ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) – “Sonic the Hedgehog,” ”Space Invaders” and “John Madden Football” are among 15 games named Tuesday as finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame.
The winners will be inducted May 5 at The Strong museum in Rochester, where the hall opened last year.
The contenders also include: “Elite,” ”Final Fantasy,” ”Grand Theft Auto III,” ”The Legend of Zelda,” ”Minecraft,” ”Nurburgring,” ”The Oregon Trail,” ”Pokemon Red and Green,” ”Sid Meier’s Civilization,” ”The Sims,” ”Street Fighter II” and “Tomb Raider.”
The finalists “span decades, gaming platforms and countries of origin, but what they all have in common is their undeniable impact on the world of gaming and popular culture,” said Jon-Paul Dyson, director of The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games.
The list was culled from thousands of nominations from more than 100 countries, hall officials said. An international advisory committee of journalists, scholars and others will guide the final selection.