Unlike the previous SMB games, this game had a world map that necessitated music. Also there were in game power up, one up, and Hammer Bros mini games that didn't arise in the first two games. SMB2 did have slots at the end of each level, but they only used a sound effect and then a musical fanfare depending on your success or failure. Here the mini-games are underscored with a short bass loop.
I had a blast watching this game through. Interesting that when you grab a coin, touch an item, or fly, the "melody" is what drops out of the texture to provide the sound effect. Usually in these games the harmony voice does, but in this case, usually the melody is what drops. Wonder why that decision was made? Maybe to let players hear some of the other lines they might not hear normally.
The music here is again by Koji Kondo. I feel he was becoming more comfortable with the sound set up of the NES and he has a better handle on the length of tracks and provides a wider variety of music. SMB has a 90 second overworld theme, which most players probably rarely, if ever, heard through. Here, the longest overworld track is 34 seconds. The longest musical tracks are reserved for the end game sequence. This seems to show a better understanding of what the typical player would encounter aurally.
The 8-bit analysis blog has quite a bit of information on the SMB3 music, particularly the world map music.
I love that the SMB3 whistle plays the LoZ whistle tune. Koji Kondo is so clever to reference himself that way! And it's an inside joke to players of both games (which most players probably were since they were both seminal games!). Speaking of references, the Music Box plays music from the B section of the SMB overworld theme. This same section of music is also used in SMB2 in the inverted world.
The key of this game is definitely C major. In some cases, for instance the Victory Fanfare or the Game Over music, both cadence in G. Is this a subtle aural push to get you to continue to the next level to hear the music resolve or to try again to get back to C major? Love that there's an established key overall in this game.
Compared with the tunes by David Wise and Rob Hubbard tunes I've been thinking about recently, this music has a much more regular form and structure. Perhaps it shows a little more overall thought through the game design. Or maybe they were just going for very different feels throughout their games and this was an attempt for a more unified aural experience? I'm not sure which, but I do tend to think there's a bit more planning here.
Super Mario 3 has no title screen music, like the original SMB. Super Mario 2 did have title music, though. The first music you hear in SMB3 is the World Map 1. SMB and SMB 3 also share the same ending music, although SMB 3 brings in a new theme after about 30 seconds of the original theme.
SMB 3 clocks in at about seven and a half minutes of music. That's almost twice the amount in SMB and SMB2.
Unlike the first game, there's no change in pitch when jumping depending on if you're super or regular Mario.
Here's a link to the soundtrack I studied plus my notes:
-World Map 1: C major. 14 sec. I-IV-I
-World Map 2: F minor. 4 sec. Very short loop.
-World Map 3: C major. 12.5 sec. 7th chords. Chromatic melody.
-World Map 4: C major. 12.5 sec. I-ii-V-I. Contrasts the previous chromatic steps in Map 3 with leaps!
-World Map 5: C major. 7 sec. 1 sec drum intro (doesn't repeat). 6 second short loop. I-IV.
-World Map 6: C? 6 sec. Alternating augmented chords. Otherworldly sound.
-World Map 7: F. 8 sec. Very swung. Bluesy feel.
-World Map 8: F minor. 8 sec. Lots of tritones!
-Overworld 1: C major. 29 sec. 3 sec intro doesn't repeat. Intro (2)A B. I-IV motion.
-Overworld 2: C major. 34 sec. Intro(2) A(4) B(6) (last measure is 5) C (9). Cool 5ths sequence! Intro doesn't loop. Irregular phrase shape!
-Underwater: C major. 30 sec. Intro(2) A B(4) Intro doesn't repeat. I-IV motion. Then IV-iii-bIII-IV-V!
-Underworld: C minor. 19 sec. Intro(4) A(12). Same music as SMB, but with drum beat!
-Warp Zone: C major. 8 sec. Alternates between I-bII.
-Star: 3 sec. D minor 7 alternating with C major 7. Same as SMB and SMB2.
-Warp Whistle: G major. 2 sec. Borrowed from LoZ! Awesome!
-Music Box: C major. 17 sec. References the B section of the SMB overworld theme! (SMB 2 does this as well with this section. SMB2 also plays the opening of A first.)
-N' Spade: C major. 2 sec. A short 8 note vamp.
-Toad's House: Eb major. 12.5 sec. I-II-I-II-bIII-IV.
-Fortress: Eb as tonal center? 18 sec. Extremely dissonant.
-Hammer Bros: C major. 18.5 sec Battle start: 2.5 sec. Intro: 3 sec. Loop is 12.5 sec. Blue notes. Blues form (I-V-IV-I)
-King: C major. 7 sec. Short loop. Melody is in the bass.
-Airship: B as tonal center? 30 sec. Intro(4) A A B Lots of diminished motion. Atmospheric.
-Koopa Kid: E minor. 21 sec. 2 sec battle start. 19 sec loop. Groovy loop.
-Victory Fanfare: G major. 4 sec. Interesting that this makes for V of the next music in the palace...
-King Restored: C major. 6 sec. I-V-bVI-bVII-I. That same triumphant bVI-bVII-I motion!
-Course Clear: C major scale. 3 sec. IV-ii-V-I
-Death: C major. 3 sec. Simple cadence.
-Game over: G major. 3 sec. Interesting, again to think of this as V. Does that make you want to play again to hear C major?
-Bowser: 16 sec. A minor. i-bII. Vamp, Vamp+ melody. 1.5 sec battle start. 14.5 sec loop. Very percussive with noise maker track plus percussive beats.
-Ending C major. 88 sec. First section A B(4) A (4), 34.5 sec, is the traditional ending music from SMB. Music is synced up with onscreen action-- rising of the curtain brings a sudden musical change to the second section (1:52 ending, curtain 2:27). Transition(2) C D E E
No comments:
Post a Comment