These are the soundtracks for Super Mario Galaxy.
Super Mario Galaxy: Original Sound Track[]
The Super Mario Galaxy: Original Soundtrack is an OST released exclusively through Club Nintendo in Japan on January 31, 2008. The CD's featured music from the Wii video game Super Mario Galaxy.
Two versions were released; standard (consisting 28 songs) and Platinum (all 81 songs).
The game's orchestral music is performed by the Mario Galaxy Orchestra. It was recorded at Sound Inn Studio.
Staff[]
Composers/Arrangers[]
- Mahito Yokota - Music Composer, Arranger, and Orchestrator
- Koji Kondo - Music Composer, Arranger, and Original Music
- Koji Haishima - Orchestra Conductor
Track listing[]
The following list is taken from the European release of the Platinum Edition version.
Disc 1[]
Disc 1 includes mainly orchestrated songs, as well as songs from the cutscenes and other major courses.
Disc length: 67:25
Disc 2[]
Disc 2 includes several background songs, and those that are not part of the major gameplay.
Disc length: 62:58
Composer Commentaries[]
The following commentaries, including track-by-track comments of songs on disc 1 by composers Mahito Yokota and Koji Kondo, have been taken from the European Club Nintendo release of the soundtrack.
"With this music, I have tried to express the essential coolnes of Mario. These two CDs contain recordings of all kinds of music that bring the setting of space to life, from epic pieces performed by an orchestra of 50 people to mysterious and fun pieces that can only be produced electronically. This soundtrack brings you all the thrills and exictement of Super Mario Galaxy." - Mahito Yokota, Composition and Orchestral Arrangements (Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development Division)
"22 years on from the release of Super Mario Bros. on the NES, this game now sees the series take an epic turn with Mario flying off into space and orchestral performances added to the soundtrack. Enjoy your adventures in space along with this music, which so many wonderful performers put their hearts and souls into." - Koji Kondo, Composition (Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development Division)
01. Overture: "Mario's adventure around the universe begins. You will hear the melody of this track many times..." - Mahito Yokota
02. The Star Festival: "I wrote this with the image of an evening festival in mind. Happy times seem to pass by before you know it, don't they?" - Mahito Yokota
03. Attack of the Airships: "I've always wanted to have an arranged orchestral version of this theme. The kidnapping of Princess Peach gets started on a grand scale with this powerfully-performed piece." - Mahito Yokota (Original Composer: Koji Kondo)
04. Catastrophe: "Bowser's attack leaves Mario in a pinch!" - Mahito Yokota
05. Peach's Castle Stolen: "The quick progression of semitones on strings is the most appealing part of this track. Will Mario be able to save the Princess?!" - Mahito Yokota
06. Enter the Galaxy: "From a magical scene into the world of Super Mario Galaxy! It took a lot of effort to synchronise the climax of the music with the moment Mario touches down on his first planet." - Mahito Yokota
07. Egg Planet: "The first time I saw this game, with Mario floating through space with the greatest of ease, I was incredibly impressed. This piece is an expression of that feeling." - Koji Kondo
08. Rosalina in the Observatory 1: "This is the theme of the Observatory where the Lumas live. The sound of the cello puts one in mind of a mother's gentle lullaby, wouldn't you say?" - Koji Kondo
09. The Honeyhive: "This is the theme of the Honeyhive Kingdom. It features a nice guitar rhythm and down-to-earth atmosphere that really set the scene." - Mahito Yokota
10. Space Junk Road: "This music underscores Mario's star-catching exploits set against a beautiful galaxy backdrop. Using piano and translucent synth, I tried to create a sense of grandeur somewhat different to that achieved with an orchestra." - Mahito Yokota
11. Battlerock Galaxy: "This song was composed with the image of a fortress floating through space in mind. The use of a large orchestra for this piece really expresses Mario's excitement as he sneaks in alone." - Mahito Yokota
12. Beach Bowl Galaxy: "An ocean - a mysterious ocean floating in the clear blue sky. Listen to this track and feel the tropical breeze." - Mahito Yokota
