When it comes to Super Mario Bros. there are a lot of things that have been said about this classic game, but chief among them is the music.
Composed by Koji Kondo, the music for the original NES game grabs you right at the start and doesn’t let go until you either complete the game or get the game over screen. And with the album I managed to find and purchase from Amazon I once again get a taste of the music from the game.
While the first three tracks are Famicom/NES versions of the Arcade co-op Mario Bros., the rest of the tracks that follow are none other than the tracks from Super Mario Bros. itself. And the beauty is that both the regular and the “Hurry up!” versions of each level theme is included, so for example, the overworld theme – both regular and sped up – are in one track, and so on and so forth. And regardless of your age, when you hear these themes you will feel like you’re in the game.
Not only that but along with Super Mario Bros. the album contains tracks from Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, Dr. Mario and Yoshi’s Cookie, which was a really nice touch.
Along with the tracks, the liner notes are pretty cool to look at. Of course, given that the album is from Japan you might find it tricky to read, but since most smartphones and whatnot have translators it’s not really difficult.
In all, the album is a great intro to those who are curious about Mario’s early days of the NES, and of course his rise to pop-culture status with Super Mario Bros. 1 to 3. While it wasn’t the first Mario game soundtrack I bought from Amazon – which is a story for another time – this is one that still stands out, and since me and the others here at the Archives had been wondering what articles/topics to do next, @ubernerd527 suggested something for Mario’s 40th anniversary, and since @raygunn1 had done a review about Namco’s own soundtrack I got inspired, which led to this article.
Now is this going to be the only Mario-based article? Nope! Given that it’s Super Mario Bros. 40th Anniversary our favorite plumber deserves nothing but the best! So stay tuned, for I’be got a few Mario soundtracks to talk about yet!
And if you have access to Youtube or Nintendo Music, go look up the soundtrack to the original Super Mario Bros. and get ready to get transported to the Mushroom Kingdom, and whether you were there as a kid during the 80s or discovered the game later on in life, I guarantee you will never forget the experience of a game that not only helped bring back the video game industry, but also helped bring back a sense of fun and joy to kids all over the world!
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