The track was composed by Bee Hunter , whose energetic and percussive style defined many of the custom levels in the early 2000s fangame scene.
The theme has been widely remixed and ported across different fan projects:
The track has been ported for use in Super Mario World romhacks by users like AntiDuck, appearing in projects like Hyperion . apoplexy_tanks_30_minutes_extended_mix
A 2021 Synthwave version by Sunchipp Radio gives the track a retro-80s feel.
While famously associated with Mario Forever , the song was originally created for a 1995 PC game called Rocks 'n' Diamonds . The track was composed by Bee Hunter ,
Versions exist of the Apoplexy Beta Mix , which features slight melodic and instrumentation differences from the final Mario Forever version.
It is often cited by the community as a standout track because of its driving beat and sense of impending doom, perfectly matching the "tank" theme. Musical Variations While famously associated with Mario Forever , the
Stream Apoplexy Tanks (Mario Forever) Synthwave Remix 2021 by Sunchipp Radio | Listen online for free on SoundCloud. SoundCloud·Sunchipp Radio Apoplexy (World 8 Tanks) (Beta Mix) - Mario Forever