, Rainbow Ride, and Wing Mario Over the Rainbow, as well as all slide areas and Koopa the Quick's footraces. It is titled "Slider" in the Nintendo Music app and the official Super Mario 64 Original Soundtrack album.
A winter/Christmas arrangement of the main motif of the "Main Theme" plays in Cool, Cool Mountain and Snowman's Land. It is titled "Cool, Cool Mountain" in the Nintendo Music app and "Snow Mountain" in the official Super Mario 64 Original Soundtrack album.
A brief arrangement of the "Main Theme" plays whenever the player collects a Power Star. It is titled "Course Clear" in the Nintendo Music app and the official Super Mario 64 Original Soundtrack album.
A brief slow-paced, depressing-sounding arrangement of the "Main Theme" plays in the Game Over screen. It is titled "Game Over" in the Nintendo Music app and the official Super Mario 64 Original Soundtrack album.
A very short arrangement of the "Main Theme" is used as a sound effect for when Red Coins are collected. Each additional coin increases the pitch of the sound.
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Super Mario Sunshine[edit]
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In Super Mario Sunshine and the Nintendo Switch port, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, the sound effect heard when the player collects a Red Coin is a very short arrangement of the "Main Theme" very similar to the arrangement heard in Super Mario 64. However, the pitch does not change as more Red Coins are collected.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
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In Super Mario Galaxy 2 and the Nintendo Switch port, Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2, a jazz arrangement of the "Main Theme" arranged by Shigetoshi Gohara plays in Throwback Galaxy. It is likewise titled "Throwback Galaxy" in the Nintendo Music app. It is also included in the official Super Mario Galaxy 2 Original Soundtrack album. Moreover, the sound that plays when a Comet Medal is collected is based on the Red Coin sound from Super Mario Sunshine.
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Super Mario Maker[edit]
In Super Mario Maker, "Game Over" plays when the player loses a life with a Mario Mystery Mushroom.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the original version of the "Main Theme" can play in the Delfino Plaza stage. It is titled "Main Theme (Super Mario 64)" in the game's sound test.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U[edit]
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In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, an arrangement of the "Main Theme" arranged by Hiroyuki Kawada can play in the Peach's Castle stage, which was added as downloadable content on July 30, 2015. This theme also incorporates an arrangement of "Opening" from the same game at the end. Exclusively in the Wii U version, the original version of the "Main Theme" can play in the Delfino Plaza stage. Both the original theme and the arrangement are titled "Main Theme (Super Mario 64)" in game's sound test without any disambiguation between the two.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, both the original and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U versions of the "Main Theme" can play in any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage. They are titled "Main Theme - Super Mario 64" and "Main Theme - Super Mario 64 (Remix)" respectively in the game's sound test.
Mario & Sonic series[edit]
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games[edit]
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In the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, an arrangement of the "Main Theme" can be chosen as the background music for events. It is titled "Ground BGM (Super Mario 64)" in the game's sound test.
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 the "Main Theme" from Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games can once again be chosen as the background music for events. It is titled "Main Theme: Super Mario 64" 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 the "Main Theme" from Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games can once again be chosen as the background music for events. It is titled "Main Theme: Super Mario 64 (Remix)" in the game's sound test.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games[edit]
This section is a stub. Please consider expanding it to include any missing information. Specifics: Sound test information
In the Wii U version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the arrangement of the "Main Theme" from Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games can once again be chosen as the background music for events.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]
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In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, a brief arrangement of the "Main Theme" is incorporated in the track "Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom", which plays during the scene of Mario following Toad around Toad Town. It was arranged by Brian Tyler, and it is also included in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) album.
Mario Kart World[edit]
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Mario Kart World features two different arrangements of the "Main Theme": a big band arrangement titled "Title Theme (Big Band Ver.)" and a latin arrangement titled "Title Theme (Latin Ver.)". Both can play exclusively in Free Roam. The big band version is based on the arrangement from the "Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Live" concert series. It was also featured in the Mario Kart World Direct, where it plays during the "Free Roam" section.
It's Me, Mario! Stop Motion Shorts[edit]
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The It's Me, Mario! Stop Motion Shorts episode "Making Melodies" features a brief arrangement of the "Main Theme" that is played on Note Blocks by Mario, Yoshi, and Toad. It is followed by an arrangement of "Course Clear".
