The descending death tune comes from Super Mario Bros, the 1985 Nintendo platform game, where it plays whenever Mario loses a life and the level restarts. Because the game became one of the most widely played titles of its era, the short jingle travelled far beyond the console, turning up in reaction videos, streams, edits and memes as a shorthand for a sudden fail. It remains popular because almost anyone who has played games recognises it instantly, and it sits alongside other game-over clips such as the Lego Yoda Death Sound in meme soundboards.