Wow. So, get this: there are four new games struttin’ their way into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. I mean, this is a big deal for all the joystick jockeys out there. So, lemme see… what are they? Right, we’ve got Williams Electronics’ Defender (blast from the arcade past!), Rare’s GoldenEye 007 (oh, the nights wasted on multiplayer), id Software’s Quake (the soundtrack still gives me chills), and Bandai’s Tamagotchi (because virtual pets are forever). The Strong National Museum of Play dropped this tidbit on Thursday.
Now, picture this: these legendary titles came out on top from some fierce competition. Not kidding here. They beat out some biggies like Age of Empires, Angry Birds (yep, the one your mom probably plays), and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. I always thought Frogger had legs to go all the way, but what do I know?
Here’s a fun little nugget – they claim these games injected themselves into popular culture like a viral meme. Because apparently, they’re judged on how iconic they are, longevity (like who’s still playing NOW), geographical reach (go global or go home), and influence (making people skip homework since the ’80s). Oh, and Quake isn’t id Software’s first rodeo here; Doom made its way into this fancy club back in 2015. High fives all around.
Why these four, though? You might wonder. Well, the judges have their reasons, which I guess make sense if you think about it too hard. Or not at all. Defender? It’s like Space Invaders on steroids. GoldenEye? Bond, but with more screen peeking. Quake? First-person shooter heaven. Tamagotchi? My digital pet died… a lot.
Since 2015, they’ve let 49 games into this hall of fame. That’s like inviting everyone but the weird games nobody really played. Just last year, they inducted Asteroids, Myst (anyone remember the frustration?), Resident Evil (zombie nightmares), Ultima, and SimCity (where I accidentally destroyed the city I built). Anyway, congrats to the new champs. I bet their fanbases are raising a toast—or just pressing start.
