Okay, so here we go. Let’s just dive right into this little world of gaming legends, shall we? Picture this: four more video games have made their grand entrance into the World Video Game Hall of Fame, like some kind of VIP club nobody told me about until now. The folks over at the Strong National Museum of Play announced it on Thursday. Who got the golden ticket this time, you ask? Well, we’ve got Defender by Williams Electronics (nope, not that defender at your local basketball game), Rare’s GoldenEye 007 — and don’t get me started on that one, I could go on for ages, id Software’s Quake, and the truly iconic Tamagotchi by Bandai. Yep, that little digital pet that either kept you company or drove you nuts, depending on your mood.
So, these four didn’t just show up out of nowhere. They were handpicked from an “oh-so-exclusive” list of 2025 nominees. Kinda makes you think about how crowded these things can get. I mean, some heavy hitters like Age of Empires, Angry Birds, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and a bunch of others were all vying for a spot. Talk about tough competition, right?
Why these four, though? The Strong Museum swears they left a mark on pop culture and gaming as a whole. The entries are sized up based on some big deal criteria: icon status, longevity, how far their influence traveled, and just how much they shook things up. Oh, fun fact—Quake is now the second game from id Software chilling in the Hall of Fame. Doom kicked open that door back in 2015. I guess they know a thing or two about gaming legends over there.
This year, all the big wigs—judges and curators—explained why these games rocked their socks off. Each one had something unique going for it. Since this whole hall of fame shindig started in 2015, 49 games have made it in. And no, I didn’t just list all of them. But last year, some all-stars like Asteroids, Myst, Resident Evil, Ultima, and SimCity were added to this ever-growing clubhouse.
Anyway, maybe next time I’ll pay more attention to the game consoles gathering dust on my shelf, who knows?
