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"The Oregon Trail" and "Space Invaders," along with "Grand Theft Auto III," "Sonic the Hedgehog," "The Legend of Zelda" and "The Sims" were inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame last week for their influence on gaming and pop culture.


Which was the best of the bunch this year?

 Minnesota's own "The Oregon Trail," which taught kids all about the dangers of diseases like cholera and dysentery? (Oh, and also American history and pioneers heading west in their covered wagons, too.) 

The game also introduced the concept that video games could be educational. 


"It pioneered a blending of learning and play that showcases the valuable contribution games can make to education," 

 "Space Invaders," which allowed players to have their own 

 decades before "Independence Day" was even a thing by blasting nefarious aliens and their spacecrafts. 


Released in Japan in 1978, the game included a "high score" feature at the top of the page, which went on to become a standard element of all arcade games. 


In 1980, it became Atari 2600's most popular game, conquering not only arcades but living rooms. 


"Space Invaders proved video games weren't just a passing fad," 

"By providing players with a license to do virtually anything they wanted to do on foot or behind the wheel, 'Grand Theft Auto III' signaled video games aren't just for kids. And the game's unlimited play possibilities became a model for many other open-world games that followed," says the hall of fame. 


This game "popularized non-linear, open-world exploration games and paved the way for some of the industry's most famous role-playing and action-adventure games," notes the hall of fame. 


"By turning the computer into a toy to explore the complexity of the human experience, 'The Sims' radically expanded the notion of what a game could be," the hall of fame says. 


"'Sonic the Hedgehog' took the 16-bit gaming era by storm in 1991 with its lightning-fast game play and cool, hip title character, temporarily vaulting Sega ahead of Nintendo in the 1990s console wars," according to the hall of fame.

Science

Nancy Yang

Author

Both trailblazing games were inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame last week. But which was more influential? Make your pick in this week's "This or That."

Vote: 'Oregon Trail' vs. 'Space Invaders'

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