History DiegeticSoundtrackUsage / VideoGames

** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'': The latter half of the theme tune to ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker Peace Walker]]''. is recycled as the track for the "Sortie Prep" menu. Snake can also acquire it as a cassette tape.

** During a certain event in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', "Burn My Dread" (the same one from ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'') is playing as a video in the background. The game also has an in-universe example of a sort: if you talk to Teddie outside Mitsuo's video-game-themed dungeon, he complains that the music from it is stuck in his head.

* ''VideoGame/MaxPayne2'' has a janitor singing the game's ThemeTune ""[[https://youtu.be/AzsiE44Lz_w?list=PLjACqN5i5sDVBPJGHevomO4YZd9wwVLkS Late Goodbye]]", along with one of the enemies playing it on piano. In all three ''Videogame/MaxPayne'' games, using a piano will have Max play a rather unskilled rendition of the main theme song. He does a better job the second time you try.

** In ''VideoGame/Persona5''[='s=] post-credits cutscene, the opening theme "Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There" starts off just playing on the radio, but becomes the main BGM in the last 20 seconds or so.

** The Monolith Burger muzak is a bossa nova arrangement of ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestIIIThePiratesOfPestulon'''s main theme.

* In ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestIVRogerWilcoAndTheTimeRippers'', the diegetic music in the Galaxy Galleria software store is a PC speaker medley of theme tunes from previous Sierra games, including ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'', ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestITheSarienEncounter'', ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry'', and ''VideoGame/KingsQuest''.

* In ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestIV'', the diegetic music in the Galaxy Galleria software store is a PC speaker medley of theme tunes from previous Sierra games, including ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'', ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestI'', ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry'', and ''VideoGame/KingsQuest''.

* In ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestIV'', the diegetic music in the Galaxy Galleria software store is a PC speaker medley of theme tunes from previous Sierra games, including ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'', ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestI", ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry'', and ''VideoGame/KingsQuest''.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' have Team Rocket hijack the radio tower as part of their plan to find their missing boss, Giovanni. The music that plays on all radio broadcasts while they do this is the same theme that plays when a Rocket Grunt challenges you to a battle.

* ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion1'':
** Luigi hums or whistles along to the BackgroundMusic.
** If you look at the map in dark rooms (or just listen very closely), you can hear the ''ghosts'' singing along with the BackgroundMusic as well.
** The Game Boy Horror's "ringtone" is a 8-bit version of the same music.
** In the Music Room, all the instruments can be individually activated to play an orchestral arrangement of the ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' theme song. Doing this is also the first step to capturing the room’s boss, Melody Pianissima.
* The subspace (behind-the-door) world in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' plays [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1 the first game]]'s theme. The ''VideoGame/SuperMarioAllStars'' version of [=SMB2=] reuses [=SMB's=] corresponding version.
* The music box in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' plays the original ''Super Mario Bros.'' theme song.
* After the Special World BGM in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' loops for about 2 minutes, it transforms into the ''Super Mario Bros.'' theme.
* At the beginning of ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'', Mario is heard humming the ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' theme while in the shower.

* In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'', the ringtone in Claude's pager is the opening of the song "Grand Theft Auto" from the first, top-down GTA.

** It also shows up in the Rockstar North logo in "VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity".
* In ''VideoGame/Gears5'', during a fight with [[MurderousMalfunctioningMachine Rejects]] inside a musical theatre, a stage play rendition of the Gears of War theme playing over the speakers lends the combat music for the section.

* The ringtone of Godot's cell phone in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations'' happens to be the same music as his own {{Leitmotif}}.

* At the very beginning of ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' Travis whistles the game's theme.

* ''VideoGame/MaxPayne2'' has a janitor singing the game's ThemeTune ""[[https://youtu.be/AzsiE44Lz_w?list=PLjACqN5i5sDVBPJGHevomO4YZd9wwVLkS Late Goodbye]]", along with one of the enemies playing it on piano.
** In all three ''Videogame/MaxPayne'' games, using a piano will have Max play a rather unskilled rendition of the main theme song. He does a better job the second time you try. Guess it's secretly an RPG.

* Inverted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI''; the first time in the game that Celes's theme is heard (indeed, hers is the only one that ''doesn't'' play during the rename screen) is when Celes sings it in an opera.

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda''

* At one point in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' you have to follow a man disguised as PMC soldier. How do you recognize him? He is whistling the game's theme tune. (Or you can be uncreative and use the Solid Eye).
* VideoGame/LEGOAdaptationGame:

* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsRepublicCommando'' one of the elevators on a Republic ship has kind of a muzak version of the Imperial March playing in the background. Fortunately, it's accessible in the game's files.
* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefront II'', Stormtroopers will occasionally whistle the Imperial March.

* In ''VideoGame/DeusEx'', using a piano will play a few notes of the opening theme.
** In VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution music from the first game can be heard on radios and whistled by NPC's.

* ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsGame'' contains a puzzle in which the player must guide Homer or Bart over FAO Schwartz-esque floor tiles to play the first few bars of the show's theme song. Bart reacts to the puzzle's solution by shuddering, [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall "That tune...it's been haunting me for years!"]]
** This also serves as a CallBack, since one episode (season 5's "Lisa vs Malibu Stacy") ends with Homer doing pretty much the exact same thing.
* At the end of her concert in ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce 3'', Sonia Strumm performs a new song she's composed called "Shooting Star," which happens to be the game's opening theme.

* ''VideoGame/MegaMan7'' contains an example -- in the introductory cutscene, Mega Man is helmetless and is riding in a truck to the intro stage. When he puts on the [[MascotMook Metool]] helmet, a short theme with an abrupt, dissonant [[RecordNeedleScratch Record Needle Scratch-esque]] ending plays. Mega Man then dons his iconic blue helmet, and the recurring "Robot Master Selected" theme plays.

* In the elevators in ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'', one of the tunes piped in is a muzak version of the game's main theme.
** In the ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' DownloadableContent, Citadel, if she was romanced by the player, Tali [[WithLyrics sings]] the game's love theme, mentioning that it's the main theme of the ShowWithinAShow, "Fleet and Flotilla".
** The "Vigil" tune from the first game also makes a reappearance as a piano tune in the ''Citadel'' DLC.

* Partial example: The ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series uses a rocking metal cameo of the musical stinger that plays when you pick a robot master in the first ''VideoGame/MegaMan1'' game.

* The VideoGame/{{Pikmin}} will hum the first few bars of their theme tune when traveling. An Easter Egg sees the Pikmin hum the song used in Japanese advertising for the game, "Ai no Uta," in-game.

* [[MusicalAssassin Vulutron the Condoroid]] from ''VideoGame/MegaManZX Advent'' is a unique example. His IdleAnimation (or rather, ''your'' Idle Animation when you [[VoluntaryShapeshifting transform]] [[PowerCopying into him]]) makes it seem as though he's bobbing his head to the SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic of his stage, the [[DownInTheDumps Scrapyard]].

* In ''VideoGame/JediFallenOrder'' when hacking other droids, BD-1 will sometimes beep the "Rebel Spaceship Fanfarre" {{leitmotif}} (also titled "TIE Fighter Attack" on the ''Film/ANewHope'' [=OST=]).