Nintendo World Championships 1990

In 1990, Nintendo introduced the Nintendo World Championships, a groundbreaking event that toured across the United States, challenging players to compete in a unique triathlon of NES games. This event was specifically designed to test a wide range of gaming skills, utilizing a specially created competition cartridge that featured timed tasks within three quintessential NES titles: Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer, and Tetris. Competitors had a limited time frame to amass as many points as possible, starting with a coin-gathering sprint in Super Mario Bros., speeding through a checkpoint race in Rad Racer, and culminating in a high-stakes score chase in Tetris.

A Lasting Legacy in the Collector’s World and Esports

The structure of the 1990 Nintendo World Championships was pioneering, setting a standard for the multi-genre challenges seen in modern esports events. The championship highlighted individual skill and versatility across different game genres and played a crucial role in shaping public perception of video gaming as a competitive sport. The cartridges used in the competition, particularly the rare gold versions awarded to winners, have since become legendary among gaming collectors. These items represent a significant piece of video game history, symbolizing the early days of competitive gaming and the rise of what would become a global phenomenon in esports.