The blue blur and everyone’s favorite way to pass time at the laundromat has finally entered the video game hall of fame. The Strong museum in Rochester, New York, has announced the latest six inductees to its video game hall of fame – and Sega’s iconic hedgehog is among them. The world’s most lovable ring-hoarding speedster is finally getting his due. Sonic the Hedgehog made his first appearance in video game form in the 1991 arcade racing game Rad Mobile, as an air freshener in one of the cars. Sonic's first major appearance, however, was in the platform game Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, which also introduced his nemesis Dr. Robotnik (Later Dr. Eggman). After playing second fiddle to Mario for years and going through an identity crisis that alienated some fans, the hedgehog has finally come full circle. Introduced as the new mascot for the company Sega and a rival to Nintendo’s Super Mario series, Sonic was an instant hit. Notorious amongst platformers for fast and inventive gameplay, the hedgehog is considered a pioneer for immersive visuals combined with fun gameplay.
The old but still incredibly fun Space Invaders also got the nod. Originally released in 1978 by Taito, Space Invaders innovated and popularized many developing landscapes of the shoot-’em-up genre including high scores and endless enemy attack waves. Hideo Kojima, creator of Metal Gear Solid, was said to have got the idea for Snake’s iconic stealth gameplay from this classic game’s use of defensive barriers to hide from enemies.
Also getting honored in this renowned collection of iconic game titles; is interactive life simulator, The Sims, gangster adventure Grand Theft Auto III, the mythical role-playing favorite Legend of Zelda, and educational title Oregon Trail.
