Where does Mario's "BAH" sound come from? Nintendo Music Secrets 2024

Summary

This video explores intriguing musical Easter eggs and secrets in Nintendo games. It delves into the 'bah bah' sound in New Super Mario Bros, Morse code in Wii Sports Resort, and hidden messages in WarioWare Touched. The video also uncovers references in Donkey Kong Country 3, Super Mario 3D Land, and Mario Kart games. It reveals the origin of the 'pah' sound effect and adaptive music in Super Mario Maker 2. The host's passion for Nintendo's meticulous music design shines through, inviting viewers to join the discussion on overlooked gems.

Takeaways

• 🎮 In 'New Super Mario Bros', the 'bah bah' sound effect is a distinctive feature that adds playfulness to the game.
• 🕹️ 'Donkey Kong Country 3' contains a hidden Nintendo 64 console and the 'Super Mario 64' castle theme music in Wrinkly Kong's Save Caves.
• 🎶 'Super Mario 3D Land's Special 8' music is a nod to the 'Mario drawing song' from the FlipNote Studio app on DS.
• 👻 'WarioWare Touched' has a controversial easter egg where speeding up Ashley's Theme reveals a hidden message.
• 🏎️ 'Mario Kart 8's Water Park' level reuses the 'Big Boo’s Haunt' music from 'Super Mario 64' for its underwater teacup ride.
• 🎉 'Mario Kart: Double Dash's Dino Dino Jungle and DK Mountain' share music that originally paid homage to 'Donkey Kong Jr.' from the NES.
• 📡 'Wii Sports Resort' contains Morse code messages hidden in the Flyover mode near The Candle area.
• 🎵 'New Super Mario Bros' uses the 'pah' sound effect, originating from a sample pack used by Koji Kondo in 'Super Mario 64'.
• 🛠️ 'Super Mario Maker 2's Course World' theme is an adaptive homage to 'Super Mario World's Special World' theme, with variations based on the selected menu.
• 🎁 The video concludes with a call to support the channel through Patreon, offering bonus content and community engagement.

Q & A

What is the distinctive 'bah bah' sound in New Super Mario Bros. games and where did it first appear?

The 'bah bah' sound is a distinctive sound effect that makes enemies dance or jump, adding a playful element to the game. It first appeared in Super Mario 64, where it played when entering a painting.

How does the 'bah bah' sound effect relate to a sample pack used by Koji Kondo?

Koji Kondo, the composer for Super Mario 64, used a sample pack called Best Service Voice Spectral Vol 1, which contained unique voice-based sounds. The 'bah bah' sound was sourced from Track 53 of this CD.

What is the connection between Wrinkly Kong's activity in Donkey Kong Country 3 and the Nintendo 64 console?

In Donkey Kong Country 3, Wrinkly Kong is sometimes seen playing video games on a console that resembles the Nintendo 64, which had been released in Japan around the time of the game's release.

What game is Wrinkly Kong playing in her Save Cave in Donkey Kong Country 3, and how is this reflected in the music?

Wrinkly Kong is playing Super Mario 64, as indicated by the castle theme from that game playing in the background when she is using the console.

How does the music in Super Mario 3D Land's Special 8 world relate to FlipNote Studio?

The theme music for Special 8 in Super Mario 3D Land is a reused melody from the 'Mario drawing song' created by Nintendo to promote the FlipNote Studio app on the DS.

What controversy arose from the use of a song in WarioWare Touched, and how was it resolved?

A controversy arose when a hidden message, 'I have granted kids to Hell', was discovered by speeding up Ashley's Theme. It was later explained as a coincidence caused by the game skipping words when the record was spun fast.

How does the underwater teacup ride music in Mario Kart 8 relate to Super Mario 64?

The music played during the underwater teacup ride in Mario Kart 8's Water Park course is a re-use of the Big Boo's Merry Go Round theme from Super Mario 64.

What theory is proposed about the music shared by Dino Dino Jungle and DK Mountain in Mario Kart: Double Dash?

It is theorized that the shared music track was intended for DK Mountain, as it contains a melody from Donkey Kong Jr., suggesting a homage to the Donkey Kong series.

What secret Morse code messages are hidden in Wii Sports Resort and where can they be found?

