Jump Up, Super Star!
"Jump Up, Super Star!" (referred to as "NDC Festival" in-game), also referred to as "1-Up Girl,"[1] is the theme song of Super Mario Odyssey. It is sung by Pauline during the mission A Traditional Festival! as well as during the beginning segment of the Darker Side. The song was also used in the E3 2017 trailer for the game.
The song uses an upbeat, big-band jazz style and is most notable for being the first song from the Super Mario series to feature lyrics, something rarely heard in songs from Mario games. The song has Pauline detailing an adventure across the worlds of Super Mario Odyssey, referring to herself as Mario's "1UP girl." The lyrics are also printed on the inside of the game case for all regions. A Japanese version of the song has its own lyrics, which differ from the international version.[2] This version can be played from a boombox in the Metro Kingdom and Mushroom Kingdom. An 8-bit version without vocals is unlocked in the Music List after the player fulfills all of Jammin' Toad's requests, and it can also be played if the player replays A Traditional Festival!
The song is performed by the Super Mario Players and sung by Kate Higgins (credited as Kate Davis)[3] in English and songwriter Aimi Mukohara[4] in Japanese. It is composed by Naoto Kubo.[5] The original lyrics are written by Nobuyoshi Suzuki,[6] and the English lyrics are written by Rob Tunstall. The full version was released worldwide on October 20, 2017, on the iTunes Store, while the short version was downloadable for free until January 31, 2018.[7] The song is also included in the Super Mario Odyssey Original Soundtrack.
Development
Nobuyoshi Suzuki, the sound designer of Super Mario Odyssey, wrote the first draft of the lyrics in Japanese. According to Yoshiaki Koizumi, they had a discussion on whether using words such as "1UP" would be good. They sent all of the documents they had to the localization members to create the final lyrics, due to English being a more global language, as Koizumi stated.[6] This resulted in a back-and-forth between localization members and the Japanese developers as they struggled to keep the Mario references as subtle as possible.[8] He also indicated in an AMA on reddit that the song had been created as a direct result of their developing the character of Pauline.[9]
The English version was the first to be recorded[10] with voice actress Kate Higgins providing the vocals. According to herself, Cup of Tea Productions, Inc. was in charge of the voice acting. When asked if she was interested in doing the voice, she agreed and auditioned for the role by sending samples of her voice to Nintendo of Japan, and she was ultimately selected for the role. Weeks before the recording session, Nintendo of Japan sent her a demo sung by an unknown Japanese singer and a lead sheet, with the music already recorded. Several people from Japan and America were present in the final recording.[11]
For the Japanese version, the Nintendo Sound Team already had some candidates, but after the team listened to her YouTube videos, songwriter Aimi Mukohara was chosen to do the vocals. All the Nintendo Sound Team was present at the moment of recording. This is the first time Aimi was involved with the music of any video game.[10]
Lyrics
English
Here we go, off the rails
Don't you know it's time to raise our sails?
It's freedom like you never knewDon't need bags, or a pass
Say the word, I'll be there in a flash
You could say my hat is off to youOh, we can zoom
All the way to the moon
From this great wide wacky world
Jump with me, grab coins with me
Oh, yeah!It's time to jump up in the air (Jump up in the air)
Jump up, don't be scared (Jump up, don't be scared)
Jump up and your cares will soar away
And if the dark clouds start to swirl, (Dark clouds start to swirl)
Don't fear, don't shed a tear, 'cause
I'll be your 1UP girlSo let's all jump up super high (Jump up super high)
High up in the sky (High up in the sky)
There's no power-up like dancing
You know that you're my superstar (You're my superstar)
No one else can take me this far
I'm flipping the switch
Get ready for this
Oh, let's do the odysseyOdyssey, ya see! (×7)
Odyssey, odyssey!
