Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Sid Meier’s Civilization inducted into World Video Game Hall of Fame

What just happened? The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has finally taken its rightful place in the World Video Game Hall of Fame. The Nintendo 64 classic has joined Ms. Pac-Man, Dance Dance Revolution and Sid Meier’s Civilization as this year’s Hall of Fame class inductees at The Strong National Museum of Play.

The games were among several worthy finalists, including NBA Jam, PaRappa the Rapper, Resident Evil, and Mindsweeper, among others.

• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time defined what a 3D action video game could be, influencing countless subsequent titles. The game’s combination of storytelling, puzzle-solving, and combat earned Ocarina of Time several “Game of the Year” awards in 1998. The game has sold over 7.6 million copies worldwide and is still recognized by gamers and critics as one of the best. of the best video games ever made.

• Miss Pac-Man: Capitalizing on the success of the cult arcade game Pac-Man, Midway released Ms. Pac-Man in 1981. The sequel featured more difficult mazes, smarter opponents, and new challenges. He also reimagined the main character as a woman to celebrate the girls and women who enjoyed playing the first game. Due to its wide popularity, Ms. Pac-Man sold 125,000 cabinets within five years of its release, making it one of the five best-selling arcade games of all time behind previous Pac-Man inductees, Space Invaders and Street Fighter II.

• Dance Revolution: Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) took Japanese arcades by storm in 1998, forcing players to use their balance and agility to step to the beat of popular music. The fast-paced game quickly spread to arcades around the world, and Konami released a home version of the game on the Sony Playstation the following year. Over 100 versions of the game have been released since 1998, and Dance Dance Revolution has helped pave the way for other iconic music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

• Sid Meier Civilization: Sid Meier’s Civilization became one of the most influential simulation and strategy games of all time upon its release in 1991. This massive game has encouraged players to develop their own empire over the centuries, and this game started a series of successor games, including, in recent years, Civilization: Beyond Earth and Civilization VI. The popularity of the Civilization series, which has sold over 50 million copies, refutes the popular belief that destroying is always more fun than creating.

The new recruits join a growing list of established classics, including Pac-Man and The Legend of Zelda, who were selected in 2015 and 2016, respectively. If your favorites don’t hit this time, there’s always next year.