A Boss Approaches

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"A Boss Approaches"
Composed by: Unknown
Key	E minor
First appearance	Super Mario 3D World (2013)
Latest appearance	Mario Kart World (2025)

"A Boss Approaches" is a musical theme in Super Mario 3D World. "A Boss Approaches" is played on the world map during a cutscene where the player first unlocks the levels A Banquet with Hisstocrat and Motley Bossblob's Big Battle. The track also represents Bowser's overall leitmotif in the game, which is arranged within several other tracks throughout the game.

Arrangements

Super Mario series

Super Mario 3D World

Super Mario 3D World features several rearrangements of "A Boss Approaches" and its leitmotif.

• The music for the opening cutscene that plays when Bowser kidnaps the green Sprixie Princess, titled "Sprixie Kingdom" in the official soundtrack, incorporates an arrangement of "A Boss Approaches."

• "Bowser's Highway Showdown" is a faster-paced arrangement of "A Boss Approaches" with expanded sections.

• "The Great Tower" is an arrangement of "The Showdown Looms" that incorporates the "A Boss Approaches" leitmotif.

• "The Credits Roll" incorporates an arrangement of "A Boss Approaches."

• The music for the cutscene that plays after clearing Bowser's Lava Lake Keep, titled "On Bowser's Tail," incorporates the leitmotif.

• "World 8," the music used for World Bowser, is an arrangement of "A Boss Approaches" with the expanded sections from "Bowser's Highway Showdown."

The opening scene of this game reappears in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker as part of the credits, including the use of the "A Boss Approaches" leitmotif. The port does not include the theme, as the credits scene is replaced with a scene representing Super Mario Odyssey.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

While all arrangements from the original game reappear in Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, the Bowser's Fury campaign also features two additional arrangements of "A Boss Approaches."

An arrangement of "A Boss Approaches" plays when battling Giant Bowser. This arrangement returns in Tetris 99, where it plays while 10 or less players are active in the Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury theme.

An arrangement of "A Boss Approaches" plays in the ending cutscene when Bowser tries attacking Mario while Bowser Jr. stops him.

Super Nintendo World

An arrangement of "A Boss Approaches" with extended sections is featured at Super Nintendo World, where it plays in the queue of Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge.

Mario Kart World

In Mario Kart World there are two separate arrangements of "Bowser's Highway Showdown" and "World 8", both of which can play in Free Roam. The arrangement of "Bowser's Highway Showdown" can also play during routes in Grand Prix or VS Race; in Grand Prix, it is one of three arrangements that can play on the route from Wario Stadium to Airship Fortress in the Flower Cup.

List of Super Mario appearances

Games

Work	System	Year	Type	Title	Credits
Super Mario 3D World	Wii U	2013	Original	"A Boss Approaches"
			Arrangement	"Sprixie Kingdom"
				"Bowser's Highway Showdown"
				"The Great Tower"
				"The Credits Roll"
				"On Bowser's Tail"
				"World 8"
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker	Wii U	2014	Past arrangement (Super Mario 3D World)
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury	Nintendo Switch	2021	Original	"A Boss Approaches"
			Past arrangement (Super Mario 3D World)	"Sprixie Kingdom"
				"Bowser's Highway Showdown"
				"The Great Tower"
				"The Credits Roll"
				"On Bowser's Tail"
				"World 8"
			Arrangement
Tetris 99	Nintendo Switch	2021	Past arrangement (Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury)
Mario Kart World	Nintendo Switch 2	2025	Arrangement

Film and television

Work	Year	Type	Title	Credits
The Cat Mario Show	2014	Original

Albums

Work	Year	Type	Title	Credits
Super Mario 3D World Original Soundtrack	2013	Original	"A Boss Approaches"
		Past arrangement (Super Mario 3D World)	"Sprixie Kingdom"
			"Bowser's Highway Showdown"
			"The Great Tower"
			"The Credits Roll"
			"On Bowser's Tail"
			"World 8"

Other media

Work	Year	Type	Title	Credits
Super Nintendo World	2021	Arrangement