Video game hall of fame lists 12 finalists

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The World Video Game Hall of Fame’s 2017 finalists span decades and electronic platforms, from the 1981 arcade classic “Donkey Kong” that launched Mario’s plumbing career to the 2006 living room hit “Wii Sports” that made gamers out of grandparents.

The hall of fame at The Strong museum in Rochester said Tuesday that 12 video games are under consideration for induction in May.

They also include: “Final Fantasy VII,” “Halo: Combat Evolved,” “Microsoft Windows Solitaire,” “Mortal Kombat,” “Myst,” “Pokemon Red and Green,” “Portal,” “Resident Evil,” “Street Fighter II” and “Tomb Raider.”

The finalists were chosen from thousands of nominations from more than 100 countries, said museum officials, who will rely on an international committee of video game scholars and journalists to select the 2017 class. The winners will be inducted May 4.

“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 hall of fame recognizes electronic games that have achieved icon status and geographical reach, and that have influenced game design or popular culture.

The class of 2017 will be the third group to go into the young hall, joining “DOOM,” “Grand Theft Auto III,” “The Legend of Zelda,” “The Oregon Trail,” “Pac-Man,” “Pong,” “The Sims,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Space Invaders,” Tetris, “World of Warcraft,” and “Super Mario Bros.”