Wii Sports Resort contains Morse code messages hidden in the Flyover mode near the lighthouse, known as The Candle. The beeping sounds spell out messages when decoded.

How does the Course World theme in Super Mario Maker 2 relate to Super Mario World, and what changes occur based on the menu selected?

The Course World theme in Super Mario Maker 2 is identical to the theme from Super Mario World's Special World. However, the melody is removed in some menu selections, making the reference easy to miss.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 Hidden Nintendo Music Secrets

This paragraph delves into the intriguing musical easter eggs found within Nintendo games. It starts with the mystery of the 'bah bah' sound in New Super Mario Bros, questioning its origin. The script then uncovers a hidden Morse code in Wii Sports Resort and a demonic message in a DS game. The focus shifts to Donkey Kong Country, highlighting Wrinkly Kong's Save Caves and the unexpected inclusion of the Super Mario 64 theme, creating a surreal blend of SNES and N64 music.

05:01

🔍 Unearthing Easter Eggs in Mario Kart and More

Paragraph 2 continues the exploration of Nintendo's musical secrets with a focus on Mario Kart 8's Water Park level, where the music is a nod to Super Mario 64's Big Boo's Haunt. It also discusses the shared music between Dino Dino Jungle and DK Mountain in Mario Kart: Double Dash, suggesting a deliberate homage to Donkey Kong Jr. The paragraph wraps up with a mention of WarioWare Touched's controversial secret message revealed by speeding up a song, which was later clarified as a coincidence.

10:06

🎵 The Art of Subtle Musical References

The final paragraph discusses the Morse code messages in Wii Sports Resort, the playful 'pah' sound effect in New Super Mario Bros traced back to Super Mario 64, and the adaptive music in Super Mario Maker 2's Course World. It concludes by emphasizing the subtlety and satisfaction of discovering these musical secrets, reflecting Nintendo's dedication to their music. The script ends with a call to action for viewers to share their own discoveries and a mention of the creator's Patreon for additional content.

Keywords

💡Easter Eggs

Easter eggs in the context of the video refer to hidden features, messages, or jokes intentionally placed by the creators of video games, in this case, Nintendo games. They are meant to be discovered by players and often provide a sense of surprise or reward. The video discusses several instances of easter eggs in Nintendo games, such as the hidden morse code messages in Wii Sports Resort and the 'bah bah' sound effect in New Super Mario Bros.

💡Nintendo 64

Nintendo 64, often abbreviated as N64, is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The video mentions the N64 in relation to the game Donkey Kong Country 3, where a character is shown playing a game on this console, which was a newer release at the time, highlighting a form of product placement and a nod to the future of gaming technology.

💡Morse Code

Morse code is a method of transmitting text information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment. In the video, it is used as a creative easter egg in Wii Sports Resort, where the game's soundtrack includes beeping sounds that, when decoded, reveal hidden messages.

💡Super Mario 64

Super Mario 64 is a 3D platform video game for the Nintendo 64. The video references this game for its innovative use of music and sound effects, such as the 'bah bah' sound that later became iconic in the New Super Mario Bros series. It also mentions the game's castle theme, which is repurposed in Donkey Kong Country 3.

💡WarioWare Touched

WarioWare Touched is a game for the Nintendo DS known for its quick, touchscreen-based microgames. The video discusses a controversial easter egg in this game where a sped-up version of a song reveals a hidden, out-of-place message, which was actually a result of the game's turntable feature skipping words.

💡Mario Kart 8

Mario Kart 8 is a kart racing game for the Wii U, noted for its vibrant graphics and inventive tracks. The video points out a musical easter egg in the Water Park course, where the music played during an underwater teacup ride is a reused theme from Super Mario 64's Big Boo's Haunt, showcasing Nintendo's practice of recycling and referencing their own music.

💡Donkey Kong Country 3

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble is a platform game for the SNES. The video highlights this game for its easter eggs, such as the inclusion of a Nintendo 64 console and the Super Mario 64 castle theme playing in the background when a character is depicted playing a game.

