Inside the Castle Walls

"Inside the Castle Walls" is a recurring musical theme composed by Koji Kondo, first used as the background music for Mushroom Castle in Super Mario 64. It is usually associated with Peach's Castle and Princess Peach herself.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS
The original version of the theme heard in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS is played by a string ensemble. In the A section, all of the parts harmonize the melody's rhythm, aside from runs, contrasting the melody with brief silences. This leads into a contrapuntal B section.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, an arrangement of "Inside the Castle Walls" returns as the background music of Peach's Castle, with added marimba in the A section. A short variation of the theme plays at the start of the introduction.

Super Mario Galaxy 2
A calm rendition of the first portion of "Inside the Castle Walls" is played on a piano when Peach is rescued at the end of Super Mario Galaxy 2. The song is titled "Precious One" in the official soundtrack and was arranged by Ryo Nagamatsu.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
In New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Bowser has remade the castle grounds into a lava world by the time the heroes arrive. To reflect this, the music for the Peach's Castle world map uses a minor key arrangement of the "Inside the Castle Walls" motif. The theme is orchestrated on strings with sitar ornaments and a synth rhythm section.

Super Mario Odyssey
In Super Mario Odyssey, a faithful arrangement plays inside Peach's Castle in the Mushroom Kingdom. It was arranged by Shiho Fujii.

Super Mario Maker 2
In the Story Mode of Super Mario Maker 2, "Inside the Castle Walls" is incorporated into six background music tracks that build in excitement as progress on rebuilding Peach's Castle grows. Each theme introduces variations on the motif that, in sequence, approach the original "Inside the Castle Walls" melody.

The first theme is a downtempo piece that plays the motif on acoustic guitar, with shaker and wood block in the background, and leads into chords based on the B section of "Inside the Castle Walls". The second theme increases the tempo and plays the motif on pizzicato strings, while also adding flute to the first theme's orchestration. The third theme uses synthesized instruments, playing the motif on synth strings and multiple synthesizers. The fourth theme adds orchestral instruments, playing a variation of the A section on lead synthesizer, and the B section on strings. The fifth theme is a traditional arrangement of "Inside the Castle Walls", but with shaker and wood block remaining in the background. In the emergency theme, the motif is played on a sine synthesizer.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
In Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, Wrinkly Kong can be seen playing Super Mario 64, as rearrangement of "Inside the Castle Walls" is heard when entering her save cave. The arrangement is titled "Wrinkly 64" in the official soundtrack and was arranged by David Wise.

Mario & Luigi series
All arrangements in the Mario & Luigi series were arranged by Yoko Shimomura.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time uses a swing arrangement of "Inside the Castle Walls", featuring mallet percussion and a drumset alongside the traditional strings.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
The theme reappears in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story while inside Peach's Castle at the beginning of the game. The music is calmer and slower-paced, and contains a few notes from the Forest Maze's music from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Another arrangement is used in Peach's Castle in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
An arrangement plays in the same location in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, though this version most closely resembles the arrangement heard in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: March of the Minis
In Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, an arrangement plays in the levels of Toadstool Castle. A slightly different variation plays in Special Kit 2 custom levels in the Construction Zone. While the Mini Marios or Mini Peaches are inactive, only the backing instruments play; after they begin to move, the music plays in full.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! arranges "Inside the Castle Walls" as the background themes for Teatime Twirl, the first attraction in which Mini Princess appears. They are paired with original preparation, course clear, and life lost themes, all based on the original piece.

Mario Super Sluggers
In Mario Super Sluggers, an orchestral arrangement plays in Peach Ice Garden. The transition to the melody's second half after the melody repeats is dragged out, though otherwise the song is faithful to the original.

Mario Tennis Open
In Mario Tennis Open, the court introduction theme for Peach's Palace is an arrangement of the A section of "Inside the Castle Walls", arranged by Motoi Sakuraba. The court's background music is a brass rock arrangement. A minor key arrangement is used as the tiebreaker theme for this court.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
In Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, the music that plays in the hub world incorporates an arrangement of the first half of "Inside the Castle Walls", arranged by Grant Kirkhope.