Ocarina of Time and 3 other games inducted into World Video Game Hall of Fame

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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Dance Dance Revolution, Ms. Pac-Man and Sid Meier’s Civilization have been inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame at The Strong National Museum of Play, United States.

The games were added because of their influence on popular culture, the video game industry and society. Anyone can submit a nomination to the American Museum and the final selection will be made based on advice from journalists, scholars and “other individuals familiar with the history of video games and their role in society.”

About Ocarina of Time tells the museum that in 1998 the game “defined what a 3d action game could be, influencing countless games that came after.” Andrew Borman, one of the curators, said: “Even today, developers around the world consider The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to be an influence on the way they make games. The game’s expansive 3D world, fluid battles, complex puzzles and a time-traveling story instilled in players a sense of wonder that they’ll never forget.”

Ocarina of Time, via zelda.com

Sid Meier’s Civilization has been called “one of the most influential simulation and strategy games of all time” and the franchise’s popularity “debunks the common perception that it’s always more fun to tear down than to build.” The addictive simulation and strategy game was released in 1991 and since then all players have put more than a billion hours into the franchise.

Ms. Pac-Man, dating from 1981, has “more complicated mazes, smarter opponents and new challenges” compared to its predecessor. The game’s popularity, combined with the introduction of a female protagonist, “spurred a new era in the cultural conversation about the place of women in the arcade and in society as a whole.”

Finally, Dance Dance Revolution ‘challenged players to use their sense of balance and agility to take steps to the beat of popular music’. The game has come out in over 100 different versions since its release in 1998 and paved the way for later games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band. The Strong calls it a “true revolution for the music game genre.”

Images via civilization.com, pacman.fandom.com and konami.com

The Strong has administered the World Video Game Hall of Fame since 2015, the museum has existed since 1969. A minimum of four and a maximum of six games are added to the Hall each year. Civilization was a 2016 holdover finalist, Dance Dance Revolution and Ms. Pac-Man were from 2018 and Ocarnina of Time was a new finalist.

Other titles in the Hall of Fame include StarCraft, Minecraft, King’s Quest, Bejeweled, Mortal Kombat, Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy VII, and more. In total there are 36 games added to the list, chosen from a very long list of nominees. The games in the Hall will have a permanent place in the exhibition of the museum, which is located in the state of New York.

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