The 2018 World Video Game Hall of Fame has recently divulged its twelve finalists. The inductees will be announced during the ceremony on May 3, 2018. The twelve nominees are: Asteroids, Call of Duty, Dance Dance Revolution, Final Fantasy VII, Half-Life, John Madden’s Football, King’s Quest, Metroid, Minecraft, Ms. Pac-Man, Space War, and Tomb Raider. We even see two nominees from last year’s Hall of Fame induction: Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy VII.

The Hall of Fame website explains each of the games individual characteristics that allowed them to make it this far. Metroid not only presented a “new play experience”, but also gave the gaming industry the first “playable human female character in mainstream video games”. That factor also goes in hand with Tomb Raider‘s nomination. This game holds an iconic female protagonist, and thanks to Lara Croft and Angelina Jolie “Tomb Raider enjoys a widespread appeal among gamers and non-gamers alike”.

Tomb Raider isn’t only being recognized for its fierce protagonist. It also brought the element of 3-D gaming into the industry, opening eyes to how far gaming visuals could progress. Final Fantasy VII undoubtedly utilized that element to enhance its beautiful plot line. It’s no wonder why that game had shown itself again this year, because the industry cannot deny Final Fantasy VII’s enthralling cut-scenes and “complex storyline”.

Even with the games’ individual potential, the gaming community has shown that they are unable to come to a decided consensus, stating that “They all deserve it” However, there are deciding factors of which few games will be presented as the winners for this year’s Hall of Fame. One of these factors including an “icon-status”, referring to a game’s memorability, and a couple of other qualifications that will determine a video game’s rank. 

It is exciting seeing these classics recognized for their impact on the people in the gaming community. The community and industry became as strong as they are today because of these iconic games. Thanks to the elder games like Ms. Pac-Man and younger games such as Minecraft, we are able to celebrate the gaming industry’s great milestones.