Four games, including Pokemon and Halo, join World Video Game Hall of Fame

For the third year running, The Strong Museum of Play has welcomed a new batch of games into its World Video Game Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame, which now boasts 16 inductees, seeks to highlight games that have significantly impacted the video game industry, popular culture, or society in some way. 

This year, Pokemon Red and Green, Halo: Combat Evolved, Donkey Kong, and Street Fighter II join the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s ranks, and will become part of a permanent public display at the museum in Rochester, New York. 

These four titles emerged from a list of 12 finalists announced earlier this year that included Final Fantasy VII, Microsoft Windows Solitaire, Mortal Kombat, Myst, Portal, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, and Wii Sports. 

While the initial nominees were partly gathered from public nominations, a panel of industry experts decided which of the finalists would ultimately join games like World of Warcraft and Pong in the Hall of Fame. 

More details on that selection process, as well as a look at why each of the four games inducted this year was chosen, can be found on the World Video Game Hall of Fame website. Additionally, the Strong Museum is already looking for nominations of games that should be considered for next year's inductees.