Which Classic Games Will Make the Hall of Fame in 2025? Here Are the Finalists
Image Credit: Angry Birds
The 2025 finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame have been announced, and it’s a mix of classics, esports pioneers, and at least one game that made people cry over a pixelated pet.
The Finalists
The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, has selected 12 finalists for this year’s Hall of Fame induction:
Age of Empires – For the strategy nerds who enjoy world domination.
Angry Birds – The only game to prove that slingshots and pigs make billions of dollars.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – The reason “noob tubes” became a thing.
Defender – When side-scrolling shooters were peak gaming.
Frogger – The original lesson in traffic safety, or lack thereof.
GoldenEye 007 – If you didn’t play Oddjob, you were doing it wrong.
Golden Tee – For the arcade golfers who weren’t ready for real grass.
Harvest Moon – Proof that planting crops is more relaxing than war.
Mattel Football – The OG handheld game, proving tiny LED lights were thrilling in 1977.
Quake – One of the first true esports games, and also where many FPS players learned what “gibbing” means.
NBA 2K – The game that brought basketball to the esports scene.
Tamagotchi – The digital pet that taught an entire generation about heartbreak when they forgot to feed it.
Why These Games?
To make the cut, games need to have stood the test of time, reached a global audience, and influenced gaming culture. Some did it through nostalgia, some through revolutionizing esports, and some by making us feel guilty for neglecting a virtual creature.
A Few Highlights:
Mattel Football (1977) – The granddaddy of handheld gaming. No fancy graphics, just red LED lights and pure football strategy.
Angry Birds (2009) – Started as a phone game, ended up with movies, toys, and spin-offs no one asked for.
Quake (1996) – Helped kick off competitive first-person shooters and made “bunny hopping” a respected skill.
Frogger (1981) – An arcade hit that became a Seinfeld episode. What more validation does it need?
Tamagotchi (1996) – Responsible for more childhood trauma than any other game on this list.
How the Voting Works
Fans can vote for their favorites online until March 13, with the public vote counting as one ballot in the final tally. A committee of experts makes the final call, and the winners will be inducted on May 8, 2025.
So, if you think Frogger deserves a permanent spot in gaming history, now’s your chance. If not, at least pour one out for all the forgotten Tamagotchis of the past.
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