My first post about video game music here did really well (most commented post in community history), so I figured I might make it a series of sorts. If this post does well too I might make more video game music posts in the future.

Basically what the title says, what is/are the best menu theme(s) in your opinion? It can be from the main menu, the pause menu, if it’s a menu it counts here. I’ll put a few of my favourites in the comments as well, and look forward to see what others have to say.

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[–] [S] 29 points 1 year ago

The galaxy map theme from the Mass Effect series is one of my favourite tunes in a sci-fi game. I love the chill atmosphere as you select your destination, and hearing it outside the game always makes me want to revisit the series.

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  • [–] 21 points 1 year ago* (1 child)

    I already commented on Outer Wilds, and this one is probably not fitting on Patient Gamers, but...

    I have never just stopped and listened the main menu of a game fully, on multiple occasions... Until Expedition 33.

    For whatever reason I felt like i was comitting a sheer disrespectful act to interrupt it.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    Expedition 33 is a game I finished a couple weeks ago and have continued to be obsessed with since. Not really patientgamers material seeing as it's pretty recent, but I'm so glad I made an exception for it.

    Funnily enough the lyrics for that menu music is basically a plot synopsis that spoils the whole story in poetry, but it's fine because it's in a mutated medieval french. A lot of the game's music is like that, actually.

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  • [–] 20 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Not one person said Goldeneye? Wow. The main menu is good of course, but that pause music is legendary.

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago (1 child)
  • [–] 13 points 1 year ago

    Nobody mentions Need For Speed Underground: 2?

    It had an iconic soundtrack.

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  • [–] 13 points 1 year ago* (2 children)
  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Man, being earwormed in the main menu and through the entrire game to reach credits and have the full song blast through was mind blowing to me back when it released!

    The only game so far that achieved this (and surpassed it by a lot IMO) is Outer Wilds

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  • [–] 13 points 1 year ago (1 child)
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  • [–] [S] 12 points 1 year ago

    The whole Elder Scrolls series has awesome main menu music but I think Morrowind is probably my favourite of the bunch. But they’re all great.

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  • [–] [S] 7 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    The main menu theme for Dark Souls III is probably my favourite main menu theme ever. It perfectly encapsulates the tone of the game in my opinion and I always have to listen to it before starting up the game.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago*

    Fallout 4, the theme is so somber it immediately gets you in the right mood.

    Give it like 30 seconds for it to kick in

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago

    Hotline Miami has a banging soundtrack, including the main menu music

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (1 child)
  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago

    Smash Bros. Melee

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago

    One Must Fall 2097.

    That intro with the lightning was hype to my little 8 year old brain.

    Honorable mention to the Elegy track from Firefall. That game deserved a lot better than it got.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago

    The Sims 2's menu theme whisks me right back to 2005

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago
    [–] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    Transport Tycoon Deluxe.

    That jazzy midi is an absolute banger, gets me into the mood to build railways.

    edit: ooh, almost forgot: Jazz the Jackrabbit (the first game). Absolutely phenomenal mainmenu music, that bassline slaps so hard.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago

    Everyone knows that first place belongs to Mega Man II.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago*

    The Halo 4 theme was so good that I would let it play out before starting a game most of the time. Definitely my favorite title theme.

    Some other good ones are Skyrim, LOZ Ocarina of Time, and Star Wars Republic Commando

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago
    [–] 4 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I have a lot of these, but The Right Way Around, by Daughter, for Life is Strange: Before the Storm grabbed me the second I launched the game.

    A more traditional main menu theme that I love is Ecce valde generous ale from Panzer Dragoon Saga. It's a brilliant introduction to the game, drawing the player into a mysterious world in a post-apocalyptic setting.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Guys. I know we aren't forgetting halo 3 here

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    A mainstay on my shuffle playlists in the Encore Mode Save Select Theme, Double Take, from Sonic Mania Plus. Track is by Falk du Yeong, who did the music for the popular Sonic Fangames Before and After the Sequel.

    A recent one that Youtube Music (hooray for Revanced) revealed to me is the Main Menu theme of Mindwave, by Dorkus 64. Apparently the game is kind of a mix of WarioWare but with jumping into people's minds as the setting? Can hear a lot of WarioLand 4 influence in the track. Weird, and an absolute bop.

    Honorable Mentions:

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago
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    Gotta be The Witcher 3 for me

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenter the Gungeon... whispers: enter the gungeon

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    Final Fantasy 4

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    The life is strange start menu music makes me feel things.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    Divinity: Original Sin main menu.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    Doom 3. Moody at the start, but when the guitars hit it's just amazing. It really summarizes the game where it's moody and dark at the start, but you rip and tear later on.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    The main menu for Battlefield 3 on console is still the gold standard imo. Had atmosphere without being sacrificing usability.

    Going off pure style points NFS Most Wanted 2005 always gets you in the right mood for the game, although having replayed it countless times I still fumble navigating the menus at times. So I'm aware it isn't the most user friendly design.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    Battlefield 2

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    I always really liked the menu music from Guild Wars Eye of the North because it is an actual overture.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    Deus Ex

    Unreal Tournament

    Glover and Frogger had great music, I am surprised this popped in to my head but there you go.

