Underground Theme

The "Underground Theme" is a recurring musical theme in the Mario franchise composed by Koji Kondo, first heard in World 1-2 of Super Mario Bros. The original theme is a short, looping tune played in 3/4 time and lasting approximately 11 seconds long, and plays in every underground level in the game. In composing the theme, Kondo said, "It was really concentrated on the space between the notes, and using a few notes to create that feeling of being underground -- that sort of creepy atmosphere is something I really focused on." Super Mario Bros. designer Shigeru Miyamoto has stated that the theme was an "even more perfect fit" than the Ground Theme. Like the Ground Theme, the Underground Theme has seen many reuses and arrangements in later Mario games and media.

Reuses
The following list does not count ports and remakes (such as Super Mario Bros. Deluxe) of Super Mario Bros.
 * Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels: This game reuses the soundtrack from Super Mario Bros.
 * WarioWare: Twisted! / WarioWare Gold: The Underground Theme plays in the second level of the Super Mario Bros. boss microgame, which changes tempo depending on how fast the player is playing.
 * WarioWare: Touched!: An excerpt of the Underground Theme plays in the Super Mario Bros. microgame where the player is required to collect coins.
 * Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker 2: The Underground Theme plays in Underground-themed levels of the Super Mario Bros. style.

Super Mario Bros. Special
In Super Mario Bros. Special, the Underground Theme plays in underground levels at a slower tempo than the original similar to the Ground Theme.

Super Mario Bros. 3
In Super Mario Bros. 3, an arrangement of the Underground Theme plays in underground areas and bonus rooms. This version is the first to use a 4/4 time signature and add a percussion beat at the start of the theme (which carries through the rest of the theme), both traits which would go on to be reused in many of the later arrangements.

Super Mario All-Stars
For the respective underground levels in Super Mario All-Stars, rather than both the original and Super Mario Bros. 3 versions receiving 16-bit arrangements, a single arrangement of the latter is instead used for all three games.

Super Mario 64
In Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS, an extended arrangement plays in cave areas, including Hazy Maze Cave, Wet-Dry World, Behind the Waterfall, Goomboss Battle (DS version only), the pyramid in Shifting Sand Land, and the igloo in Snowman's Land. New notes were added in this arrangement, and the introduction is a longer, unique melody. The theme's main melody is played on bass guitar.

Super Mario Sunshine
In Super Mario Sunshine, a techno arrangement of the Underground Theme plays when Mario chases down Shadow Mario. The first six notes played on an electric guitar can be heard when Shadow Mario reveals his face during the cutscene where the Grand Pianta Statue appears. Another arrangement plays when using manholes.

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
An updated version of Super Mario Bros. 3's arrangement was created for Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, having less reverberation and more bass guitar-sounding instrumentation for the main melody.

Super Mario 64 DS
In Super Mario 64 DS, an arrangement resembling Super Mario Bros. 3's version (albeit without the introduction) plays in the minigame Coincentration, which returns in New Super Mario Bros. for the same minigame as well as Whack-a-Monty. The main melody is again played on bass guitar.

New Super Mario Bros.
In underground levels of New Super Mario Bros., a new arrangement of Super Mario Bros. 3's version includes additional percussion, as well as vocals that cause enemies to hop slightly when played. A chiptune version of the Underground Theme can also be heard approximately three minutes into the credits music.

Super Mario Galaxy
In Super Mario Galaxy, two arrangements were arranged by the game's main composer Mahito Yokota. The first, titled "Space Athletic" in the game's original soundtrack, is a slower-paced, techno arrangement that plays on several galaxies and planets, including Flipswitch Galaxy, Sand Spiral Galaxy, and the interiors of Battlerock Galaxy, Dusty Dune Galaxy's pyramid, and Dreadnought Galaxy.

The second, officially titled "Interlude", is a much slower-paced, eerie arrangement that plays in areas such as the first area of Ghostly Galaxy and Deep Dark Galaxy, as well as before the boss fight with Dino Piranha and Fiery Dino Piranha after breaking their eggs. This version only uses the theme's first four measures.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Another arrangement based on Super Mario Bros. 3s version plays in underground levels in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which also resembles New Super Mario Bros.s version, incorporating vocals. Additional percussion can be heard if a player is riding Yoshi.

This arrangement is reused in New Super Mario Bros. 2, New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker 2 in New Super Mario Bros. U-styled Underground levels, and Super Mario Run. In New Super Mario Bros. 2, a woodblock is added if Mario/Luigi is in his Raccoon form, and in New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U, the Baby Yoshis vocalize to the theme if players are carrying them.

Super Mario 3D Land
Super Mario 3D Land uses a variation of "Space Athletic" from Super Mario Galaxy for underground levels, adding ascending notes at the start of the theme and extra percussion.

Super Mario 3D World
Super Mario 3D World's arrangement, again playing in underground levels, is directly based on its predecessor's rendition, except with descending notes at the start instead of ascending, and additional drums.

Super Mario Maker
In Super Mario Maker, in addition to the Underground Theme and its respective arrangements reappearing as the default background music of the Underground course theme in all styles except Super Mario World, the music for editing such a course in the Course Maker are original, more ambient arrangements, each using multiple tracks that fade in and out randomly to create a dynamic mix. This returns in Super Mario Maker 2.

Super Mario Odyssey
In Super Mario Odyssey, another arrangement based on "Space Athletic", titled "Subterranean 1" in the Music List and "Underground Power Plant" in the official soundtrack, plays in several secret areas as well as the Underground Power Plant in the Metro Kingdom. This version uses a different introduction and backing instrumentation. It also received an 8-bit variation for when Mario is in an 8-bit section of said secret areas.

