Athletic Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)

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"Athletic Theme"

"Athletic Theme" in Super Mario Bros. 3
Composed by:
Koji Kondo
Key C major
First appearance Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)
Latest appearance WarioWare: Move It! (2023)

The "Athletic Theme"[1] is a musical theme composed by Koji Kondo for Super Mario Bros. 3. It plays in levels that prioritize precise jumping.

ReusesEdit

The following list does not include ports or remakes of Super Mario Bros. 3.

Game Description
WarioWare: Twisted! The "Athletic Theme" plays during the Super Mario Bros. 3-Lift microgame, with its tempo being altered to correspond with the ticking of the bomb.
Paper Mario: Color Splash The "Athletic Theme" plays during some 2D portions of the Super Mario Bros. 3-like world in the Green Energy Plant.
WarioWare Gold The "Athletic Theme" plays during the Super Mario Bros. 3-Lift microgame, with its tempo being altered to correspond with the ticking of the bomb.
Super Mario Maker 2 The "Athletic Theme" can be heard when playing sky-themed levels in the Super Mario Bros. 3 style.
WarioWare: Move It! The "Athletic Theme" plays in the Super Mario Bros. 3 microgame, with its tempo being altered to correspond with the ticking of the bomb.

ArrangementsEdit

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3Edit

An arrangement of the "Athletic Theme" can be heard throughout The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, as the show is based on Super Mario Bros. 3.

Super Mario seriesEdit

Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nelsonic Game Watch)Edit

In Super Mario Bros. 3 for the Nelsonic Game Watch, a short arrangement of the theme can be heard as an alarm.[2]

Super Mario All-StarsEdit

The Super Mario All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros. 3 uses a 16-bit arrangement of the "Athletic Theme" that can be heard in the same levels as the original. This arrangement is also used in Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World and Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition.

  Athletic Theme - The arrangement heard in Super Mario All-Stars
File infoMedia:SMAS SMB3 Athletic.oga
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Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3Edit

An arrangement of the "Athletic Theme" 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's instrumentation is more clearly based on piano and slap bass guitar.

  Athletic Theme - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
File infoMedia:SMA4 Athletic Theme.oga
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Super Mario GalaxyEdit

Super Mario Galaxy includes a whimsical arrangement of the "Athletic Theme" titled "Blue Sky Athletic" in the game's official soundtrack.

This arrangement is reused for athletic levels in Super Mario 3D Land.

  Blue Sky Athletic - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Galaxy
File infoMedia:Blue Sky Athletic Super Mario Galaxy.oga
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Super Mario Maker 2Edit

Super Mario Maker 2 features an ambient arrangement of the "Athletic Theme" using eight tracks that fade in and out randomly to create a dynamic mix. The arrangement is heard while editing Super Mario Bros. 3-style sky-themed courses in the Course Maker.

The game also features a music box version of the "Athletic Theme" that plays during the nighttime version of sky-themed levels in the Super Mario Bros. 3 style.

  Sky Theme (Editing) (Super Mario Bros. 3 style) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker 2
File infoMedia:SMM2 SMB3 Sky Edit.oga
  Sky Theme (Night) (Super Mario Bros. 3 style) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker 2
File infoMedia:SMM2 SMB3 Sky Night.oga
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Luigi's MansionEdit

Luigi's Mansion features a solo piano arrangement played by Melody Pianissima. It is one of two themes that she can play for Luigi, the other being the Underwater Theme from Super Mario Bros.

  Pianissima Quiz (Super Mario Bros. 3 Athletic Theme) - The arrangement heard in Luigi's Mansion
File infoMedia:LM SMB3 Overworld.oga
0:10
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Paper Mario seriesEdit

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year DoorEdit

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, an arrangement of the "Athletic Theme" plays when Mario rides the Cheep Blimp.

Paper Mario: Sticker StarEdit

Paper Mario: Sticker Star features an arrangement of the "Athletic Theme", titled "Give Me a Lift" in the Sticker Museum, which plays during the ski lift ride in Whiteout Valley.

  Give Me a Lift - The arrangement heard in Paper Mario: Sticker Star
File infoMedia:PMSS Give Me a Lift Music.oga
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Paper Mario: Color SplashEdit

In Paper Mario: Color Splash, an ethereal arrangement of the "Athletic Theme" plays during some 3D portions of the Super Mario Bros. 3-like world in the Green Energy Plant.

  Super Mario Bros. 3 Athletic (Flipped) - Plays in the athletic area while Flipping
File infoMedia:PMCS SMB3 Athletic Flip.oga
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Paper Mario: The Origami KingEdit

In Paper Mario: The Origami King, an arrangement of the "Athletic Theme" is incorporated into "Chestnut Valley", which plays in the area of the same name.