Other appearances[edit]
Mario & Zelda Big Band Live[edit]
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The "Mario & Zelda Big Band Live" concert series featured a live big band arrangement of the "Main Theme". It also included an arrangement of "Opening" from the same game at the beginning. It is titled 「スーパーマリオ64 オープニングテーマ〜地上のテーマ」 (Sūpā Mario 64 Ōpuningu Tēma 〜 Chijō no Tēma, "Super Mario 64 Opening Theme ~ Ground Theme") in the DVD release, and 「スーパーマリオ64 オープニングテーマ〜地上のテーマ (N64:「スーパーマリオ64」より)」 (Sūpā Mario 64 Ōpuningu Tēma 〜 Chijō no Tēma (N64: `Sūpā Mario 64' Yori), "SUPER MARIO 64 Opening Theme ~ Ground Theme (NINTENDO64: 「SUPER MARIO 64」)") in the CD release.
Bayonetta 2[edit]
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Exclusively in the Nintendo Switch version Bayonetta 2, a brief piano arrangement of the "Main Theme" plays when the player unlocks the Chain Chomp weapon.
Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Live[edit]
The "Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Live" concert series featured a live big band jazz arrangement of the "Main Theme".
Minecraft[edit]
In the Wii U, Nintendo Switch, and New Nintendo 3DS versions of Minecraft, the original version of the "Main Theme" can play in the Overworld in the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack.
Nintendo Live 2023[edit]
Nintendo Live 2023 in Seattle, Washington, USA featured a live performance by the Super Mario Super Big Band of themes from various Super Mario games, including the "Main Theme".[5]
Gallery[edit]
Image for "Opening" from Super Mario 64 on Nintendo Music
Image for "Course Clear" from Super Mario 64 on Nintendo Music
Image for "Slider" from Super Mario 64 on Nintendo Music
Image for "Cool, Cool Mountain" from Super Mario 64 on Nintendo Music
Image for "Throwback Galaxy" from Super Mario Galaxy 2 on Nintendo Music
"Main Theme - Super Mario 64" in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
"Super Mario 64 Main Theme" in Super Mario 3D All-Stars
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario 64 | Nintendo 64 | 1996 | Original | "Main Theme"[1] | Koji Kondo |
| Arrangement | "Opening"[1] | ||||
| "Slider"[1] | |||||
| "Cool, Cool Mountain"[1] | |||||
| "Course Clear"[1] | |||||
| "Game Over"[1] | |||||
| Super Mario Sunshine | Nintendo GameCube | 2002 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Mario 64 DS | Nintendo DS | 2004 | Original | "Main Theme"[1] | Koji Kondo |
| Past arrangement (Super Mario 64) | "Game Over"[1] | ||||
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Wii | 2008 | Original | "Main Theme (Super Mario 64)"[6] | Koji Kondo |
| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games | Wii | 2009 | Arrangement | "Ground BGM (Super Mario 64)"[4] | |
| Super Mario Galaxy 2 | Wii | 2010 | Arrangement | "Throwback Galaxy"[1] | Shigetoshi Gohara |
| Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games | Wii | 2011 | Past arrangement (Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games [Wii]) | "Main Theme: Super Mario 64"[7] | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games | Wii U | 2013 | Past arrangement (Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games [Wii]) | "Main Theme: Super Mario 64 (Remix)"[8] | |
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Wii U | 2014 | Original | "Main Theme (Super Mario 64)"[9] | Koji Kondo |
| 2015[a] | Arrangement | "Main Theme (Super Mario 64)"[9] | Hiroyuki Kawada | ||
| Super Mario Maker | Wii U | 2015 | Past arrangement (Super Mario 64) | Koji Kondo | |
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS | 2015[a] | Arrangement | "Main Theme (Super Mario 64)"[10] | Hiroyuki Kawada |
| Minecraft: Wii U Edition | Wii U | 2016[b] | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games | Wii U | 2016 | Past arrangement (Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games [Wii]) | ||
| Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition | Nintendo Switch | 2017 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Minecraft: New Nintendo 3DS Edition | New Nintendo 3DS | 2018[c] | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Minecraft | Nintendo Switch | 2018 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo Switch | 2018 | Original | "Main Theme - Super Mario 64"[11] | Koji Kondo |
| Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U) | "Main Theme - Super Mario 64 (Remix)"[11] | Hiroyuki Kawada | |||
| Super Mario 3D All-Stars | Nintendo Switch | 2020 | Original | "Main Theme"[1] | Koji Kondo |
| Past arrangement (Super Mario 64) | "Game Over"[1] | ||||
| Past arrangement (Super Mario Sunshine) | |||||
| Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 | 2025 | Arrangement | "Title Theme (Big Band Ver.)"[12] | |
| "Title Theme (Latin Ver.)"[12] | |||||
