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Video game history can be traced back to over half a century ago. That means a near infinite mine of great electronic entertainment from creative minds around the world. The Strong National Museum of Play has an upcoming event which aims to pay homage to the best of the best.
The 2022 World Video Game Hall of Fame features a dozen competitors striving to be memorialized for a historical moment.
From forgotten franchises to those that have outlived their peers, continuing to shine even today - the Hall of Fame has inducted many big names over the years. This year, things are no different.
Take a look at 5 of the best nominated games
The Hall of Fame recognizes all those video games that have influenced the gaming industry as well the consumers in one way or another. So logically, it's home to numerous offerings that are heavy hitters across the scene.
Here are the top 5 games:
1) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (OOT) is a behemoth in the gaming scene. The action-adventure title followed Young Link through countless dungeons and dangers on a quest to save the land of Hyrule.
It brought adventure to a new generation, with an engaging narrative with in-engine cutscenes and technically impressive visuals despite the N64's limited cartridge memory.
The influence of the Z-Targetting (lock-on system), open world design and horse riding can still be felt in titles throughout the years. From Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption to FromSoft's Demon's Souls and even Elden Ring. It proudly sits on the throne as the highest rated game to ever exist on Metacritic.
It also continues to live in gamers' hearts today, with many continuing to call it the best game ever. The game has also been remastered for the Nintendo 3DS.
2) Assassin's Creed
Ubisoft's renowned open-world stealth franchise emerged as a successor to the Prince of Persia series - but eventually became its own thing. The original entry dropped in 2007 for the PS3 and Xbox 360 and was popular for its breathtaking renditions of historical architecture.
The narrative is less rooted in realism, involving shady organizations and a machine that can virtually realize the memories of one's ancestors. Despite that, it manages to deliver a gripping plot with well-written characters.
Along with the rest of the franchise, it's the go-to series that truly manages to replicate the aesthetics of an era gone by with an immaculate eye for detail - even though the series is being berated these days for oversaturating the market.
3) Resident Evil
Capcom's 1996 survival-horror entry was the start of something special. The first entry in the Resident Evil series was for the PS1 and delivered a gripping adventure that was equal parts gripping and terrifying.
The narrative saw Raccoon City's S.T.A.R.S. team members Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine combing an abandoned mansion - only to realize they got themselves into more than they bargained for.
The labyrinthine mansion is jam-packed with horrors lurking around the corner and secrets to uncover. It put the "survival" in survival-horror due to a tightly crafted resource/scavenge design and even elements like puzzles and saving the game, as the latter required items that are limited in resource.
The "horror" aspect comes from the countless mutants from zombies to undead dogs - the latter of which has been immortalized thanks to the window jumpscare scene.
4) Sid Meier's Civilization
When speaking about strategy titles, it's hard to ignore the name "Sid Meier." The designer's work is some of the most ambitious out there, with 1991's Civilization handing the player control over the fate of the world, to put it lightly.
Players engage in turn-based affairs to build an empire as a leader from the decent picks provided.
From Roman and Babylonian to Chinese and German, players lead their society to victory. The scope is simply massive for a 30-year-old game. Engaging in trading, building relationships with those outside of your tribe, and innovating new technology is key to advancing through time periods.
Managing all of this adds in a layer of complexity that may not appeal to everyone, but its ambitious nature has netted it a chance at entering the Hall of Fame. The series is now under Firaxis and 2K who continue to evolve the series for fans new and old.
5) PaRappa the Rapper
This PlayStation 1-exclusive rhythm title is often considered to be one of the best rhythm games out there. The Sony-published title has a charming paper-aesthetic and sees the titular dog PaRappa trying to win the heart of a flower-girl named Sunny Funny. This process sees him engage in activities while rapping
The mechanics are simple: hit the button that appears on screen as Parappa follows the cast of the level in hilarious scenarios.
But what elevated it to success was the fact that it was something new at a time when the genre was little more than a novelty. Its selection for the Hall of Fame does come as a surprise given the game's cult-classic status.
The players can vote for their favorites at the Ballot on the official site, which will close on March 24, 2022.
The rest of the nominees include:
Ms. Pacman (1982, Midway), Minesweeper (1992, Microsoft), NBA Jam (1993, Midway), Dance Dance Revolution (1998, Konami), Rogue (1980, Epyx), Candy Crush Saga (2012, King), Words With Friends (2009, Zynga)
