Super Mario World
Koji Kondo
" Koji Kondo's score to Super Mario World remains the very best. "Written by Joep de Bruijn - Review of the regular release
As graphically - from 8 to 16 bits, Kōji Kondō was able to use an 8-channel system instead of the 4-channel system of the Nes, and a far more advanced audio chip. This meant using an electronic keyboard; he was able to work with more realistic instrument samples and write in a new kind of method, away from the square and triangle wave approach of the previous generation. Super Mario World (Sūpāmariowārudo, スーパーマリオワールド) uses of a variety of synthesiser samples: from piano, pan flute, clarinet, strings, slap bass, clarinet, French horn, fantasia synth, fretless bass, honky-tonk, electric guitar, dry kick, steel drum, oud, snare, to hi-hat. In his approach, he felt he needed to incorporate instruments that were unlikely candidates in a game score so far.
Super Mario World remains one of the best of this era. Usually, some time later, composers and developers would gradually find its truest capabilities, such as the Rare team did with Donkey Kong Country, with impressive 3D experimentation and the composers going much further with their use of samples in the original score.
Most of the score by Kondō relies on a singöe heme, often appearing in various musical renditions and disguises through the different types of levels. In water levels, there is often a slower, more atmospheric rendition, while the more upbeat regular version adds the Bongo as the player uses the strength of Yoshi. However, the Ghost House and Bowser (dungeon) music are notable exceptions.
While I could pinpoint all references to Super Mario World in later games - there are a lot of them -, in terms of reusing familiar themes from games prior to the Snes game, few reoccur. The famous Mario theme (also known as the 'ground' theme from Super Mario Bros. on the Nes is revisited shortly in a rendition in the special zone map music. The music playing as Mario collects a star and temporarily gains invincibility is reprised for the Snes game, and is included in a nice marimba variation in the star zone map.
As a sound designer, Kondō' took full advantage of new possibilities with samples, which is greatly displayed in how he uses processed pan flute for Mario jumping anywhere in the game. Apart from approaching familiar sounds differently, there are numerous new sounds that, given these early days of the system, remain some of the best of the system. Another feature built into the advanced audio chip was an echoing effect, which is used in the cavern levels of the game, musically and in its sound design. Beyond what I had said earlier about the overall original score to Super Mario World, the shorter cues are a true delight. These are brief motifs used after having finished a fortress, secret or bonus stage, or even a game over. They are a lot of fun, and I especially adore the "game over" music, which in its clarity also embodies a fairytale ending, and because of its soft touch and it being gentle on the ears, it makes it different.
Arguably, the most valuable music is heard once reaching Bowser's castle on the overworld map and all the game's dungeons, evident in a lot of games, but especially these are tantalising. It includes hypnotic, repetitive phrases of impending, straightforward, and atmospheric melody. The ending music, almost entirely original, very upbeat, in various tempos, is a victorious cue. It is neither an assembly presentation, nor does it neglect music and credits, often the case at the time. There is no doubt that I much more prefer a composer writing new music towards the end, or in the end credits, instead of summarisations of the overall score in any medium. However, it does need to have a slight reference to the overall score.
Due to limitations, the Game Boy Advance was less powerful than the Super Nintendo, foremost due to the inferior sound chip. All the original music and sound design by Kendo in the remake is significantly downgraded in quality of sound; it even includes an unwanted voice for Mario. There is not a single piece of music not suffering from this, and it hurts the gameplay, unless you have never played the original game and its music. With a wide variety of changes to the GBA, some of the music was changed too. For reasons unknown, the music motif that supports your character in balloon mode was decreased in tempo. Also, the underwater theme is heard in the prologue of the game.
On the other hand, the original Snes music, as heard in the game, is also compressed due to its system limitations. Because of a Nintendo leak about 5 years ago, the original quality, in modern terms roughly 128kb against FLAC files, has given people the chance to provide a musical reconstruction. I do not feel HD remakes and variations are interesting graphically, but musically they are. However, coinciding with restorations of older types of media, in all its respects, it also 'reveals' previously unheard nuisances in its musical area that fare as less interesting in advanced quality.
In 1991, there was a Mario CD compilation with a lot of Super Mario World music, but unfortunately, releases of the score of Super Mario World are diverse, officially and unofficially (promotional portions on Nintendo CDs, live performances, rips, and fan edits). The 1991 Warner-Pioneer release included jazzy interpretations of the music, which felt undesirable and disappointing in 1993, receiving the rare Japanese imported CD, but sufficient due to the lack of others. Still, almost the entire score, as originally heard in the game, and a few minutes of selections provide some separate fulfilment.
