How is the famous Mario Music created?
A much loved game across the globe, Mario has been around for ages. A big fat belly, a cheerful demeanor and a gorgeous moustache; Mario is one character we all have loved since forever. When videogames came in to existence, Mario was one of the first characters we all started to associate ‘video games’ with. And even today, after Mario has crossed his 25th anniversary, he still remains a favorite.
So, what is it that makes Mario so famous? Is it the Mario music? or is it the fact that almost everyone today (even those who don’t play video games) have definitely heard of this friendly character?
Mario has gained popularity even when other games introduced by Nintendo were long forgotten because of many reasons. The simplicity of this game makes it a favorite, for the simple reason that anyone and everyone can enjoy it! You needn’t sit and learn the game and the tough moves and get a hang of a 100 rules before you start enjoying the game. And the Mario music has definitely played a huge role in its success. Its apt, it’s funky and it’s catching. What more can a video game ask for in terms of music?
Mario music has been composed by Koji Kondo, a man who has become a legend because of his great work in the video games market. But how did this man start? Well, according to him, he began taking lessons in electronic organ when he was just a kid, and loved to create unique sounds. He joined Nintendo team in 1984 and started with making Mario Music for the game Super Mario Bros. And rest is history! Even Paul McCartney knows this tune by heart! And that says so much about its popularity, as well as its brilliance.
This Mario music was for an underwater theme. And Kondo says that most games in those years were so simplistic – plain backgrounds with blue skies and greenery and the music one created needed to match that theme. And maybe that is the reason it shot to popularity within no time – this Mario music was so apt that it completed the whole picture. In fact, many Mario fans will tell you that without the Mario music, the game will just not be as much fun!
But how does this legend make Mario music? Well, frankly, even he doesn’t have a clear answer! Though, Kondo says that his idea is to understand the game and come up with tunes that will add a more ‘fun’ element to the game. Since Mario games are centered on jumping, he says that Mario music needs to be happy-go-lucky, light and breezy and must have an ‘airy’ feel to it to make all that bouncing and jumping all the more exciting. Mario music has come a long way now though, where the entire team of composers has to test and try every tune created to see if it has the classic “Mario feel” to it. And as the game grows more popular, so does this brand of music. After all, without the right Mario music, the fun of the game gets drained out, so the composers find the best way to create the tunes for this game is to stare at the screen, till the music comes naturally to them and fits to perfection to complete the whole Mario package.
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