The Best Opening Level Tunes in Games

Super Mario Bros. – Overworld

Ian: Even though I wasn’t really on the Nintendo train until I was older (Sega kid, here!), classic Super Mario couldn’t be avoided. It was a revolutionary breakthrough, an undeniable turning point for video games as a medium, and is now one of the most celebrated pieces of our collective history. Not only was it a marvelous feat in game development, reusing memory and handling graphics as efficiently as possible to fit in more game but it was also a trailblazer in a concept that many developers are still getting wrong – game design, which 1-1 is a beloved example of. Yet still, somehow above all else, the 1-1 music may actually be the biggest takeaway from it all. It doesn’t matter where or when you were born – there isn’t a single person in the modern world who wouldn’t know it and too right! It’s a melody that has truly ascended.

Lewis: I never grew up with Mario, mainly because I grew up in the PS2 era, however no matter your age or even if you’ve never played the game before everyone has heard this 8-bit masterpiece; It’s probably the main reason parents are still calling Xbox and PlayStation Nintendo! Mario’s 1-1 music will always be remembered not just because of the catchy tune but the level itself represents everything good about video game design. This is how a first level should be made, not to tell the players how to do everything but to let them learn themselves using well placed jumps, blocks and enemies. I don’t think it would be an overstatement to say Mario is one of the best games of all time, kickstarting a new generation of games; without it, we wouldn’t have the games we have today. Happy Birthday!

Dom: Mario has done well for opening themes. Just look at the history of the series and you could be debating for days to determine which one is the best. That said, there is no denying that the godfather of opening levels is the overworld theme from Super Mario Bros.. It’s a legendary tune, one that goes above and beyond fans of video games and into the mainstream. Da dum dum, do do dodo…all the way to my deathbed and never forgetting this breakout moment for video game music.

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Doom – At Doom’s Gate

Dom: Rip and Tear from Doom 2016 might be the new kid on the block for Doom music, but At Doom’s Gate is a significant music track from the original 1993 first-person shooter. Fast, frantic, brutal and energetic, everything that Doom is. At Doom’s Gate signals that it is time blast some demons. Expecting eerie music for an opening level? Not with At Doom’s Gate. The tune disregards any sense of fear and embodies the player with the feeling they have the power to be a human wrecking machine, to move forward with their pistol in the opening level and beat all the odds against them, and that is all thanks to the 80s inspired metal opening tune that transfers its barbaric vigour into the player’s ears.

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Sonic the Hedgehog – Green Hill Zone

Ian: What can I even say about this one? It’s a gem – a timeless classic that will be ingrained in gaming culture forever. There’s not a single one of us who wouldn’t instantly recognise it and be sent right back to our first time playing as the little blue “dude with a ‘tude”. It’s so deeply nostalgic that I can almost feel the curved shape of a Mega Drive controller in my hand every time I hear it – it truly is a spectacle, and something that will stick with our generation forever.

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Comix Zone – Episode 01, Page 1-1

Matt: This game was fantastic! I loved the comic style and the breaking of the walls during the gameplay. It felt somewhat Deadpool like in its play style and the way the main character spoke to the player, combined with all the comic stylings just made the whole game pop. One of my all-time favourite beat ’em ups and a great soundtrack and opening tune to get you ready to beat some fools.

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Crash Bandicoot – N. Sanity Beach

Lewis: With the release of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time just around the corner, let’s take it back all the way to the beginning. Crash Bandicoot was a fairly basic platformer; you run, jump and spin your way to victory. What makes the game so memorable is the goofy animations and characters you meet along the way as well as the great level design and, last but not least, the music. The N.Sanity Beach track sets up the rest of the game perfectly; it’s going to be silly, amusing and enjoyable for everyone. Weirdly enough this is the only level in the game with 2 tracks in a single level, changing when you get past the tutorial part and get onto the harder stuff.