    Jazz Jackrabbit 2

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    The slow buildup and somber tone of Hitman III menu music „Death Awaits“ lives rent free in my head for a while now. Choir and strings in the end 👩‍🍳👌

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    Well, the Octopath Traveler theme plays in its main menu and it‘s an absolute banger

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (1 child)
  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    All the Zeldas and Marios. Just give me all those.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    The mellow tunes of the Hollow Knight main menu is what comes to mind.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    Not sure if they are my favorite but these are the 3 first that came into my mind, in this order:

    1. Uncharted 2
    2. Xenoblade Chronicles
    3. Kingdom Hearts

    I am pretty sure there are another good ones out there that I can't remember right now (like Time Hollow).

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    I still remember getting goosebumps from Baldur's Gate 2's menu theme back in the day. It really set the mood and made me excited to start.

    A more recent main menu theme that impressed me was Hellpoint's. Together with the menu showing that black hole - it is just wonderfully ominous.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    Without thinking about it too hard, the binding of Isaac. I like how when you unlock the tainted characters, when you flip to that menu the song changes to a different version. It's the same song, but creepier.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago*

    Here's an old favorite of mine. Very chill and the menu will play it all day long if you like...This tune is from one of the sub-menus from the original Katamari Damacy. I think it was the menu where you can explore the various items you've collected. It's called "Katamari☆Stars"

    Here's a link to it in the middle of the entire soundtrack on YouTube (an amazing collection of songs in it's own right ♥️) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAA6hq9RL-4&t=3515s

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    DS3 or just from software has some incredible music. Ffxiv also has some great music as well.

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    [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    Fallout 4. Its not the radio stuff we all love... its the almost erie pause screen music that comes on after a while.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago

    The kind that stops when i alt+tab

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    Gran Turismo 2. The different areas of the menu have different music and they're all great.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago*

    Smash Bros Wii U

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    Star Wars: Republic Commando

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    I really like Wizardry 8 main menu theme and also Gothic 1 and plenty others too.

    EDIT: How could I forget Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines?

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago* (1 child)

    Hard to pick a favourite but: The Legend of Dragoon Goldeneye FFX Halo 2

    I think favourite combat music could be a good topic too!

    Edit again because I missed what probably actually is my favourite. Baldur’s Gate 2.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    Late to the party but Policenauts plays regularly in my head.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Final fantasy 15, crystalline chill. Can just leave that on repeat. Didn't even like ff15

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    FF XV is a broken and flawed game at best, and realistically probably closer to objectively bad. But the soundtrack is an absolute banger with some stellar leitmotif work. Dewdrops At Dawn at the very end picking up the line from Sunset Walz/Valse Di Fantastica is probably my favorite.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    While the Windows-era Touhou mainline games have their own share of calm and energetic menu themes, the one that sticks out the most for me goes to Imperishable Night. It's iconic for a good reason.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    Oh man definitely Cyberpunk 2077 start screen. Gets you right into the mood for tech'ing up and causing some anarchy.

    It starts quiet too. But if I'm not past that screen by the time the beat hits, I'm in that menu until the song ends :D

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Demon's Souls character creation theme

    i know dark souls has always been more popular but there's something very special about the atmosphere in DeS. This track set the tone extremely well

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    Fallout new vegas

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    Maplestory, such a great soundtrack maplestory login screen

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    Two menu songs are tied first place for me.

    First is the one that plays on the main menu of Final Fantasy 15. Especially when it plays as the main background theme during the end of the game.

    The other one is Nier Automata. Deff a whole mood.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    I always liked one of the menu themes in Sonic Advance, which was basically just a slightly different version of Star Light Zone from Sonic 1 lol

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    A Plague Tale Requiem, especially after beating the game.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago*

    Metal Gear Solid 2 menu theme. The digital sound fits with the main menu motif like a glove, and evokes a sense of mystery and foreboding of what is to come. And boy, you are in for a surprise!

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    I think A Hat in Time deserves a mention!

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOUUS6JIRQ0

    Have a very nostalgic theme for a very specific group of people. :P

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    I don't think I'd actually say it's my favourite, but the opening cinematic/menu song for Dragon's Dogma is pretty nostalgic for me. And kinda became a meme in the games hardcore community fanbase.

    🎶 The wind is pushing meeee 🎶

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    Ever since the first time I loaded it up on Genesis, the Streets of Rage 2 menu theme has been an all timer for me. It’s the perfect encapsulation of 90’s techno and sets the mood for one of the greatest beat ‘em ups of all time.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    Flow from Overwatch 2

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    The only right answer: Deus EX

    This

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago*
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    Two Worlds Main Menu

    Like, it's a whole song. It shouldn't be here, but it rocks!

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    Yakuza 0 Cabaret Club menu theme

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    The Anno games always had really good music. Anno 1602 for example had this as the title music

    Anno 1503's title music is engrained in my memory as well

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  • Final Fantasy XII, not just for the amazing menu music but also due to how the opening cinematic blends seamlessly with the menu UI in the PS2 version. It all comes together perfectly.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    Kirby Air Ride

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    Main Menu screen for The Twin Snakes remake of Metal Gear Solid on Gamecube.

    https://youtu.be/kYEd2ZvNQQ8

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago*

    Final Fantasy II for SNES (Main title/menu)

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