Spin the wheel, take a chance
Every journey starts a new romance
A new world's calling out to you
Take a turn, off the path
Find a new addition to the cast
You know that any captain needs a crewTake it in stride
As you move side-to-side
They're just different points of view
Jump with me, grab coins with me
Oh, yeah!Come on and jump up in the air (Jump up in the air)
Jump without a care (Jump without a care)
Jump up 'cause you know that I'll be there
And if you find you're short on joy, (Find you're short on joy)
Don't fret, just don't forget that
You're still our 1UP boySo go on, straighten up your cap (Straighten up your cap)
Let your toes begin to tap (Toes begin to tap)
This rhythm is a power 'shroom
Don't forget you're the superstar (You're the superstar)
No one else could make it this far
Put a comb through that 'stache
Now you've got panache
Oh, let's do the odyssey
It's time to jump up in the air (Jump up in the air)
Jump up, don't be scared (Jump up, don't be scared)
Jump up and your cares will soar away
And if the dark clouds start to swirl, (Dark clouds start to swirl)
Don't fear, don't shed a tear, 'cause
I'll be your 1UP girlNow listen, all you boys and girls (All you boys and girls)
All around the world (All around the world)
Don't be afraid to get up and move
You know that we're all superstars (We're all superstars)
We're the ones who made it this far
Put a smile on that face
There's no time to waste
So, let's do the odyssey
Japanese
| Japanese lyrics | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
|
旅のサイン さぁ帆を上げ始めよう 世界の灯りの数ほど 愛を歌えば 一緒に夢を見て さぁ恋をして みんなでハイジャンプして さぁハイタッチして オデッセイ でっせい！ (×7) 濡れた頬が 笑顔で弾けたら 射し込む光の中 ほら夢を願えば 一人で悩んで 落ち込んで みんなに Hi! おはよう Hi! こんにちは みんなでシュビドゥビバァ シュビドゥビダァ 一緒にハイジャンプして さぁハイタッチして |
tabi no sain sā ho o age hajimeyou sekai no akari no kazu hodo ai o utaeba issho ni yume o mite sā koi o shite mina de hai janpu shite sā haitacchi shite odessei, dessei! (×7) nureta hoho ga egao de hajiketara sashikomu hikari no naka hora yume o negaeba hitori de nayande ochikonde minna ni Hi! ohayō Hi! konnichiwa minna de shubidubibā shubidubidā issho ni hai janpu shite sā haitacchi shite
|
The symbol of a voyage, let's start to raise the sails Let's sing our love as brightly as all the lights in all the world Let's dream together, love together Let's all jump up high and high five Odyssey, 'dyssey! (×7) If our blushed tears become a smile In the radiant light if you have hope in your dreams Even when you're alone, you're worried, Everyone say "Hi! Good morning", "Hi! Good afternoon", Let's shooby doo be wop, shooby doo be dap Let's jump up high and high five |
a - 「女神がキスをした」 (megami ga kisu o shita) is a common way in Japan to say that the universe is on one's side, meaning things will go in the right direction.
b - While the literal translation is "touch," the verb is referring to the act of grabbing coins as the coin sound effect implies, so another possible translation could be "grab."
c - 「肩落とす時にも」 lit. "dropping your shoulders". When Mario's health is low, he "drops" his shoulders, so this can be translated as "tired".
Other appearances
"Jump Up, Super Star!" is heard in the 100th episode of The Cat Mario Show.
The first six verses of "Jump Up, Super Star!" play over the "Super Mario Odyssey: Around the World" ("Super Mario Odyssey: World Trekking" in Europe and Oceania) Nintendo 3DS HOME Menu theme.
The "NDC Festival" version of the song appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and can be played in any Super Mario-series stage. For the New Donk City Hall stage, two separate tracks exist in My Music: "Jump Up, Super Star!" and "Jump Up, Super Star! (Full Band Performance)." If the former is selected, only the drums are heard as only the drummer appears in the plaza, while Pauline and the rest of the band members randomly appear throughout the match. Passing by them recruits them to perform their part in the song and appear in the plaza. If the latter is selected, the song plays as is, and the performers are absent from the stage. The song also plays in Mario's character trailer.
"Jump Up, Super Star!" plays when Pauline uses her Special Shot in Mario Tennis Aces. It was also played in the trailer announcing her and other characters appearing as DLC characters in 2019.
