What's your favourite menu music in a game?

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.

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.

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

The original Deus Ex

Deus Ex main menu

Nobody mentions Need For Speed Underground: 2?

It had an iconic soundtrack.

Mirror's Edge

Halo takes it for me

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.

Doom 2016!

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.

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

Smash Bros. Melee

Civilization 4

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

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

Goldeneye pause music.

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/0k23djFBHt8

FFX!

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

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.

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.

Gangsta pause music baybeeeeee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0rNqHACNEs

Gotta be The Witcher 3 for me

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenter the Gungeon... whispers: enter the gungeon

Everyone knows that first place belongs to Mega Man II.

The Last of Us

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

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.

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

Final Fantasy 4

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

The menu theme of Jazz Jackrabbit 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E8LSvpyULw

The kind that stops when i alt+tab

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

Divinity: Original Sin main menu.

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.

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.

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.

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

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).

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

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

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.

Colin McRae Rally 2

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

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 👩‍🍳👌

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

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

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:

• Main Menu Theme, Metroid Prime (or from the Remaster)
• Briefing, Ace Combat X
• Stage Select, Ape Escape
• Time Station, Ape Escape (kind of cheating, it's basically a menu as a hub stage)
• All the menu themes from Sonic Mega Collection

The only right answer: Deus EX

This

Battlefield 2

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

Legend of Dragoon

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

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

Star Wars: Republic Commando

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 🎶

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

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.

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

Fallout new vegas

Maplestory, such a great soundtrack maplestory login screen

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

Smash Bros Wii U

Supercars II

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

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.

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!

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

Crusader Kings II

Flow from Overwatch 2

A Plague Tale Requiem, especially after beating the game.

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.

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?

I think A Hat in Time deserves a mention!

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.

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

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

Kirby Air Ride

ARD1FT menu music got me a bit into classical music

Last Epoch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xosfYHQIcQ

Night in the Woods, which has one of the best sound tracks, hands down

Two Worlds Main Menu

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

Two Worlds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2mvT1ddiBc

Alas, the game itself was long ago murdered.

The first thing that leapt to mind was Age of Empires.

Some of my favs were already listed, I’d add Cyberpunk 2077, Max Payne 2, and Dark Souls 2 (that portamento).

Right about now its time to rock with the bickety Buck Bumble

Not a menu, but NES Battletoads wins best pause music for me.

Yakuza 0 Cabaret Club menu theme

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

https://youtu.be/kYEd2ZvNQQ8

Final Fantasy II for SNES (Main title/menu)

Sanabi.

The main theme opener is a striking arrangement of synth notes, which admittedly end up being a bit skippable after hearing them quite a few times. However, there is a reveal moment in the story that makes it hit way harder. It stuck with me after that 😁

Sierra's "Red Baron II" (1998) might not be my favorite but it had some of the most memorable music for me. Repetitive military marches with the main theme being rather jaunty. It didn't hurt that it was my first flight sim and the first PC game I'd ever played online. I was around twelve at the time so it's hard not to remember how cool it all was to me.

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.

either Sonic Adventure 2 or Doom Eternal.

Sonic Adventure 2 is just silly, it's like a 10 to 15second loop of a slightly different version of the main theme but it's got this like added guitar (I'm not a musician AT ALL) that just really kicks it up a notch. hell I even have the mp3 of it that i'll listen on loop for a few minutes.

Also the original Apex Legends menu music and character selection music was VERY good.

Some of the jrpgs like final fantasy are great, octopath traveler, dwarf fortress menu is up there as a minimalistic folk. I'll go with pillars of eternity

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising

https://youtu.be/DtbOpDJIWJ8

Defcon

Colin McRae: Dirt. The first one.

I have many but teen me loved the XGRA menu edit of BT's Madskillz - Mic Chekka so much I would leave the menu open while cleaning etc.

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