Bowser BGM
| "Bowser BGM" | |
|---|---|
"Bowser BGM" in Super Mario World | |
| Composed by: Koji Kondo | |
| First appearance | Super Mario World (1990) |
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass (Wave 6) (2023) |
"Bowser BGM"[1] is a musical theme composed for the final boss battle against Bowser in Super Mario World by Koji Kondo. It has made several appearances since, usually as a theme representing Bowser or climactic events.
Reuses[edit]
The following list does not include ports or remakes of Super Mario World.
| Game | Description |
|---|---|
| Super Mario Maker | The opening of "Bowser BGM" can be heard upon completing a course with the Bowser costume in the Super Mario Bros. style. |
| Super Mario Odyssey | The main section of "Bowser BGM" can briefly be heard during the cutscene when Mario captures Bowser at the end of the game, which features a screenshot of the final boss battle from Super Mario World as one of Bowser's past memories. |
| Super Mario Maker 2 | "Bowser BGM" can be heard when the "Final Boss" sound effect is used in the Super Mario World style. The opening portion of the theme, except for the final note, is omitted in this game. |
Arrangements[edit]
Super Mario World television series[edit]
An arrangement of "Bowser BGM" can be heard twice in the Super Mario World animated series episode "Send in the Clown".
Mario Kart series[edit]
Super Mario Kart[edit]
In Super Mario Kart, the theme heard in Bowser Castle 1, Bowser Castle 2, and Bowser Castle 3 is heavily based on "Bowser BGM", albeit lacking the intro.
This arrangement returns alongside Bowser Castle 3 in Mario Kart Tour.
 Bowser Castle - The arrangement heard in Super Mario Kart | File info |
Mario Kart: Super Circuit[edit]
Bowser Castle 1, Bowser Castle 2, and Bowser Castle 3 all return in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, along with a new, more chiptune-themed arrangement of the courses' theme.
| Bowser Castle - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart: Super Circuit | File info |
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
SNES Bowser Castle 3 returns in Wave 6 of the Booster Course Pass in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, along with a new metal arrangement of the course's theme that incorporates electric guitars. Additional percussion is added to the instrumentation when the player is in first place.
| SNES Bowser Castle 3 - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | File info |
| SNES Bowser Castle 3 (Frontrunning) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | File info |
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
An arrangement of "Bowser BGM" can be heard in the Game Boy Advance reissue 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.
Itadaki Street series[edit]
Itadaki Street DS[edit]
An arrangement of "Bowser BGM" plays when one player has reached the target net worth of a Super Mario board in Itadaki Street DS.
| 魔王クッパBGM - The arrangement heard in Itadaki Street DS | File info 0:30 |
Fortune Street[edit]
Like in Itadaki Street DS, an arrangement of "Bowser BGM" plays when one player has reached the target net worth of a Super Mario board in Fortune Street. This arrangement is slightly altered from the Itadaki Street DS version.
| Target Net Worth Reached - The arrangement heard in Fortune Street | File info |
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario World | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1990 | Original | 「魔王クッパBGM」 (Maō Kuppa BGM)[2] | Koji Kondo |
| Super Mario Kart | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1992 | Arrangement | Soyo Oka | |
| Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1994 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Mario Kart: Super Circuit | Game Boy Advance | 2001 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 | Game Boy Advance | 2001 | Arrangement | ||
| Itadaki Street DS | Nintendo DS | 2007 | Arrangement | ||
| Fortune Street | Wii | 2011 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Mario Maker 2 | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Mario Kart Tour | Android, iOS | 20191 | Past arrangement (Super Mario Kart) | ||
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Nintendo Switch | 20222 | Arrangement | SNES Bowser Castle 3[1] |
1 - Added in the 2023 Bowser Tour on May 2, 2023
2 - Added in Wave 6 of the Booster Course Pass on November 9, 2023
Film and television[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario World | 1991 | Arrangement | Michael Tavera |
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario World | 1991 | Original | 「魔王クッパBGM」 (Maō Kuppa BGM) | Koji Kondo |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 魔王クッパBGM[2] Maō Kuppa BGM |
Evil King Bowser BGM |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Nintendo Music
- ^ a b Super Mario World album
