Why is Mario Kart 8's music so good?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 พ.ค. 2024
- Mario Kart 8's music is one of Nintendo's greatest musical soundtracks... but what makes it so good? It turns out the music from this game was 20 years in the making, and there's a key ingredient in the game's music that you're probably not aware of! Here's my breakdown of Mario Kart music, Japanese jazz fusion, and how those two worlds collided with Mario Kart 8!
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SOURCES
DIMENSION: J-Fusion Officially Made Mario Kart Music
- • DIMENSION: J-Fusion Of...
(This is the video that got me interested in this topic, so thank you to Cuevas Productions!)
Wikipedia - Le Mans Japanese theme songs
- ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%...
Wikipedia - F1 Grand Prix opening themes
- ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/F1%E3%8...
TH-cam - F1 Grand Prix title sequences
- • F1-OP集 (1987 - 2012) V...
TH-cam - More F1 Grand Prix title sequences
- • F1-OP集 最終Ver. (1987 - ...
TH-cam - More HD F1 Grand Prix title sequences
- • 最もOPのCGに力を注いでいた時代のF1-O...
TH-cam - Le Mans title sequences
- • ル・マン24時間耐久レース OP集・仮動画 ...
TH-cam - Dimension’s Le Mans album
- • [1992] Dimension / Le ...
TH-cam - Mario Kart 8 Music recording playlist
- • The music of Mario Kart 8
Kotaku - Mario Kart 8 sound team interview
- kotaku.com/the-music-of-mario...
Iwata Asks - Kenta Nagata Mario Kart 7 interview
- iwataasks.nintendo.com/interv...
Mario Wiki - Mario Kart 8 liner notes
- www.mariowiki.com/Mario_Kart_...
CREDITS
Xylophon - Glissando hoch.wav by BockelSound
- freesound.org/s/489495/ -- License: Attribution 4.0
1987 Model Car Formula 1 photo taken by Takayuki Suzuki
- www.flickr.com/photos/7847508... - เกม
Hi everyone!
If you enjoyed this video, you'll probably be interested in a post I've written with a selection of really great and important fusion music by T-Square and Dimension, which I've put up on my Patreon page!
It's full of stuff I couldn't include in this video for copyright reasons, so go check that out if you're interested:
www.patreon.com/posts/102211072
And if you enjoyed this video, and want to support my channel and help me make big, research-heavy videos like this one, then consider supporting my channel on Patreon!
www.patreon.com/ThomasGameDocs
It really helps me out a lot, and you get fun bonus content too!
- Thomas :)
First i finally redeem myself
Hello I loved the video, it's fun to learn about video games
sss
Awesome video!
@@TramiNguyen-oi3kp hi
Discovering Jazz Fusion in late 2023 has single-handedly improved my quality of life…
Didn’t realize how intertwined the genre was with video game music until later, but it’s really cool to see.
random verified user spotted
Same here! I have gone through a lot of highs and lows, but jazz-fusion brought me back me up at my lowest
I didn't expect Mario Kart 8 music to have such a deep backstory
rhvgamer sighting
@@hflyer222 real
Missed opportunity to talk about Casiopea’s 1979 debut album which literally featured race cars as the album cover and has a song called “space road” which influenced rainbow road
wanted to say exactly this!
YESSSS
Kenta Nagata did an interview about MK8's soundtrack and said some things I really admire about the art of video game music. He said:
“The music used throughout the Mario Kart series isn’t intended to be just background music. Instead we aim to produce pieces that will stick in players’ minds. We consider it a great success if the other production staff start unconsciously humming the tunes as they’re racing.” He also said that it must be able to be heard on a loop hundreds of times without getting old or annoying.
🔥Berlin Byways🔥
potato
Amazing video. The reason I am a sound designer for AAA game company is Mario Kart 64. It was the first game I ever had, and the credits theme remind me of sitting on the couch with my mom in the 90s. To this day I feel emotional hearing this soundtrack.
The main composer of T-Square also composed “Moon Over the Castle”, the long-standing theme song for Gran Turismo! As if that weren’t enough, the start of the original SMB theme’s melody was based on “Sister Marian” by T-Square.
Mario kart was one of the first games I ever played, so I LOVE THE MUSIC, so its fun to learn about the mario kart 8 music
Mario Kart 8?
No just the whole mario kart series
Did you know that, T-Square inspired Kojo Kondo to compose the Super Mario Bros. Overworld Theme? Also, I LOVE JAZZ FUSION :D
Thomas Game Docs did a video on that.
th-cam.com/video/dBNJ5cAxcQ8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_oVHrQO9u3XUkypQ
Listen to "Little League Star" by T-Square, it's literally a Mario Kart 8 track practically
@@MarioKartSuperCircuit Yeah!!
u like jazz??
@@RiggyFanAndPastaMan YESSS
5:17 isnt that the beginning of literally every rainbow road
WAIT YOUR ONTO SOMETHING
I was thinking the same thing!
