The Last of Us Is Also Pretty Good, I Guess
Last Thursday, overshadowed by Star Wars Day, the Strong National Museum of Play added four titles to the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Those games were Barbie Fashion Designer (1996), Computer Space (1971), The Last of Us (2013), and Wii Sports (2006). That is quite the diverse set of games.
We are all pretty familiar with The Last of Us. It instantly stood out from the flood of zombie apocalypse games of that era with its narrative and characters. It also inspired the hit HBO series, which has become the platform’s most-streamed show. There was also that remake that we’re not really sure we needed, but are glad it exists?
Wii Sports was packaged with every Nintendo Wii console, making it at one point the highest selling game of all time. It is currently only beaten out by Tetris, GTA V, and Minecraft. Out of those, Wii Sports is the only single-platform game.
It may not have been the first video game, but Computer Space was the first commercial video game. Until this point, you could only find video games at these historic sites called “arcades”. In many ways, this was the first stepping stone toward what we recognize as modern gaming.
Maybe it’s the hype around the live-action movie, but Barbie Fashion Designer broke down barriers of its own. The Museum of Play notes that PC games in that era were mostly marketed toward males. However, this game’s success showed the world that women and girls belong in the gaming space as well.
Which games do you think should be considered for the Hall of Fame? Let us know in the comments below.