View source for Paah

{{more media|Samples of the "bah" sound effects in the ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' / ''New Super Mario Bros. U'' tower and castle themes (NOT ''New Super Mario Bros. 2'')}}
{{conjecture}}
[[File:KoopatroopaNSMBU.png|thumb|x150px|Artwork of a [[Koopa Troopa]] dancing to a sound effect in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'']]
Many musical tracks in the ''[[New Super Mario Bros. (disambiguation)|New Super Mario Bros.]]'' series incorporate sound effects that enemies and objects on-screen may briefly react to. These sounds are usually vocal samples that punctuate the background music at the end of a melodic phrase.

The first sample that [[Nintendo]] used for this purpose is "Paah", created by sample library vendor Best Service and found in ''Best Service Voice Spectral Volume 1''. The same CD also contains "Taaa", which was used for a similar but alternate sound effect.<ref>Best Service (1993). "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWCEgbkTJTY?t=29m05s Best Service Voice Spectral Volume 1]". Tracks 50 and 52.</ref> An additional bell sample from the Series 4000 Hollywood Sound Effects Library was used in underwater stages for the same purpose.<ref>SourceAudio. "[https://soundideas.sourceaudio.com/track/7627991 CartoonBell 4001_58_2]". Series 4000 Hollywood Sound Effects Library.</ref>

{{media table
|file1=Sample Bah Paah.wav
|title1="Paah" sample
|length1=0:22
|file2=Sample Bah Taaa.wav
|title2="Taaa" sample
|length2=0:18
|file3=Sample Bah Bell.wav
|title3="Cartoon Bell" sample
|length3=0:04
}}

As it could otherwise be assumed that the in-game characters do not {{wp|Diegetic music|hear the background music}}, their reaction to these sound effects may be considered to [[Fourth wall|break the fourth wall]].

==History==
===''Super Mario 64'' / ''Super Mario 64 DS''===
The jingle that plays immediately after entering a [[painting]] in ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' uses the "Paah" sample to play the first six notes of the [[Ground Theme (Super Mario Bros.)#Super Mario 64|Ground Theme]] from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' Unlike later uses of the sample, it has no gameplay effect. ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'' may have repurposed the sample due to its presence in the [[Nintendo DS]] remake, ''[[Super Mario 64 DS]]''.

{{media table
|file1=SM64 Game Start.oga
|title1=Game Start
|length1=0:03
}}

===''New Super Mario Bros.''===
''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'' is the first game to give the "Paah" sound a gameplay function. In the [[Main Theme (New Super Mario Bros.)|main]], [[Underground Theme|underground]], athletic, desert, beach and lava themes, some enemies and objects will react to certain sounds. A table summarizing entities' responses across different ''New Super Mario Bros.'' games can be found below.

In certain level themes, the "Paah" vocals are replaced with other sounds that have the same function. The main and athletic themes use the "Paah" sample, while the underground, desert, beach, and lava themes use the "Taaa" sample. The underwater theme uses the bell sound effect.

[[List of New Super Mario Bros. pre-release and unused content|Pre-release versions of ''New Super Mario Bros.'']] used an orchestral hit in place of the final game's vocal samples.

{{media table
|file1=NSMB Music Overworld Theme.oga
|title1=Main Theme
|length1=0:30
|file2=NSMB Music Athletic Theme.oga
|title2=Athletic Theme
|length2=0:30
|file3=NSMB Music Underground Theme.oga
|title3=Underground Theme
|length3=0:30
|file4=NSMB Music Underwater Theme.oga
|title4=Underwater Theme
|length4=0:30
|file5=NSMB Music Desert Overworld Theme.oga
|title5=Desert Overworld Theme
|length5=0:30
|file6=NSMB Music Beach Overworld Theme.oga
|title6=Beach Overworld Theme
|length6=0:30
|file7=NSMB Music Lava Overworld Theme.oga
|title7=Lava Overworld Theme
|length7=0:30
}}

===''New Super Mario Bros. Wii''===
While ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' uses new overworld, underground, and athletic themes, the "Paah" sound reappears in these new versions, serving the same purpose. It also appears in the new desert, beach, forest, snow, and lava overworld music, as well as the lava underground music.

There are two points in the [[tower]] theme that act as "bah"s; each is at the start of a slow trill that plays on bass marimba and strings near the beginning of the loop. In the [[castle]] theme, the sound of orchestral cymbals is used in place of "bah"s.

