Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition Review
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition offers plenty of nostalgic speed-running challenges. Is the package enough to warrant a return? My full review.
The Nintendo World Championships is a name that will likely evoke memories of the golden age of gaming, where pixelated heroes and 8-bit soundtracks reigned supreme. Originally a competition held in 1990, the Nintendo World Championships have become the stuff of legend. Fast forward to today, and Nintendo has resurrected these iconic competitions as a game for the Nintendo Switch. Does the new package offer enough retro charm to keep you engaged? Let’s dive into Sprite-based Speedrun Fest to find out.
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition Details
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Nintendo EPD (Group 4) and indieszero
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Action, Speedrunning, Compilation
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
History of the Nintendo World Championship series
The original Nintendo World Championships were held in 1990 when professional competitive gaming was still in its infancy. The event featured three games: Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer, and Tetris. Players had to achieve the highest score within a time limit, and the winners were crowned as gaming royalty. Fast forward to 2024, and Nintendo has brought back the event's competitive spirit in the form of the Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition. This latest installment captures the thrill of the competition while adding a few modern twists.
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition Gameplay
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is all about speedrunning. The game features 156 microgame trials across thirteen games designed to test your skills and reflexes. From collecting the first mushroom in Super Mario Bros. to defeating bosses in Metroid, the challenges are varied and engaging. The game rewards precision and speed; you’ll earn letter grades based on your performance at the end of each round. The online leaderboards add a competitive edge, allowing players to see how they stack up against others worldwide.
A retro gaming treasure trove
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is a collection of classic NES games featuring 13 iconic titles that define a generation. The game includes Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 2: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Metroid, Kid Icarus, Donkey Kong, Balloon Fight, Excitebike, Ice Climber, and Kirby’s Adventure. Each game is presented in its original 8-bit glory, allowing players to relive some pivotal moments from these classics. However, instead of offering the full games, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition focuses on bite-sized challenges that capture the essence of each title. It would have been great to also get the full games included in this package, which would really sweeten the deal. Instead, it’s more “bite-size” snippets of gameplay across various modes that make up the experience.
A variety of modes and challenges
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition features quite a few modes that will keep you hooked on the experience. The first, “Speedrun Mode,” has you completing specific challenges as quickly as possible, with over 150 trials to master.
“World Championships Mode” lets you compete in five consecutive challenges, with your times tallied and ranked on online leaderboards.
“Survival Mode” is a battle royale-style competition where players face off against ghosts of other players in three rounds, with half the competitors eliminated each round. Finally, “Party Mode” allows up to eight players to compete locally, racing to complete challenges the fastest and earning points to determine an overall champ. Additionally, you can unlock a Legendary Trial mode by completing all 156 challenges, offering a marathon of 13 back-to-back trials for the ultimate speedrunning test. With these varied modes and the nostalgic charm of the included games, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition offers a rich and engaging experience for both new and veteran players.
Nintendo World Championships graphics and performance
Visually, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition stays true to its roots. The graphics faithfully recreate the original NES games with no modern enhancements or tweaks. While this might disappoint some players looking for a visual upgrade, it adds to the game's nostalgic charm. Overall, I really liked the presentation of the game; before each challenge, you could watch a short tutorial video to see what was in store; there were some snappy scoring animations, and the extra badges you could earn were a nice motivator. Performance-wise, the game runs smoothly on the Switch in docked and handheld modes.
Audio and sound design
The audio in Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is a delightful trip down memory lane. The iconic 8-bit soundtracks of games like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda are faithfully reproduced. The sound effects are crisp and clear, adding to the overall immersion. However, I found a lack of modern audio enhancements underwhelming. It would have been nice to have the option for both the original scores and upgraded, more modern takes—especially when you consider you’ll be running through the same areas repeatedly. This dual option could have added a fresh layer of excitement and variety to the nostalgic experience.
Final Thoughts on Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is a love letter to the golden age of 8-bit gaming. It captures the spirit of the original competition while adding a modern twist with online leaderboards and speedrunning challenges. While it might not offer much in terms of visual or audio enhancements, its nostalgic charm and engaging gameplay make it a must-play for fans of classic NES games. If you’re looking for a trip down memory lane or a new speedrunning challenge, this game is worth checking out.
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition PROS
+Nostalgic charm
+Engaging speedrunning challenges
+Competitive online leaderboards
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition CONS
-Lack of visual enhancements
-Limited variety in challenges
-Some audio elements feel dated
Overall Assessment of Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition
Gameplay: 8/10
Graphics: 6.5/10
Sound: 7/10
Replayability: 8/10
Overall Rating: 7.5/10 (75%)
A copy of the game was provided by Nintendo for the purpose of this review.
About the Author - Matthew "Dapper Tux" Rondina
Matthew has been involved in all things gaming since the 8-bit era. He is a video game and tech industry veteran who has been passionate about technology and gaming for over 20 years. In addition to being the Managing Editor of dappertux.com, he has bylines with Best Buy, Cineplex Entertainment, Mobile Syrup and Walmart. Follow Matthew’s gaming + tech adventures on multiple social platforms with the handle @dapper_tux via X, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and join in on the fun!
Please note: dappertux.com uses affiliate links to provide a way for this website to earn advertising income. The blog may earn a referral commission on purchases made via these links.
Comments