Castle (theme)
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- This article is about the musical composition from Super Mario World. For the musical composition heard in castle levels in Super Mario Bros., see Castle BGM.
| "Castle" | |
|---|---|
"Castle" in Super Mario World | |
| Composed by: Koji Kondo | |
| First appearance | Super Mario World (1990) |
| Latest appearance | The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) |
"Castle"[1] is a musical theme composed for Super Mario World by Koji Kondo. It is a slower, more foreboding arrangement of the Super Mario World "Ground Theme".
Composition[edit]
"Castle", titled initially 「砦BGM」 (Toride BGM, "Fort BGM")[2] in the game's official soundtrack, is a slow arrangement of the "Ground Theme" that flattens most instances of the mediant and leading-tone to put the melody in the Dorian mode. The theme is transposed to C minor for the repeating bars.
 砦BGM - The arrangement heard in Super Mario World | File info |
Reuses[edit]
The following list does not include ports or remakes of Super Mario World.
| Game | Description |
|---|---|
| Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2 | "Castle" can be heard in castle-themed levels in the Super Mario World style. |
| WarioWare: Get It Together! | "Castle" plays in level 3 of the Super Mario World boss microgame. |
Arrangements[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
An arrangement of "Castle" can be heard in Game Boy Advance remake of Super Mario World, Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2. This version is much more compressed than the original version and uses different, lower-quality synthetic instruments.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
"Castle"'s Dorian motif is quoted in New Super Mario Bros. Wii's "Castle Theme."
This arrangement returns in New Super Mario Bros. 2, New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, Super Mario Run, and New Super Mario Bros. U-styled Castle courses in Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, and Super Mario Maker 2.
| Castle Theme - The arrangement heard in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. (The motif can be heard at ~26 seconds.) | File info |
Super Mario Maker[edit]
Super Mario Maker introduces Super Mario World style Airship levels, which were not present in the original game, along with a new theme for these levels. Like many other themes in Super Mario World, this arrangement integrates a variation of the main motif of this game's "Ground Theme", this time in a minor scale like "Castle". This arrangement is played on brass and string instruments.
When editing a Super Mario World-style Castle course in the Course Maker, a more ambient, orchestra/synthesizer-mixed arrangement of "Castle" plays, using seven tracks that fade in and out randomly to create a dynamic mix. In addition, the "editing" variant of the "Castle Theme" from New Super Mario Bros. Wii in the New Super Mario Bros. U style feature the "Castle" motif as a countermelody played on synthesized piano, in the part where the motif was originally.
"Castle" also receives new bongo percussion in the Super Mario World style when Mario rides a Yoshi, as this was impossible in castle level in the original game.
All of these new arrangements return in their original capacities in Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS and Super Mario Maker 2.
| Castle Theme (Editing) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker | File info |
| Airship Theme - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker | File info |
| Airship Theme (Editing) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker | File info |
| Castle Theme (Editing) (New Super Mario Bros. U style) - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Maker | File info |
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
In Super Mario Maker 2, a music box arrangement of "Castle" from Super Mario World and "Castle Theme" from New Super Mario Bros. Wii play during the nighttime version of castle-themed levels in the Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. U style, respectively.
Like in Super Mario Maker, these tracks are paired with bongo percussion when Mario is riding a Yoshi.
Super Mario World television series[edit]
An arrangement of the second half of "Castle" can be heard throughout episodes in the Super Mario World animated series.
Super Mario Bros. Mushroom World[edit]
An arrangement of "Castle" is one of the themes that can play while playing the pinball arcade game Super Mario Bros. Mushroom World.
Mario Discovery series[edit]
Mario is Missing![edit]
The PC, SNES, and NES versions of Mario is Missing! all feature arrangements of "Castle". The MS-DOS and SNES versions each feature two arrangements that play in Bowser's Castle, and an additional arrangement that plays during boss battles. The NES version only has one arrangement of "Castle" which plays in Bowser's Castle. The MS-DOS and SNES arrangements are quite similar to each other, while the NES arrangement is noticeably different, using an 8-bit soundfont rather than a 16-bit one.
| Bowser's Castle 1 - The arrangement heard in the SNES version of Mario is Missing! | File info |
| Bowser's Castle 2 - The arrangement heard in the SNES version of Mario is Missing! | File info |
| Catch the Koopa Kids! - The arrangement heard in the SNES version of Mario is Missing! | File info |
| Bowser's Castle - The arrangement heard in the NES version of Mario is Missing! | File info |
Mario's Time Machine[edit]
The SNES version of Mario's Time Machine features two arrangements of "Castle". The first arrangement plays on the game's title screen and is a mashup arrangement of "Castle" and the theme heard in Vanilla Dome in Super Mario World. The second arrangement plays in Bowser's Castle.
