Fortress BGM
- Not to be confused withFortress Boss.
- This article is about the musical theme fromSuper Mario Bros. 3. For the theme fromNew Super Mario Bros. also known as the "Fortress Theme", seeTower Theme.
| "Fortress BGM" | |
|---|---|
 Image fromNintendo Music | |
| Composed by: Koji Kondo | |
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) |
| Latest appearance | Mario & Luigi: Brothership (2024) |
"Fortress BGM"[1] is a musical theme composed byKoji Kondo forSuper Mario Bros. 3, where it plays infortresslevels.
History[edit]
This section is astub. Please considerexpanding it to include any missing information.Specifics: Information about thePaper Mario series andWarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3 marks the first appearance of "Fortress BGM". It is also included in the official albumsSuper Mario World,Game Sound Museum: Super Mario Bros. 3, andFamicom Sound History Series: Mario the Music.
Super Mario All-Stars /Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World /Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition[edit]
In theSNESremake ofSuper Mario Bros. 3 inSuper Mario All-Stars,Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World, andSuper Mario All-Stars Limited Edition, an arrangement of "Fortress BGM" plays for the same purpose as in the original game.
 Fortress BGM - Super Mario Bros. 3 - The arrangement heard inSuper Mario All-Stars | File info 0:04 |
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
TheGame Boy Advance remake ofSuper Mario Bros. 3,Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, features an arrangement of "Fortress BGM", adapted from the one fromSuper Mario All-Stars to fit the console's inferior sound hardware, that plays in most fortress levels, just like in the original game.
| Fortress BGM - The arrangement heard inSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | File info 0:30 |
New Super Mario Bros. series[edit]
- Main article:Tower Theme
InNew Super Mario Bros., an arrangement of "Fortress BGM" plays in thetowercourses. It is titled the "Tower Theme" on theNintendo Music app.
| Tower Theme - The arrangement heard inNew Super Mario Bros. | File info 0:30 |
Super Mario Maker series[edit]
Super Mario Maker,Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, andSuper Mario Maker 2 feature several appearances of "Fortress BGM".
"Fortress BGM" plays when playing in castle-themed courses in theSuper Mario Bros. 3 style.
An ambient arrangement of the theme using six tracks that fade in and out randomly to create a dynamic mix plays while editingSuper Mario Bros. 3-style castle-themed courses in theCourse Maker.
Exclusively inSuper Mario Maker 2, amusic box arrangement of "Fortress BGM" plays during thenighttime version of castle-themed levels in theSuper Mario Bros. 3 style.
| Castle Theme (Edit) - Super Mario Bros. 3 - The arrangement heard inSuper Mario Maker | File info 0:30 |
| Castle Theme (Night) - Super Mario Bros. 3 - The arrangement heard inSuper Mario Maker 2 | File info 0:30 |
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]
InPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and itsNintendo Switchremake, The Thousand-Year Door, themes associated with Bowser, including his battle theme in thePalace of Shadow, sample "Fortress BGM" in their openings.
| In Bowser's Castle - The arrangement heard inPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | File info 0:30 |
| Make Way for Bowser! - The arrangement heard inPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | File info 0:30 |
| In Bowser's Castle - The arrangement heard in the Nintendo Switch remake ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | File info 0:30 |
| Make Way for Bowser! - The arrangement heard in the Nintendo Switch remake ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | File info 0:30 |
| Bowser's Malaise - The arrangement heard in the Nintendo Switch remake ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | File info 0:30 |
The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]
 | It has been requested that at least oneaudio and/or video file related to this section beuploaded.Specifics: The arrangement Please upload music, sound effects, voice clips, or any videos for this section. See thehelp page for help getting started. |
InThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, the first notes of "Fortress BGM" are arranged in the track "The Darklands". This arrangement plays whenLuigi bounces off of a branch and accidentally destroys theDry Bones that was chasing him.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership[edit]
| It has been requested that at least oneaudio and/or video file related to this section beuploaded.Specifics: The arrangement Please upload music, sound effects, voice clips, or any videos for this section. See thehelp page for help getting started. |
InMario & Luigi: Brothership, an arrangement of "Fortress BGM" is incorporated into the theme that plays inWayaway Island, arranged byHideki Sakamoto. It is titled "Bowser's Castle on Wayaway Island" on the Nintendo Music app.
