Cloudtop Cruise (theme)
| "Cloudtop Cruise" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| "Cloudtop Cruise" in Mario Kart 8 | |||
 Image from Nintendo Music | |||
| Composed by: Atsuko Asahi[1] | |||
| Key | D major, E-flat major | ||
| BPM | 158 | ||
| Time signature | Common time | ||
| First appearance | Mario Kart 8 (2014) | ||
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) | ||
| |||
- “On this title, we set ourselves on a challenge of creating melodies we'd never come up with before, and we put a huge amount of effort into this track. We thought that a full orchestra would be perfect for creating that sense of a vast world in the clouds. We've included the thundercloud version of the track, as well as a medley.”
- —Liner notes in the Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack
"Cloudtop Cruise"[1][2] is a musical theme composed by Atsuko Asahi for Mario Kart 8, where it plays in the race course of the same name. The ending section incorporates brief arrangements of "Gusty Garden Galaxy" from Super Mario Galaxy and "Super Mario Galaxy 2 Trailer Theme" from Super Mario Galaxy 2.
The first portion of the theme plays on amiibo screens in select retail stores.
History[edit]
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
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It has been requested that at least one audio and/or video file related to this section be uploaded. Specifics: "Staff Credits" arrangement Please upload music, sound effects, voice clips, or any videos for this section. See the help page for help getting started. |
Mario Kart 8 marks the first appearance of "Cloudtop Cruise". A metal arrangement of the theme also arranged by Atsuko Asahi plays during the thundercloud section. It is titled "Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds)" in the Nintendo Music app. In the official Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack album, both the original version and the thundercloud arrangement are played in sequence on the same track. For both themes, a looping drum set beat is added to the instrumentation whenever the player is driving at top speed while in first place.
The theme that plays during the staff credits incorporates a brief quote of "Cloudtop Cruise" before transitioning into "Mount Wario" near the end. It is likewise titled "Staff Credits" on the Nintendo Music app and the Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack album, and it was arranged by Ryo Nagamatsu.
"Cloudtop Cruise" and all of the other aforementioned themes return in the Nintendo Switch port, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for the same purposes.
 Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds) - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart 8 | File info 0:30 |
| Cloudtop Cruise (Frontrunning) - The remix heard in Mario Kart 8 | File info 0:30 |
| Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds) (Frontrunning) - The remix heard in Mario Kart 8 | File info 0:30 |
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit[edit]
In Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, the original version of "Cloudtop Cruise" plays in Chain Chomp Glacier.
Mario Kart World[edit]
In Mario Kart World, an acid jazz arrangement of "Cloudtop Cruise" can play in Free Roam during the day, on the route from Crown City to Peach Stadium in the Shell Cup, and on any VS Race route. As with other arrangements of themes from Mario Kart 8, the source game listed in the pause menu is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
| Cloudtop Cruise - The arrangement heard in Mario Kart World | File info 0:30 |
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, an arrangement of "Cloudtop Cruise" arranged by Atsuko Asahi can play in the Mario Circuit stage. It is near identical to the original, except the brass and string leads are replaced by the guitar from the thundercloud version.
| Cloudtop Cruise - The arrangement heard in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | File info 0:30 |
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U arrangement of "Cloudtop Cruise" can play in any Super Smash Bros.-series and Mario Kart-series stage. It is titled "Cloudtop Cruise - Mario Kart 8" in the game's sound test.
Other appearances[edit]
Super Nintendo World[edit]
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It has been requested that at least one audio and/or video file related to this section be uploaded. Specifics: The arrangement Please upload music, sound effects, voice clips, or any videos for this section. See the help page for help getting started. |
At the Super Nintendo World theme park, an arrangement of "Cloudtop Cruise" plays in the Cloudtop Cruise section of Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge.
Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo[edit]
One of the alarms for Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo is the original version of "Cloudtop Cruise". The character used to represent the alarm is Donkey Kong.
