A group of Super Mario World fans are currently reviewing the soundtrack of the SNES platform (h / t) Chris Kohler) with high quality versions of the original samples. But if you’re hoping for some great, orchestral versions of tracks that you’ve loved for decades, this really is not the case.
The samples were made available by the “Gigaleak” a massive (and unofficial) spill of Nintendo files that took the internet by storm last year. Among the files was the source code for Super Mario World‘s 2002 re-release of the Game Boy Advance, which you would not know, also included the original instruments used for the SNES music. From there, it was simply a matter of replacing the compressed sounds with their lossless equivalents to create these “remastered” tracks.
But these technically high quality songs do not quite meet the classic SNES games. Take for example the theme “Forest of Illusion”. The soft tones of the original are over, replaced with a cacophony of resounding melodies that sounds more like someone is going too far on fruity running effects than a comforting walk through misty bushes.
The new “Swimming” course has the same problem. Being able to hear each instrument clearly and perfectly creates an exaggerated sound image that feels too crowded.
And let me not even start with the theme “Athletic”. It feels like a player piano version of an iconic track.
That said, we cannot blame these specific creators. They literally just put new instruments in old compositions and let them rock, and on a certain level I respect the desire to drag these songs (kicking and screaming, even if they are) into the 21st century.
The problem is that these sounds, in my opinion, were largely chosen by legendary Super Mario World composer Koji Kondo because they sounded good of lower quality. Nowadays, studios have Blu-ray discs and modern sound cards, but the development in 1991 was to deal with the limitations of limited memory and now archaic sound technology. This is why sprites from earlier times do not look as good on HD monitors as on CRT televisions: they were made with the disadvantages in mind.
This remastered Super Mario World cuts do not work for the same reason. I would rather listen to a busker playing an original song on a tuned acoustic guitar, than have an orchestra beat on the top 40 hit on their expensive brass and woodwinds. The medium through which art is produced and depicted is just as important as its technical fidelity. Of course, these high-quality and ‘lossless’ samples may sound good on their own, but when combined with modern equipment, they lose the heart and soul of the original.
G / O Media can get a commission
Still, if this is your kind of thing, you can listen to a bunch of these restored tracks here. It seems inevitable that someone will join them in a ROM of the original game, which would be an … interesting experience.