{{media table
|file1=OverworldNSMBW.oga
|title1=Overworld Theme
|length1=0:30
|file2=UndergroundNSMBW.oga
|title2=Underground Theme
|length2=0:30
|file3=TowerNSMBW.oga
|title3=Tower Theme
|length3=0:30
|file4=UnderwaterNSMBW.oga
|title4=Underwater Theme
|length4=0:30
|file5=AthleticNSMBW.oga
|title5=Athletic Theme
|length5=0:30
|file6=CastleNSMBW.oga
|title6=Castle Theme
|length6=0:30
|file7=DesertNSMBW.oga
|title7=Desert Overworld Theme
|length7=0:30
|file8=New Super Mario Bros Wii Snow Overworld.oga
|title8=Snow Overworld Theme
|length8=0:30
|file9=BeachNSMBW.oga
|title9=Beach Overworld Theme
|length9=0:30
|file10=JungleNSMBW.oga
|title10=Jungle Overworld Theme
|length10=0:30
|file11=LavaOverworldNSMBW.oga
|title11=Lava Overworld Theme
|length11=0:30
|file12=LavaUndergroundNSMBW.oga
|title12=Lava Underground Theme
|length12=0:30
}}

===''New Super Mario Bros. 2''===
In ''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', the "Paah" sound reappears in the new ground theme and athletic theme, as well as the desert, beach, forest, snow, lava overworld, and lava underground music reused from ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii''. The xylophone glissando also reappears in the underwater theme. Additionally, this game is the only game in the series to incorporate "Paah" vocals in the music of [[Ghost House]], tower and castle levels. The latter two also feature the sound effects that were previously used in their ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' renditions in place of the "bah" vocals, but stage elements now only respond to the vocals.

The vocals with the "bah" effect are distinct from the new "yah" or "lah" samples accompanying the ground and athletic themes, which play alongside the melody in the overworld theme and instead of it in the athletic theme. As the melody in these themes is otherwise the same as in their ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' counterparts, enemies and objects only react to the bahs that were present originally. 

{{media table
|file1=NSMB2 Ground Theme.oga
|title1=Overworld Theme
|length1=0:30
|file2=New Super Mario Bros 2 Athletic Theme.oga
|title2=Athletic Theme
|length2=0:30
|file3=NSMB2 Ghost House.oga
|title3=Ghost House Theme
|length3=0:30
|file4=New Super Mario Bros 2 Tower Theme.oga
|title4=Tower Theme
|length4=0:30
|file5=New Super Mario Bros 2 Castle Theme.oga
|title5=Castle Theme
|length5=0:30
}}

===''New Super Mario Bros. U''===
In ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'' and its port, ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe]]'', the "bah" sounds reappear in the underground, desert and forest overworld music from ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii''. Additionally, they are present in the new ground, athletic and snow themes. The xylophone glissando sound appears again in the underwater theme. ''[[New Super Luigi U]]'', an expansion to this game, simply reuses the music from ''New Super Mario Bros. U'', so the same actions occur when the "bah" sound is played.

{{media table
|file1=Overworld Theme New Super Mario Bros U.oga
|title1=Ground Theme
|length1=0:30
|file2=New Super Mario Bros U Athletic Theme.oga
|title2=Athletic Theme
|length2=0:30
|file3=NSMBU Snow Theme.oga
|title3=Snow Theme
|length3=0:30
}}

===''Super Mario Maker'' series===
The ''[[Super Mario Maker (disambiguation)|Super Mario Maker]]'' games reuse the underground, underwater, desert, forest and snow overworld music from ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'', and the overworld and athletic music from ''New Super Mario Bros. U''. However, enemies in these games do not react to the music, so the "bah" sounds serve no functional purpose.

==Table of reactions==
The table below lists the reactions of various elements in the ''New Super Mario Bros.'' games to these sounds. Many of these reactions are aesthetic, but some can have a small effect on gameplay, such as enemies making adjustments to their position instead of walking at a constant rate.

