The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has earned another honor to add to its already prestigious resume. The Nintendo 64 classic has been selected to enter the Strong National Museum of Play’s World Video Game Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2022. This was Ocarina of Time’s first appearance on the ballot as a finalist. Other games selected this year include Ms. Pac-Man, Dance Dance Revolution, and Sid Meier’s Civilization.
Ocarina of Time joins the original The Legend of Zelda from the NES console as the second Legend of Zelda entry to be enshrined. Altogether, Nintendo has had six titles chosen for the World Video Game Hall of Fame, with the others being Super Mario Bros., Pokemon Red/Blue, Super Mario Kart, and the original Animal Crossing.
The World Video Game Hall of Fame opened in 2015 and is part of the Strong National Museum of Play’s eGameRevolution exhibit, located in Rochester, New York. When introducing Ocarina of Time as a new inductee, the Strong Museum noted the game’s groundbreaking impact on the 3D action/adventure genre in gaming —
Released in 1998 for Nintendo 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the first of the series to feature 3D graphics. Led by Shigeru Miyamoto, Ocarina of Time set a new standard for games with its freedom of movement in a three-dimensional world that felt expansive and vast, laying the foundation not just for the action games that would follow it, but for the gaming industry as a whole.
You can read the Strong Museum’s full introduction for Ocarina of Time and view all other inductees on their official website.
