Get ready to power up the nostalgia.
The Strong’s World Video Game Hall of Fame has unveiled the 12 finalists vying for induction in 2024, promising a trip down memory lane for members of the toy and game industries and gamers of all ages.
Twelve electronic game finalists, ranging from pioneering classics to contemporary favorites, await their fate as the gaming world eagerly anticipates the announcement on Thursday, May 9 during a special ceremony at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.
“The finalists this year have the honor of competing to be in the 10th class of inductees to the World Video Game Hall of Fame,” says Jon-Paul C. Dyson, Director of The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games. “Even 10 years in, there’s no shortage of deserving contenders that have had enormous influence on pop culture or the game industry itself. These games span decades. Asteroids is an icon of the late 70s arcade. Myst showed the potential of CD-ROM technology in the 90s. Neopets became a staple of browser-based, free games as we entered the 2000s. And Guitar Hero, which is less than 20 years old, has already proven its staying power.”
Among the contenders vying for this honor are beloved titles such as Asteroids, the 1979 arcade sensation that revolutionized space-themed gaming, and Elite, the groundbreaking 1984 game that laid the groundwork for open-world gameplay.
Guitar Hero, the rockin’ rhythm game that captured the hearts of players worldwide upon its 2005 release, and Resident Evil, the genre-defining horror masterpiece that terrified gamers in 1996, are also in contention.
Other finalists include Metroid, the 1986 Nintendo classic featuring the iconic bounty hunter Samus, and Myst, the mesmerizing puzzle adventure that captivated players upon its 1993 debut.
Neopets, the virtual pet website phenomenon that took the internet by storm in 1999, and SimCity, the city-building simulator that challenged players’ urban planning skills since 1989, are also among the nominees.
Other finalists include Tokimeki Memorial, the influential dating simulator that left its mark on game design in 1994, andTony Hawk’s Pro Skater, the adrenaline-pumping skateboarding game that became a household name in 1999.
Ultima: The First Age of Darkness, the groundbreaking role-playing game that shaped the genre in 1981, and You Don’t Know Jack, the irreverent trivia game show turned video game hit in 1995, complete the lineup of finalists.
According to The Strong, the World Video Game Hall of Fame received thousands of nominations for consideration for the 2024 class. The public may vote for their favorite finalists from March 14-21 as part of a “Player’s Choice” ballot at worldvideogamehalloffame.org.
The three games that receive the most public votes will form one ballot and will join the other ballots submitted by members of the International Selection Advisory Committee, which is made up of journalists and scholars familiar with the history of video games and their role in society. The public, collectively, will have the weight of one judge. The final inductees will be announced in an onsite ceremony in the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s new home — part of the ESL Digital Worlds exhibits at The Strong — on Thursday, May 9, at 10:30 a.m.
