Ocarina of Time headlines Video Game Hall of Fame class of 2022

Seven years after its creation, some of the best video games of all time are being inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame.

The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY, which hosts the Hall of Fame, announced Thursday that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Ms. Pac-Man, Sid Meier’s Civilization, and Dance Dance Revolution comprise the Hall’s class of 2022.

For Ms. Pac-Man, the museum called out its more sophisticated enemies and mazes in comparison to the original Pac-Man. More importantly, the museum’s representative wrote, Ms. Pac-Man helped change the idea that video games were just for men.

With Dance Dance Revolution, the museum highlighted its influence on the genre of peripheral-based music gaming, especially the mainstream phenomena that came later in Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

For Civilization, the museum praised the series as one that highlights creation over destruction — something that still isn’t necessarily common to video games now, and was even less so in 1991.

Finally, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s citation says the 1998 game defined the potential in 3D action games, for generations to come, and spotlighted its influence on many modern developers.

The World Video Game Hall of Fame was established in 2015 to recognize exceptional arcade, console, computer, handheld, and mobile games. Fans can already nominate games for the 2023 class; the finalists will ultimately be chosen on the advice of journalists, scholars, and those familiar with video game history.

The class of 2022 joins 32 other games in the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Here is the full membership of 36: