18 Opening Levels In Video Games That True Gamers Will Remember Forever

It's not one of the most memorable levels in gaming, it's the most memorable. When half of the world pictures video games, it's Super Mario Bros. The single Goomba, the question mark boxes, and the stout little pixilated plumber; it's an image that represents the entire medium.

Playing Skyrim is a battle of attrition, with your hours being the cannon fodder. The intro mission is only memorable in retrospect, then, as it reminds you how far you've come from when you started your save file.

It's the same shtick every time you restart the game, entering as a nobody. But it ends differently with each new save, leaving you as an Argonian Dark Brotherhood assassin or an imperial dragon slayer – among hundreds of other eventualities. There's a million different opportunities that all stem from this single death-by-execution opening level, and that's what makes it so special.

For a game that starts out during the dawn of the zombie apocalypse, no one in their right mind was anticipating a personal, emotional opening level in which a man's daughter gets shot by the national guard. As you carry her to safety amongst the riots and chaos, you reach an officer who stops you and, under some intense circumstances, shoots the little girl in your arms.

It's a tear-jerker for most and unquestionably a memorable opening for all. 

Though no longer quite as iconic as the mustache-clad plumber's first level, there was a time when Sonic the Hedgehog's opening zone was king of the hill in terms of worldwide recognition. Green Hill Zone Act 1 is a 16-bit tropical island level that virtually any gamer can hum the tune of – etched into the memories of millions thanks to its iconic loop-de-loops and hundreds of golden rings.

This opening level went on to define cinematic storytelling in video games. Starting off on the Polar Express from hell, you awaken on a train that's dangling over a snowy mountain edge. From there, it's your duty to escape before the whole thing tumbles into the abyss below, which involves a whole lot of death-defying platforming and deep breathing. 

This intro is pulse-pounding, interactive storytelling at its finest, and is the reason why game development studio Naughty Dog has gone on to become a household name.

From a stormy lighthouse to a city in the skies, this opening level has it all. You go from boating with two weirdos in yellow raincoats to stopping a Black man from being publicly tortured in a flying city of white nationalists.

You see a future where the founding fathers of the United States are revered as saviors and gods. It's one of the most insane, dystopian intro levels to any game ever, and perfectly sets the tone for the mind-bending, belief-challenging journey to come.