Many musical tracks in the New Super Mario Bros. series incorporate sound effects that enemies and objects on-screen may briefly react to. These sounds are usually vocal samples that punctuate the background music at the end of a melodic phrase.
The first sample that was used for this purpose is "Paah", created by sample library vendor Best Service and found in Best Service Voice Spectral Volume 1. The same CD also contains "Taaaa", which was used for a similar but alternate sound effect.[1] An additional bell sample from the Series 4000 Hollywood Sound Effects Library was used in underwater stages for the same purpose.[2]
The mechanic was created because Koji Kondo "thought it would be fun for the visuals to change in response to the sound", and it was "the most [he] could do" to accomplish this due to having joined in the final phase of development.[3]
As it could otherwise be assumed that the in-game characters do not hear the background music, their reaction to these sound effects may be considered to break the fourth wall.
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS / Super Mario Odyssey
The jingle that plays immediately after entering a painting in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS uses the "Paah" sample to play the first six notes of the Ground Theme from Super Mario Bros. Unlike later uses of the sample, it has no gameplay effect. This jingle marks the first time that the sample, or any other sample from a Best Service library, was used by Nintendo.
This jingle is reused in Super Mario Odyssey when entering a painting to rematch a boss in the Mushroom Kingdom.
 Game Start | File info 0:03 |
New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Mario Bros. is the first game to give the "Paah" sound a gameplay function. In the main, underground, athletic, desert, beach and lava themes, some enemies and objects will react to certain sounds. A table summarizing entities' responses across different New Super Mario Bros. games can be found below.
In certain level themes, the "Paah" vocals are replaced with other sounds that have the same function. The main and athletic themes use the "Paah" sample, while the underground, desert, beach, and lava themes use the "Taaa" sample. The underwater theme uses the bell sound effect. Pre-release versions of New Super Mario Bros. used an orchestral hit in place of the final game's vocal samples.
| Main Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Athletic Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Underground Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Underwater Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Desert Overworld Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Beach Overworld Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Lava Overworld Theme | File info 0:30 |
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
While New Super Mario Bros. Wii uses new overworld, underground, and athletic themes, the "Paah" sound reappears in these new versions, serving the same purpose. It also appears in the new desert, beach, forest, snow, and lava overworld music, as well as the lava underground music. Enemies in this game are timed to react to the "Paah" sound embedded in the music.
There are two points in the tower theme that act as "Paah"s; each is at the start of a slow trill that plays on bass marimba and strings near the beginning of the loop. In the castle theme, the sound of orchestral cymbals is used in place of "Paah"s.
On the World Map, entities such as Koopalings and Enemy Courses also hop in response to certain parts of the music. While the World 9 music has the proper data, it goes unused as nothing in the world animates based on this.[4]
| Overworld Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Underground Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Tower Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Underwater Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Athletic Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Castle Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Desert Overworld Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Snow Overworld Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Beach Overworld Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Jungle Overworld Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Lava Overworld Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Lava Underground Theme | File info 0:30 |
New Super Mario Bros. 2
In New Super Mario Bros. 2, the "Paah" sound reappears in the new ground theme and athletic theme, as well as the desert, beach, forest, snow, lava overworld, and lava underground music reused from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The xylophone glissando also reappears in the underwater theme. Additionally, this game is the only game in the series to incorporate "Paah" vocals in the music of Ghost House, tower and castle levels. The latter two also feature the sound effects that were previously used in their New Super Mario Bros. Wii renditions in place of the "Paah" vocals, but stage elements now only respond to the vocals.
The vocals with the "Paah" effect are distinct from the new "Lah" samples accompanying the ground and athletic themes, which were taken from the "ChorusLahFem" instrument from the Roland Sound Canvas SC-8820. These play alongside the melody in the ground theme and instead of the melody in the athletic theme. As the melody in these themes is otherwise the same as in their New Super Mario Bros. Wii counterparts, enemies and objects only react to the "Paah"s that were present originally.
| Overworld Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Athletic Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Ghost House Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Tower Theme | File info 0:30 |
| Castle Theme | File info 0:30 |
| "Lah" sample | File info 0:08 |
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
In New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, the "Paah" sounds are present in the new ground, athletic, and snow themes, as well as the returning underground, desert, and forest overworld music from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and they retain their effect on gameplay from previous games. The xylophone glissando sound appears again in the underwater theme and also retains its effect.
Super Mario Maker series
In the Super Mario Maker games (namely Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, and Super Mario Maker 2), the New Super Mario Bros. U game style reuses the underground, underwater, desert, and forest music from New Super Mario Bros. Wii and the overworld, athletic, and snow overworld music from New Super Mario Bros. U. However, enemies in these games do not react to the music, so the "Paah" sounds serve no functional purpose.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Coin World
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Coin World arranges several New Super Mario Bros. Wii themes that include the vocal sound effect. The sample used is different.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
In an official pre-release clip of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, as Mario exits a Warp Pipe after entering from a Clear Pipe in the Mushroom Kingdom, the note that plays at the end of the cue in the background score is the "Paah" sound used in the New Super Mario Bros. games. The "Paah" sound can also be heard in a commercial for a McDonald's Happy Meal promotion with the movie, specifically during the second transition between Mario's parkour scene and the scene with the child looking inside their Happy Meal box.[5]
Table of reactions
The table below lists the reactions of various elements in the New Super Mario Bros. games to these sounds. Many of these reactions are aesthetic, but some can have a small effect on gameplay, such as enemies making adjustments to their position instead of walking at a constant rate.
