A heated office discussion a couple of days ago has led to the PC Pro team coming up with our favourite video game theme tunes – but, as with any good list, it’s entirely subjective and open to debate. The resulting list is full of both obvious classics and hidden gems, and we’ve also grouped a few games from the same system or publisher together just to cram a few more tunes into our countdown.

So, take a look at our suggestions, tell us what you think, and post your own – and bear in mind that these are in no particular order.

Super Mario Bros is an absolute classic and surely one of the most recognisable theme tunes – never mind just game tunes – of all time. It’s been used in TV shows, performed in concerts and can be instantly named by millions. The composer, Koji Kondo, has stated that he doesn’t know if he’d be able to create something as catchy again and, after having these familiar notes jammed into our head for more than two decades, we’d be hard-pressed to disagree .And, for those Sega fans, here’s Mario’s main rival, the wonderful Sonic the Hedgehog.

Lemmings – as most people know, Lemmings is a game about guiding a group of hapless creatures to their destination, altering their environment to make sure they don’t come a cropper along the way. It’s only apt, then, that the theme tune is both mischievous and dopey in equal measure. The rest of the game, meanwhile, used a roster of classical and popular standards, contributing to the unique feel of the title.

A trio of BBC Micro titles, now, that are revered by PC Pro’s own aficionado, David Fearon. Castle Quest came with the brilliant warning at the bottom of its title screen, proclaiming that it was “probably the most challenging game ever devised for the BBC Micro”. There’s also the memorable theme tune, which was a jazzed-up remix of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas. And then there’s Repton, which sounds like the world’s cheapest ice cream van, and driving game Revs, which was more angry operatic bumblebee than accurate motoring sim.

Listening to the drum and bass that introduced Chaos Engine, it’s hard to believe that it was released on the Amiga in 1993, such is its quality. Then again, it was produced by the Bitmap Brothers, who also came up with the memorable tunes from Xenon 2: Megablast and Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe.

For the perfect swashbuckling introduction, look no further than The Secret of Monkey Island, which was whimsical and cheerful, a bit like Guybrush Threepwood, the game’s lead and hopeless pirate.

Those who looked for a bit more action, though, were probably familiar with the ‘Strike’ series of games. While its quality diminished with later releases – Urban and Nuclear Strike, anyone? – it was hard to argue with the first two titles in the series: Desert Strike and Jungle Strike. The first, Desert, is loud, fast and brash, but the second is slower and altogether more moody – but, crucially, just as memorable.

From the sky to the ground, now, with a couple of stone-cold classic combat titles. Street Fighter 2 is probably one of the most adored titles of all time, and its theme music is action packed and resolutely 80’s – those thumping drums make it sound like an energetic Phil Collins record. Streets of Rage, meanwhile, is slower and decidedly dark – then again, it is a game that tackled inner-city violence and urban decay head-on.

The office favourite, though, is one of the all-time classics: Goal Scoring Superstar Hero, which introduced the genre-defining Sensible World of Soccer. Despite lyrics like “you let your hair down and play to the fans”, an accompanying video that was obviously shot using whoever was in the office at the time and a budget that could be counted in pennies, it’s become nothing less than a cult classic.

Also worth a mention is another title by Sensible Software, the most definitely un-PC Cannon Fodder, which got into trouble with the Royal British Legion for using its iconic poppy symbol in a questionable game. Nevertheless, it still shows the same DIY ethos that led to whoever was in the local pub being dragged in front of a camera to pose in some very ropey costumes, and we applaud them for that.

So, those are our favourites – but we’re sure that more classic themes are lurking out there. If you’ve got a few that tug at your retro gaming heart-strings – or just disagree with our choices – let us know in the comments below.