The Strong National Museum has announced an addition to the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Colossal Cave Adventure, Microsoft Solitaire, Mortal Kombat and Super Mario Kart join dozens of other legendary projects that have influenced the gaming industry and pop culture.
The games listed above outperformed projects such as Candy Crush Saga, Centipede, Dance Dance Revolution, Half-Life, Myst, NBA 2K, Sid Meier's Civilization, and Super Smash Bros. Melee. The four finalists span several decades, different countries of origin and gaming platforms, but all of them have had a significant impact on the gaming industry, pop culture and society in general.
Colossal Cave Adventure is a 1976 text adventure. The user enters commands so that the hero can travel around the fantasy world in search of treasure. It laid the foundation for an entire genre of fantasy and adventure games and directly inspired other pioneers such as Adventureland and Zork, who helped launch the commercial video game industry.
Microsoft Solitaire was released in 1990 for Windows 3.0. It has since been distributed to over a billion PCs and is now launched over 35 billion times a year around the world.
Mortal Kombat offered the last word in graphics and unique fighting styles among arcade games in 1992. Depictions of excessive violence have also spurred international debate, including a US congressional hearing that contributed to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Agency (ESRB) in 1994. So it was finally determined that games are not only for children.
Finally, about Super Mario Kart. The game combines racing and beloved characters from the Super Mario Bros. franchise. It was released in 1992 and popularized the sub-genre of kart racing. Super Mario Kart sold several million copies on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and started a series that continues to intrigue players to this day.