What are the best main menu themes of all time?

Music are an integral part of a video game's ambience and experience, so it is of the utmost importance that the mood be set properly right from the get go.

Most people probably don't even think twice about it, but how the main menu sounds can affect your perception of the game radically in so many subtle ways.

With the explanations out of the way, what would you say are some of the greatest main menu themes of all time? I'll start us off, feel free to add in your own recommendations:

Metroid Prime (Gamecube)

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings (PC)

Age of Mythology (PC)

God of War II (PS2)

Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

Persona 4 (PS2)

Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox)

Goldeneye 007 (N64)

Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS)

How about you all?

Deus Ex Human Revolution

Really, I don't think there is any other answer

Edit: Fine, here are some far away runner ups

2) Halo Combat Evolved

3) Persona 4 Golden

Link us all so we can revel in its glory.

Site doesn't deserve such glory

I shall channel my inner bbk and say Xenoblade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNR-wsFAfiU

I really do love this song:

Halo 3: ODST - Rain

Well that award goes to Final Fantasy IX of course!

Hearing Persona 4's theme for the first time convinced me that I was going to be playing an amazing game.

Panzer Dragoon I (Sega Saturn)

Crusader: No Regret (PC)

Civilization IV (PC)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 (PC)

Halo 2 (OG Xbox)

Secret of Mana (SNES)

FIFA '98: Road to World Cup (PC)

@PhazonBlazer: I salute thee. But the first ost that popped in my head was Zelda. A Link Between Worlds to be specific. Kingdom Hearts is really fantastic as well. but yup, the king is Xenoblade's main theme.

Zelda clearly has the most iconic menu theme

Pick one link to the past

Ocarina of time

Wind waker

• Twisted Metal (PS3)
• Uncharted series
• Halo series
• Alice Madness Returns

Just some examples off the top of my head of some games ive played that have great menu themes, debatable on which ones are the best though.

Sonic Adventure 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_urTqcVwJc

Sonic 2006:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6sTAd36tiE

Dangan Ronpa:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6ZFTgG5yXU

God Eater 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNlMegnMUIM

Guilty Gear XX:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0TbQz7BXK8

PES 5 Iconic and nostalgic. My childhood.

MGS Very cool sounding.

As others said as well Kingdom Hearts etc. Condemned and Elder Scrolls also have very cool menu themes. ACIV. I could be here all day lol.

THE WIND IS PUSHING MEEEEE!!!

Psychic 5 (Arcade)

Street Fighter II (Arcade)

Secret of Mana (SNES)

Sonic CD (Sega CD)

Alundra (PS1)

Final Fantasy VIII Demo (PS1)

Final Fantasy X (PS2)

Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2)

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2)

Kingdom Hearts (PS2)

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PS2/XB/GC)

Ys I & II Chronicles (PSP)

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)

• Kingdom Hearts 2
• Xenoblade Chronicles
• Batman: Arkham City
• Batman: Arkham Origins
• Persona 4 Golden
• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
• The Last of Us
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

metroid prime hunters

kingdom hearts

cod4

gears 2

god of war 1

mass effect

Halo series

Metroid Prime trilogy

Lollipop Chainsaw

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

I find the Super Mario 3D world main theme/menu music extremely charming. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_hA50Z8s2Y

Halo of course

Donkey Kong Country

Yoshi's Island

• Halo(Obviously)
• Skyrim
• Mass Effect
• Deus Ex Human Revolution
• Super Metroid

Those are the ones that come to mind first for me.

Wipeout Pulse

Perfect Dark (Combat Simulator)

Metropolis Street Racer

Ace Combat 3

Wind Waker

Halo Reach

Bad Company 2

MechWarrior 4: Vengeance

Red Alert 2

@charizard1605: Nice topic, off the top of my head I can think of:

FC:Blood Dragon(probably my favorite)

Deus EX Human Rev.

Aces of Galaxy(XBLA game)

Dead Space 3.

I'd have to do more research to remember the older games, I'm sure there are many of them but I just remember these for now.

rome 1 and empire total war had brilliant menu themes. empire especially...captures the sheer epic scale of the game and the period very well.

i was quite dissapointed with the way creative assembly went for the music in rome 2. i could see what they were trying to capture...the classic roman epic movie vibe....but no. not suitable at all.

I used to think the Shadow of the Beast 2 title music was great. I loved the music in that game, same goes for Beyond the Ice Palace but the best title theme of all time ever has to go to Cannon Fodder for me.

The Secret of Monkey Island

Hard to go past Halo CE... every time I hear it it reminds me of how much fun I had playing it for the first time.

I don't know of all times but i enjoyed the one in Fallout 3 a boatload. I listen to this and its like im back in 08

Persona 4's is just so ballin'.

BF 1942

Mine isn't a popular pick, but it's my favorite.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Halo 2 was epic with Joe Satriani's lick as its coming on.

BF2 on the PC was so damn catchy with the different countries each having its own load screen music. I still have them stuck in my head.

-Mike Tysons Punch Out

-Ninja Gaiden

-Super Mario Bros 2

-Super Mario World

-A Link to the Past

-Starfox

-Mario 64

-Metal Gear Solid

-Blast Corps

....off the top of my head.

The only title screen that ever really amazed me and stuck with me in the long run was Metroid Prime's title screen. The only other one I really enjoyed was Legend of Grimrock's: this is the theme that's played here

Surprised it took this long. Agreed.

Megaman 3

Pure brilliance.

Seriously loving how many mentions Persona 4 is getting on here.

Yep. Factual answers.

Are we talking intro themes or menu themes? Because if intro themes, then yes, Super Metroid, but it's menu theme is just a repeating soundbyte.

Gonna go with something a little different since most of the same (and greatest) have already been listed.

The Homefront multiplayer menu theme was always one of my favorites. Really set the tone for the game

To list one that hasn't already been named, I'd say Paper Mario. It was great!