N64 Rainbow Road (theme)

"" is the theme from Mario Kart 64 for the course of the same name composed by Kenta Nagata. The theme and elements from it have been integrated into the themes of almost every Rainbow Road course in the mainline Mario Kart series since Mario Kart 64's debut, missing only in Mario Kart Wii.

Composition
"" debuted in Mario Kart 64 for the Rainbow Road course, originally titled simply "Rainbow Road" in the Mario Kart 64 Race Tracks soundtrack album. It is a dramatic arrangement in key of divided into two main sections with a static chugging bassline and. The theme repeatedly features an extended I - ♭VII - I, which has gone on to be established as a recurring in "Rainbow Road" themes throughout the Mario Kart series.

The theme also shares some elements with "SNES Rainbow Road (theme)". Like the Super Mario Kart theme, "" begins with a Isus to I. Also like "", the melody of the theme is based on jumping and walking between the 1st and 5th notes of the chord.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit
The theme heard on Mario Kart: Super Circuit's iteration of Rainbow Road features the I - ♭VII - I chord progression motif in the key of throughout the theme. However, this version is much and the chord progression occurs much quicker than the Mario Kart 64 original.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
The last section of the theme for Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'s Rainbow Road features a direct quote from the second section of "", now in the key of. Additionally, this arrangement has a very similar overall tone to the Mario Kart 64 original and features the extended I - ♭VII - I chord progression motif throughout.

This arrangement returns in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, titled "Rainbow Road (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)", where it can be played on the Mario Circuit stage, and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, now titled "Rainbow Road - Mario Kart: Double Dash!!", where it can be played on any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage.

Mario Kart DS
The theme for Rainbow Road in Mario Kart DS once again features the I - ♭VII - I chord progression motif from "", this time in the key of. This version also includes a slightly modified I - ♭VI - ♭VII - I chord progression.

Mario Kart 7
The theme heard on the Mario Kart 7 iteration of Rainbow Road sees the return of the chugging bassline from the original "". Similar to Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the second section of this theme features a direct quote from "", this time in the key of.

When the player drives on the moon section of Rainbow Road, a softer, more ethereal arrangement of the course's theme can be heard.

Mario Kart 7's "Rainbow Road" also returns in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, titled "Rainbow Road (Mario Kart 7)", where it can be played on the Rainbow Road stage, in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, where it can be played on the Mario Circuit stage, and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, now titled "Rainbow Road - Mario Kart 7", where it can be played on any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage.

The arrangement of Mario Kart 7's "Rainbow Road" is also reused in Mario Kart Tour for the same course with its introduction in the 2019 Holiday Tour.

Mario Kart 8
Mario Kart 8 features as a retro course along with a new arrangement of the course's theme, retitled "" in the game's original soundtrack. This arrangement is more orchestral than the original version and prominently uses trumpets for the theme's main melody.

The theme heard in the Mario Kart 8 iteration of Rainbow Road, titled simply "Rainbow Road" in the original soundtrack, once again utilizes the I - ♭VII - I chord progression motif. Every phrase of the first section of the theme begins with a I - ♭VII progression. However, this motif is made more subtle by the tonic bass pedal and the fact that the ♭VII chord doesn't resolve back to the I chord immediately afterward.

Like other courses in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, additional percussion is added to all of these arrangements when the player is in first place during the race.

The arrangements of "" and "Rainbow Road" both return in the base game of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Mario Kart 8's "Rainbow Road" also returns in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, titled "Rainbow Road (Mario Kart 8)", where it can be played on the Mario Circuit stage, and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, retitled "Rainbow Road - Mario Kart 8", where it can be played on any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage.

This arrangement of "" is reused in the Rainbow Road course in Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sees the return of Mario Kart 7's Rainbow Road, now titled, along with a new arrangement of the course's theme in Wave 3 of the Booster Course Pass DLC, once again featuring a direct quote from "" The arrangement includes the standard version heard in the majority of the course as well as the ethereal arrangement heard in the moon section. Additional percussion is also added to both of these arrangements when the player is in first place during the race.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a brief arrangement of "" can be heard in the theme that plays on the World 9 map.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS includes a medley arrangement of "Rainbow Road" from Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart: Super Circuit titled "Rainbow Road Medley". It can be played on the Rainbow Road stage. The first section of this arrangement includes the excerpt of "" heard in Mario Kart 7.

The arrangement returns in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, where it can be played on the Mario Circuit stage, and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where it can be played on any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage.

Paper Mario: Color Splash
In Paper Mario: Color Splash, an arrangement of "" can be heard when Luigi drives Mario and Huey on Rainbow Road to Black Bowser's Castle. The arrangement is titled simply "Rainbow Road" in the Prisma Museum.

Super Nintendo World
An arrangement of "" plays during the Rainbow Road section of the Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge attraction in the Super Nintendo World theme park area.

Mario Kart 64 on Club Circuit
A arrangement of "" simply named "rainbow" is included in the album Mario Kart 64 on Club Circuit. The arrangement is arranged and performed by the Dance-Matics and mixes funk instrumentation with samples from the original arrangement as well as game sound effects and character voice samples.

F-Zero X
F-Zero X features a arrangement of the theme, titled simply "Rainbow Road" in the Nintendo Sound Selection Vol.2: Loud Music album, that can be heard in the Rainbow Road course when using the Nintendo 64DD, itself based on the Rainbow Road course from Mario Kart 64.