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Power Up! 'Super Mario' Music Comes to CD and Vinyl

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Super Mario World

BUY NOW FROM TOWER RECORDS

Video game music - particularly of a certain vintage - is kind of hit or miss in the physical catalogue space or otherwise, so it gives us pleasure to point out a few upcoming releases of music old, new and otherwise from Nintendo's venerable Super Mario series on CD and vinyl.

Available for the first time as a sprawling 3LP set, Warner Music Japan will make available the original soundtrack album to 1990's Super Mario World - the plucky plumber's first side-scrolling adventure for the 16-bit Super Famicom (released in 1991 in America as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System). Bigger than even the NES' Super Mario Bros. 3 (released in Japan in 1988 and America two years later), this adventure found Mario and his brother Luigi's vacation to Dinosaur Land put on hold after the series' villainous King Koopa and his seven children kidnap Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom as well as seven Yoshis, magical dinosaurs native to the land. (In addition to returning power-ups and similar game play to the classic Mario games, Super Mario World also had a green Yoshi as an occasional sidekick that the Mario Bros. could ride on during certain stages.)

For the original 2CD soundtrack release, Koji Kondo's themes from all the main Mario games to that point were first presented in surprisingly jazzy arrangements by local keyboardist Soichi Noriki, who recorded them with a crack band of Japanese session players: Sadao Watanabe on sopranino and alto saxophones, Tsunehide Matsuki on acoustic and electric guitar, Jun Kajiwara on electric guitar, electric bassist Kenji Takamizu, drummer Yuichi Togashiki, and percussionist Motoya Hamaguchi. After those 11 medleys, fans were treated to a veritable vault of Kondo's Mario melodies from the Famicom hits Super Mario Bros. (1985) and Super Mario Bros. 3, a pair of exclusive cues from an arcade version and Japan-only 1986 sequel (released in America nearly a decade later under the title Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels), the original 16-bit score cues from Super Mario World and even a library of sound effects from all those games. All of that is replicated on this new triple-vinyl pressing (even the sound effects, which...OK!), available in Japan from April 30.

The irrepressible game manufacturer in 2023 revisited a classic Mario work for the Nintendo Switch: 1996's Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. A unique entry in the game series originally released for the Super Famicom, it was developed by the game studio Square Enix, best known for the epic Final Fantasy role-playing series. Super Mario RPG adapted the classic Mario run-and-jump formula with RPG staples like turn-based combat, inventoried items and a non-linear map sequence. Here, Mario and his adventuring party - the tadpole Mallow, the enchanted puppet Geno, Princess Peach and even a reluctant Bowser (King Koopa's American name) - must travel a vast land to stop the Smithy Gang, who shattered the Star Road during an unexpected invasion of Bowser's castle.

Super Mario RPG Original Sound Box

BUY NOW FROM TOWER RECORDS

Yoko Shimomura, best known for her work on Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts game series (a dazzling crossover between Square Enix characters old and new and a universe of Disney's animated features), lent her compositional talents to Super Mario RPG, blending her melodies with a few composed by Mario maestro Kondo and a few choice Final Fantasy quotes by Nobuo Uematsu. Shimomura rearranged her work for the 2023 Switch upgrade, and Nintendo will issue the soundtrack in several formats on April 9. In addition to the standard 2CD set of new recordings, Nintendo and Square Enix will release an "original sound box" on four CDs or four LPs that will include both the new arrangements and original recordings from 1996. The composer also offers (presumably in Japanese only) track-by-track commentary in the set's liner notes.

Pre-order links for all titles are available below from Tower Records or CD Japan. Check out the full track list below, as well.

Koji Kondo, Super Mario World (originally released as Warner Pioneer WPCL-233~4 (JP), 1991 - reissued Warner Music Japan WQJL-195, 2025) (Tower Records / CDJapan)

LP 1: Mario Club Band Arrangements by Soichi Noriki

Side A

  1. Welcome to Mario World
  2. Super Mario World
  3. Morning of Yoster Island
  4. Mario! Stay Alert!
  5. Thank You, Mario!