That sounds like MKDS rainbow road
Sounds just like it!
@@Tony_Baloney22 lol I think I am
MK8 is one of the best racing games I've played. Hoping we get some news on a new one soon
It is so fun
I'm glad they have a live band perform for the game, the F-Zero tracks sound so good!
Hi Meester! Didn’t expect you to be here.
@@jeremyliem8822 Yeah I play this game
Here in Brazil we have the "Tema da Vitória" that played on TV for the winners of the Brazilian Grand Prix from 1983 onwards. And then it became the theme of Brazil's victories in F1 and synonymous with Ayrton Senna. It sounds a lot like Mario Kart or the other way around haha
Having recently gone through the entire music catalogue of the Mario Kart series for a compilation, i have to admit that though every Mario Kart game has great music, Mario Kart 8 really is the most consistently great imo
*Thomas Game Docs:* Waltz in underwater music is totally arbitrary
*8-bit Music Theory:* hold my beer
You have refined tastes!
Nintendo has some fantastic, consistent composers.
Bold prediction: Mario kart 9 will have a eurobeat genre style.
I've always been really impressed by the music MK8 has, but I had no idea about the incredible background of these musicians!
Need more jazz fusion in the next MK...
I am so glad you are back safe and sound! :D
Speaking of sound, I had no idea some of the music was written by you! That's amazing!
This video was so awesome! And your music sounded incredible!
Keep making videos, they are so fun. 👍
Also, congrats on your transition!
Your appreciation for video game music is SO pure, thank you!!
Hi there, I'm not sure what the details are since I only follow you here, but I've noticed a big difference lately, and you seem to be quite happy about it. Your hair is so long and beautiful!! I don't know whether we're in for any changes coming to the channel soon, but I'm eager to hear where you take things in these pivotal years. We're very happy for you!!
WOAH YOURE PRETTY
He wasn't like this before.
@@tysontenz714 *she
@@cicerospizzaathat’s a mfing dude
@@AtracBreezy no that's a beautiful woman
I never knew how this person could look so good in both genders.
Edit: neutralised gender
Hey Thomas Game Docs I just wanted to thank you, because around 3-4 or so years ago I saw your video "This 80's Song Inspired Mario's Music" and since then I have been in love with J-Fusion music. Again thanks so much Thomas for also making entertaining videos!
Incredible work, and I was blown away by your fusion tracks!
I feel like my favorite TGD videos are when she talks about music
Idk why, but I feel like it's cuz I can tell she really enjoys this topic
Always love a new TGD video! Keep up the amazing work. :)
You always put so much work and love into your videos. They're really special!
I really love your videos because they give an incredible, in-depth look "under the hood" so to speak about the sound design and music production of Nintendo games. These are things I would never know or even think about if it weren't for your videos. The production value of your videos is also amazing. Thank you for making these videos, and I hope you can continue to make them for a long time! Also, cool to see your progress as you transition. :)
Awesome! I've just recently started getting into jazz fusion, with the aim to start producing it, so am very excited to check out the videos on the 2 tracks you put together!
I'd been listening to quite a bit of Casiopea, but hadn't discovered T-Square/Dimension, so looking forward to diving into that!
Seeing new vids from you always brightens my day :)
Keep up the good work and chill-but-informative Nintendo vibes, friend
I love your videos so much!!! Thanks for being so awesome!
I honestly didn't know why I loved that soundtrack so much before, I just always had the impression, that it has a "jazz-big-band vibe" to it that's really grand, impactful and driving (haha). But very nice, now I have a name to it. Thanks for all the work for this video. As always very entertaining and interesting to see!
I am very much loving how often uploads are coming out right now, I've learned alot of gaming history from this channel over the last year
It's so fascinating to learn about what genres video game music is built on, great video!
Searching for jazz fusion playlists after this amazing video! Thank you!
This video is really well made. Good job!
This video is so you, Thomas. Really nice to watch, thank you
This is a MASTERFUL video, Thomas. So well done!
Transition goals
loved the storytelling, excellent video!! ˙ ͜ʟ˙
Your videos are always amazing! Top level content, thank you so much for your investigations!
Grande Leandro!!! Ojalá algún día ver la música de carreras en tus análisis de por qué suenan así. 🤝
This was great. Awesome job!😊
Thomas, love your vids! Also, really love how it went basically full-circle with 8! Always fun to learn about gaming history from ya, you go gal! ❤❤❤
Edit 2: at the outro now, you look truly beautiful!
Its always a delight when you post😁
Somewhere in this video are bits of two songs you wrote, that fit in so well that I have no idea which clips... Thats impressive.
This explains everything stumbling on my mind when it comes to Mario Kart 8 soundtracks, including why Big Blue arrangement got me T-square-esque vibe
Watching your videos gives me a deeper appreciation of the craftsmanship that's put into Nintendo games
Your best video yet!❤
This was absolutely fascinating - I had no idea how much history went into this banger of a soundtrack!
