Nintendo is brining over 150 challenges in 13 NES titles to the Nintendo Switch in the brand new Nintendo World Championship: NES Edition game this July.

The game pays homage to the iconic Nintendo World Championships of 1990, which toured across the USA and involved players playing games on a special NES cartridge in a timed format. The new game, which is on Nintendo Switch but makes use of NES games, features over 150 challenges across 13 different NES titles and will provide weekly online leaderboards to see how quick you are at running selected content chosen for the leaderboard on that week.

This isn't the first time we've seen a throwback to this event though! In 2013, the Wii U saw the launch of NES Remix which features NES challenges and the followup the next year, NES Remix 2, included a special mode called "Nintendo World Championships Remix" which would unlock if you had a save file on your console from both games. Both of these titles were partially combined into a later 3DS release titled Ultimate NES Remix.

For actual events though, Nintendo brought back the World Championships during E3 2015 to celebrate the 25th year anniversary, and in 2017 we saw the third iteration of the event.

What Games Are In the Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition?

The following games are available to play in the challenges.

  • Balloon Fight
  • Donkey Kong
  • Excitebike
  • Ice Climber
  • Kid Icarus
  • Kirby’s Adventure
  • Metroid
  • Super Mario Bros.
  • Super Mario Bros. 2
  • Super Mario Bros. 3
  • Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels
  • The Legend of Zelda
  • Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

The Deluxe Set Edition

The Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition – Deluxe Set is a special-edition bundle includes a physical version of the game, a set of 5 collectible pins, 13 art cards commemorating each of the featured NES classics, and a replica of the fabled gold-colored NES Game Pak (for display only, stand included) to commemorate the original 1990 Nintendo World Championships event. Perfect for collectors, and for raising above your head in victory!

Check out the announcement trailer for the new game below along with more information about party play and competing online, which will require an active Switch Online subscription.

With this being the NES Edition of the series, we can only assume that we'll see additional versions come out at a later date to potentially hit the SNES, N64, and Game Boy.

Nintendo World Championship releases on July 18, 2024 and can be purchased digitally for $29.99 USD or in a physical edition for $59.99 USD.

Quote From Nintendo

Test your speedrunning skill in over 150 challenges! Each challenge relives a memorable moment one of 13 NES™ games*, including classics like Super Mario Bros.™ 3, The Legend of Zelda™, Donkey Kong™, and Metroid™. Start small by seeing how quickly you can blaze through the first level of Super Mario Bros. or how fast you can gobble up an enemy in Kirby’s Adventure™ *. Hone your skills in practice and see if you have what it takes to be a champion—the tougher challenges may truly test your limits!

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is coming to the Nintendo Switch™ system on July 18.

Compete against players around the world online
Jump into the World Championship Mode with a Nintendo Switch Online membership** and aim for a spot on the leaderboards in five challenges that rotate each week. At the end of each week, compare your times against players of varying skill levels, or sit back and watch the world’s best time to learn how to improve. With "byte-sized" challenges, you don't need to master entire games to feel like a Nintendo World Champion!

Challenge your friends on the couch
Gather up to 8 players*** in the local Party Mode to take on challenges individually or in themed Challenge packs. With an automatic rewind feature to undo mistakes, even completely new players can compete.

A Deluxe Set with a replica NES game cartridge and other NES themed collectibles
The Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition – Deluxe Set includes a gold-colored replica cartridge and stand to commemorate the 1990 World Championships, as well as 13 art cards—one for each NES title represented in the game—and pins modeled after four in-game badges and the game logo. It also includes a physical version of the game.