The success of a video game is measured in a number of different ways. Units sold, whether it lasts the test of time, and how many Game Of The Year awards it receives. Since 2015, whether a game has had the honor of being inducted into the Video Game Hall Of Fame is also a measure of its standing in the industry, and the shortlist of 2022's potential inductees has now been shared by The Strong Museum.
The Strong Museum is a physical Hall Of Fame in New York you can actually visit. Strong is a pretty apt word to use when it comes to the list of finalists for 2022. The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time, Assassin's Creed, and Minesweeper have all been nominated. Needless to say, some fans are going to be left disappointed when the current list of nominees is eventually whittled down.
Ocarina Of Time is arguably the game that will get the loudest support to become a hall of famer. Regarded by the best Zelda game ever by many, the N64 title was thrust back into the spotlight recently when it was added to NSO's Expansion Pack, making it playable on Nintendo Switch for the first time. “Ocarina of Time defined what a 3D action video game could be, influencing countless games that followed,” The Strong Museum writes. The full list of nominees can be found below.
- Assassin's Creed
- Candy Crush
- Dance Dance Revolution
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Microsoft Minesweeper
- Ms. Pac-Man
- NBA Jam
- PaRappa the Rapper
- Resident Evil
- Rogue
- Sid Meier's Civilization
- Words with Friends
Other strong contenders that will eventually make the cut, even if it isn't this year, are Assassin's Creed, Minesweeper, and even though most of us probably hate to admit it, Candy Crush Saga. Dance Dance Revolution is also a hugely important game that probably wouldn't have crossed many people's minds when putting together a hall of fame class. The first-ever dance game that inspired every single one to come along since, including the Just Dance series which continues to this day.
The Strong Museum will announce which games from the 12 above will make the cut on May 5, 2022. The list is usually whittled down to four with games that have been nominated before standing a better chance of making it in.