Wild Woods (theme)
| "Wild Woods" | |
|---|---|
| "Wild Woods" in Mario Kart 8 | |
Image from Nintendo Music | |
| Composed by: Atsuko Asahi[1] | |
| Key | A minor |
| BPM | 200 |
| Time signature | 5 4 (6 8 + 2 4) |
| First appearance | Mario Kart 8 (DLC Pack 2) (2015) |
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) |
- “This is the first time we've used a quintuple metre signature in a Mario Kart track: perhaps you noticed a slightly strange feeling while you're driving. It's a level with a kind of fairy tale feel as you drive through giant trees, so we wanted to add a fantasy atmosphere that's unusual for the series.”
- —Liner notes in the Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack
"Wild Woods",[2] also known as "MK8 Wild Woods",[1] is a live-recorded musical theme composed by Atsuko Asahi that appears in Mario Kart 8, where it plays in the race course of the same name. This is the only course theme in the Mario Kart series to be in quintuple time. The theme features a flute as the lead instrument, with a guitar, marimba, choir, and many others, all as backing and supporting instruments. The theme also features prominent woodblock percussion.
History[edit]
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
Mario Kart 8 marks the first appearance of "Wild Woods".
While driving in the cave section with Shy Guys, a variation of the theme featuring Shy Guy vocalizations is played instead. Like with all other course themes in Mario Kart 8, a looping drum set beat is added to the instrumentation whenever the player is driving at top speed while in first place.
All variations of the track would return in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the same purpose.
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Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit[edit]
In Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, the original version of "Wild Woods" plays in Freezie Frosts.
Mario Kart World[edit]
In Mario Kart World, a cool jazz arrangement of "Wild Woods" can play in Free Roam during the day, on the route from Acorn Heights to Mario Circuit in Grand Prix, and on any route coming from Dino Dino Jungle and Acorn Heights in VS Race. As with other arrangements of themes from Mario Kart 8, the source game listed in the pause menu is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
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List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 | Wii U | 2015[a] | Original | "Wild Woods"[2] | Atsuko Asahi[1] |
| Remixes | |||||
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Nintendo Switch | 2017 | Original | "Wild Woods" | Atsuko Asahi |
| Past remixes (Mario Kart 8) | |||||
| Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit | 2020 | Original | Atsuko Asahi | ||
| Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 | 2025 | Arrangement | "Wild Woods"[3] |
- ^ Added in DLC Pack 2 on April 23, 2015
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack | 2015 | Original | "MK8 Wild Woods" | Atsuko Asahi |
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Music) | 2024 | "Wild Woods" |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ネイチャーロード Neichā Rōdo |
Nature Road | [2] | |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 自然之路 Zìrán Zhī Lù |
Natural Road | [2] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 自然之路 Zìrán Zhī Lù |
Natural Road | [2] | |
| Dutch | Wervelwoud | Whirl Woods | [2] | |
| French | Passage Feuillage | Foliage Passage | [2] | |
| German | Wilder Wipfelweg | Wild Treetop Trail | [2] | |
| Italian | Boscodromo | Woodlanddrome | [2] | |
| Korean | 네이처 로드 Neicheo Rodeu |
Nature Road | [2] | |
| Portuguese | Floresta Misteriosa | Mysterious Forest | [2] | |
| Russian | Лихие леса Likhiye lesa |
Dashing Forest | [2] | |
| Spanish | Bosque Mágico | Magical Forest | [2] |
References[edit]
External links[edit]
- April 15, 2015. The Music of Mario Kart 8 - Wild Woods (Wii U). YouTube. Retrieved July 27, 2025.