This is the big one, guys. 2016’s Videogame Hall Of Fame inductees have been announced, so which gems made the cut this year?
The original Sonic the Hedgehog and Legend of Zelda have finally received the love they deserve, after having just missed the cut last year. It’s especially fitting as the blue blur celebrates his 25th birthday this year, while Zelda rocks 30.
We’ve also got well deserved wins from game changers Grand Theft Auto III, Space Invaders, The Sims, and The Oregon Trail. Look at ’em all below. Legends.
This is only the National Museum of Play’s second year for the Videogame Hall of Fame, which began in 2015. Any member of the public can vote for their favourite game, but it’s then down to a panel of academics, journalists, and others with an in depth knowledge of the medium to pick from a shortlist.
This year’s winners are in great company. Last year saw Super Mario Bros, Tetris, Pac Man, DOOM, Pong, and World of Warcraft make the cut.
Games that were nominated but fell short this year include Pokemon Red & Green, Final Fantasy, Minecraft, Street Fighter II, and the original Tomb Raider.
Still, it’s not hard to see why the winners were chosen. Space Invaders is an arcade classic, obviously. Zelda was the grandfather of open world games, while Grand Theft Auto III is arguably the father.
Sonic The Hedgehog meanwhile, managed to take on Mario and come up smiling – a huge achievement at the time. The Sims had a colossal impact on the mainstream, and The Oregon Trail? Well, it taught us dysentery is bad.
I’d put good money on next year’s winners finally including Pokemon, Final Fantasy, and Superman 64. That last one I’m especially sure of.
Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.