Super Mario Bros.

Game Music

Celebrate Mario’s 30th Anniversary This Fall On CD

August 12, 2015 | Ryan Paquet | 1 Comment Share this

On September 13, 2015, Nippon Columbia will be releasing an album titled The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music. The album will contain two CDs spanning the history of Mario games right up to the newest game Super Mario Maker in total featuring music from 18 Super Mario games:

Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 2 (The Lost Levels)
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Land
Super Mario World
Super Mario Bros. 2 (The USA Version)
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Sunshine
New Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Galaxy
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario 3D Land
New Super Mario Bros. 2
New Super Mario Bros. U
Super Mario 3D World
Super Mario Maker

Games represented on The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music Album

You can read the limited details about the album at the Video Game Music Database. As I’m sure you know many of the classic Super Mario soundtracks are long out of print and very expensive. The album will retail for 3000yen, which will let Super Mario fans of all ages access some of the best music in video game history for a reasonable price. Let’s just hope next year The Legend of Zelda gets the same treatment!

Keep checking back with OSV for further details on this album. Do you own any Super Mario soundtracks on CD or vinyl?
Featured, Game Music

Turntable Game Jams – The Resurge of Vinyl & VGM

June 23, 2015 | Brenna Wilkes | 7 Comments Share this

If you’re one of the older members of our generation, you probably know what vinyl is. For the younger kids, vinyl is the older brother of the CD (compact disk) – that physical medium that predates your fancy MP3 players and iPhones. (Man, I’m old.) They’re also commonly referred to as “records”.

So now that you have had the history lesson, you might not be aware that vinyl has not exactly gone the way of the dinosaur. What used to be a neat hobby for collectors of older-style medium has seemed to have a resurgence within the past few years, and one of the things that seems to be included within this return to a simpler time of music-listening is video game music.

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Game Music, Television

Hey Paisanos! It’s the Music of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show

April 7, 2015 | Ryan Paquet | Comments Off on Hey Paisanos! It’s the Music of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show Share this

After writing about the music of the Legend of Zelda cartoon, composed by Shuki Levy, I had to write about the music of the parent program, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! It ran for a total of 52 episodes (65 if you add in the Zelda episodes) in Fall of 1989, and was shown in reruns for years to come.

The music of the show has also become a fan favorite amongst Super Mario fans, myself included. The title theme song, ending theme, and background music score are all memorable. Come read my thoughts on the music of this classic Nintendo Live Action and Animated Series.

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Game Music, Reviews

A Fitting Tribute – Play for Japan: The Album (Review)

July 14, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 4 Comments Share this

There has been a lot of talk about the Play for Japan album, a project spearheaded by Grasshopper Manufacture’s Akira Yamaoka. The album was devised by Yamaoka to raise funds for the victims of the horrific earthquake and ensuing tsunami that struck Japan in March of this year, and to help him with this effort, he recruited many of the top game composers from within Japan and abroad.

In fact, I’d say this is the most impressive artist list ever assembled, surpassing even Otomedius and the Premium Arrange album series by far. But does the music live up to the names associated with the project?

Find out in our review after the jump. (more…)
Game Music

Masashi Hamauzu to attend LEGENDS in Stockholm on June 1st.

March 8, 2011 | Audun Sorlie | 2 Comments Share this

Masashi Hamauzu to attend LEGENDS from VGMConcerts on Vimeo.

As far as live musical events in 2010, nothing rivaled the amazing Symphonic Legends concert out of Cologne, Germany last September. The night was dedicated to the legendary music featured in Nintendo’s biggest franchises, and with their unparalleled quality of arrangements and bold new takes on some of the best known classics. Even though the concert is most vividly remembered for Jonne Valtonen’s 30 minute long symphonic poem based on the Legend of Zelda, the other arrangers of the show did an equally amazing job on their respective tasks. In particular, Masashi Hamauzu’s arrangement of Donkey Kong Country strook the audience with a beautiful rendition of the “Aquatic Ambiance” using the unbelievable talents of Juraj Cizmarovic and Benyamin Nuss.

Now the team is preparing for a new show in Stockholm on June 1st titled LEGENDS. In addition to featuring some of the same material that we were greeted to in Cologne, there is now also all new arrangements and also new parts to the already existing material from last year to ensure that the Stockholm audience are given the royal treatment at the Stockholm Concert Hall this summer. In addition, Jonne Valtonen, Roger Wanamo, Benyamin Nuss and Masashi Hamauzu will be attending the concert and meet and greet, so make sure you don’t miss out on what was the best concert of 2010 made even better by the ever-amazing Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra!

Tickets are now on sale at Konserthuset.se
Game Music, Reviews

It’sa Me, Mario! Super Mario History 1985-2010 Soundtrack CD (Review)

December 15, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 3 Comments Share this

I can’t believe it’s really been 25 years since Mario Mario and Luigi Mario set out on their adventure to rescue Princess Toadstool in the Mushroom Kingdom. We’ve seen all sorts of celebration coming from Nintendo this year, including special Iwata Asks interviews (including a lengthy talk with Koji Kondo himself about the music featured in this collection), as well as a red anniversary Wii console and this Super Mario All Stars Limited Edition release on the Wii.

You saw the packaging yesterday, and already know that the box contains not only a port of the Super Mario All Stars game from the SNES with Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3, and “Lost Levels,” but also a commemorative book detailing the history of the series and a soundtrack CD. The soundtrack CD is what we’re here to talk about today, so find out if it’s worth checking out in our review after the jump. (more…)
Featured, Game Music

OSVchannel: Super Mario All Stars Limited Edition Unboxing Video

December 14, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on OSVchannel: Super Mario All Stars Limited Edition Unboxing Video Share this

Here we are with another OSVchannel special. This is yet another item that I hadn’t planned on unboxing for you guys, but after opening it, I was so impressed with the packaging and some of the surprises within the commemorative booklet that I thought you may be interested to see inside. From the snazzy wrapping paper that Nintendo sent it out in to the packaging and bonuses that are included, it’s an all around nice collection to look upon at the very least.

For those who don’t know what this is all about, this past Sunday Nintendo released the Super Mario All Stars Limited Edition collection for the Wii to celebrate Mario’s 25th anniversary. What’s here is essentially the Super Mario All Stars game from the SNES ported over to a Wii disc with an additional DVD case housing a soundtrack CD and the aforementioned commemorative booklet. We’ll have more coverage of the album in the coming days, but in the meantime, feel free to check out the above video and pick up the game in a store near you for $29.99.

What do you think of Nintendo’s approach to the All Stars Limited Edition? At the reduced price and with the packed-in bonuses, is it worth it to you?