The PC version of Mario's Time Machine features an arrangement of "Castle" as one of two songs that can play in Bowser's Museum, the other being an arrangement of the Ghost House theme, "Obake Yashiki BGM". An additional arrangement of "Castle" can be heard at the end of the opening cutscene in the PC version.
| Title - The arrangement heard in the SNES version of Mario's Time Machine | File info |
| Bowser's Castle 1 - The arrangement heard in the SNES version of Mario's Time Machine | File info |
| Opening 5 - The arrangement heard in the PC version of Mario's Time Machine | File info |
| Bowser's Museum 1 - The arrangement heard in the PC version of Mario's Time Machine | File info |
Paper Mario series[edit]
Paper Mario[edit]
In Paper Mario, the Dorian motif of "Castle" is quoted on sine synthesizer in the theme heard in Toad Town Tunnels, which is included in the track "Toad Town Variations" in the game's official soundtrack.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]
The music for the Palace of Shadow briefly samples the Castle theme while also incorporating the Underground Theme from Super Mario Bros.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, an arrangement of "Castle" is featured at the beginning and end of the medley "Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World / SMB 3)", with Super Mario Bros. 3's boss theme played in the middle. 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,[3] 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 on any Super Smash Bros.-series and Super Mario-series stage.
| Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World / SMB 3) - The arrangement heard in Super Smash Bros. Brawl | File info |
The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]
In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, a brief arrangement of the beginning of "Castle" is featured in the song "World 1-1", and a full arrangement is featured in the credits song "Level Complete".
Other arrangements[edit]
Super Mario World[edit]
The official soundtrack for Super Mario World includes an arrangement of "Castle" in the medley "Mario! Stay Alert!", composed by Soichi Noriki and performed by the Mario World Band, along with the underground and Ghost House themes.
Nintendo Live 2023[edit]
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 an arrangement of the "Castle" portion of "Level Complete" from The Super Mario Bros. Movie.[4]
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario World | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1991 | Original | 「砦BGM」 (Toride BGM)[2] | Koji Kondo |
| Super Mario Bros. Mushroom World | Pinball | 1992 | Arrangement | ||
| Mario is Missing! | MS-DOS | 1992 | Arrangement | Rob Wallace | |
| Mario is Missing! | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1993 | Arrangement | ||
| Mario is Missing! | Nintendo Entertainment System | 1993 | Arrangement | ||
| Mario's Time Machine | MS-DOS | 1993 | Arrangement | Rob Wallace | |
| Mario's Time Machine | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1993 | Arrangement | Mark Knight | |
| Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1994 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Paper Mario | Nintendo 64 | 2000 | Arrangement | "Toad Town Variations"[5] | Yuka Tsujiyoko |
| Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 | Game Boy Advance | 2001 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Wii | 2008 | Arrangement | "Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World / SMB 3)" | Yusuke Takahama |
| New Super Mario Bros. Wii | Wii | 2009 | Arrangement | "Castle Theme"[6] | Shiho Fujii[7] |
| New Super Mario Bros. 2 | Nintendo 3DS | 2012 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Shiho Fujii | |
| New Super Mario Bros. U | Wii U | 2012 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Shiho Fujii | |
| New Super Luigi U | Wii U | 2013 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Shiho Fujii | |
| New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U | Wii U | 2013 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Shiho Fujii | |
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Wii U | 2014 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) | "Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World / SMB 3)" | Yusuke Takahama |
| Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition | Nintendo 3DS | 2015 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Shiho Fujii | |
| Super Mario Maker | Wii U | 2015 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Arrangement | |||||
| Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Shiho Fujii | ||||
| Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS | 2016 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Shiho Fujii | ||||
| Past arrangement (Super Mario Maker) | |||||
| Super Mario Run | Android, iOS | 2016 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Shiho Fujii | |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo Switch | 2018 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) | "Castle / Boss Fortress (Super Mario World / SMB 3)" | Yusuke Takahama |
| New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Shiho Fujii | |
| Super Mario Maker 2 | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Arrangement | |||||
| Past arrangement (New Super Mario Bros. Wii) | Shiho Fujii | ||||
| Past arrangement (Super Mario Maker) | |||||
| WarioWare: Get It Together! | Nintendo Switch | 2021 | Original | Koji Kondo |
Film and television[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario World | 1991 | Arrangement | Michael Tavera | |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 2023 | Arrangement | "World 1-1" | Brian Tyler |
| "Level Complete" |
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario World | 1991 | Original | 「砦BGM」 (Toride BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Arrangement | "Mario! Stay Alert!" | Soichi Noriki | ||
| Nintendo Super Famicom Game Music | 1992 | Original | 「お城BGM」 (O-Jō BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Paper Mario Game Music Soundtrack CD | 2001 | Arrangement | "Toad Town Variations" | Yuka Tsujiyoko |
| Happy! Mario 20th - Super Mario Sound Collection | 2005 | Original | 「お城BGM」 (O-Jō BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music | 2015 | Original | 「お城BGM」 (O-Jō BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2023 | Arrangement | "World 1-1" | Brian Tyler |
| "Level Complete" |
Live performances[edit]
| 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 languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | お城BGM[1] Oshiro BGM |
Castle BGM |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Super Smash Bros. series sound tests
- ^ a b Super Mario World album
- ^ Pre-release screenshot of Delfino Plaza's My Music menu in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
- ^ Hitbox Hero (September 3, 2023). Nintendo Live 2023 - Super Mario Super Big Band uncut full show (45:22). YouTube (English). Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Paper Mario Game Music Soundtrack CD
- ^ New Super Mario Bros. Wii: Simplified Piano Solos
- ^ やさしくひける New スーパーマリオブラザーズ Wii. yamaha music media (Japanese). Retrieved July 12, 2023.