💡Super Mario 3D Land

Super Mario 3D Land is a platform game for the Nintendo 3DS. The video discusses how the game's Special 8 world's theme music is a reused melody from a promotional animation for the FlipNote Studio app, demonstrating how Nintendo composers recycle and reference their own work.

💡Wii Sports Resort

Wii Sports Resort is a sports video game for the Wii that builds upon the success of Wii Sports. The video mentions this game for its hidden morse code messages, which are a form of easter egg that requires a specific skill set to decode, adding an extra layer of engagement for players who are familiar with morse code.

💡New Super Mario Bros

New Super Mario Bros is a side-scrolling platform game for the Nintendo DS. The video explores the distinctive 'bah bah' sound effect used in this game series, tracing its origin back to Super Mario 64 and explaining how it was sourced from a sample CD, illustrating Nintendo's creative process in sound design.

💡Super Mario Maker 2

Super Mario Maker 2 is a game for the Nintendo Switch that allows players to create and share their own custom Mario levels. The video discusses the adaptive music in the game's Course World, which changes based on the menu selected, and how it includes a hidden reference to Super Mario World's Special World theme, showcasing the game's homage to classic Mario music.

Highlights

In New Super Mario Bros, the 'bah bah' sound effect is a distinctive feature that adds playfulness to the game.

The 'bah bah' sound in New Super Mario Bros originated from Super Mario 64 and was sampled by Koji Kondo.

Wrinkly Kong in Donkey Kong Country 3 is depicted playing Super Mario 64 on a Nintendo 64 console.

Super Mario 3D Land's Special 8 theme music is a reused melody from the FlipNote Studio's 'Mario drawing song'.

WarioWare Touched contains a controversial hidden message when a song is played at high speed, which was a coincidence due to word skipping.

Mario Kart 8's Water Park course features music from Super Mario 64's Big Boo's Haunt level.

Mario Kart: Double Dash's Dino Dino Jungle and DK Mountain share music that originally paid homage to Donkey Kong Jr.

Wii Sports Resort contains Morse code messages hidden in the game's sounds, which are a neat secret for players to discover.

New Super Mario Bros' 'pah' sound effect was first used in Super Mario 64 and was sourced from a sample CD.

Super Mario Maker 2's Course World theme is an adaptive melody that changes based on the menu selected.

The Course World theme in Super Mario Maker 2 is identical to Super Mario World's Special World theme.

Nintendo's music is filled with hidden easter eggs and references, showcasing the company's love for detail and player satisfaction.

The video invites viewers to share their own Nintendo music easter eggs and secrets for potential inclusion in future videos.

The video creator has relaunched a Patreon page offering exclusive content and community access for supporters.

Transcripts

In New Super Mario Bros, almost every song  features one particular sound: “bah bah”. But  

who actually sang those notes? It’s an interesting  mystery, right? But that’s not all. Did you notice  

the morse code hidden in Wii Sports Resort? Or the  demonic message in the music to one of Nintendo’s  

DS games? Today I want to solve some Nintendo  music mysteries, along with rounding up some  

of the most hidden easter eggs from within all  Nintendo’s music. As Mario puts it, “Let's-a go!”

Number 1

Let’s start by talking about Donkey Kong  Country - specifically the third game,  

Dixie Kong's Double Trouble. Now, this game  features a character called Wrinkly Kong,  

who’s the wife of Cranky Kong. And in Donkey  Kong Country 3, you visit Wrinkly Kong each  

time you want to save your game - she  resides in a number of these “Save Caves”,  

as they’re known. And each time you enter a  Save Cave, Wrinkly will be doing some kind of  

activity. Sometimes she’s exercising. Sometimes  she’s fast asleep. But sometimes, she’ll be  

playing video games. And take a close look at  the console she’s using - it’s a Nintendo 64.

That’s right, by the time of Donkey Kong Country  3’s release on the SNES in November 1996,  

Nintendo’s next console, the Nintendo  64, had actually been out in Japan for  

about 5 months. And so, that is the  console that Wrinkly is playing. But  

that’s not all. Because listen to the  music that plays when she’s doing that.

That’s right - it’s the castle  theme from Super Mario 64!

It appears that Super Mario 64 is the game  that Wrinkly Kong is playing from within  

her Save Cave. It feels super weird to hear  this N64 song playing within an SNES game,  

but that’s exactly what’s happening here!