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Super Mario Land – Birabuto Kingdom

Simon: A bit lacking in imagination on my part perhaps, my first pick goes to Mario. Not any Mario, though! That would be weird and non-committal! But it’s Super Mario Land! For the GameBoy! Exclamation marks! I honestly didn’t play this game a lot because Tetris lived in my ‘boy, but it still stuck as maybe my favourite Mario melody of all of them.

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Donkey Kong Country – DK Island Swing

Jorge:  Donkey Kong’s SNES re-imagining was another revolutionary leap in videogame visuals; though technically utilizing sprites that created the illusion of CG, Donkey Kong Country was no less visually stunning at the time, and was also backed up by charming gameplay and aesthetics that leave it fondly remembered today. Naturally, the game needed a catchy soundtrack to accompany the jaw-dropping visuals; while the music definitely succeeds with its funky jungle beats, what sets the opening stage theme apart from other platformers is how long the actual track lasts. Most players would have no problem clearing the first level before even half of the song is over, yet composer David Wise went the extra mile in creating an opening track that lasts far longer than the average level, yet also ensuring it would be remembered far longer than the majority of mascot platformers of the 16-bit era.

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Streets of Rage 2 – Go Straight

Dom: The Streets of Rage series is packed with fantastic tunes that it could have its own top ten dedicated to them and its composer, Yuzo Koshiro. Thankfully, this article is about first level music and so the choice had to be Go Straight from Streets of Rage 2. The Mega Drive is known for having a distinct sound, due to the Yamaha YM2612 audio chip, and with Koshiro’s inspirations from house, electronic, funk and techno he delivered an amazing and unique sounding soundtrack on the system, which kicked off with a beauty of an opening track. Go Straight wastes no time setting the pace and tone for the first level with the catchy and fast tempo beats.

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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game – Another Winter

Ian: Don’t get me wrong, the movie is awesome, but there couldn’t be a more perfect incarnation of Scott Pilgrim than a 2D side-scrolling beat ‘em up that boasts over the top retro graphics and a chiptune soundtrack from the brilliant Anamanaguchi, who are famous for using a real NES to make their music – even when live on stage! The whole game is a treat from start to finish, whether you’re a Scott Pilgrim fan or not, but the way that first track kicks in and continually ramps up just sends the hype levels through the roof(!)… and I’ve had it perpetually repeating in my head ever since.

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Top Gear – Las Vegas

Simon: My dad used to play on my SNES when I went to bed as a kid, and either this or his swearing over Super Mario Kart lulled me to sleep. I still love the way Top Gear looks, with its flat view of the back of vehicles, and I remember trying to emulate the look when Project Gotham Racing came out and let you adjust the camera and time of day, as well as supported custom soundtracks acquired in highly legal and lawfully acceptable ways. The first music you hear when rubber touches the road in this game manages to create a sense of adventure, of going far toward distant horizons. It gives the game scope, and in a way hints at the very appeal of getting in a car and hitting the road in the first place.

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Super Mario 64 – Main Theme

Matt: What can I say about this game that hasn’t already been said? As it turns out, not much, other than for me this is the stand out Super Mario game that really made me love the Mario series even more than I did its art style. The characters and the challenges in Super Mario 64 were second to none and I loved every bit of it. The piece of music is actually used across four different levels in the game (Bob-omb Battlefield, Whomp’s Fortress, Tall Tall Mountain, and Tiny-Huge Island) making it so much more memorable!

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Katana Zero – You Will Never Know

Lewis: Katana Zero was one of my favourite games of 2019 and I loved the idea behind the music because instead of having music randomly playing in the background, your character whips out what I can only assume is a cassette deck and starts playing some hype techno music. I honestly can’t pick a favourite track from Katana Zero but this first song has to be up there. It has everything a first level needs in a game this tense. It is relaxing, so it calms you down meaning you can play through the tutorial chilled out instead of being stressed because you just died 100 times!

