Editing Airship Theme

{{media}}

{{construction}}

The "'''Airship Theme'''"<ref>''Super Smash Bros.'' series Sound Tests</ref> is an {{wp|atonal}}<ref>''Super Mario Series for Piano'', intermediate-advanced edition, pg 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 [[wikipedia:Gustav Holst|Gustav Holst]]'s ''[[wikipedia:The Planets|The Planets]]''.

As ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' is for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] and [[Family Computer]], the theme is orchestrated as {{wp|chiptune}} with a {{wp|timpani}} {{wp|PCM}} sample. The original Airship Theme is short, lasting 30 seconds, though later arrangements would go on to extend the theme. It has been reused in ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'' 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 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''.

{|border=1 cellspacing=3 cellpadding=3 style="border-collapse:collapse; width:100%"

As ''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]'' features a remake of ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', the Airship Theme was given an updated, 16-bit arrangement on brass and timpani. This version skips the 2-bar timpani solo after the track loops.

The Airship Theme 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.

|title2=Airship

A fully orchestrated arrangement is later featured in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'', arranged by [[Mahito Yokota]]. It plays in [[Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada]] and is named after it in the [[Super Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack|official soundtrack]] ("'''Airship Armada'''"). The arrangement is reused in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'' in the opening; it also returns in ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'', though it is compressed and played on synthesized instruments. A variation of this arrangement also plays in the opening when [[Bowser]] appears, the only differences being a longer introduction and that it ends instead of looping. This variation is titled "'''Attack of the Airships'''" in the official soundtrack, and would later be reused 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.

|file2=SM3DL-Airship.oga

|description2=The compressed version heard in ''Super Mario 3D Land''

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]]'' (both of which also reuse the pre-boss variation), ''[[Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition]]'', ''Super Mario Maker'' and ''Super Mario Maker 2'' in the ''New Super Mario Bros. U'' style, and ''[[Super Mario Run]]''.

Sheet music for this arrangement is featured in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii Intermediate / Advanced Piano Solos]]''.

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

In ''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]'', there are music box arrangements that play in the Airship theme at [[Moon (Super Mario Maker 2)|night]] in the ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' and ''New Super Mario Bros. U'' styles.

The first arrangement of the Airship Theme 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!'''" in the soundtrack.<ref>[https://vgmdb.net/album/2035 Paper Mario Game Music Soundtrack CD]. ''VGMdb''. Retrieved August 11, 2019.</ref>

Another arrangement titled "'''Battleship'''" is used in ''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]'' in [[Bowser Jr.'s Flotilla]]. This version uses saxophone as its main instrument, one that is common in the game's music, and is based on ''Super Mario Galaxy''{{'}}s arrangement. An excerpt is reused in Bowser Jr.'s newcomer video for ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'' / ''Wii U'', and also incorporated into the "Paper Mario Medley" (though with an electric guitar added) in the same games and ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', which plays on the [[Paper Mario (stage)|Paper Mario]] stage, [[Woolly World]] stage, and any ''Super Mario''-franchise stage respectively.

|title1=Battleship

In ''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]'', an arrangement played on a French horn titled "'''Bowser's Airship Aloft'''" plays outside [[the Crimson Tower]] when the giant bucket of paint is carried up by the airship, but stops abruptly when it is held down by an anchor. After Mario frees the anchor from [[Bowser Tape]], the music continues playing when he boards the airship himself.

In ''[[Mario Hoops 3-on-3]]'', an arrangement of the Airship Theme, titled「飛空艇登場のテーマ」(''Hikūtei Tōjō no Tēma'', "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.

|title1=飛空艇登場のテーマ

===''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''===

In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', an orchestral arrangement of the Airship Theme was arranged by ''[[Mario Tennis (series)|Mario Tennis]]'' and ''[[Mario Golf (series)|Mario Golf]]'' composer [[Motoi Sakuraba]], and plays on the [[Luigi's Mansion (stage)|Luigi's Mansion]] stage as well as in the [[Super Smash Bros. Brawl#The Subspace Emissary|Subspace Emissary]] in cutscenes involving [[Bowser]] and several fights against a [[False Character]]. The "Hurry Up" tune from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' is also incorporated in the middle of the song. The song reappears in ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'' on the same stage as well as the [[Super Mario Maker (stage)|Super Mario Maker]] stage, and in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' for any ''Super Mario''-franchise stage, and is also used in Bowser Jr.'s newcomer video for the former game.

In ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'', scored by [[Brian Tyler]], the first half of the Airship Theme is arranged for the beginning of the track "King of the Koopas", 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" after [[Princess Peach|Peach]] rejects Bowser and uses the [[Ice Flower]].

The Airship Theme was one of the songs performed in the ''Super Mario Bros.'' medley in the [[Super Mario Orchestra Concert]] in 2018.

==List of ''Super Mario'' appearances==

{|class=sortable border=1 cellspacing=2 cellpadding=2 style="border-collapse:collapse; width:100%"

|"Bill Blaster! Go Faster!"

|

|"Attack of the Airships"

|"Airship Armada"

|"Airship Theme (Super Mario Bros. 3)"

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

|"Attack of the Airships"

|"Battleship"

|

|"Paper Mario Medley"

|

|

|"Double Bowsers!"

|"Bowser's Airship Aloft"

|

|"Airship Theme - Super Mario Bros. 3"

|"Paper Mario Medley"

|"King of the Koopas"

|"Fighting Tooth and Veil"

===Soundtracks===

{|class=sortable border=1 cellspacing=2 cellpadding=2 style="border-collapse:collapse; width:100%"

|「飛行船BGM」 (''Hikōsen BGM'')

|「飛空艇登場のテーマ」 (''Hikūtei Tōjō no Tēma'')

[[Category:Musical themes]]