The World Video Game Hall of Fame adds its newest members

Yesterday, the World Video Game Hall of Fame announced its four newest members. An international committee of video game journalists and scholars picked the class of 2017 from 12 remaining finalists. Some of the eight Games that did not make the cut include classics like "Final Fantasy VII," "Resident Evil," and "Tomb Raider."

The newest members

The games that made up the 2017 class of honorees for the World Video Game Hall of Fame include "Donkey Kong," "Halo: Combat Evolved," "Pokemon Red and Blue," and "Street Fighter II." They will all be on permanent display in The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.

"Donkey Kong" came out back in 1981 and was Nintendo's most profitable game in history when it came out. It became a massive hit in arcades. The game also helped to launch two of the company's flagship franchises, as this was the first game to feature Donkey Kong and Mario.

"Halo: Combat Evolved" was released in 2001 and it has since become the major franchise for Xbox. "Halo" proved that first-person shooters could work on consoles like they did on PC. Since then the "Halo" franchise has produced numerous Video Games, books, merchandise, and even short films.

"Pokemon Red and Blue" was released in 1996 by Nintendo for the GameBoy.

At the time no one could have imagined what a global phenomenon Pokemon would become. Since Red and Blue, there have been a multitude of Pokemon games, hundreds of television episodes, several films, and trading cards.

"Street Fighter II" came out in 1991 as the second game in the franchise. The game is credited with establishing many of the hallmarks of the one-on-one fighting genre. It is also one of the games that helped to ignite the arcade revival of the 1990s. Since then it has become, arguably, the leading franchise in its genre.

What is the gaming hall of fame?

This year's class of inductees to the World Video Game Hall of Fame is only its third. That is because the hall of fame was only established in 2015.

It was set up by The Strong Museum to recognize an industry that has become a key powerhouse in pop culture and business. Nominations for video games come from around the world. They can be for any arcade, computer, console, handheld, or mobile game. The international committee then narrows down the list, taking into account longevity, impact on the industry, and influence on pop culture.