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Mega Man X – Opening Stage

Jorge: When Capcom brought over their once-favorite son to the 16-bit generation, they decided to go with an updated take that made the Blue Bomber louder and angrier (but without access to a time machine) along with a grittier tone and a harsher future dystopian setting. In other words, it was the mid-90’s, and it was a requirement that all franchises have more violence, explosions and butt-rock. The Opening Stage to Mega Man X encapsulates the attitude and aesthetic of that generation perfectly, not to mention the increase in chiptune quality: faux guitars and chunky explosions work together to produce a harmony of chaos that was technically impossible to achieve during Mega Man’s 8-bit quintology, and the expanded controls and more detailed sprites only added to the adrenaline-fueled first look into the future of the franchise.

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Lumines – Shinin’

Dom: If Tetsuya Mizuguchi decided that Shinin’ would be the perfect opening track for Lumines, then who am I to question his great music choice. The catchy opening of Lumines united with the orange and silver makes for a warming, instant impression, something the first songs in the sequels could not match. This opening tune is arguably the best song in Lumines, encapsulating the brightness and evolution of not just the falling block puzzle genre crossed with music, but also playing it on Sony’s first handheld, the PSP. Even if people do not agree with Shinin’ being the best song in Lumines, there is no denying that it became the theme of Lumines, defining the game for so many people. Anything regarding Lumines on websites usually involves the opening song title as a pun, demonstrating the song’s lasting impact. One thing for sure is that when you step away from the game, you will not forget this wonderful first track and its six letter word that is forever etched into your memory, shinin’ brighter with each listen… Shinin’, Shinin’, Shinin’, Shinin’, Shinin’, Shinin’, Shinin’, Shinin’, Shinin’…

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Hotline Miami – Paris

Ian: Hotline Miami itself was a bit of a phenomenon. The ultra-violent fast-paced gameplay and trippy story blew everyone away at first – there was simply nothing else like it. Still, even though the game is pretty damned fantastic, I don’t think it would have hit half as hard without the ludicrous heavy synthwave blaring during every one of the deranged killing sprees, as a soundtrack to the blood-splattering madness. Even better is that it works so well together with the insanely stylised graphics and overly-colourful environments to make you feel like the whole experience is some kind of depraved acid trip as the music and world get crazier and crazier, but it all kicks off with ‘Paris’.

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Shatter – Kinetic Harvest

Simon:Aesthetically, Shatter reminds me of similar score attack Amiga games. Mainly in that it uses a muted colour palette and looks metally and kinda sterile, but maintains a consistent personality in its ostensible lack of one. The soundtrack is of a similar quality, a fresh and piercing electronic sound that perfectly complements the stripped down, arcadey space motif. It just makes you pumped to be playing from the go, and invites you to linger.

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Super Mario Bros. 3 – Overworld

Matt: Another entry from Kōji Kondō with the brilliant Overworld theme from another of the Mario series that I played relentlessly as a kid. The NES system was my second foray into console gaming right after the Atari 2600. I had some old consoles lying around and the NES was my go-to! I enjoyed every minute of this game and the multiplayer was super fun. This was my first Mario game on the big screen (not a gameboy) and it delivered 100% and I still enjoy playing this game to this day.

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The Binding of Isaac Rebirth – Diptera Sonata

Lewis: If you haven’t heard of The Binding of Isaac it’s a highly disturbing yet addictive top down roguelike where you use your tears to kill the enemies standing in your way so you can eventually kill your mum…Yeah like I said…Disturbing. There are different variants of the first floor theme in BOI because as you make your way through the game you unlock different levels however if you are as bad as me you’ll definitely be hearing this one the most! This song sets the whole tone of the game with the added creepiness of random noises you hear throughout the track adding to the chilling atmosphere. However, that weirdness is what makes The Binding of Isaac so special.

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Final Fantasy VII – Bombing Mission

Jorge: Ask anyone who grew up during the PSX generation how they felt when they first saw Final Fantasy VII in action, and it’s virtually guaranteed that they will recount the same feelings of disbelief and awe over the graphical wizardry that seamlessly transitioned between CG cutscenes into gameplay. It was one of the most revolutionary visual techniques ever achieved in videogames, and is still being utilized today. The opening soundtrack to FFVII follows that same fusion of film and videogames; the music slowly swells upward before crashing down along with the epic title drop, similar to an epic Hollywood blockbuster, before transitioning into a bombastic yet still-traditional looping melody that highlights the action and thrill of infiltrating a heavily-guarded facility. It is without question one of the most iconic moments in video game history, and one that has influenced many generations of games after (and has arguably yet to be topped).

