The Nintendo World Championships kicked off the 90s with a neon flourish, thrusting a three-game NES cartridge into the hands of competing fans. Since then, we’ve had a couple more Championship events aiming to bring super-fans together for individual speed-run tasks. The most recent was in 2017, but I think we all agree the 1990 competition set the tone for the whole affair.
Nintendo is working hard to bring that competitive spirit back to the Switch this year, with the Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition launching on July 18. The collection brings 13 classic NES titles together across more than 150 different challenges, each contributing to a weekly online leaderboard. You can pre-order the Nintendo World Championships digital version for $29.99 at Nintendo, but true retro fans will want to see the Deluxe Set.
Not only does this package include a full golden NES cartridge replica, but you’re getting 13 art cards and five pins. That’s loads of collectible gear for just $59.99 at Best Buy. Deluxe Pack pre-orders are now open, so you can get your name down for a copy ahead of that July ship date.
What’s included in the Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition Deluxe Set?
You’ll find plenty of extra goodies in the physical Deluxe Set, listed below:
- Gold-colors NES cartridge replica
- 13 NES game art cards
- Five Championship pins
- Physical game cart
There are also 13 games featured in the collection as a whole:
- 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
Do you need Nintendo Switch Online to play Nintendo World Championships?
You will need Nintendo Switch Online to play the online leaderboards section of the World Championships collection. However, if you don’t have a subscription you can still attempt all the challenges both solo and in couch co-op mode.
What is the Nintendo World Championships release date?
Both physical and digital copies of Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition will launch on July 18, 2024. Best Buy’s pre-order option above will also ship in time for release day.
We’re rounding up all the latest Nintendo Switch deals if you still need a console, or take a look at the best Nintendo Switch accessories on the market right now. It’s also worth noting that we’re looking forward to upcoming Memorial Day Nintendo Switch deals in the next few weeks as well.
