Editing Airship BGM

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"'''Airship BGM'''" is an {{wp|atonal}}<ref>{{cite|title=''[[Super Mario Series for Piano: Intermediate-Advanced Edition]]''|page=17}}</ref> musical theme commonly associated with [[airship]]s in the ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' franchise. It was originally composed by [[Koji Kondo]] for airship and [[tank]] levels in ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''. The theme begins with a triplet-based rhythm evoking a military march, which plays throughout the rest of the theme. It is loosely based on "Mars, the Bringer of War," the first movement of {{wp|Gustav Holst}}'s ''{{wp|The Planets}}''.

The theme is orchestrated as {{wp|chiptune}} with a {{wp|timpani}} PCM sample in the original ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', being a game developed for the [[Family Computer]]. The original Airship BGM is short, lasting 30 seconds, though later arrangements would go on to extend the theme. It has been reused in ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'' (as well as [[Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS|its Nintendo 3DS port]]) and ''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]'' in airship levels of the ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' style.

In the Japanese and American versions of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', the first part of the theme plays the {{wp|PCM}} sample slightly after the other channels by about a twelfth note, leading to slight desynchronization and the percussion being cut off early as the second part begins. This is corrected in the European version but retained in ''Super Mario Maker''.

|title1=Airship BGM

|title2=Airship BGM

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|The original "Airship BGM" serves as the background music for Airship stages in the ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' style.

|The original "Airship BGM" serves as the background music for the daytime version of Airship stages in the ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' style.

In ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', an arrangement of "Airship BGM" plays in scenes relating to the [[Bowser's Airship|Doom Ship]] and [[Doom Sub]].

As ''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]'' features a remake of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', "Airship BGM" was given an updated, 16-bit arrangement on brass and timpani. This version skips the 2-bar timpani solo after the track loops. This arrangement is also included in the game's [[Wii]] port ''[[Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition]]'', as well as ''[[Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World]]''.

"Airship BGM" also received an updated arrangement in ''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]''. In the opening cutscene, the first half of the "Airship Theme" plays before transitioning to an original piece.

A fully orchestrated arrangement of "Airship BGM" titled "'''Attack of the Airships'''"<ref name="SMG Soundtrack">''[[Super Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack]]''</ref> is featured in the opening of ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'', arranged by [[Mahito Yokota]]. A variation of this arrangement, titled "'''Airship Armada'''"<ref name="SMG Soundtrack"/>, plays in [[Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada]]. "Airship Armada" has a shorter introduction than "Attack of the Airships" and it loops instead of ending.

"Attack of the Airships" can be heard in [[Bowser Jr.]]'s newcomer video for ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'' / ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U|Wii U]]'' when the [[Koopalings]] appear. "Airship Armada" is reused in the opening of ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'' when [[Bowser]] appears. An unused, early version of the song, played on synthesized instruments, was later compressed and used in ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'' and can be heard in airship levels.<ref>[[tcrf:Super Mario Galaxy|The Cutting Room Floor]]</ref>  "Attack of the Airships" and "Airship Armada" both return along with ''Super Mario Galaxy'' in ''[[Super Mario 3D All-Stars]]''.

In ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'', a mostly faithful arrangement plays in airship levels. The melody is played by an organ instead of brass and a countermelody has been added before the piece loops. If the player runs short on [[Time Limit|time]], string accents are added to the arrangement along with the tempo increase. In the room before a boss fight, only the percussion plays. The arrangement is reused in airship levels in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'', ''[[New Super Luigi U]]'', ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe]]'' (all three of which also reuse the pre-boss variation), ''[[Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition]]'', ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'', ''[[Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS]]'', ''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]'', and ''[[Super Mario Run]]''. In ''Super Mario Run'', wind chimes and synthesized scratches are added to the theme during [[Coin Rush Star|Coin Rush]].

Sheet music for this arrangement is featured in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii: Simplified Piano Solos]]''.

In ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'', when editing an Airship course in the [[Course Maker]], a more ambient techno-style arrangement of the corresponding Airship Theme plays, using multiple tracks that fade in and out randomly to create a dynamic mix. This arrangement returns in ''[[Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]''.

 

The ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' version of the theme also receives new percussion parts for when Mario rides a [[Yoshi (species)|Yoshi]] in the ''New Super Mario Bros. U'' style, as this was impossible in such levels in the original game.

The opening cutscene of ''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]'' features an arrangement of the theme from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''-style airship levels in ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'' titled '''「オープニング ～ピーチ城上空～」(''Ōpuningu ~Pīchi-jō Jōkū~'')'''<ref name="SMO Soundtrack">''[[Super Mario Odyssey Original Soundtrack]]''</ref> (meaning "'''Opening ~Above Peach's Castle~'''"), and a section of the arrangement includes a part of "Airship BGM".

The first arrangement of the "Airship BGM" outside of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' and its remakes and adaptations is featured in ''[[Paper Mario]]'', which plays when the [[Koopa Bros.]] fire [[Bullet Bill]]s at [[Mario]] when he reaches the [[Koopa Bros. Fortress]]'s rooftop. It was arranged by Yuka Tsujiyoko and is titled "'''Bill Blaster! Go Faster!'''".<ref name="PM Soundtrack">{{cite|url=vgmdb.net/album/2035|title=Paper Mario Game Music Soundtrack CD|language=en|publisher=VGMdb|accessdate=August 11, 2019}}</ref>

In ''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]'', an arrangement of "Airship BGM" plays in [[Bowser Jr.'s Flotilla]]. This version uses the saxophone as its main instrument (an instrument common in the game's music) and is based on ''Super Mario Galaxy''{{'}}s arrangement.  

