Pokémon, Street Fighter II, Donkey Kong Make 2017 Video Game Hall of Fame

The Strong, the self-described "national museum of play" in Rochester, New York, announced the 2017 inductees to its Video Game Hall of Fame on Thursday. The inductees include Donkey Kong (1981), Halo: Combat Evolved (2001), Pokémon Red and Green (1996), and Street Fighter II (1991).

The larger field of 12 finalists also included Final Fantasy VII (1997), Microsoft Windows Solitaire (1991), Mortal Kombat (1992), Myst (1993), Portal (2007), Resident Evil (1996), Tomb Raider (1996), and Wii Sports(2006).

Pokémon Red and Green, Street Fighter II, and Tomb Raider were also nominated last year.

The inaugural class of games that entered the Hall of Fame in 2015 included Pong (1972), Pac-Man (1980), Tetris (1984), Super Mario Bros. (1985), Doom (1993), and World of Warcraft (2004). Last year, the the inductees included The Legend of Zelda (1986), Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), Space Invaders (1978), Grand Theft Auto III (2001), The Oregon Trail (1971), and The Sims (2000).

The Hall of Fame recognizes electronic games for their sustained popularity and their contribution to popular culture and the industry.

The museum describes the selection process:
Anyone may nominate a game to the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Final selections are made on the advice of journalists, scholars, and other individuals familiar with the history of video games and their role in society.

The museum's International Center for the History of Electronic Games is hosting a permanent display of the Hall of Fame honorees in its eGameRevolution exhibit. The museum also houses the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play, the National Toy Hall of Fame, the Woodbury School, and the American Journal of Play.​