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Sonic Adventure 2 – Escape from the City

Dom: Starting off with the bass twang into the “Whoo!”, then some catchy guitar riffs and “Oh yeah!” leads this unforgettable track before the song truly kicks in with its lyrics for the opening epic level of Sonic Adventure 2. Escape From the City is a superb tune that encapsulates the personality of the Sonic the Hedgehog character, a blue dude who thrives on his freedom, his love for adventure and cannot help but live for speed. The song also manages to do something special by not only being a characteristic song, but one that feels inspired by Sonic’s history across his games and the City Escape level its used in through the cleverly done, although very cheesy, lyrics and high pace, pop rock music. Some might see it as a guilty pleasure, but I see it as a truly brilliant opener that represents the source perfectly.

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Spelunky – Mines A

Ian: Spelunky is my favourite game. From a pure gameplay standpoint, of course, as there is barely any story to it but I’ve never poured so much of myself into any other title. I have over a hundred hours on each version I own of it – PS3, PS4, Vita, and Steam, and I’d probably put another fair amount of time in to do it all over again on the Switch, too. There’s just so much to take in for such a simple system – so much trying and failing and trying again, learning something new with each heart-wrenching death as you edge closer to a world victory, then a full-run victory, and even then, after hundreds upon hundreds of deaths, is where the challenge really begins. It’s not the hardest game, but it’s somehow, secretly, one of the deepest. Now I can pretty much beat it every time, even after months of not touching it; its mechanics and secrets are burned into my reflexes, into my soul. And after every single reset coming in from a painful loss, frustrating failure, or nail-biting adrenaline rush at reaching a new milestone, what’s there to greet you? That wonderfully upbeat and curious track to welcome you back into the Mines. It’s like being reunited with an old friend, like a pat on the back, like a “you can do it!”, and I love it.

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Sonic and the Secret Rings – Let the Speed Mend It

Simon:I had to contribute a Sonic game to remain on brand. With the more immediate choices already covered by my esteemed colleagues, let me fetch you one out of left field. I happen to enjoy quite a few of the more obscure Sonics, and I’m cheating here by selecting one from an absolutely banging butt rock soundtrack. Secret Rings was a bit jittery courtesy of Nintendo waggle, but the game underneath was surprisingly energetic and engaging if you spent the ludicrous amounts of time needed to untangle its cumbersome and overwhelming loadout system. Either way, it started off super strong with this smashing tune.

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Sonic and Knuckles – Mushroom Hill Zone Act 1

Matt: Another game I spent tons of my youth playing was Sonic and Knuckles on the Sega Megadrive. I remember it being the cartridge that accepted another cartridge into the top, you know the one! This game’s opening tune is Mushroom Hill Zone Act 1. I have such fond memories of the early levels in Sonic and Knuckles as I learned to play and get better. This was such a laid back, funky version of the usual Sonic music that I was used to, and it made the whole of Mushroom Hill Zone just that much more enjoyable.

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Cuphead – Botanic Panic

Lewis: The music in Cuphead is nothing short of brilliant, using 1930’s style animation and music Studio MDHR made even the youngest players feel nostalgic. Botanic Panic is not technically the first song in the game as you can choose what to do when you first start, however it was the first for me and even though it isn’t close to the best song on this incredible soundtrack it gives you a nice jazzy welcome to this incredible game.