In ''[[Mario Hoops 3-on-3]]'', an arrangement of "Airship BGM", titled '''「飛空艇登場のテーマ」(''Hikūtei Tōjō no Tēma'')'''<ref name="MH3o3 Soundtrack">''[[Mario Basketball 3on3 Original Soundtrack]]''</ref> (meaning "'''Airship Appearance Theme'''") in the [[Mario Basketball 3on3 Original Soundtrack|official soundtrack]], plays in the cutscene where [[Ninja (character)|Ninja]] steals the Rainbow Tourney trophy.

In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', an orchestral arrangement of "Airship BGM" titled "'''Airship Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)'''"<ref name="SSBB Sound Test">Sound Test - ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''</ref> was arranged by ''[[Mario Golf (series)|Mario Golf]]'' and ''[[Mario Tennis (series)|Mario Tennis]]'' composer [[Motoi Sakuraba]]. The "Hurry Up" tune from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' is also incorporated in the middle of the song. The arrangement can be played on the [[Luigi's Mansion (stage)|Luigi's Mansion]] stage and can be heard in the [[Super Smash Bros. Brawl#The Subspace Emissary|Subspace Emissary]] while fighting [[Petey Piranha]], during cutscenes involving [[Bowser]], and during fights against [[False Character#False Bowser|False Bowser]], [[False Character#False Diddy Kong|False Diddy Kong]], and [[Wario]].  

The arrangement returns in ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'', where it can be played on the Luigi's Mansion and [[Super Mario Maker (stage)|Super Mario Maker]] stages, and in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', where it can be played on any ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]''- or ''[[Super Mario (series)|Super Mario]]''-series stage. In ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', the arrangement's name is formatted as "'''Airship Theme - Super Mario Bros. 3'''".<ref name="SSBU Sound Test">Sound Test - ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''</ref>

The arrangement "'''Paper Mario Medley'''"<ref name="SSB3DS Sound Test">Sound Test - ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]''</ref> in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'' adds an electric guitar to ''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]''{{'}}s arrangement of "Airship BGM" and incorporates it into a medley of other themes from the ''[[Paper Mario (series)|Paper Mario]]'' series. The arrangement can be played on the [[Paper Mario (stage)|Paper Mario]] stage. The arrangement is also included in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS''{{'}} sister game, ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'', where it can be played on [[Woolly World]].  

In ''[[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam]]'', an arrangement of "Airship BGM" is incorporated into the theme "'''Double Bowsers!'''",<ref name="M&LPJ Music Player">[[Music Player]] - ''[[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam]]''</ref> which plays during the final battle with [[Bowser]] and [[Paper Bowser]].

In ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'', scored by [[Brian Tyler]], the first half of "Airship BGM" is arranged for the beginning of the track "'''King of the Koopas'''",<ref name="SMB Movie Soundtrack">''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)]]''</ref> which plays when Bowser arrives at the [[Snow Kingdom (The Super Mario Bros. Movie)|Snow Kingdom]], while the second half is arranged for the track "'''Fighting Tooth and Veil'''"<ref name="SMB Movie Soundtrack"/> after [[Princess Peach|Peach]] rejects Bowser and uses the [[Ice Flower]].

==List of appearances==

===Games===

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%"

|Airship BGM

|"Bill Blaster! Go Faster!"<ref name="PM Soundtrack"/>

|Taiju Suzuki

|"Attack of the Airships"<ref name="SMG Soundtrack"/>

|"Airship Armada"<ref name="SMG Soundtrack"/>

|"Airship Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)"<ref name="SSBB Sound Test"/>

|"Airship Theme"<ref>''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii: Simplified Piano Solos]]''</ref>

|"Paper Mario Medley"<ref name="SSB3DS Sound Test"/>

|"Double Bowsers!"<ref name="M&LPJ Music Player"/>

|"Bowser's Airship Aloft"<ref name="PMCS Sound Room"/>

|「オープニング ～ピーチ城上空～」(''Ōpuningu ~Pīchi-jō Jōkū~'')<ref name="SMO Soundtrack"/>

|"Airship Theme - Super Mario Bros. 3"<ref name="SSBU Sound Test"/>

|"Paper Mario Medley"<ref name="SSB3DS Sound Test"/>

|"King of the Koopas"<ref name="SMB Movie Soundtrack"/>

|"Fighting Tooth and Veil"<ref name="SMB Movie Soundtrack"/>

===Albums===

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%"

|「飛行船BGM」 (''{{hover|Hikōsen BGM|Airship BGM}}'')

|「飛空艇登場のテーマ」 (''{{hover|Hikūtei Tōjō no Tēma|Airship Appearance Theme}}'')

|「オープニング ～ピーチ城上空～」(''{{hover|Ōpuningu ~Pīchi-jō Jōkū~|Opening ~Over Peach Castle~}}'')

|Jpn=飛行船BGM

|JpnR=Hikōsen BGM

|JpnM=Airship BGM

[[Category:Recurring themes]]