| Super Mario Galaxy 2 | Nintendo Switch | 2025 | Past arrangement (Super Mario Galaxy 2 [Wii]) | "Throwback Galaxy"[1] | Shigetoshi Gohara |
| Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 | Nintendo Switch | 2025 | Past arrangement (Super Mario Galaxy 2 [Wii]) | "Throwback Galaxy"[1] | Shigetoshi Gohara |
Film and television[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 2023 | Arrangement | "Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom"[13] | Brian Tyler |
| It's Me, Mario! Stop Motion Shorts | 2025 | Arrangement |
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario 64 Original Soundtrack | 1996 | Original | "Super Mario 64 Main Theme" | Koji Kondo |
| Past arrangement (Super Mario 64) | "Game Over" | |||
| Nintendo 64 Original Soundtrack Greatest Hits | 1996 | Original | "Super Mario 64 Main Theme" | Koji Kondo |
| Mario & Zelda Big Band Live CD | 2003 | Past arrangement (Mario & Zelda Big Band Live [Live performance]) | 「スーパーマリオ64 オープニングテーマ〜地上のテーマ (N64:「スーパーマリオ64」より)」 (Sūpā Mario 64 Ōpuningu Tēma 〜 Chijō no Tēma (N64: `Sūpā Mario 64' Yori)) |
Shigeo Nukita, The Big Band of Rogues (Tokyo Cuban Boys Jr.) |
| Happy! Mario 20th - Super Mario Sound Collection | 2005 | Original | 「メインテーマ」 (Mein Tēma) | Koji Kondo |
| Super Mario Galaxy 2 Original Soundtrack | 2010 | Past arrangement (Super Mario Galaxy 2 [Wii]) | 「なつかしの砦」 (Natsukashi no Toride) | Shigetoshi Gohara |
| The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music | 2015 | Original | 「メインテーマ」 (Mein Tēma) | Koji Kondo |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2023 | Past arrangement (The Super Mario Bros. Movie) | "Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom" | Brian Tyler |
Live performances[edit]
| Event | Year | Location | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario & Zelda Big Band Live | 2003 | Nihon Seinenkan Hall, Tokyo, Japan | Arrangement | 「スーパーマリオ64 オープニングテーマ〜地上のテーマ (N64:「スーパーマリオ64」より)」 (Sūpā Mario 64 Ōpuningu Tēma 〜 Chijō no Tēma (N64: `Sūpā Mario 64' Yori))[14] |
Shigeo Nukita, The Big Band of Rogues (Tokyo Cuban Boys Jr.) |
| Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Live | 2015 | Osaka International Convention Center, Osaka, Japan and Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, Japan[15] | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario & Zelda Big Band Live (DVD) | 2003 | Past arrangement (Mario & Zelda Big Band Live [Live performance]) | 「スーパーマリオ64 オープニングテーマ〜地上のテーマ」 (Sūpā Mario 64 Ōpuningu Tēma 〜 Chijō no Tēma) |
Shigeo Nukita, The Big Band of Rogues (Tokyo Cuban Boys Jr.) |
| Nintendo Music | 2024[a] | Original | "Main Theme" | Koji Kondo |
| Past arrangement (Super Mario 64) | "Game Over" | |||
| 2025[b] | Past arrangement (Super Mario Galaxy 2 [Wii]) | "Throwback Galaxy" | Shigetoshi Gohara |
Names in other languages[edit]
"Main Theme"[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | メインテーマ[1] Mein Tēma |
Main Theme | |
| German | It's a me - die Melodie[2] | It's a me - the Melody |
"Game Over"[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ゲームオーバー[1] Gēmu Ōbā |
Game Over | |
| German | Game Over Gospel[2] | - |
"Throwback Galaxy"[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | なつかしの砦[1] Natsukashi no Toride |
Nostalgic Fortress |
Notes[edit]
- On the Nintendo Music app, "Main Theme" is labeled as "Selects", classifying it as one "of the very best tracks from the Nintendo Music library", originating from Super Mario 64. "Main Theme" shares this title with "Slider" and "Dire, Dire Docks".
- Both arrangements of the "Main Theme" in Mario Kart World are referred to as the "Title Theme" in the game's pause menu, despite the fact that the original theme does not play in the title screen of Super Mario 64.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Nintendo Music
- ^ a b c Super Mario 64 Original Soundtrack
- ^ Nintendo 64 Original Soundtrack Greatest Hits
- ^ a b Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii) sound test
- ^ Hitbox Hero (September 3, 2023). Nintendo Live 2023 - Super Mario Super Big Band uncut full show (12:36). YouTube (English). Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Super Smash Bros. Brawl sound test
- ^ Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Wii) sound test
- ^ Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games sound test
- ^ a b Super Smash Bros. Wii U sound test
- ^ Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS sound test
- ^ a b Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sound test
- ^ a b Mario Kart World pause menu
- ^ The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- ^ Mario & Zelda Big Band Live CD
- ^ Seedhouse, Alex (July 1, 2015). Super Mario 30th Anniversary Live concerts announced for Japan. Nintendo Insider. Retrieved December 10, 2025.