There exists in New York City a World Video Games Hall of Fame and the arcade klassic Mortal Kombat has had the honor of being inducted into its hallowed halls! The original MK joined an eclectic class of 2019 inductees, nominated by the public, and selected by a panel of industry experts, journalists, and historians. Read on:

2019 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony | Mortal Kombat Creator's Thank You

As reported by Variety; The Strong Museum welcomed Mortal Kombat into its Hall of Fame with a ceremony in New York City. The induction recognized the game's lasting achievements in four key areas of criteria: iconic status, influence, geographical reach, and longevity.

Original creators Ed Boon, John Tobias, and John Vogel appeared together in a pre-recorded video filmed at NetherRealm Studios, thanking the organization for the honor.

The Strong interactive museum established its Hall of Fame in 2015. The organization curates a collection of electronic games and artefacts purported to be in the 60,000 range, annually adding new titles to its Hall of Fame. Other 2019 inductees included Super Mario Kart, Colossal Cave Adventure, and Microsoft Solitaire. Past inductions have counted Street Fighter II, Doom, Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Pong, and many others.

The influence of Mortal Kombat's earliest chapters can still be felt today, factoring heavily into the plot and character lineup in April's Mortal Kombat 11 release! It might be argued that Mortal Kombats II & 3 deserve a place in the prestigious list as well, but there's simply no escaping the importance of the original chapter, which introduced iconic fighters like Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Shang Tsung, as well as memorable trademarks like Mirror Matches, Blood Mode and Fatalities!

Watch the full induction ceremony and thank you videos embedded in the are above. Dive deeper into the series' history and nostalgia by joining the discussion in the 2D Kombat Klassics forum!