This is so fascinating!
Man i don't want them to change the music direction at all for Mario kart 9
Nice video! Keep up the good work.
I've always loved the Mario Kart soundtrack, and when I discovered Japanese fusion jazz I absolutely loved it. You can tell so many video game soundtracks were insired by bands like Casiopea
This is so interesting! Gives me a whole new appreciation for the soundtrack:)
It's amazing to know how the music I love is made!
THank you bro, really made me interested, really cool research, tahnk you bro
Great video as always
Ive fallen in love with this channel man
Amazing video as always!!
Nintendo music sometimes goes hard
Did you know this game has a hidden swear
Where, I must find it
Thomas game docs episode 3729
Link says, "Hell yeah!" When boosting
Don’t ask what bowser said
Thanks
im happy to see your channel didnt go down
I've always greatly appreciated the Mario Kart 8 OST, but this even furthers that appreciation!
Your commitment to your work is insane. Very glad people like you exist.
keep up the great work!
might be your best vid yet
Insane video I absolutely loved it. thank you
I could and will listen to the Mario Kart 8 band/ost happily ever after ❤ such a wonderful job on the videos as always guys didn’t know about the origins of racing music and all. Simply perfection.
Thomas: something something Mario Kart 8 music
Also Thomas: *plays F-Zero*
To be fair the MK-8 versions of those F-Zero tracks are certainly more jazzy than the oroginal rock compositions
I'm just so happy that your channel exists
Mario kart has always loved brass
Isn't T square what inspired Kondo to make the main Mario theme?
Indeed! The main composer of T-Square also composed “Moon Over the Castle”, the long-standing theme song for Gran Turismo!
Yup. The song that influenced the SMB theme is called “Sister Marian”
did not expect to be so interested by this video
As a jazz fusion enjoyer and Casiopea lover, thanks for the new song recommendations
Man. I LOVE Mario kart 8's ost, i listen to it time to time, true bangers (like this video)
This kind of well researched deep videos videos is what TH-cam is (should be) all about. Thank you!
Great video!
One of my favorite aspects of MK8’s music is how it’s the first Mario Kart game to feature orchestrated tracks. The music in this entry really slaps. Thanks so much for the history, Thomas!
I swear it was just last week I learned about Dimension and their connection to the MK8 soundtrack. This is relevant to my interests!
Great video❤
Amazing video!
Finally discovered the name of one of my favorite music genres
Yo, this is awesome! Love your video's! I do wonder if you could make similar video's about the music in Splatoon, Animal Crossing and Smash. Would love to watch that!
And Kirby. Don't forget Kirby.
Jazz Fusion is really prominent in SNES F-Zero soundtrack. You can really hear in the track Silence
Oh? And then when two tracks got arrangements in Mario Kart 8, that’s kinda just doubling down on the Jazz Fusion?
Never realised it's the music that influenced me in judging the Mario kart games so much. I thought the series went downhill after mario kart double dash and got it's moments back in mario kart 7. The Mario Kart World Tour track songs that were added later still contained a few stinkers though.
This explains a lot about the SNES F-Zero arrange album being jazz fusion. The F-Zero songs in Mario Kart are truly incredible. The SNES was techno, the N64 was rock, I couldn't imagine which style they would use for Mario Kart 8 & it was mind-blowing.
1:08 Coconut mall
This was so cool to learn about
Do you know how involved Nagata was with the Mario Kart Tour soundtrack afterwards? I know Dimension was hired to do the live versions of the songs that eventually made it into MarioKart 8 (via the Booster Course Pass), but even the original versions of the songs in MarioKart are so jazz fusion! Sydney Sprint has a sax solo that sends shivers down my spine, and London Loop is a rock banger just like the F-ZERO tracks or Rock Rock Mountain. If it was composed by someone else, they certainly drew heavy inspiration from Nagata and the work he did with Dimension!
It incredible that how much Nintendo music has changed from being pre recorded 8 bit music to fully recorded live band
Nintendo using jazz fusion for Mario Kart has basically made jazz fusion the semi-official genre of racing game music.
The cool thing is how it's come full circle, and now some jazz bands are playing video game music as part of their repertoire!
I discovered Morse code in Super Mario Galaxy (for the Wii) When you are selecting a level within a galaxy, some thrilling music plays. At the end of the looping soundtrack, more code for SOS is played!
image from IGN assets1.ignimgs.com/2007/11/09/super-mario-galaxy-20071109032027756-2196245.jpg - The music on this screen.
Those musicians are legends and so is Thomas for showing the world details no one would normally care about ❤
I wanna give a shoutout to the beatboxing inspiration in Mario kart DS's soundtrack
I already knew about this, but even after that, when I was 10y/o and first listened to Mk8 music I was absolutely fascinated
Always knew it was jazz. Made sense
i love your videos!