| Enemy/character/object | Reaction | Game(s) where this applies | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Super Mario Bros. | New Super Mario Bros. Wii | New Super Mario Bros. 2 | New Super Mario Bros. U | New Super Luigi U | ||
| Blockhopper | Performs a short hop if the player is far away. If the player is nearby, the Blockhopper will bounce wildly in their direction; if they are standing on top of it, it will bounce in the direction that they are facing. | 
|
||||
| Blooper | Twirls. |
|
|
|
| |
| Blooper Baby | Twirls (only when following a Blooper Nanny). |
|
|
|
||
| Blooper Nanny | Twirls. |
|
|
|
||
| Blue Shell | Performs a short hop. |
|
||||
| Bob-omb | Performs a short hop. |
|
||||
| Bone Goomba | Performs a short hop. |
|
||||
| Bramball | Turns its head into an orange-like fruit. When hit from underneath in this state, Bramball will drop several coins instead of just one. |
|
| |||
| Bulber | Briefly opens its mouth. |
|
| |||
| Bullet Bill | Twirls. |
|
|
| ||
| Buzzy Beetle | Performs a short hop. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Big Buzzy Beetle |
|
|||||
| Cheep Cheepa | Twirls. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Big Cheep Cheep |
|
|
|
| ||
| Cooligan | Performs a small hop while flapping its wings. If its sunglasses are knocked off, its hop is even shorter. |
|
| |||
| Deep Cheep | Twirls (unless chasing). |
|
|
| ||
| Big Deep Cheep | ||||||
| Dragoneel | Twirls. |
|
| |||
| Dry Bones | Rotates its head. |
|
|
| ||
| Stops and does a short dance. When there are two vocals in short succession, it puts its hands together and swings its arms to both sides. |
|
|||||
| Big Dry Bones | Rotates its head. |
|
|
| ||
| Stops and does a short dance. When there are two vocals in short succession, it puts its hands together and swings its arms to both sides. |
|
|||||
| Eep Cheep | Twirls. |
|
|
| ||
| Big Eep Cheep |
| |||||
| Fish Bone | Twirls. |
|
|
| ||
| Flowerb | Pulsates. |
|
|
| ||
| Flower items (Fire Flower/Ice Flower/Gold Flower) |
Performs a short hop. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Goomba | Performs a short hop. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Hefty Goomba |
|
| ||||
| Big Goomba | ||||||
| Goombrat | Flaps its leaves. |
|
| |||
| Prickly Goomba | Peeks out of its chestnut shell. |
|
| |||
| Jellybeam | Glows a little brighter. |
|
|
|||
| Koopa Paratroopa | Does a short dance. When there are two vocals in short succession, it swings its opposing limbs on the second “Paah”. |
|
|
|
| |
| Koopa Troopa | Turns towards the camera. |
|
||||
| Stops and does a short dance while facing the camera. When there are two vocals in short succession, it swings its arms to both sides and lifts its foot lower. |
|
|
|
| ||
| Big Koopa Troopa | Like with the regular Koopa Troopa, it stops and does a short dance, albeit without facing the camera; when there are two vocals in short succession, it swings its arms to both sides and lifts its foot lower. |
|
| |||
| Lakitu's Cloud | Swells up. |
|
||||
| Mouths to the "Paah" vocals. |
|
| ||||
| Mushroom items (Super Mushroom/1-Up Mushroom/Mini Mushroom/Gold Mushroom) |
Performs a short hop. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Penguin Suit | Performs a short hop. |
|
|
| ||
| Pokey | Turns its segments into orange-like fruit, enabling a Yoshi or Baby Yoshi to eat the Pokey in its entirety, with the former laying an egg with items inside after doing so. |
|
|
| ||
| Segmented platform | Eyes glow. |
|
||||
| Spiny | Hops and changes direction. |
|
||||
| Performs a short hop. |
|
|
|
| ||
| Spiny Cheep Cheep | Twirls (unless chasing). |
|
|
| ||
| Super Acorn/P-Acorn | Performs a short hop. |
| ||||
| Torpedo Ted | Twirls. |
|
| |||
| Urchin | Blows bubbles out of its mouth. |
|
|
| ||
| Big Urchin | ||||||
| Waddlewing | Rolls (when on the ground) or flips forward (when flying). |
|
| |||
| Yoshi | Mouths to the "Paah" vocals and turns its head towards the camera (only when unmounted). |
|
|
| ||
| Baby Yoshi | Mouths to the "Paah" vocals and, like with the regular Koopa Troopa, stops and does a short dance (only when not held). |
|
| |||
Notes
a - Excluding the jumping variety
b - In Super Mario 3D World, plants that can bear coins also dance to the background music.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 「ワッワー」というコーラスのような音[6] "wawwā" to iu kōrasu no yōna oto |
a sound like a chorus of "wah-wah" |
See also
References
- ^ Best Service (1993). "Best Service Voice Spectral Volume 1". Tracks 50 and 52.
- ^ SourceAudio. "CartoonBell 4001_58_2". Series 4000 Hollywood Sound Effects Library.
- ^ Nintendo. (2023, October 18). "Ask the Developer Vol. 11, Super Mario Bros. Wonder—Part 3 - News - Nintendo Official Site". Nintendo.com.
- ^ RoadrunnerWMC. (October 26, 2022). [TCRF] NSMBW World 9 Music Animation Events. YouTube. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ LETS - A - GO 64 (December 12, 2022). The Super Mario Bros. Movie - McDonald's Commercial ad. YouTube. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- ^ The 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Music booklet, pages 11–12