Number 2 Next up,  

I want to talk about Super Mario 3D Land. So,  3D Land features 16 worlds in total. The first  

8 are regular worlds, and the second 8  are special bonus worlds full of more  

challenging levels. The final world in the game  is called Special 8, and here’s its theme music.

Now, that music might sound familiar,  especially if you’re a big fan of FlipNote  

Studio. Back on the DS, to promote  their stop motion animation app,  

Nintendo created their very own FlipNote  animation which they called “the Mario  

drawing song”. There’s versions of this  song in Japanese, English, French, Spanish,  

Italian, German and Dutch. And just  take a listen to a clip from the song.

Does it sound familiar? Super Mario 3D  Land’s composers reused that melody for  

the Special 8 map screen music! It’s a pretty  neat, and pretty obscure, musical reference!

Number 3 Alright, next we have  

one of the most legendary musical easter eggs from  any Nintendo game - and it’s found in the DS game  

WarioWare Touched. So, one item you can unlock in  the game is the Turntable, which lets you speed up  

and slow down songs from the game’s soundtrack by  dragging this DJ turntable using the touchscreen.

Sounds simple enough, except this feature  caused a bit of a controversy around the  

time of WarioWario Touched’s release.  Because if you take Ashley’s Theme,  

one of the three selectable songs, and speed it  way up, a secret, hidden message can be heard:

“I have granted kids to Hell”

That sounds pretty out of place in  a WarioWare game, doesn’t it? Well,  

it turns out that the cause is simple  - when you spin the record really fast,  

the game starts skipping over  some of the words in the song.

Here is the verse in question, and if we  highlight just the beginning of each line,  

we get “I have granted kids to Hell.” I have  granted kids to Hell. It’s a weird coincidence  

that caused a minor controversy back when this  game was released - so much so that Nintendo Power  

magazine had to issue an explanation for why this  bizarre message was featured in a WarioWare game.

Number 4 Next up,  

let’s talk about Mario Kart 8, and specifically  the course Water Park. Now, if you drive through  

most of the course, you’ll eventually get to this  underwater teacup ride. And, I’m going to slowly  

drive into the middle of the teacups, and take  a close listen to the music that starts playing.

Now, it’s a little hard to hear over the  level music, but if you’ve played a lot  

of Super Mario 64, then this music may sound  familiar. Because in the stage Big Boo’s Haunt,  

there’s an underground merry-go-round  with music that sounds like this.

And so, returning to Mario Kart 8’s Water  Park, take a second listen to that music.

That’s right - the game’s composers re-used  

Big Boo’s Merry Go Round theme  for the underwater teacup ride!

Number 5 Now, while we’re  

talking about Mario Kart, I’ve got another one for  you, this time from Mario Kart: Double Dash. So,  

in some of the older Mario Kart games, multiple  courses share the same piece of music. If you  

play the courses Dino Dino Jungle and DK Mountain  from Double Dash, you’ll notice that the music is  

the exact same. But it’s my theory that this  music track was intended for DK Mountain,  

and I have a reason for that claim. You see,  listen to this section of the music in question.

And then, let me play you a different song  from a totally different game - that being  

Donkey Kong Jr - the NES game.  Listen to the music for Stage 1.

It’s the same theme, the same melody heard  in Double Dash! It’s even in the same key!

You see, when Double Dash’s composers were  tasked with writing the music for DK Mountain,  

they seemingly included this classic DK  Jr. melody as a kind of homage. And that  

is why I say that this was always a Donkey  Kong piece of music first and foremost!

Number 6 Now let’s switch series,  

and talk a little bit about Wii Sports Resort.  I’ve talked about secret Morse Code messages  

a few times before on this channel, and  there’s another set of messages hidden  

within Wii Sports Resort. In the Flyover mode,  if you fly to the area near the lighthouse,  

known as The Candle, you’ll start to hear  some rhythmic beeping which sounds like this…

That beeping is morse code, and  it spells out this message...

But that’s not the only set  of messages. There’s also...

And lastly, there’s this...

Now, the number of people playing Wii Sports  Resort who also are familiar enough with  

morse code to decode these messages as they  hear them must surely be close to zero. And  

yet Nintendo included these messages  nonetheless as a neat little secret.