13. Rosalina in the Observatory 2: "As Mario brings Power Stars back to the Observatory, the glow of its power core gradually gets warmer. More and more orchestration is added to the music as this happens." - Koji Kondo
14. Enter Bowser Jr.!: "What word best sums up Bowser Jr.? "Naughty". His expression sometimes looks vicious, but he's really just putting that on..." - Mahito Yokota
15. Waltz of the Boos: "I asked the musicians to play in such a way that would give the listener a chill down their spine. Don't you feel the tune of the flute and the sound of the violins lowering the temperature...?" - Mahito Yokota
16. Buoy Base Galaxy: "Buoy Base, the fort floating on the sea... or so it was originally. It seems that it's now full of leaks - the perfect place for a plumber to shine! At leas the music still marches triumpahntly onward." - Mahito Yokota
17. Gusty Garden Galaxy: "The space between the sky, the wind and the stars... Enjoy the huge orchestral sound of adventuring action." - Mahito Yokota
18. Rosalina in the Observatory 3: "This music is on an even grander scale than Rosalina 2, and has an atmosphere that calls to mind an amusement park at night. Did you notice that the Lumas in the Observatory dance in time to this piece?" - Koji Kondo
19. King Bowser: "This is the male choir full-chorus version that you don't get to hear much in-game. We used two orchestras to strive for the interactive sound only possible in video games." - Mahito Yokota
20. Melty Molten Galaxy: "The sound of the floor tom particularly stands out in the music for this molten area. I spent a lot of time balancing the flame sound effects with the music of the orchestra." - Mahito Yokota
21. The Galaxy Reactor: "Mario comes ever closer to the final battle. I tried to express both the tension before the battle as well as the climatic point of the adventure" - Mahito Yokota
22. Final Battle with Bowser: "This piece uses a combination of a male choir, electronic music and the orchestra to create a striking piece with impact and rhythm. Rather than expressing fear of Bowser, it's an upbeat piece that expresses Mario's determination to win." - Mahito Yokota
23. Daybreak - A New Dawn: "Mario wakes up to find himself... Well, I'll leave that for you to find out when you finish the game." - Mahito Yokota
24. Birth: "For a peaceful moment with fond memories in your heart." - Mahito Yokota
25. Super Mario Galaxy: "This piece couldn't be done without an orchestra. As this music caps off Mario's adventures in space, I dedicated a great deal of time to the composition and performance of this song" - Mahito Yokota
26. Purple Comet: "If you heard this song in the game, you must be a very skilled player! Why not try mastering the difficult action sequences in time to the gentle pace of this music?" - Mahito Yokota
27. Blue Sky Athletic (Bonus Track): "This piece is founded on the concept of being faithful to the original music while also giving it a modern arrangement. I took the liberty of arranging some time-honoured music from the Mario series." - Mahito Yokota (Original Composer: Koji Kondo)
28. Super Mario 2007 (Bonus Track): "This music needs no introduction, does it? There are already so many different arrangements of this piece, so I thought a lot about how to make one that would stand out from the rest. This version is somewhat like some cute knick-knacks stuffed in a toy box." - Mahito Yokota (Original Composer: Koji Kondo)
Trivia[]
- During development, the developers felt orchestrated soundtracks would be "detrimental" to the gameplay. Sound director Masafumi Kawamura, who previously worked in Donkey Kong Jungle Beat and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, has influenced the decision to use orchestrated music for Galaxy.
- Kawamura is known for the feature where sound effects sync with the player's actions for visual emphasis, which was brought back in Galaxy.
- Koji Haishima is the game's orchestra conductor who also worked on various orchestral works in RPG games including the Final Fantasy franchise as well as the Mario & Sonic sports games. Galaxy is his only work in a Nintendo game.
- This is composer Mahito Yokota's second game since joining Nintendo in 2004, and his first Super Mario game.
- The "Toy Time Galaxy" arrangement of the Super Mario Bros.' "Ground Theme" is similar to the "Mario Syndrome" remix song by Bonus 21.