Side B

  1. Super Mario Bros.
  2. Shining Coral
  3. Go! Go! Raccoon Mario
  4. Mario Club Band
  5. Peaceful Kinoko-World
  6. Good Night, Mario

LP 2: Original Super Mario Bros. Music

Side A

  1. Ground BGM (from Super Mario Bros.)
  2. Underground BGM (from Super Mario Bros.)
  3. Underwater BGM (from Super Mario Bros.)
  4. Castle BGM (from Super Mario Bros.)
  5. Invincible BGM (from Super Mario Bros.)
  6. Course Clear Fanfare (from Super Mario Bros.)
  7. World Clear Fanfare (from Super Mario Bros.)
  8. Time Up Warning Sound (from Super Mario Bros.)
  9. Player Down (from Super Mario Bros.)
  10. Game Over (from Super Mario Bros.)
  11. Ending (from Super Mario Bros.)
  12. Worker Mario - Name Entry (from Vs. Super Mario Bros.)
  13. Ending (from Super Mario Bros. 2)
  14. Grass Land Map (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  15. Koopahari Desert Map (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  16. Sea Side Map (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  17. Giant Island Map (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  18. Sky Land Map (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  19. The Sky Map (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  20. Iced Land Map (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  21. Pipe Maze Map (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  22. Koopa Castle Map (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  23. Whistle/Warp Map (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  24. Ground BGM (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  25. Athletic BGM (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  26. Underground BGM (from Super Mario Bros. 3)

Side B

  1. Underwater BGM (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  2. Fortress BGM (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  3. King's Chamber (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  4. Airship BGM (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  5. Invincible BGM (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  6. Enemy Battle (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  7. Fortress Boss (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  8. Demon King Koopa (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  9. Kinopio's House (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  10. Slot Screen (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  11. Music Box (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  12. Course Clear Fanfare (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  13. Fireworks Fanfare (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  14. World Clear Fanfare (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  15. Player Down (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  16. Game Over (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  17. Ending (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  18. Title Screen (from Super Mario World)
  19. Yoshi's Island Map (from Super Mario World)
  20. Ground Map (from Super Mario World)
  21. Vanilla Dome Map (from Super Mario World)
  22. Star World Map (from Super Mario World)
  23. Forest of Illusion Map (from Super Mario World)
  24. Koopa Castle Appears (from Super Mario World)

LP 3: More Original Super Mario Bros. Music and Sound Effects

Side A

  1. Koopa Castle Map (from Super Mario World)
  2. Special Zone Map (from Super Mario World)
  3. Ground BGM (from Super Mario World)
  4. Athletic BGM (from Super Mario World)
  5. Underground BGM (from Super Mario World)
  6. Underwater BGM (from Super Mario World)
  7. Haunted House BGM (from Super Mario World)
  8. Castle BGM (from Super Mario World)
  9. Switch BGM (from Super Mario World)
  10. Invincible BGM (from Super Mario World)
  11. Bonus Screen (from Super Mario World)

