I thought the first track I would feature from Super Mario Odyssey was “Jump Up, Super Star!” But I was wrong. The standout track from me is a more unassuming piece that surprises you a bit when you first get to the Steam Gardens.

When I first heard this track, I thought “I dunno, this seems like it belongs on a beach level with surfer dudes and volleyball and campfire dance parties.” But it grew on me. The Wooded Kingdom ends up being a ton of fun to explore, and between the disappearing flower paths and the Uproot (one of the best captures in the game), this music still works somehow.

More importantly, the track is just really good. It’s catchy. Even though there were several new level themes that I enjoyed, this one stuck out. You eventually get the option to play your own background music when you’re exploring areas, and this was a frequent go-to (especially in a spoilerrific post-game level that doesn’t have its own theme).

I’ve included a 15-minute version below so that you can make your day a little more groovy. Oh, and go play Super Mario Odyssey. It’s p good.

Steam Gardens (Wooded Kingdom)

Music to My Ears covers soundtracks or individual songs from video games. You can view all posts in the series by clicking here.