Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Comparing the Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 versions of Koji Kondo’s “Underground Theme,” focusing on how each uses the NES/Famicom soundchip.
Both themes use the NES’s five‑channel audio architecture, but the Super Mario Bros. 3 version introduces several major changes. Most obviously, SMB3 adds a new drum groove using lo‑fi DPCM samples and noise‑channel hi‑hats, but, also significantly, we look at how the two games use the pulse channels differently, shaping the timbre and overall character of each version of the theme.
These choices highlight not only Koji Kondo’s evolving creativity, but also composers were able to leverage the NES soundchip differently over the life of the system.
Whether you’re interested in game music, NES chiptune sound design, or how classic game composers created so much with so little, I hope this provides some background into how the “Underground Theme” remains one of the most iconic tracks in video game history.
0:00 Intro
0:39 Time Signature
1:54 NES Audio Channels
2:21 Orchestration of the SMB1 Underground Theme
3:36 Orchestration of the SMB3 Underground Theme
5:04 Combining identical pules waves
5:36 Side-by-Side
IGN: A Music Trivia Tour with Nintendo's Koji Kondo (2017) - ign.com/articles/2014/12/10/a-music-trivia-tour-with-nintendos-koji-kondo
Click here for more on the NES and Famicom Sound - youtube.com/watch?v=CmU9L9UDUvo
More on video game sound here - youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7w4cOVVxL6FTPIPlP2nJYxVTN0w1_zPo&si=-dUfb6ifM2uDMFt9
💬 *Join the Discussion!* Have questions or want to share your own projects? Drop a comment below – I love hearing from you all!
* Subscribe: youtube.com/user/SimonHutc/?sub_confirmation=1
* Official Website - simonhutchinson.com
* bandcamp (lots of free music!): simonhutchinson.bandcamp.com/follow_me
* Sign up for my mailing list: eepurl.com/hVs7bT
* Grab my old gear on Reverb (affiliate link): tidd.ly/48iMpdH
* Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/simonhutchinson
_My voiceover recording gear_ (affiliate links):
Aston Microphones Origin (Reverb): tidd.ly/4aiVSnj
dbx 286s Channel Strip
* Reverb: tidd.ly/4as22Bm
* Perfect Circtuit: link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/8-12626-329160-9759?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.perfectcircuit.com%2Fdbx-286s.html
(I sometimes provide affiliate links for products that I use and enjoy. If you end up buying something through these external links, it helps to support the channel, while the price for you remains the same.)
#NES #Chiptune #SuperMarioBros #GameMusicAnalysis #kojikondo
Comparing the Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 versions of Koji Kondo’s “Underground Theme,” focusing on how each uses the NES/Famicom soundchip.
Both themes use the NES’s five‑channel audio architecture, but the Super Mario Bros. 3 version introduces several major changes. Most obviously, SMB3 adds a new drum groove using lo‑fi DPCM samples and noise‑channel hi‑hats, but, also significantly, we look at how the two games use the pulse channels differently, shaping the timbre and overall character of each version of the theme.
These choices highlight not only Koji Kondo’s evolving creativity, but also composers were able to leverage the NES soundchip differently over the life of the system.
Whether you’re interested in game music, NES chiptune sound design, or how classic game composers created so much with so little, I hope this provides some background into how the “Underground Theme” remains one of the most iconic tracks in video game history.
0:00 Intro
0:39 Time Signature
1:54 NES Audio Channels
2:21 Orchestration of the SMB1 Underground Theme
3:36 Orchestration of the SMB3 Underground Theme
5:04 Combining identical pules waves
5:36 Side-by-Side
IGN: A Music Trivia Tour with Nintendo's Koji Kondo (2017) - ign.com/articles/2014/12/10/a-music-trivia-tour-with-nintendos-koji-kondo
Click here for more on the NES and Famicom Sound - youtube.com/watch?v=CmU9L9UDUvo
More on video game sound here - youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7w4cOVVxL6FTPIPlP2nJYxVTN0w1_zPo&si=-dUfb6ifM2uDMFt9
💬 *Join the Discussion!* Have questions or want to share your own projects? Drop a comment below – I love hearing from you all!
* Subscribe: youtube.com/user/SimonHutc/?sub_confirmation=1
* Official Website - simonhutchinson.com
* bandcamp (lots of free music!): simonhutchinson.bandcamp.com/follow_me
* Sign up for my mailing list: eepurl.com/hVs7bT
* Grab my old gear on Reverb (affiliate link): tidd.ly/48iMpdH
* Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/simonhutchinson
_My voiceover recording gear_ (affiliate links):
Aston Microphones Origin (Reverb): tidd.ly/4aiVSnj
dbx 286s Channel Strip
* Reverb: tidd.ly/4as22Bm
* Perfect Circtuit: link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/8-12626-329160-9759?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.perfectcircuit.com%2Fdbx-286s.html
(I sometimes provide affiliate links for products that I use and enjoy. If you end up buying something through these external links, it helps to support the channel, while the price for you remains the same.)
#NES #Chiptune #SuperMarioBros #GameMusicAnalysis #kojikondo