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!rowspan="2"|Enemy/character/object
!rowspan="2"|Reaction
!colspan="5"|Game(s) where this applies
|-
!''New Super Mario Bros.''
!''New Super Mario Bros. Wii''
!''New Super Mario Bros. 2''
!''New Super Mario Bros. U''
!''New Super Luigi U''
|-
|[[Blockhopper]]
|align=left|Performs a short hop if the player is far away. If the player is nearby, the Blockhopper will bounce wildly in their direction; if they are standing on top of it, it will bounce in the direction that they are facing.
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|
|
|
|-
|[[Blooper]]
|align=left|Twirls.
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Blooper Baby]]
|align=left|Twirls (only when following a Blooper Nanny).
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|-
|[[Blooper Nanny]]
|align=left|Twirls.
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|-
|[[Blue Shell]]
|align=left|Performs a short hop.
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|
|
|
|-
|[[Bob-omb]]
|align=left|Performs a short hop.
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|
|-
|[[Bone Goomba]]
|align=left|Performs a short hop.
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|
|-
|[[Bone Yogan Lift]]
|align=left|Eyes glow.
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|
|-
|[[Bramball]]
|align=left|Turns its head into an orange-like fruit. When hit from underneath in this state, Bramball will drop several coins instead of just one.
|
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Bulber]]
|align=left|Briefly opens its mouth.
|
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Bullet Bill]]
|align=left|Twirls.
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Buzzy Beetle]]
|rowspan=2 align=left|Performs a short hop.
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Big Buzzy Beetle]]
|
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|-
|[[Cheep Cheep]]{{footnote|main|a}}
|rowspan=2 align=left|Twirls.
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Big Cheep Cheep]]
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Cooligan]]
|align=left|Performs a small hop while flapping their wings. If their sunglasses are knocked off, their hop is even shorter.
|
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Deep Cheep]]
|rowspan=2 align=left|Twirls (unless chasing).
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|rowspan=2|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Big Deep Cheep]]
|-
|[[Dragoneel]]
|align=left|Twirls.
|
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Dry Bones]]
|align=left|Rotates its head.
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|align=left|Stops and does a short dance. When there are two bahs in short succession, it puts its hands together and swings its arms to both sides.
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Big Dry Bones]]
|align=left|Rotates its head.
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|align=left|Stops and does a short dance. When there are two bahs in short succession, it puts its hands together and swings its arms to both sides.
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|
|-
|[[Eep Cheep]]
|rowspan=2 align=left|Twirls.
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Big Eep Cheep]]
|
|
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Fish Bone]]
|align=left|Twirls.
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Flower (New Super Mario Bros. series)|Flower]]{{footnote|main|b}}
|align=left|Pulsates.
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|Flower items<br>([[Fire Flower]]/[[Ice Flower]]/[[Gold Flower]])
|align=left|Performs a short hop.
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Goomba]]
|rowspan=3 align=left|Performs a short hop.
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Hefty Goomba]]
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|rowspan=2|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Big Goomba]]
|-
|[[Goombrat]]
|align=left|Flaps its leaves.
|
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Jellybeam]]
|align=left|Glows a little brighter.
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|-
|[[Koopa Paratroopa]]
|align=left|Does a short dance. When there are two bahs in short succession, it swings its opposing limbs on the second bah.
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Koopa Troopa]]
|align=left|Turns towards the camera.
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|
|
|
|-
|align=left|Stops and does a short dance while facing the camera. When there are two bahs in short succession, it swings its arms to both sides and lifts its foot lower.
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Big Koopa Troopa]]
|align=left|Like with the regular Koopa Troopa, it stops and does a short dance, albeit without facing the camera; when there are two bahs in short succession, it swings its arms to both sides and lifts its foot lower.
|
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Lakitu's Cloud]]
|align=left|Swells up.
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|
|-
|align=left|Mouths to the "bah" vocals.
|
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|Mushroom items<br>([[Super Mushroom]]/[[1-Up Mushroom]]/[[Mini Mushroom]]/[[Gold Mushroom]])
|align=left|Performs a short hop.
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Penguin Suit]]
|align=left|Performs a short hop.
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Pokey]]
|align=left|Turns its segments into orange-like fruit, enabling a [[Yoshi (species)|Yoshi]] or [[Baby Yoshi]] to eat the Pokey in its entirety, with the former laying an [[Yoshi's Egg|egg]] with items inside after doing so.
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Spiny]]
|align=left|Hops and changes direction.
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|
|
|
|-
|align=left|Performs a short hop.
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Spiny Cheep Cheep]]
|align=left|Twirls (unless chasing).
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Super Acorn]]/[[P-Acorn]]
|align=left|Performs a short hop.
|
|
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Torpedo Ted]]
|align=left|Twirls.
|
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Urchin]]
|rowspan=2 align=left|Blows bubbles out of its mouth.
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|rowspan=2|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Big Urchin]]
|-
|[[Waddlewing]]
|align=left|Rolls (when on the ground) or flips forward (when flying).
|
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Yoshi (species)|Yoshi]]
|align=left|Mouths to the "bah" vocals and turns its head towards the camera (only when unmounted).
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|-
|[[Baby Yoshi]]
|align=left|Mouths to the "bah" vocals and, like with the regular Koopa Troopa, stops and does a short dance (only when not held).
|
|
|
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|[[File:Check mark.svg|17px]]
|}

===Notes===
{{footnote|note|a|Excluding the jumping variety}}
{{footnote|note|b|Plants that can bear [[coin]]s in ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'' also dance to the background music.}}

==See also==
*[[Blinking Block]]

==References==
<references/>

{{NSMB}}
{{NSMBW}}
{{NSMB2}}
{{NSMBU}}
[[Category:Game mechanics]]
[[Category:Music]]
[[Category:New Super Mario Bros.]]
[[Category:New Super Mario Bros. 2]]
[[Category:New Super Mario Bros. U]]
[[Category:New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]