Side B

  1. Bonus Screen Clear Fanfare (from Super Mario World)
  2. Koopaling BGM (from Super Mario World)
  3. Koopaling Castle Clear Demo - Rescuing the Egg (from Super Mario World)
  4. Koopaling Castle Clear Demo (from Super Mario World)
  5. Course Clear Fanfare (from Super Mario World)
  6. Castle Clear Fanfare (from Super Mario World)
  7. Player Down (from Super Mario World)
  8. Game Over (from Super Mario World)
  9. Demon King Koopa (from Super Mario World)
  10. Saving Princess Peach (from Super Mario World)
  11. Ending (from Super Mario World)
  12. Small Mario Jump SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  13. Large Mario Jump SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  14. Power Up SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  15. Power Down SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  16. Fireball SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  17. Step on Enemy SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  18. Kick Enemy SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  19. Hit a Wall SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  20. Coin SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  21. Item Appear SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  22. Vine Grows SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  23. Bricks Crumble SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  24. 1UP SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  25. Flagpole SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  26. Timer Count Up SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  27. Bullet Bill SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  28. King Koopa Fire SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  29. King Koopa Fall SFX (from Super Mario Bros.)
  30. Wind SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 2)
  31. Slide SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 2)
  32. Raccoon Tail SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  33. Frog Jump SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  34. Tanooki Mario Transform SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  35. Lose Suit SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  36. Fast Run/P-Meter SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  37. Map Appear SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  38. Map Movement SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  39. Panel Back SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  40. Correct Item SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  41. Incorrect Item SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  42. Wipe SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  43. Boomerang SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  44. Magic Wand SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  45. Koopaling Spin SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  46. Koopaling Fly SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  47. King Koopa Fall SFX (from Super Mario Bros. 3)
  48. Jump SFX (from Super Mario World)
  49. Spin Jump SFX (from Super Mario World)
  50. Spring Jump SFX (from Super Mario World)
  51. Power Up SFX (from Super Mario World)
  52. Cape Mario SFX (from Super Mario World)
  53. Power Down SFX (from Super Mario World)
  54. Item Reserve SFX (from Super Mario World)
  55. Use Item Reserve SFX (from Super Mario World)
  56. Swim SFX (from Super Mario World)
  57. Cape SFX (from Super Mario World)
  58. Balloon SFX (from Super Mario World)
  59. Egg SFX (from Super Mario World)
  60. Yoshi SFX (from Super Mario World)
  61. Yoshi Tongue SFX (from Super Mario World)
  62. Yoshi Swallow SFX (from Super Mario World)
  63. Yoshi Color Change SFX (from Super Mario World)
  64. Yoshi Hit SFX (from Super Mario World)
  65. Yoshi Breathes Fire SFX (from Super Mario World)
  66. Yoshi Stomp SFX (from Super Mario World)
  67. Fireball SFX (from Super Mario World)
  68. Step on Enemy SFX (from Super Mario World)
  69. Spin Jump on Enemy SFX (from Super Mario World)
  70. Dry Bones SFX (from Super Mario World)
  71. Step on Big Enemy SFX (from Super Mario World)
  72. Kick Enemy SFX (from Super Mario World)
  73. Enemy Hits Enemy SFX (from Super Mario World)
  74. Hit Wall SFX (from Super Mario World)
  75. Coin SFX (from Super Mario World)
  76. Dragon Coin SFX (from Super Mario World)
  77. Item Appear SFX (from Super Mario World)
  78. Vine Grows SFX (from Super Mario World)
  79. Bricks Crumble SFX (from Super Mario World)
  80. 1UP SFX (from Super Mario World)
  81. Gate Cut SFX (from Super Mario World)
  82. Step on Switch SFX (from Super Mario World)
  83. Switch Timer Runs Out SFX (from Super Mario World)
  84. Message Window SFX (from Super Mario World)
  85. Screen Scroll SFX (from Super Mario World)
  86. Timer Settlement SFX (from Super Mario World)
  87. Door Open SFX (from Super Mario World)
  88. Door Close SFX (from Super Mario World)
  89. Key SFX (from Super Mario World)
  90. Goal SFX (from Super Mario World)
  91. Magic Wand SFX (from Super Mario World)
  92. Lava Bubble SFX (from Super Mario World)
  93. Blargg SFX (from Super Mario World)
  94. Rope Lift SFX (from Super Mario World)
  95. Swooper SFX (from Super Mario World)
  96. Bull Whistle SFX (from Super Mario World)
  97. Balloon Pop SFX (from Super Mario World)
  98. Map Road Appears SFX (from Super Mario World)
  99. Map Point SFX (from Super Mario World)
  100. Switch Disappears on Map SFX (from Super Mario World)
  101. Koopaling Castle Crumbles SFX (from Super Mario World)
  102. Lightning SFX (from Super Mario World)
  103. Earthquake SFX (from Super Mario World)
  104. Fuse SFX (from Super Mario World)
  105. Castle Collapse Demo SFX (from Super Mario World)
  106. Bonus Incorrect SFX (from Super Mario World)
  107. Bonus Correct SFX (from Super Mario World)
  108. Koopaling Falls from Above SFX (from Super Mario World)
  109. Koopaling Throws Ball SFX (from Super Mario World)
  110. Koopaling Falls Into Fire SFX (from Super Mario World)
  111. Koopaling Defeated and Disappears SFX (from Super Mario World)
  112. King Koopa Runs Away SFX (from Super Mario World)
  113. King Koopa Fire Attack SFX (from Super Mario World)
  114. King Koopa Return Attack SFX (from Super Mario World)
  115. Princess Peach SFX (from Super Mario World)
  116. King Koopa Defeated SFX (from Super Mario World)
  117. Fireworks SFX (from Super Mario World)
  118. Fireworks 2 SFX (from Super Mario World)

