Ok, I’m going to start off by immediately saying that this list does NOT, in fact, represent my top favorite game themes. Neither does it mean to undermine any of the multitudes of iconic first-level game tunes that didn’t make this list. This list is simply made up of those jingles upon first entering a game’s plane of existence that meant the most to me and why. (and yes, most are from older games)

I see you there with the pitchfork and torch. Don’t try to hide it.

So here are my top 5 most iconic 1st Level tunes from video games.

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This right here is mid to late 80’s shoot-em-up action at it’s finest. Like Contra and Heavy Barrel, Jackal was one of those games that didn’t need any big gimmick to be innovative, but at the same time it had its own little quirks which set it apart from other games during that era. Taking control of a jeep (or two if playing two player), you make your way through an unidentified country (which was called Vietnam in the instruction manual from the NES version) and take out any opposition in your way. You mission was to rescue captive POWs and get them to the helicopter. You would them be rewarded with various weapon upgrades, which you use to defeat the enemies. Similar to other Konami games during this period, this game features some neat, even if somewhat outlandish boss designs. You’ll encounter Medusa statue heads that shoot missiles, a fortress gate with turrets, and a command HQ which turns into a giant tank. This is an awesome top down shooter to play, and of course it’s even better if you bring along a friend. Seeing as how Konami is a big supporter of the Wii virtual console, I have no doubt that this will be hitting the VC’s lineup sometime in the future. In fact, I’m surprised that it hasn’t already. For now however, you’ll have to do some hunting for the original cart.