Number 7 Next up,  

let’s talk about New Super Mario Bros.  All four New Super Mario Bros titles  

feature a very distinctive sound within their  soundtracks - the “pah” or “bah” sound effect.

Every time this sound plays,  enemies will dance around or  

jump. It’s a fun way of making the game  feel more playful. But what exactly is  

this iconic sound? Where does this  strange singing voice come from?

Well, to uncover that mystery, we first need  to track the sound down to its very first  

appearance within a Nintendo game. Because  while everyone associates the “pah” with  

the New Super Mario Bros games, some viewers  might have already realised that it made its  

debut years earlier in Super Mario 64. Listen to  the jingle that plays when you enter a painting.

And for comparison, here’s the “pah”  sound from New Super Mario Bros.

It’s the exact same! So, where did Super  Mario 64 get the sound effect from? Well,  

the game’s soundtrack was written entirely  by Koji Kondo, and around the N64 era,  

Kondo began experimenting with sample packs, in  other words CDs full of unique and interesting  

instruments and noises from around the world.  One of those CDs was called Best Service Voice  

Spectral Vol 1, which is full of unique  voice based sounds, sounds like these...

And take a listen to Track 53 of that CD.

Sounds pretty familiar, right?  Koji Kondo heard this “pah” sound,  

and liked it enough to use it within  the soundtrack to Super Mario 64.

Then a few years later, he was the one who  composed the Ground theme of New Super Mario  

Bros on the DS. And when he wrote that piece of  music, he re-used that vocal sample from Mario 64.

And the rest was history!

Number 8 And let’s finish by  

talking about Super Mario Maker 2. Now, the game’s  online functions are enveloped within what’s known  

as “Course World”. And Course World has its  own musical theme, which sounds like this...

Now, if you’ve played a lot of Super Mario World,  

then there’s a chance this theme might  sound familiar - and that’s because the  

Course World melody is identical to the  theme from Mario World’s Special World.

It’s even in the same key! What a neat little  homage to a classic Mario piece of music,  

in a game which is full of  homages to Mario’s history.

But there’s more - the Course World  music is actually adaptive - it changes  

based on what menu you’re looking  at. If you select Network Play,  

you get this funky, upbeat version  of the Special World theme instead.

But here’s the thing - if you select any  other menu, you get a different version  

of the Course World theme, this time without  the Mario World melody. It’s completely gone!

So, that means that you could spend  hours browsing for courses and never  

know about the reference to Super  Mario World. It’s so easy to miss!

But that goes for pretty much every secret  and easter egg I’ve talked about in this  

video - they’re super subtle, so easy to miss.  But that means that when you do spot something  

hidden in the music - some reference to an  old game or re-used melody from the past,  

you get a rush of satisfaction. It’s so  obvious how much love Nintendo pours into  

their music - no-one does video  game music quite like Nintendo.

And there we have it, those are 8 of my  favourite Nintendo music easter eggs and  

secrets! If you have any that I didn't talk that  you think I should've included in this video,  

then let me know in the comments  below, 'cause I can definitely make  

another one of these videos in the future  including various people's suggestions.

I really hope you enjoyed this video, and  while I have you here, just before you go,  

I want to quickly talk about Patreon.  Yeah, you probably know the drill by now,  

but I've actually recently  relauched my Patreon page,  

with a new $5 tier which gets you access to a  monthly bonus video where I talk about more of  

my personal opinions about games I like, and  it's kind of more free and unscripted than a  

normal Thomas Game Docs video. I hope that  if you watch them you will also enjoy them!

You also get access if you join my Patreon page  to my Patreon feed where I give updates on videos  

and also how the channel's going in general - if  there's delays then I'll let you know about it,  

and hopefully keep you informed. Plus you  get access to my Patron only Discord server,  

where other Thomas Game Docs fans  can chat about Nintendo games,  

and other stuff in general. It's been  really fun taking part in that community!

So if you want to help financially  support this channel and help keep  

Thomas Game Docs going into the future,  then this Patreon page is a great way  

to do that. Thank you very much for watching  this video and I'll see you next time - bye!