Initial release date: July 18, 2024
Composer: Masaru Tajima
Genres: Platform game, Shooter game, Fighting game, Racing game
Developers: indieszero, Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Publishers: Nintendo, Nintendo of America Inc.
Mode(s): Single-player, multiplayer
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition is a fun little game that fits a specific but delightful niche. Though there isn’t a lot of material for casual players, dedicated NES enthusiasts and leaderboard climbers will enjoy Nintendo World Championships.
Given that I was born in 1996, I was not alive when the initial Nintendo World Championships were held in 1990. Still, the idea of completing specific feats in ancient Nintendo games is timelessly appealing, so I was eager to try Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition. It’s exactly what it says it is, which means this game is a dream come true for die-hard fans and a brief but enjoyable experience for casual gamers.
There is a wide range of NES games from which the numerous challenges of Nintendo World Championships are drawn. Along with obvious choices like Super Mario Bros. and Kirby’s Adventure, titles like Ice Climbers and Balloon Fighter have inventive and fascinating objectives. I think it would have been nice to integrate more creative jobs with Nintendo’s NES RPGs, such as Mother or Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, but what’s here is impressive enough.
The layout of various chores in the primary Speedrun Mode makes it simple to transition between all of the different games and tasks, allowing you to tire of each aesthetic less quickly and take on any future challenge at your leisure. Beating your own personal best times can be a lot of fun, but the game really shines online.
In addition, I wish there was a one-button option to restart a challenge in Speedrun mode. Granted, it just takes a few button pushes to quit and restart if you make a mistake, but given that the entire game is centered on speed and reflexes, it would be perfect to have a near-instantaneous reset option.
The two online modes in Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition are entertaining, as they give the core draw of playing in a competition against others. The World Championship mode requires you to achieve the best times possible on a certain number of stages from Speedrun mode. People from all over the world can compete in this identical gauntlet for a limited time, after which the highest percentage of players will be rewarded. You can try as many times as you want to improve your time, resulting in a thrilling and replayable mode with tough rivalry.
Then there’s Survival Mode. In a way similar to Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. 35 or Arika’s Tetris 99, you complete specific tasks in real time alongside numerous other players, with everyone’s screens lined up together. As the rounds go, more people are eliminated, until only one winner remains. This was one of my favorite portions of Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition because it’s the most exciting mode to play, feels really rewarding to win, and is quick and easy to return to after losing.
It’s worth noting that there isn’t a lot of content if you’re not into online competition. You can theoretically complete the majority of the tasks with an A-rank or better in five to ten hours, with the only non-online incentives to continue playing being faster times and more player icons. Given that it isn’t a full-price game, this isn’t a dealbreaker, but individuals who prefer to play games alone or who aren’t very interested in leaderboards will likely get fewer hours out of it than others.
Review Overview
Gameplay – 80%
Story – 40%
Aesthetics – 65%
Content – 70%
Accessibility – 75%
Value – 78%
Overall Rating – 72%
Good
Summary: Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition will appeal to a small group of gamers, but it’s a great title for the unique experience it offers. Casual players would most likely find less to do here, but those who enjoy competing against others in classic NES games will be in heaven.