If you are anything like us—and we suspect you are—a good portion of your youth was spent with a game controller in hand staring blankly at your television screen. And whatever you mother may have said at the time, all of those hours were not for nought! Those games that ate up your childhood (and then some) are part of an artform that is finally getting the recognition it deserves! And you can help.
Specifically, the Smithsonian is currently preparing a mammoth show on The Art of Video Games and is now actively seeking gamers' advice on which 80 innovative and artistic games to include. They've broken down the options into five eras, and have tons and tons of classic games for you to vote between. But, warning, some of the choices are tricky!
While it is hard to deny that Super Mario Bros. 3 was hugely influential (oh, The Wizard), was it a more attractive and innovative action platformer than Metroid or Mega Man 2? And while yes Mario 64 changed the way 3D games were developed, was it better (and better looking) than its N64 peer Banjo-Kazooie? And how do you compare the crazy graphics of Earthworm Jim with then cutting-edge look of Sonic CD, let alone Michael Jackson's Moonwalker? Hard questions to ponder on a holiday afternoon! You can vote your gut right here.
In any event, we suspect that no matter what games end up being chosen there is little way that this particular show will elicit any protests in the streets. Excuse us though, we're off to go find a ROM of Shinobi...
