Last week, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition was rated by the ESRB, essentially revealing a new game based on the Nintendo World Championships. Today, Nintendo officially announced the game and revealed that Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is set to launch for the Nintendo Switch family of systems on July 18.
In 2024, Nintendo World Championship returns…
Test your speedrunning skills in 150+ challenges from classic games like Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, & Donkey Kong when #NintendoWorldChampionships: NES Edition hits #NintendoSwitch on 7/18!https://t.co/Gxhu1yM0B8 pic.twitter.com/TUpaAZzGkk
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 8, 2024
The game consists of over 150 speedrun challenges taken from 13 classic NES games as a tribute to the unforgettable in-person Nintendo World Championships held back in 1990, 2015, and 2017. The 13 NES titles that are part of the game include 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, and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition features a single-player Speedrun Mode where players can unlock new challenges and unique in-game pins along the way. Up to 8 players can compete locally in Party Mode. There is also a World Championships Mode that Nintendo Switch Online members can enter to submit their best times in five challenges that rotate each week and compete for a spot on the global leaderboard.
Nintendo also revealed the Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition – Deluxe Set; a special edition bundle that 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 to commemorate the original 1990 Nintendo World Championships event.
The Deluxe Set costs $59.99 and the digital version of the game will cost $29.99. Both are available to pre-order at Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and other select retailers.