Mario Kart 8 Title Screen
| "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Image fromNintendo Music | |||
| Composed by: Atsuko Asahi[1] | |||
| Genre | Jazz fusion | ||
| Time signature | Common time | ||
| First appearance | Mario Kart 8 (2014) | ||
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) | ||
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- “I started working on this one with the intention of creating a track where you could really feel of[sic] the live performances. I had the idea that a group of musicians had somehow all come together for an amazing one-night only session. I do hope that comes across in the music.”
- —Liner notes in theMario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack
"Mario Kart 8 Title Screen",[2] also known simply as "Mario Kart 8",[1] is a live-recorded musical theme inMario Kart 8 composed byAtsuko Asahi, where it, as the name implies, plays on the title screen of the game. It is structured similarly to "Mario Kart 7 Title Screen": an A section that usesrepetition andcall-and-response, a B section that uses long synthesizer notes, and an arrangement of "Super Mario Kart Title Screen". Unlike "Mario Kart 7 Title Screen", however, this theme fully arranges the original version of the theme, and arranges only the last six notes ofthe elongated version fromMario Kart 64.
A shorter version that skips the intro plays when returning to the title screen from another menu. Another version with a shorter intro was featured in theMario Kart 8 Direct.
History[edit]
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart 8 /Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
 | It has been requested thatmore audio and/or video files related to this section beuploaded.Specifics: "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen" sections of "Spectating" and "Staff Credits" Please upload music, sound effects, voice clips, or any videos for this section. See thehelp page for help getting started. |
- “We were aiming to express that impatient feeling you get when you just want to get back out on the track and start racing. Listen out for the bass line here.”
- —Liner notes for "Spectating" in theMario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack
Mario Kart 8 marks the first appearance of "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen". It also features four additional arrangements of the theme:
The theme that plays when spectating players online, likewise titled "Spectating" on theNintendo Music app, incorporates the motif of "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen" in its bassline approximately 28 seconds in. This arrangement was arranged byYasuaki Iwata.
A loose arrangement of the first six notes of the theme plays before each race in Grand Prix and VS Race, titled "Starting Grid (Grand Prix / VS Race)" on the Nintendo Music app.
The theme that plays during the cutscene reviewing the races and players' placements after eachGrand Prix, titled "Current Standings" on the Nintendo Music app, incorporates a brief arrangement of "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen". This arrangement was arranged byRyo Nagamatsu.
The theme that plays during the staff credits, likewise titled "Staff Credits" on the Nintendo Music app, is a medley of various themes in the game, including "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen". This arrangement was also arranged by Ryo Nagamatsu.
The original theme and its arrangements are included in theMario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack, and return in theNintendo Switchport,Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for the same purposes.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
InMario Kart Tour, "Current Standings" plays when clearing everycup in atour.
Mario Kart World[edit]
| It has been requested that at least oneaudio and/or video file related to this section beuploaded.Specifics: All arrangements Please upload music, sound effects, voice clips, or any videos for this section. See thehelp page for help getting started. |
Mario Kart World features two full arrangements of "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen", both of which can play inFree Roam. They are titled "Mario Kart 8 (Jazz Fusion Ver. 1)" and "Mario Kart 8 (Jazz Fusion Ver. 2)" in the game's pause menu. "Mario Kart 8 (Jazz Fusion Ver. 1)" can also play on theroute fromCrown City toPeach Stadium and any VS Race route.
An arrangement of "Rainbow Road" fromMario Kart 8 incorporates part of the bassline from the intro of "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen". It can also play in any VS Race route and Free Roam, and is titled "Rainbow Road" in the game's pause menu.
As with other arrangements of themes fromMario Kart 8, the source game listed in the pause menu isMario Kart 8 Deluxe.
 Mario Kart 8 (Jazz Fusion Ver. 1) | File info |
Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]
InPaper Mario: Color Splash, the original version of "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen" plays whenLuigi appears in hiskart before he drivesMario andHuey onRainbow Road toBlack Bowser's Castle.
Other appearances[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Live[edit]
The "Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Live" concert series featured a livebig band jazz medley arrangement of "Mario Circuit" fromSuper Mario Kart, "Waluigi Pinball" fromMario Kart DS, "Mario Kart 7 Title Screen" fromMario Kart 7, "Luigi Raceway" and "Rainbow Road" fromMario Kart 64, "Rainbow Road" fromMario Kart Wii, and "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen" fromMario Kart 8.
