Fortress Boss

"Fortress Boss" is a musical theme composed by Koji Kondo for Boom Boom and Koopaling battles in Super Mario Bros. 3. It has been rearranged for use as boss music in several games throughout the Super Mario franchise.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Various arrangements of "Fortress Boss" can be heard throughout The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, as the show is based on Super Mario Bros. 3.

Super Mario All-Stars
A 16-bit arrangement of "Fortress Boss" can be heard during Super Mario Bros. 3 Boom Boom and Koopaling battles in Super Mario All-Stars, as well as Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World and Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition.

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
An arrangement of "Fortress Boss" similar to one heard in Super Mario All-Stars can be heard in Game Boy Advance remake of Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. This version is more compressed than the Super Mario All-Stars version and uses different, lower-quality synthetic instruments.

New Super Mario Bros.
In New Super Mario Bros., an arrangement of "Fortress Boss" plays during Castle boss battles.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
New Super Mario Bros. Wii features a new arrangement of "Fortress Boss" titled "Koopa Battle" very similar to the arrangement heard in New Super Mario Bros. It can be heard during Koopaling Tower battles.

Two other themes in New Super Mario Bros. Wii feature elements from "Fortress Boss". The intro of "Castle Boss Battle", which plays during Koopaling Castle battles, and the intro of the theme heard when fighting Bowser Jr. are both based on the intro of "Fortress Boss".

"Koopa Battle" and "Castle Boss Battle" return for the same purpose in New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, Super Mario Run, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. The Bowser Jr. battle theme returns in New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. Only "Castle Boss Battle" returns for the same purpose in New Super Mario Bros. 2, as the Reznors use a rearrangement of the Super Mario World boss theme.

Mario Strikers Charged
In Mario Strikers Charged, an arrangement of "Fortress Boss" is incorporated into Bowser's theme.

Mario Strikers: Battle League
In Mario Strikers: Battle League, if Lava Castle is chosen for both halves of the stadium, one of two themes will play during the match, with part of one of them being an arrangement of "Fortress Boss".

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, an arrangement of "Fortress Boss" is featured in the medley "Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World / SMB 3)", along with "Castle" from Super Mario World. It was arranged by Yusuke Takahama. The song can be played on the Luigi's Mansion stage, as well as when encountering False Peach and/or Zelda in the Subspace Emissary. It was originally able to be played on the Delfino Plaza stage, but it cannot in the final game.

The arrangement returns in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, where it can be played on Luigi's Mansion stage as well as the Super Mario Maker stage, and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where it can be played on any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features a new arrangement of "Fortress Boss" titled "Fortress Boss - Super Mario Bros. 3" arranged by Akihiro Honda. It can be played on any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
In Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, an arrangement of "Fortress Boss" is included in the music heard in Mario's Figure Skating Spectacular.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
In Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, an arrangement of "Fortress Boss" is included in the theme that plays when Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings appear on the track.