The death jingle first appeared in Super Mario Bros. on the NES in 1985, composed by Koji Kondo as part of the game's now-legendary soundtrack. Every time Mario touched an enemy, fell in a pit or ran out of time, the same descending notes played, and the tune followed the character into sequels, remakes and spin-offs for decades. Today it lives on as a universal fail cue across YouTube, TikTok and Twitch, sitting beside the Roblox oof as one of gaming's most recognisable defeat sounds.