The melody comes from the overworld theme of Super Mario Bros., released by Nintendo for the NES in 1985 and composed by Koji Kondo. It became one of the most famous themes in video game history, helped by the series' huge popularity and decades of reuse in Mario games, remixes and online videos. Because the tune is so widely recognised, even a tiny excerpt still reads instantly as Mario, which is why it remains common in gaming memes, retro edits and nostalgic short-form clips.