Yoko Shimomura, Super Mario RPG Original Sound Box (Square Enix SQEX-11154, 2025)

4CD: Tower Records / CD Japan
4LP: Tower Records / CD Japan
2CD (CDs 1-2 of box): Tower Records / CD Japan

CD 1-2: Nintendo Switch Soundtrack

CD 3-4: Super Famicom Soundtrack (originally released as NTT Publishing PSCN-5047~8, 1996)

* composed by Koji Kondo ** composed by Nobuo Uematsu

  1. A Fun Adventure
  2. Let's Try! *
  3. In the Flower Garden
  4. Bowser's Keep (First Visit)
  5. Battling Bowser *
  6. The Sword That Shattered the Stars
  7. Super Mario House *
  8. Where To?
  9. Danger Abounds on the Journey
  10. Battling Monsters
  11. Victory!
  12. Hello, Happy Kingdom
  13. Let Me Explain!
  14. A New Friend
  15. Danger Aplenty on the Journey
  16. Irrepressible Star *
  17. Battling Boss Monsters
  18. The Smithy Gang Appears
  19. Battling Smithy Gang
  20. Got a Star Piece!
  21. Monsters Abound in the Dungeon
  22. Let's Take the Midas River
  23. Grandpa and His Upbeat Tadpoles
  24. Shock!
  25. Elegy
  26. Geno's Theme *
  27. Geno's Awakening
  28. Beware of Forest Mushrooms!
  29. Rose Town
  30. Greetings from the Pipes *
  31. Welcome to Yoster Isle!
  32. Let's Race
  33. A Working Mole is a Happy Mole
  34. Moleville Mountain Rail
  35. This is Booster Town
  36. And That Makes Me Booster!
  37. Long, Long Ago... (Ground BGM from Super Mario Bros.) *
  38. A Little Anxious *
  39. The Hill
  1. The Bell Rings Out at Marrymore
  2. Melody of Celebration
  3. Where Flowers Bloom Under Starlight
  4. The Sunken Ship
  5. Shopping At Seaside Town
  6. Monstro Town, Our Paradise
  7. Battling Culex **
  8. Victory Over Culex **
  9. Conversation with Culex **
  10. A Masterpiece Composed with Toadofsky
  11. Let's Get Fluffy!
  12. Valen-Valentina
  13. Dodo Has Arrived!
  14. Barrel Volcano
  15. The Axem Rangers Arrive *
  16. Bowser's Keep (Second Visit) *
  17. The Factory
  18. Battling Smithy
  19. Battling Smithy's Many Forms
  20. Farewell, Geno.../Wishes from the Stars
  21. Cheerful Parade/There Goes the Parade...
  22. The End! *
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Mike Duquette

Mike Duquette (Founder) was fascinated with catalog music ever since he was a teenager. A 2009 graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in journalism, Mike paired his profession with his passion through The Second Disc, one of the first sites to focus on all reissue labels great and small. His passion for reissues turned into a career, holding positions at Legacy Recordings and Rhino Records and contributing to Allmusic, Discogs, City Pages, Ultimate Classic Rock and Mondo Records, for whom he penned liner notes for his favorite piece of music: John Williams' Oscar-winning score to 'E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.' Born and raised in New Jersey, Mike lives in Astoria, Queens with his wife, a cat named Ravioli, twin daughters and a large yet tasteful collection of music.

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