this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2025
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Patient Gamers

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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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[–] paultimate14@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

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

[–] BurntWits@sh.itjust.works 30 points 1 week 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.

[–] Willdrick@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] kartoffelsaft@programming.dev 3 points 1 week 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.

[–] Odo@lemmy.world 20 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

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[–] Damage@feddit.it 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)
[–] Willdrick@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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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[–] clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 week ago

Nobody mentions Need For Speed Underground: 2?

It had an iconic soundtrack.

[–] BlueSquid0741@lemmy.sdf.org 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] datavoid@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] BurntWits@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 week 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.

[–] rumschlumpel@feddit.org 8 points 1 week ago
[–] BurntWits@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 week ago (2 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.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Well son of... That's what I was gonna say!

I guess I can add that Elden Ring is a close second.

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[–] TeamAssimilation@infosec.pub 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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

[–] SiblingNoah@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 week ago

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

[–] WolfLink@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 week ago

Smash Bros. Melee

[–] RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Everyone knows that first place belongs to Mega Man II.

[–] Benign@fedia.io 5 points 1 week ago

The kind that stops when i alt+tab

[–] Sophocles@infosec.pub 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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

[–] MycelialMass@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago
[–] LunarLoony@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 1 week ago

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

[–] uawarebrah@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 week ago
[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week 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.

[–] Malix@sopuli.xyz 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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.

[–] StarvingMartist@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

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[–] Sunsofold@lemmings.world 4 points 1 week ago
[–] DesolateMood@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 week ago

Gotta be The Witcher 3 for me

[–] Ashtear@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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.

[–] galmuth@feddit.uk 3 points 1 week ago

The original Life Is Strange menu music is lovely too.

[–] benni@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

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

[–] coronach@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 1 week ago
[–] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 week ago

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenter the Gungeon... whispers: enter the gungeon

[–] galbraith@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Final Fantasy 4

[–] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 4 points 1 week ago

The only right answer: Deus EX

This

[–] Freakazoid@lemmings.world 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)
[–] kugel7c@feddit.org 4 points 1 week ago

Need For Speed Most wanted (2005), Need for speed music of that time period was kinda goated in general.

[–] Ropianos@feddit.org 4 points 1 week ago

Nobody has mentioned FTl: Faster than light yet as far as I can see. It's so iconic!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ817kvh_DM

[–] lath@piefed.social 3 points 1 week ago

Divinity: Original Sin main menu.

[–] ms_lane@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)
[–] kratoz29@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 week 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).

[–] signor@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

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

[–] sasquash@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 week ago

Battlefield 2

[–] frunch@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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

[–] bonedaddy@mander.xyz 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] caut_R@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

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

[–] wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 week 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:

[–] haqi@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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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