In Mario Kart Tour, Pauline makes references to the song in some of her voice lines.
"Jump Up, Super Star!" plays when Pauline uses her Special Shot in Mario Golf: Super Rush.
In Mario Strikers: Battle League, "Jump Up, Super Star!" is used as a leitmotif in Pauline's theme.
"Jump Up, Super Star!" has also made appearances outside of the Mario franchise. A short version of it appears as one of the songs in the Game Music section of the Nintendo Switch installment of Bandai Namco's Taiko no Tatsujin series, Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun!, as well as in the Taiko no Tatsujin arcade game. In Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for Nintendo Switch, if the player achieves a rank of "Walking Speed" and taps on the walking figure multiple times, it whistles the first three lines of the chorus. In the version 1.2.0 update for Ring Fit Adventure released on March 26, 2020, a new Rhythm Game mode was added, which includes original songs along with music tracks from other games, one of which is "Jump Up, Super Star!"[12] The song was also performed during The Game Awards 2017 by the Game Awards Orchestra and Kate Higgins, as part of a medley of music from the games nominated for Game of the Year.[13]
Media
 Jump Up, Super Star! - The theme song of Super Mario Odyssey, as heard in the E3 2017 Spotlight. | File info 0:30 |
| Jump Up, Super Star! (Short Version) - Final sections from the short version of the song, available through the Super Mario Odyssey website. The ending follows the "Odyssey, ya see" bridge in this version. | File info 0:28 |
| Jump Up, Super Star! (Japanese Version) - The theme song in Japanese. | File info 0:30 |
| Jump Up, Super Star! (Japanese Short Version) - Final sections from the short version of the song in Japanese. | File info 0:28 |
| Jump Up, Super Star! (Kinopio-kun) - Kinopio-kun singing the vocals as heard on Nintendo's official LINE account. | File info 0:30 |
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Jump Up, Super Star! ～オデッセイ でっせい～[?] Jump Up, Super Star! ～Odessei, dessei～ |
Jump Up, Super Star! ～Odyssey, ya see～ | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 跳跃吧，超级巨星！[14] Tiàoyuè ba, Chāojíjùxīng! |
Jump Up, Super Star! |
Trivia
- The theme of 25m from Donkey Kong can be heard during the part where Pauline repeats the lyrics "Odyssey, ya see". In addition, the sound effect played when Mario jumps over a barrel in the game can be heard at the end of the aforementioned riff.[15]
- Also, when Pauline sings "Odyssey, ya see" in the objective "A Traditional Festival!" in the game, she mimics her main sprite animations from her first game, Donkey Kong.
External links
- Official Japanese page of the song
- Jump Up, Super Star! on the US iTunes Store
- Jump Up, Super Star! - Super Mario Odyssey Musical on YouTube
References
- ^ Super Mario Odyssey Prima guide, page 136
- ^ Japanese version of the song
- ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Higgins
- ^ https://www.joysound.com/web/s/karaoke/contents/video/mario_odyssey
- ^ SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY ORIGINAL SOUND TRACK - VGMdb. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- ^ a b https://www.famitsu.com/news/201710/25144749.html?page=2
- ^ Official Japanese page of Jump Up, Super Star!. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
- ^ https://nintendotreehouse.tumblr.com/post/167703261242/localizing-jump-up-super-star
- ^ https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/comments/6h9s6l/hi_im_mr_koizumi_producer_of_super_mario_odyssey/diwmhy5/
- ^ a b Email response from Aimi Mukohara on June 22, 2018
- ^ http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2017/10/27/kate-higgins-on-playing-pauline-and-recording-quot-jump-up-superstar-quot-for-super-mario-odyssey.aspx
- ^ Rhythm Mode Coming to Ring Fit Adventure (Featuring Jump Up Superstar & other Nintendo Tracks!) - GameXplain
- ^ The Game Awards 2017 Orchestra and Game of the Year Winner: Zelda
- ^ 腾讯NintendoS (November 19, 2020). 《健身环大冒险》免费内容更新介绍 Bilibili. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ https://youtube.com/watch?v=nEYx56R66fc
