People love to argue about which video games are great, and which are totally overrated. There aren’t many ways to settle such debates, unless a game is immortalized in the World Video Game Hall of Fame.
Yes, there actually is a video game hall of fame, and Thursday, it announced its 2017 inductee class.
The hall, located in the eGameRevolution exhibit in the National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y., announced its latest enshrinees in a ceremony streamed live on Twitch.TV. The four games inducted were selected from the following 12 finalists:
“Donkey Kong”
“Final Fantasy VII”
“Halo: Combat Evolved”
“Microsoft Windows Solitaire”
“Mortal Kombat”
“Myst”
“Pokemon Red and Green”
“Portal”
“Resident Evil”
“Street Fighter II”
“Tomb Raider”
“Wii Sports”
Here are the games inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame on Thursday:
“Donkey Kong” (1981)
Long before they were racing side by side in “Mario Kart,” Donkey Kong and Mario — then called Jumperman — were bitter enemies in the 1981 arcade classic “Donkey Kong.” The game still is a staple of arcades worldwide, and the quest for the game’s all-time high score even has spawned documentaries.
“Street Fighter II” (1991)
Although it’s a sequel, “Street Figher II” is considered by many to be superior to the original, and one of the most iconic fighting games ever made. Technically, the arcade version was the one inducted into the hall, but the game also is one of the Super Nintendo’s most classic entries.
“Pokemon Red,” Pokemon Green” (1996)
Many of you probably are wondering why “Pokemon Green,” which was released only in Japan, was chosen instead of “Pokemon Blue.” However, the games basically are identical, so it really doesn’t matter. And considering “Pokemon Green” has become something of a legend here in the United States, the decision isn’t all that surprising.
“Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001)
In addition to launching Master Chief’s galactic quest that’s now lasted for five games (not including “Halo 3: ODST,” “Halo Reach” or either “Halo Wars” title), “Combat Evolved” laid the groundwork for every first-person shooter released since. The game still holds up well today, and its campaign is arguably the greatest in the “Halo” series.