  Chestnut Valley - The arrangement heard in Paper Mario: The Origami King
File infoMedia:PMTOK Chestnut Valley.oga
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Dance Dance Revolution: Mario MixEdit

Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix features a Eurobeat arrangement of the "Athletic Theme" as a playable song titled "Jump! Jump! Jump!".

  Jump! Jump! Jump! - The arrangement heard in Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
File infoMedia:DDRMM Jump Jump Jump.oga
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WarioWare: Smooth MovesEdit

An orchestral arrangement of the "Athletic Theme" is one of the songs that the player can conduct in Level 1 of the Opening Night microgame in WarioWare: Smooth Moves.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic GamesEdit

The Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games features an arrangement of the theme, titled "Athletic Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)".

The arrangement returns in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games and the Wii U version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Nintendo LandEdit

Nintendo Land features a chiptune arrangement of the "Athletic Theme" that plays in Chase Arena in the Mario Chase minigame. When 60 seconds remain, the theme speeds up significantly, and when 30 seconds remain, the theme speeds up even more and is transposed to a higher key.

  Chase Arena - The arrangement heard in Nintendo Land
File infoMedia:NL MC Chase Arena.oga
  Chase Arena (60 Seconds Left) - The arrangement heard in Nintendo Land
File infoMedia:NL MC Chase Arena 60s.oga
  Chase Arena (30 Seconds Left) - The arrangement heard in Nintendo Land
File infoMedia:NL MC Chase Arena 30s.oga
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Mario Party: Island TourEdit

In Mario Party: Island Tour, an arrangement of the "Athletic Theme" is incorporated into the theme "Hurry Up", which plays during the Hop Till You Drop minigame.

Mario Golf: World TourEdit

In Mario Golf: World Tour, the music heard in Sky Island is an arrangement of the "Athletic Theme".

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DSEdit

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS features a medley arrangement of several themes from Super Mario Bros. 3 titled "Super Mario Bros. 3 Medley". It includes the "Athletic Theme", the level clear theme, Giant Land's theme, the Hammer Bros. battle theme, and the lost a life fanfare. It can be played on the 3D Land stage.

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

Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo ChallengeEdit

Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge features multiple arrangements of the "Athletic Theme" in Star World. A full arrangement of the theme plays in Star 1, Star 3, Star 5, Star 7, Star 9, and Star 11. An arrangement with just the bassline and percussion plays during the stage preview. Two short arrangements play whenever the player loses and whenever the player beats the stage.

  Star World A - The arrangement heard in Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge
File infoMedia:MM&FaC StarWorldA.oga
  Star World A (Preview) - The arrangement heard in Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge
File infoMedia:MM&FaC StarWorldIntro1.oga
  Star World A (Lose) - The arrangement heard in Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge
File infoMedia:MM&FaC StarWorldLose1.oga
  Star World A (Win) - The arrangement heard in Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge
File infoMedia:MM&FaC StarWorldWin1.oga
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The Super Mario Bros. MovieEdit

Brief arrangements of the "Athletic Theme" are included in two songs heard in The Super Mario Bros. Movie: "Press Start" and "Fighting Tooth and Veil".

Other arrangementsEdit

Fantasic World of Super Mario Bros. 3Edit

A brief arrangement of the "Athletic Theme" is included in the Fantasic World of Super Mario Bros. 3 album arranged by Ikuro Fujiwara, playing halfway through the track "The End of the Fantasic[sic] World".

Super Mario WorldEdit

A jazz arrangement of the "Athletic Theme" arranged by Soichi Noriki and performed by the Mario Club Band is included in the Super Mario World album, titled "Mario Club Band".

Nintendo Live 2023Edit

Nintendo Live 2023 in Seattle, Washington, USA featured a live performance by the Super Mario Super Big Band of themes from various Super Mario games, including a brief solo piano arrangement of the "Athletic Theme."[3]