Other appearances[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3 ~ Akihabara Electric Circus[edit]
TheSuper Mario Bros. 3 ~ Akihabara Electric Circus album features a medley of "Fortress BGM" and "Fortress Boss" as its sixth track. It is titled "Boss", and was arranged by Koji Kondo.
| Boss - The arrangement heard in theSuper Mario Bros. 3 ~ Akihabara Electric Circus album | File info 0:30 |
Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3, Hop! Step! Jump![edit]
| It has been requested that at least oneaudio and/or video file related to this section beuploaded.Specifics: The arrangement Please upload music, sound effects, voice clips, or any videos for this section. See thehelp page for help getting started. |
TheSuper Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3, Hop! Step! Jump! album features a medley of several themes fromSuper Mario Bros. 3, including "Fortress BGM", as its first track. It is titled "Super Mario Bros. 3 —Nonstop Special Dance Version—" and was arranged by Ikuro Fujiwara.
Gallery[edit]
Image for the "Hurry Up!" variant onNintendo Music
Image for "In Bowser's Castle" from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on Nintendo Music
Image for "Make Way for Bowser!" fromPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on Nintendo Music
Image for the "Tower Theme" from New Super Mario Bros. on Nintendo Music
Image for "In Bowser's Castle" from theNintendo Switch remake ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on Nintendo Music
Image for "Make Way for Bowser!" from the Nintendo Switch remake ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on Nintendo Music
Image for "Bowser's Malaise" from the Nintendo Switch remake ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on Nintendo Music
Image for "Bowser's Castle on Wayaway Island" fromMario & Luigi: Brothership on Nintendo Music
List ofSuper Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. 3 | Nintendo Entertainment System | 1988 | Original | "Fortress BGM"[1] | Koji Kondo |
| Super Mario All-Stars | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1993 | Arrangement | Soyo Oka | |
| Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World | 1994 | Past arrangement (Super Mario All-Stars) | |||
| Paper Mario | Nintendo 64 | 2000 | Arrangement | Yuka Tsujiyoko | |
| Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | Game Boy Advance | 2003 | Arrangement | Taiju Suzuki | |
| Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | Nintendo GameCube | 2004 | Arrangement | "In Bowser's Castle"[1] | |
| "Make Way for Bowser!"[1] | |||||
| New Super Mario Bros. | Nintendo DS | 2006 | Arrangement | "Tower Theme"[1] | |
| WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase | Wii | 2009 | Arrangement | ||
| Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition | 2010 | Past arrangement (Super Mario All-Stars) | Soyo Oka | ||
| Super Mario Maker | Wii U | 2015 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Arrangement | |||||
| Paper Mario: Color Splash | 2016 | Original | Koji Kondo | ||
| Remix | |||||
| Super Mario Maker 2 | Nintendo Switch | 2019 | Original | Koji Kondo | |
| Past arrangement (Super Mario Maker) | |||||
| Arrangement | |||||
| Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | 2024 | Arrangement | "In Bowser's Castle"[1] | ||
| "Make Way for Bowser!"[1] | |||||
| "Bowser's Malaise"[1] | |||||
| Past arrangement (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door) | "In Bowser's Castle"[2] | ||||
| "Make Way for Bowser!"[2] | |||||
| Mario & Luigi: Brothership | Arrangement | "Bowser's Castle on Wayaway Island"[1] |
Film and television[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 2023 | Arrangement | "The Darklands"[3] | Brian Tyler |
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. 3 ~ Akihabara Electric Circus | 1988 | Arrangement | "Boss" | Koji Kondo |
| Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3, Hop! Step! Jump! | 1989 | "Super Mario Bros. 3 —Nonstop Special Dance Version—" | Ikuro Fujiwara | |
| Super Mario World | 1991 | Original | 「砦BGM」(Toride BGM) | Koji Kondo |
| Game Sound Museum: Super Mario Bros. 3 | 2004 | |||
| Famicom Sound History Series: Mario the Music | ||||
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2023 | Past arrangement (The Super Mario Bros. Movie) | "The Darklands" | Brian Tyler |
Other media[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Music | 2025[a] | Original | "Fortress BGM" | Koji Kondo |
| 2025[b] | Past arrangement (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door) | "In Bowser's Castle" | ||
| "Make Way for Bowser!" | ||||
| Past arrangement (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)) | "In Bowser's Castle" | |||
| "Make Way for Bowser!" | ||||
| "Bowser's Malaise" | ||||
| 2026[c] | Past arrangement (Mario & Luigi: Brothership) | "Bowser's Castle on Wayaway Island" |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 砦BGM[4][5][6][1] Toride BGM | Fortress BGM |