Nintendo Cereal System commercial
Two different renditions of tracks from two games play during the commercial. One of these is the Underground Theme.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
An arrangement of the Underground Theme can occasionally be heard in episodes throughout The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3.

Mario Party
The original Mario Party has two arrangements of the Underground Theme: one that plays in the Option House, and one that plays in the mini-games Bombsketball, Pipe Maze, Whack-a-Plant, and Key-pa-Way.

Mario Party 3
Part of the Creepy Cavern theme from Mario Party 3 consists of an arrangement of the Underground Theme.

Mario Party 6
In Mario Party 6, an arrangement of the Underground Theme plays in Endurance Alley between the first 30 mini-games.

Mario Party 7
In Mario Party 7, three different arrangements play in King of the River; they are themselves arrangements of the Mario Party 6 arrangement.

Mario Party 8
During the introduction of the Mario Party 8 minigame Grabby Gridiron, a techno arrangement of the Underground Theme's first six notes can be heard.

Mario Party DS
In the Mario Party DS minigame Boogie Beam, the music is an arrangement of the first six notes of the Underground Theme.

Mario Party 10
In Mario Party 10, an arrangement of the Underground Theme known as "Going Deep" plays in the minigames Blooper Blastoff, Bouncy Bounty, and Pipe Sniper.

Mario Golf series
Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64, Mario Golf for the Game Boy Color, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, and Mario Golf: Advance Tour all have arrangements of the Underground Theme that play when on the green with an under-par putt.

Mario Golf: World Tour
In Mario Golf: World Tour, an arrangement plays when on the green with a par putt.

Paper Mario
In the music for Toad Town Tunnels in Paper Mario, the Underground Theme can be faintly heard. This piece is not featured in the game's official soundtrack.

Super Paper Mario
In Super Paper Mario, the song "Nostalgic Underground", which plays in the underground portion of Chapter 3-1 (itself based on World 1-2 of Super Mario Bros.), is a techno arrangement of the Underground Theme, which also samples the original theme.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star
The music that plays in underground areas of Paper Mario: Sticker Star, such as the one in Hither Thither Hill, is an arrangement of the Underground Theme. The theme is played on saxophone and accordion, while an oboe can be heard in the background.

Paper Mario: Color Splash
In Paper Mario: Color Splash, an arrangement plays in Indigo Underground. This arrangement adds a trap beat in the background, while the theme itself is played on flute and piano. Additionally, a banjo arrangement plays in the underground section of Mustard Café, barring Snifit's Undersand Hideout.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, the Underground Theme is interspersed throughout the music for Princess Peach's Castle (which is an arrangement of the Ground Theme from Super Mario Bros.), with the first six notes played in the introduction and bassline, and the final notes played towards the end of the song. The song was arranged by HAL Laboratory composer Shogo Sakai, and returns in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Rainbow Cruise, in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U for Mushroom Kingdom U and Super Mario Maker, and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for every Mario-series stage.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Underground Theme received its own dedicated arrangement arranged by HAL Laboratory composer Kentaro Ishizaka. The song is a techno-based arrangement with echoed dripping noises that can be heard in the background. The song plays in the World 1-2 variation of Mushroomy Kingdom, and returns for the same stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and any Mario-series stage in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For the latter, it is also featured in Piranha Plant's character trailer.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the Underground Theme can be heard halfway through the arrangements "Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels Medley" (arranged by Bandai Namco composer Katsuro Tajima) and "Egg Planet" (arranged by Nobuko Toda).

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

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, an arrangement of the Underground Theme plays in cave areas, including Beanbean Castle Sewers and Guffawha Ruins. This version adds a beat after the theme's first iteration, and the first four bars are repeated once each time.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, another arrangement plays in Peach's Castle Dungeon.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
In Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, the Underground Theme's first six notes were arranged into the song "Holding Hands in the Darkness", which plays in Doop Doop Dunes Grotto and the Mount Brrr caves. The melody is played on piano.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
The arrangement from the original game received an updated arrangement in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions.

Tetris DS
In Tetris DS, a slightly uptempo arrangement of the original Underground Theme (retaining its 3/4 time signature) titled "Basement Tetris" in the music menu plays in levels 3 and 7 in single-player Standard mode, which are based on World 1-2 from Super Mario Bros.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
In Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, an arrangement plays in Magnet Mania's levels. While the Mini Marios are inactive, only the percussion is audible; after they begin to move, the music plays in full. This arrangement is reused for Magnet Mania's levels in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!
In Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!, two new arrangements based on the previous installments' version play in Secret Storage's levels. The first one uses the same tempo and plays in Area X-1 and every second level after it, while the second one is slightly uptempo and plays in every other level.

Both arrangements return in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars for Crumbling Cavern's levels, though they have less reverberation. The first plays in Level 4-1 and every third level after it, while the second plays in Levels 4-3, 4-6, and 4-8.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
A third arrangement was also created for Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars, playing in Levels 4-2 and 4-5. This arrangement uses double bass for the main melody and cowbell for percussion.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games features a techno arrangement of the Underground Theme with electric guitar, arranged by the Sega Sound Team. It returns in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games and Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
In Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, a slow-paced, ambient arrangement of the Underground Theme plays before and after the mine cart ride in Mine Cart Tunnel Throwdown. This arrangement returns in Super Mario Odyssey in the underground area of Jaxi Ruins in the Sand Kingdom, the secret Puzzle Part room in the Lake Kingdom, and the secret wooden block room in the Snow Kingdom; this time titled "Subterranean 2" in the Music List.