There is certainly a level of nostalgic value and more, let alone vocal general gamers who seem to like all music in all games whenever they like the game; it is puzzling.. In assessing the musical worth of all the main platformers of Mario by Nintendo, from the first to its most recent effort, Kōji Kondō's score to Super Mario World remains one of the best.
(01-04-2026)
Super Mario World remains one of the best of this era. Usually, some time later, composers and developers would gradually find its truest capabilities, such as the Rare team did with Donkey Kong Country, with impressive 3D experimentation and the composers going much further with their use of samples in the original score.
Most of the score by Kondō relies on a singöe heme, often appearing in various musical renditions and disguises through the different types of levels. In water levels, there is often a slower, more atmospheric rendition, while the more upbeat regular version adds the Bongo as the player uses the strength of Yoshi. However, the Ghost House and Bowser (dungeon) music are notable exceptions.
While I could pinpoint all references to Super Mario World in later games - there are a lot of them -, in terms of reusing familiar themes from games prior to the Snes game, few reoccur. The famous Mario theme (also known as the 'ground' theme from Super Mario Bros. on the Nes is revisited shortly in a rendition in the special zone map music. The music playing as Mario collects a star and temporarily gains invincibility is reprised for the Snes game, and is included in a nice marimba variation in the star zone map.
As a sound designer, Kondō' took full advantage of new possibilities with samples, which is greatly displayed in how he uses processed pan flute for Mario jumping anywhere in the game. Apart from approaching familiar sounds differently, there are numerous new sounds that, given these early days of the system, remain some of the best of the system. Another feature built into the advanced audio chip was an echoing effect, which is used in the cavern levels of the game, musically and in its sound design. Beyond what I had said earlier about the overall original score to Super Mario World, the shorter cues are a true delight. These are brief motifs used after having finished a fortress, secret or bonus stage, or even a game over. They are a lot of fun, and I especially adore the "game over" music, which in its clarity also embodies a fairytale ending, and because of its soft touch and it being gentle on the ears, it makes it different.
Arguably, the most valuable music is heard once reaching Bowser's castle on the overworld map and all the game's dungeons, evident in a lot of games, but especially these are tantalising. It includes hypnotic, repetitive phrases of impending, straightforward, and atmospheric melody. The ending music, almost entirely original, very upbeat, in various tempos, is a victorious cue. It is neither an assembly presentation, nor does it neglect music and credits, often the case at the time. There is no doubt that I much more prefer a composer writing new music towards the end, or in the end credits, instead of summarisations of the overall score in any medium. However, it does need to have a slight reference to the overall score.
Due to limitations, the Game Boy Advance was less powerful than the Super Nintendo, foremost due to the inferior sound chip. All the original music and sound design by Kendo in the remake is significantly downgraded in quality of sound; it even includes an unwanted voice for Mario. There is not a single piece of music not suffering from this, and it hurts the gameplay, unless you have never played the original game and its music. With a wide variety of changes to the GBA, some of the music was changed too. For reasons unknown, the music motif that supports your character in balloon mode was decreased in tempo. Also, the underwater theme is heard in the prologue of the game.
On the other hand, the original Snes music, as heard in the game, is also compressed due to its system limitations. Because of a Nintendo leak about 5 years ago, the original quality, in modern terms roughly 128kb against FLAC files, has given people the chance to provide a musical reconstruction. I do not feel HD remakes and variations are interesting graphically, but musically they are. However, coinciding with restorations of older types of media, in all its respects, it also 'reveals' previously unheard nuisances in its musical area that fare as less interesting in advanced quality.
In 1991, there was a Mario CD compilation with a lot of Super Mario World music, but unfortunately, releases of the score of Super Mario World are diverse, officially and unofficially (promotional portions on Nintendo CDs, live performances, rips, and fan edits). The 1991 Warner-Pioneer release included jazzy interpretations of the music, which felt undesirable and disappointing in 1993, receiving the rare Japanese imported CD, but sufficient due to the lack of others. Still, almost the entire score, as originally heard in the game, and a few minutes of selections provide some separate fulfilment.
There is certainly a level of nostalgic value and more, let alone vocal general gamers who seem to like all music in all games whenever they like the game; it is puzzling.. In assessing the musical worth of all the main platformers of Mario by Nintendo, from the first to its most recent effort, Kōji Kondō's score to Super Mario World remains one of the best.
(01-04-2026)