TL;DR
Pitchfork’s Billie Bugara has published a rare critical review of the Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 soundtracks by composers Mahito Yokota and Koji Kondo, elevating video game music to the same serious critical scrutiny usually reserved for pop and classical albums. This matters because Pitchfork—historically a gatekeeper of indie and avant-garde music—is signaling that game scores are now culturally and artistically significant enough to warrant standalone album reviews, a shift that could reshape how the industry and academia treat interactive audio.
What Happened
On Saturday, May 9, 2026, Pitchfork published Billie Bugara’s review of the Mahito Yokota and Koji Kondo soundtracks for Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, marking one of the most high-profile critical examinations of video game music by a mainstream music publication. The review—which appears on Pitchfork’s website under the technology category—treats the two scores not as mere game accompaniments but as standalone compositional works, analyzing their orchestration, thematic development, and emotional impact.
Key Facts
- Billie Bugara authored the review, which covers both the 2007 Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack and the 2010 Super Mario Galaxy 2 soundtrack, originally released on Nintendo Wii.
- The scores were composed primarily by Mahito Yokota with additional contributions from Koji Kondo, marking the first full orchestral score in a mainline Super Mario game.
- Pitchfork is a Condé Nast-owned music publication founded in 1996 that historically focused on indie rock and experimental music, but has expanded to cover pop, hip-hop, and now video game soundtracks.
- The Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack was performed by the Mario Galaxy Orchestra, a 60-piece ensemble recorded at AIR Studios in London, England.
- The score features over 100 original tracks across both games, including iconic pieces like “Gusty Garden Galaxy” and “Egg Planet.”
- Koji Kondo, Nintendo’s legendary composer since 1984, served as sound director and contributed several key themes, while Yokota handled the bulk of the orchestration.
- The review comes 19 years after the first game’s release and 16 years after the sequel, suggesting a belated but significant critical reappraisal.
Breaking It Down
Pitchfork’s decision to review these specific soundtracks is not random—it reflects a calculated editorial strategy to capture the growing intersection of gaming culture and high-art criticism. The Super Mario Galaxy scores are widely considered among the finest in video game history, winning Best Original Score at the 2008 Game Developers Choice Awards and regularly appearing on fan-voted top-ten lists. By selecting Yokota and Kondo’s work, Pitchfork is choosing a safe but prestigious entry point: these are scores that even non-gamers might recognize, yet they possess enough orchestral complexity to sustain serious musical analysis.
“The Super Mario Galaxy soundtracks represent the single largest orchestral undertaking in Nintendo’s history, with over 60 musicians recording across multiple sessions at London’s AIR Studios—the same facility that hosted scores for Harry Potter and Star Wars.”
This intersection of gaming and classical music is precisely what makes the Pitchfork review noteworthy. The magazine has historically reviewed soundtracks sparingly—usually for films by auteur directors like Jonny Greenwood or Trent Reznor. A video game score receiving the same treatment implies that interactive music has crossed a threshold of cultural legitimacy. The review’s placement in the technology category rather than music is itself telling: Pitchfork is framing these albums as artifacts of technological artistry, not just musical composition.
The timing also matters. In 2026, the video game industry has surpassed $200 billion in annual revenue, dwarfing the $30 billion global recorded music market. Yet game scores have historically been treated as functional audio—background noise to gameplay. Bugara’s review pushes back against that assumption, analyzing how Yokota’s “adaptive orchestration” (where music shifts dynamically based on player actions) creates a unique emotional experience impossible in linear media like film or albums. This is a fundamentally different argument than simply saying “this game has good music.”
What Comes Next
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Pitchfork’s editorial expansion: Watch for more video game soundtrack reviews in the coming months. The magazine may assign critics to cover other landmark scores, such as Koji Kondo’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time or Yoko Shimomura’s Kingdom Hearts series, potentially establishing a new regular column.
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Physical re-releases: Nintendo and distributors like iam8bit or Materia Collective may capitalize on the renewed attention with vinyl pressings or deluxe CD box sets of the Super Mario Galaxy scores. The original 2007 soundtrack album is long out of print and commands high prices on secondary markets.
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Academic and industry recognition: Expect music schools and game design programs to cite this review as evidence that game scores deserve serious scholarly analysis. The Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) may reference Pitchfork’s coverage in their annual awards advocacy.
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Cross-platform streaming boost: Streaming numbers for the Super Mario Galaxy soundtracks on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music will likely spike. Nintendo could respond by officially releasing the full scores on streaming platforms, where they currently have limited availability.
The Bigger Picture
This review sits at the convergence of three broader trends in technology and culture. First, gaming as high art—the long-running debate about whether video games can be art has largely been settled in the affirmative, but the music component has lagged behind visual and narrative elements. Pitchfork’s review accelerates that acceptance by applying the same critical standards used for Björk or Radiohead to a Nintendo soundtrack.
Second, the orchestral revival in media consumption. Streaming has made classical and orchestral music more accessible than ever, with platforms like Apple Music Classical and Idagio seeing double-digit growth. Video game scores—which blend classical orchestration with modern production—are a natural fit for listeners who want complexity without pretension. The Galaxy scores, with their John Williams-esque bombast and Debussy-inspired harmonies, are perfect ambassadors.
Finally, the democratization of criticism. Pitchfork’s move reflects a broader shift where traditional gatekeepers must adapt to a world where Twitch streamers, YouTube essayists, and Reddit communities already analyze game music with depth and passion. By formally reviewing these scores, Pitchfork is trying to reclaim authority in a conversation that has already been happening for years without them.
Key Takeaways
- [Critical Milestone]: Pitchfork’s review of the Super Mario Galaxy soundtracks marks the first time a major music publication has given a video game score the same full-album critical treatment as a pop or classical release.
- [Cultural Legitimacy]: The review signals that video game music is no longer seen as a niche subculture but as a legitimate branch of contemporary composition worthy of serious analysis.
- [Commercial Impact]: Expect increased streaming numbers, potential physical re-releases, and broader licensing opportunities for the Galaxy scores as a direct result of this high-profile coverage.
- [Industry Shift]: Other music publications—Rolling Stone, The Guardian, NME—may follow Pitchfork’s lead, creating a new critical ecosystem for interactive audio that could influence how composers approach their craft.