Super Nintendo World[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. |
At theSuper Nintendo World theme park, an arrangement of the first six notes of "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen" are incorporated into an arrangement of "Luigi Raceway", which plays inMario Kart: Bowser's Challenge.
Gallery[edit]
"Mario Kart 8 Title Screen" being performed, as shown in theMario Kart 8 Direct.
Image for "Spectating" fromMario Kart 8 Deluxe onNintendo Music
Image for "Current Standings" fromMario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Music
Image for "Staff Credits" fromMario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Music
List ofSuper Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 | Wii U | 2014 | Original | "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen"[2] | Atsuko Asahi |
| Arrangement | "Spectating"[2] | Yasuaki Iwata[1] | |||
| "Current Standings"[2] | Ryo Nagamatsu[1] | ||||
| "Staff Credits"[2] | |||||
| Paper Mario: Color Splash | 2016 | Original | Atsuko Asahi | ||
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Nintendo Switch | 2017 | "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen"[2] | ||
| Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8) | "Spectating"[2] | Yasuaki Iwata | |||
| "Current Standings"[2] | Ryo Nagamatsu | ||||
| "Staff Credits"[2] | |||||
| Mario Kart Tour | iOS,Android | 2019 | |||
| Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 | 2025 | Arrangement | "Mario Kart 8 (Jazz Fusion Ver. 1)"[3] | |
| "Mario Kart 8 (Jazz Fusion Ver. 2)"[3] | |||||
| "Rainbow Road"[3] |
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack | 2015 | Original | "Mario Kart 8" | Atsuko Asahi |
| Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8) | "Spectating" | Yasuaki Iwata | ||
| "Current Standings" | Ryo Nagamatsu | |||
| "Staff Credits" |
Live performances[edit]
| Event | Year | Location | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Live | 2015 | Osaka International Convention Center,Osaka,Japan andTokyo International Forum,Tokyo,Japan[4] | Arrangement | Super Mario Special Band[4] |
Other media[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Nintendo World | 2021 | Arrangement | Dani Donadi[5] | |
| Nintendo Music | 2024 | Original | "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen" | Atsuko Asahi |
| Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8) | "Spectating" | Yasuaki Iwata | ||
| "Current Standings" | Ryo Nagamatsu | |||
| "Staff Credits" |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | マリオカート８ タイトル[2] Mario Kāto 8 taitoru | Mario Kart 8 title | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | 马力欧卡丁车8 标题[2] Mǎlì'ōu kǎdīngchē 8 biāotí | Mario Kart 8 Title | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 瑪利歐賽車8 標題[2] Mǎlì'ōu sàichē 8 biāotí | Mario Kart 8 Title | |
| Dutch | Mario Kart 8 Title Screen[2] | - | |
| French | Mario Kart 8 (écran titre)[2] | Mario Kart 8 (title screen) | |
| German | Mario Kart 8 (Titelbildschirm)[2] | Mario Kart 8 (title screen) | |
| Italian | Mario Kart 8 (schermo del titolo)[2] | Mario Kart 8 (title screen) | |
| Korean | Mario Kart 8 타이틀[2] Mario Kart 8 Taiteul | Mario Kart 8 Title | |
| Portuguese(Brazilian) | Mario Kart 8 (tela de título)[2] | Mario Kart 8 (title screen) | |
| Portuguese(European) | Mario Kart 8 Title Screen[2] | - | |
| Russian | Mario Kart 8 (начальный экран)[2] Mario Kart 8 (nachal'nyy ekran) | Mario Kart 8 (title screen) | |
| Spanish | Mario Kart 8 (pantalla del título)[2] | Mario Kart 8 (title screen) |
Notes[edit]
- On theNintendo Music app, "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen" is labeled as "Selects", classifying it as one "of the very best tracks from the Nintendo Music library", originating fromMario Kart 8. "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen" shares this title with "Mario Kart Stadium" and "Rainbow Road".
References[edit]
- ^abcdMario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack
- ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuNintendo Music
- ^abcMario Kart World pause menu
- ^abSeedhouse, Alex (July 1, 2015).Super Mario 30th Anniversary Live concerts announced for Japan. Nintendo Insider. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ^Dani Donadi.Profile.Linkedin. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
