Main Theme (Super Mario 64)

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"Main Theme"
"Main Theme" in Super Mario 64
The image for "Main Theme" from Super Mario 64 on Nintendo Music.
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.

Icon of an audio speaker. Opening - The arrangement heard in Super Mario 64
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Icon of an audio speaker. Slider - The arrangement heard in Super Mario 64
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Icon of an audio speaker. Cool, Cool Mountain - The arrangement heard in Super Mario 64
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Icon of an audio speaker. Course Clear - The arrangement heard in Super Mario 64
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Icon of an audio speaker. Game Over - The arrangement heard in Super Mario 64
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Help:Media fileHaving trouble playing?

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.

Icon of an audio speaker. Throwback Galaxy - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Galaxy 2
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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]

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
 
  1. ^ a b Added as downloadable content on July 30, 2015
  2. ^ Added as downloadable content on May 17, 2016
  3. ^ Added in an update on June 5, 2018

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
  1. ^ Added on December 23, 2024
  2. ^ Added on September 15, 2025

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]