List of Super Mario appearancesEdit

GamesEdit

Work System Year Type Title Credits
Super Mario Bros. 3 Nintendo Entertainment System 1988 Original Koji Kondo
Super Mario Bros. 3 Nelsonic Game Watch 1990 Arrangement
Super Mario All-Stars Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1993 Arrangement
Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1994 Past arrangement (Super Mario All-Stars)
Luigi's Mansion Nintendo GameCube 2001 Arrangement
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Game Boy Advance 2003 Arrangement Taiju Suzuki
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Nintendo GameCube 2004 Arrangement
WarioWare: Twisted! Game Boy Advance 2004 Original Koji Kondo
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix Nintendo GameCube 2005 Arrangement "Jump! Jump! Jump!"
WarioWare: Smooth Moves Wii 2006 Arrangement
Super Mario Galaxy Wii 2007 Arrangement "Blue Sky Athletic"[4] Mahito Yokota
Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition Wii 2010 Past arrangement (Super Mario All-Stars)
Super Mario 3D Land Nintendo 3DS 2011 Past arrangement (Super Mario Galaxy) Mahito Yokota
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games Wii 2011 Arrangement "Athletic Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)"
Paper Mario: Sticker Star Nintendo 3DS 2012 Arrangement "Give Me a Lift"
Nintendo Land Wii U 2012 Arrangement Ryo Nagamatsu
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Wii U 2013 Past arrangement (Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Wii))
Mario Party: Island Tour Nintendo 3DS 2013 Arrangement
Mario Golf: World Tour Nintendo 3DS 2014 Arrangement Motoi Sakuraba
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Nintendo 3DS 2014 Arrangement "Super Mario Bros. 3 Medley" Shota Kageyama
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Wii U 2014 Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS) "Super Mario Bros. 3 Medley" Shota Kageyama
Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge Nintendo 3DS, Wii U 2016 Arrangement
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Wii U 2016 Past arrangement (Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Wii))
Paper Mario: Color Splash Wii U 2016 Original Koji Kondo
Arrangement
WarioWare Gold Nintendo 3DS 2018 Original Koji Kondo
Luigi's Mansion Nintendo 3DS 2018 Past arrangement (Luigi's Mansion)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Switch 2018 Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS) "Super Mario Bros. 3 Medley" Shota Kageyama
Super Mario Maker 2 Nintendo Switch 2019 Original Koji Kondo
Arrangement
Paper Mario: The Origami King Nintendo Switch 2020 Arrangement "Chestnut Valley"
Super Mario 3D All-Stars Nintendo Switch 2020 Past arrangement (Super Mario Galaxy) "Blue Sky Athletic"[4] Mahito Yokota
WarioWare: Move It! Nintendo Switch 2023 Original Koji Kondo

Film and televisionEdit

Work Year Type Title Credits
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 1990 Arrangement Michael Tavera
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2023 Arrangement "Press Start" Brian Tyler
"Fighting Tooth and Veil"

AlbumsEdit

Work Year Type Title Credits
Fantasic World of Super Mario Bros. 3 1988 Arrangement 「ジ・エンド・オブ・ザ・ファンタジック・ワールド」
(Ji Endo obu za Fantajikku Wārudo)
Ikuro Fujiwara
Original 「スーパーマリオブラザーズ3.ゲーム・オリジナル・サウンド・ストーリー」
(Sūpā Mario Burazāzu Surī. Gēmu Orijinaru Saundo Sutōrī)
Koji Kondo
Super Mario World 1991 Original 「アスレチックBGM」 (Asurechikku BGM) Koji Kondo
Arrangement "Mario Club Band" Soichi Noriki
Game Sound Museum: Super Mario Bros. 3 2004 Original 「アスレチックBGM」 (Asurechikku BGM) Koji Kondo
Famicom Sound History Series: Mario the Music 2004 Original 「アスレチックBGM~ワーニング~アスレチックBGM ハリーアップ!」
(Asurechikku BGM ~ Wāningu ~ Asurechikku BGM Harī Appu!)
Koji Kondo
Happy! Mario 20th - Super Mario Sound Collection 2005 Original 「アスレチックBGM」 (Asurechikku BGM) Koji Kondo
Super Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack 2008 Arrangement "Blue Sky Athletic" Mahito Yokota
Super Mario History 1985-2010 2010 Original "Athletic Theme" Koji Kondo
The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music 2015 Original 「アスレチックBGM」 (Asurechikku BGM) Koji Kondo
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) 2023 Arrangement "Press Start" Brian Tyler
"Fighting Tooth and Veil"

Live performancesEdit

Event Year Location Type Title Credits
Nintendo Live 2023 2023 Seattle Convention Center, Seattle, Washington, USA Arrangement Super Mario Super Big Band

Names in other languagesEdit

Language Name Meaning
Japanese アスレチックBGM
Asurechikku BGM
Athletic BGM

Italian Tema atletico[5]
Athletic theme

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games for Wii
  2. ^ Martin Stevenson. Nintendo Super Mario Bros 3 Game Watch. February 11, 2020. YouTube. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  3. ^ Hitbox Hero. Nintendo Live 2023 - Super Mario Super Big Band uncut full show. (September 3, 2023). YouTube. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Super Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack
  5. ^ Super Mario History 1985-2010 track list on Nintendo.it