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Marvel’s Spider-Man – The Golden Age

Jorge: Superheroes and video games are kind of like the dragged-out pairing found in a comedy series or a romance anime: two perfectly-matched individuals who slowly stumble their way into an eventual union. Even after 30+ years of attempts, the number of good licensed superhero games could still be counted with one hand. Sony’s exclusive take on the world famous wall-crawler added another digit to the count, and the opening track that plays while players get their first taste of web-slinging cements that fact. It’s a familiar-sounding yet still comforting symphony of bombastic superheroism that wonderfully compliments the sheer joy of finally experiencing the power fantasy of playing Peter Parker as he saves the day while barely surviving poverty status. Spidey’s landlords are a far greater threat than Venom or Vulture could ever be.

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Star Fox/Starwing – Corneria

Dom: “Emergency, emergency! Emergency, emergency! Incoming enemy fighters – prepare for launch” are the opening words at the beginning of Star Fox/Starwing as the arwings blast out of the hangar and the theme music hits for the planet Corneria. As with any corking first level song, Corneria makes a phenomenal grand opening for Nintendo’s space shooter. It’s a tune you want banging out of the arwing’s speakers to get pumped for the incoming dogfights. Hell, this would make a brilliant background tune for an X-wing battle in Star Wars. To this day, Nintendo could never replicate the quality of this song in their sequels, mainly due to the tonal shift to orchestral sounds in newer incarnations rather than the funky beats that the limited SNES sound card produced. Corneria is cemented as one of the best Star Fox songs to exist and one of Nintendo’s truly classic tunes. It’s a banger of a track! Play it loud!

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Celeste – First Steps

Ian: Celeste, although not quite beating out Spelunky, is actually another top game of mine. The characters, the art, and the challenge are all incredible but the music is really what pulls it all together – like the conductor of the whole orchestra. Throughout the game the soundtrack goes from totally wild and adventurous to devastatingly dark (especially after hearing the reversed audio!) and whilst the music from the first level might not be the best from the astounding OST, it’s a perfect introduction to a beautiful experience and gives you the motivation to push yourself to your very limits, and beyond.

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Dr. Mario – Fever

Matt: I spent plenty of my early years playing Dr Mario on my original Gameboy. The action puzzle game was catchy, a bit like Tetris, but offering something different at the same time. The tune that always stuck with me was Fever, as I wasn’t very good at the gam, so I heard that theme a lot. It’s super catchy and boy did it stay in your brain for days. I lost count of how many times my mum asked me to stop humming/whistling the tune.

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Shovel Knight – Strike the Earth! Plains of Passage

Lewis: Shovel Knight was created to send players back into the era of the NES to when video game music had many more limitations however that didn’t stop companies from creating all time classics that, old or young, we are still humming to this day. Yacht Club Games did just this with a nostalgic soundtrack that will never get old and it all starts with Strike the Earth! Plains of Passage. This track tells you that this isn’t just a game that used 8-bit to make cheaply made assets but instead they truly wanted to honour the classics that made video games what they are today. I don’t know if I can pick a favourite song from Shovel Knight but Strike the Earth has to be up there, it just gets me so pumped to go adventuring and digging!

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Turrican 2 – The Desert Rocks

Simon: Chris Hülsbeck could probably provide my entire list with ease, but this is the defacto one for me. Playing this on Amiga back in the day, there’s a melancholy to the Turrican soundtracks that I couldn’t quite parse with my young mind. Especially since the game felt upbeat otherwise, but I was nevertheless affected by it. To this day I appreciate a disconnect between the tune and the level in games, something few of them leverage.

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Journey to Silius – Stage Theme 01

Jorge: There’s no denying that some of the most iconic video game music came from the NES era, an amazing accomplishment considering the limitations of what the hardware could turn out in regards to chiptunes. But one publisher consistently managed to deliver soundtracks that should have been impossible to achieve on the system. Sunsoft’s musical might almost outshines their catalog of quality games, where even the most bargain bin licensed titles like Gremlins 2 and Fester’s Quest still manage to turn out tunes both memorable and impressive on a technical level. Journey to Silius was a super-late entry that showed up just as the NES was reaching its sunset, but discovering the game and its music decades later thanks to retrospectives on YouTube (and recently, the online NES library found on the Nintendo Switch) have resulted in newfound appreciation for the talented composers at Sunsoft. Game’s pretty good too.