Paah

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Artwork of a Koopa Troopa from New Super Mario Bros. U
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. 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 main sample used is "Paah" from the Best Service Voice Spectral sample CD. As a result, the sounds and gameplay mechanics are commonly described as bahs, bahps, and similar names.[citation needed] There are other sound effects with the same effect and similar placement in the music.

As it could otherwise be assumed that the in-game characters do not hear the background music, their reaction to these sound effects may be considered to 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 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.

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New Super Mario Bros.

New Super Mario Bros. is the first game to give the "Paah" sound a gameplay function. It plays in the main, underground, athletic, desert, beach and lava themes, which some enemies and objects will react to in their respective levels. A table summarizing entities' responses across different New Super Mario Bros. games can be found below.

In certain themes, the "Paah" vocals are replaced with other sounds with the same function. Some of the music uses a similar "Taaaa" sample from the same CD. The underwater theme uses an ascending cartoon xylophone glissando.

Pre-release versions of New Super Mario Bros. used an orchestra hit in place of the final game's vocal samples.

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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 bahs. Each is at the start of a slow trill that plays on bass marimba and strings near the beginning of the loop.

Because Super Mario Run lacks the "bah" mechanic, music reused from New Super Mario Bros. Wii in that game, such as the desert theme, has had the vocal samples removed. This is untrue of other reuses of these themes.

Icon of an audio speaker. Overworld Theme
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Icon of an audio speaker. Underground Theme
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Icon of an audio speaker. Tower Theme
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Icon of an audio speaker. Underwater Theme
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Icon of an audio speaker. Athletic Theme
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Icon of an audio speaker. Desert Overworld Theme
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Icon of an audio speaker. Snow Overworld Theme
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Icon of an audio speaker. Beach Overworld Theme
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Icon of an audio speaker. Jungle Overworld Theme
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Icon of an audio speaker. Lava Overworld Theme
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Icon of an audio speaker. Lava Underground Theme
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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 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.

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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.

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Super Mario Maker series

The 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.

Enemy/character/object Reaction 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 Performs a short hop. If Mario or Luigi are nearby or standing on top of it, the Blockhopper will move in the direction of them or in the direction that they are facing. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Blooper Twirls. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Blooper Baby Twirls (only when following a Blooper Nanny). A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Blooper Nanny Twirls. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Bob-omb Performs a short hop. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Bone Goomba Performs a short hop. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Bramball Turns its head into an orange-like fruit. When hit from underneath in this state, Bramball will drop several coins instead of just one. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Bullet Bill Twirls. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Buzzy Beetle Performs a short hop. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Big Buzzy Beetle A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Cheep Cheepa Twirls. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Big Cheep Cheep A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Deep Cheep Twirls (unless chasing). A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Big Deep Cheep
Dragoneel Twirls. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Dry Bones Rotates its head. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Stops and does a short dance. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Big Dry Bones Rotates its head. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Stops and does a short dance. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Eep Cheep Twirls. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Big Eep Cheep A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Fire Flower/Ice Flower/Gold Flower Performs a short hop. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Fish Bone Twirls. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Flower Pulsates. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Goomba Performs a short hop. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Hefty Goomba A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Big Goomba
Jellybeam Glows a little brighter. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Koopa Paratroopa Does a short dance. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Koopa Troopa Turns towards the camera. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Stops and does a short dance. When there are two bahs in short succession, it swings its arms to both sides and lifts its foot lower. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Big Koopa Troopa Like with the regular Koopa Troopa, it stops and does a short dance; when there are two bahs in short succession, it swings its arms to both sides and lifts its foot lower. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Lakitu's Cloud Swells up. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Mouths to the "bah" vocals. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Pokey Turns its segments into orange-like fruit, enabling Yoshi or a Baby Yoshi to eat the Pokey in its entirety, with the former laying an egg with items inside after doing so. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Spiny Hops and changes direction. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Performs a short hop. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Spiny Cheep Cheep Twirls (unless chasing). A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Super Mushroom/1-Up Mushroom/Gold Mushroom Performs a short hop. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Torpedo Ted Twirls. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Urchin Blows bubbles out of its mouth. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Big Urchin
Waddlewing Rolls (when on the ground) or flips forward (when flying). A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.
Yoshi Turns his head towards the camera (only when unmounted). A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable. A green check mark, used to indicate when something is true or applicable.

Notes

a - Excluding the jumping variety