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| Gritzy Caves background, courtesy Spriters Resource. |
Controversial opinion: the classic Mario underground theme kinda sucks. It's fine, I guess, for an 11-second melody. But having endured hours of bland or unremarkable remixes (Paper Mario, the NSMB games, and so many more just use it as a default), I can honestly say I'm sick of it and I wouldn't be too bummed if I never heard it again.
Except for one remix. Yes, it took the immensely talented Yoko Shimomura for the track to become truly enjoyable, and even she had to take a few runs at it first. I'm not talking about her milquetoast rendition of the tune for Super Mario RPG (though the Axem Rangers theme is fun), or her nearly identical sophomore take on it in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. No, I'm making this post to shine a spotlight on the version heard in Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time:
The instrumental texture and contrast is fantastic. The weird, off-beat dunka-dunka-dunka bassy-bitty-keyboard sound sinks way down while ethereal strings and trumpet hover near the top, giving off the impression of beams of dusty light penetrating this cool cave network below the desert. And that hip-hop beat is so much fun.
Spirit: What are Mario's jeans made out of? DENIM DENIM DENIM. Try that one out on your next date, trust.