Fantastic First Level Themes Vol. 2

They say you never forget your first. First kiss. First car. First level of a video game. We're here to focus on that last one. The first level of a video game can say a lot about the rest of the game. It can be a great way to grab the player for invested play time. For a lot of us, not only do we remember the first level because it is the start of a game, but because the music with that beginning level really stayed with us.

Strike the Earth! (Plains of Passage) - Shovel Knight (Wii U, 3DS, XBO, PS4)

It can be easy to dismiss Shovel Knight as a game trying to cash in on nostalgia with its retro fitted visuals and soundtracks. But if you did, you'd be missing out on one of the best games of this generation. Yes, Shovel Knight has old school gaming roots but it still feels like modern game and its so well crafted. The soundtrack was done by Jake Kaufman and Manami Matsumae with Jake doing the lion's share of the audio. Plains of Passage does an excellent job of pumping you up for your journey.

Green Greens - Kirby's Dream Land (GB)

The game that brought the cutest pink blob of all time into our lives. Kirby's Dream Land was a game designed with entry level game players in mind. It's very easy and short but experienced players were kept in mind so the game can be made more challenging after completing the first romp or by entering a code on the title screen. Jun Ishikawa is responsible for giving Kirby one of his most iconic, catchy themes.

Level 1 - Super Bomberman (SNES)

Playing a Bomberman game without this theme being heard in some form or another is like a Super Mario game without the classic Ground Theme. It just feels unnatural. This isn't the series first rendition of this theme, but it is the one I prefer the most. That bass and piano are used in this theme perfectly.

Neo Tokyo - Pulseman (GEN)

I feel like a broken record for saying it, but Game Freak has made games besides Pokemon. One of their mid 1990s titles was Pulseman, an audio and visually stunning action platformer that had you using electricity to defeat foes and travel through wires. SEGA Channel was originally the only way gamers in American could experience this gem but it was later released on the Wii's Virtual Console service. If you're looking for some of the best beats the Genesis has to offer, Pulseman has you covered, starting with this superb opening stage jam.

Main Theme - Super Mario 64 (N64, DS)

When you first enter Peach's castle and take a look around, you'll find that there aren't many places you can go but there is one room you can enter, which houses a painting of Bob-ombs. Bob-omb Battlefield is Super Mario 64's first course and while it doesn't throw anything really difficult at you, its still an extremely fun course to run through. This is also where you hear Super Mario 64's Main Theme, which is for all intents and purposes, the game's version of a Ground Theme. This jovial, upbeat music gets arranged for other sections of the game like races and the winter themed courses.