Gallery[edit]
Image for "Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds)" from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Music
Image for "Staff Credits" from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Music
"Cloudtop Cruise - Mario Kart 8" in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
List of Super Mario appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
| Work | System | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 | Wii U | 2014 | Original | "Cloudtop Cruise"[2] | Atsuko Asahi |
| Remix | |||||
| Arrangement | "Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds)"[2] | ||||
| Remix | |||||
| Arrangement | "Staff Credits"[2] | Ryo Nagamatsu | |||
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Wii U | 2014 | Arrangement | "Cloudtop Cruise"[3] | Atsuko Asahi |
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Nintendo Switch | 2017 | Original | "Cloudtop Cruise"[2] | Atsuko Asahi |
| Past remix (Mario Kart 8) | |||||
| Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8) | "Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds)"[2] | ||||
| Past remix (Mario Kart 8) | |||||
| Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8) | "Staff Credits"[2] | Ryo Nagamatsu | |||
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo Switch | 2018 | Past arrangement (Super Smash Bros. for Wii U) | "Cloudtop Cruise - Mario Kart 8"[4] | Atsuko Asahi |
| Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit | Nintendo Switch | 2020 | Original | Atsuko Asahi | |
| Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 | 2025 | Arrangement | "Cloudtop Cruise"[5] |
Albums[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack | 2015 | Original | "Cloudtop Cruise" | Atsuko Asahi |
| Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8) | "Staff Credits" | Ryo Nagamatsu |
Other media[edit]
| Work | Year | Type | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Nintendo World | 2021 | Arrangement | Dani Donadi[6] | |
| Nintendo Music | 2024 | Original | "Cloudtop Cruise" | Atsuko Asahi |
| Past arrangement (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe) | "Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds)" | |||
| "Staff Credits" | Ryo Nagamatsu | |||
| Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo | 2024[a] | Original | "Cloudtop Cruise" | Atsuko Asahi |
- ^ Added on December 10, 2024
Names in other languages[edit]
"Cloudtop Cruise"[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スカイガーデン Sukai Gāden |
Sky Garden | [2] | |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 空中花园 Kōngzhōng huāyuán |
Sky Garden | [2] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 空中花園 Kōngzhōng huāyuán |
Sky Garden | [2] | |
| Dutch | Wildewolkenweg | Wild Cloudway | [2] | |
| French (Canadian) | Dans les nuages | In the Clouds | [2] | |
| French (European) | Voie céleste | Celestial Way | [2] | |
| German | Wolkenstraße | Cloudstreet | [2] | |
| Italian | Vascello Nuvolante | "Cloudflying" Vessel – "Nuvolante" is a pun of "nuvola" (cloud) and "volante" (flying) | [2] | |
| Korean | 스카이 가든 Seukai Gadeun |
Sky Garden | [2] | |
| Portuguese | Via Nublada | Cloudy Way | [2] | |
| Russian | Заоблачный круиз Zaoblachnyy kruiz |
Cloudstrider Cruise | [2] | |
| Spanish | Ruta Celeste | Celestial Route | [2] |
"Cloudtop Cruise (Thunderclouds)"[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スカイガーデン（雷雲） Sukai Gāden (raiun) |
Sky Garden (thundercloud) | [2] | |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 空中花园（雷云） Kōngzhōng huāyuán (léiyún) |
Sky Garden (Thunder Cloud) | [2] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 空中花園（雷雲） Kōngzhōng huāyuán (léiyún) |
Sky Garden (Thunder Cloud) | [2] | |
| Dutch | Wildewolkenweg (donderwolken) | Wild Cloudway (thunderclouds) | [2] | |
| French (Canadian) | Dans les nuages (dans les nuages) | In the Clouds (in the clouds) | [2] | |
| French (European) | Voie céleste (dans les nuages) | Celestial Way (in the clouds) | [2] | |
| German | Wolkenstraße (Gewitterwolken) | Cloudstreet (Thunderclouds) | [2] | |
| Italian | Vascello Nuvolante (temporale) | "Cloudflying" Vessel (storm) | [2] | |
| Korean | 스카이 가든(뇌운) Seukai Gadeun (noeun) |
Sky Garden (thundercloud) | [2] | |
| Portuguese | Via Nublada (temporal) | Cloudy Way (thunderclouds) | [2] | |
| Russian | Заоблачный круиз (грозовые тучи) Zaoblachnyy kruiz (grozovyye tuchi) |
Cloudstrider Cruise (storm clouds) | [2] | |
| Spanish | Ruta Celeste (nubes tormentosas) | Celestial Route (stormclouds) | [2] |
