Last weekend Nintendo hosted their third Nintendo World Championships. Sixteen competitors advanced from local qualifiers. Half of them in the 12 and younger category and the other eight in 13 and older. An additional eight celebrities were invited, such as Asa Butterfield (Ender’s Game) and WWE Superstar Bayley for a total of 24 contestants.

The winner was Thomas Gonda, 21, of Oakland, California. He defeated the previous Nintendo World Champion John Numbers over a three-part finale in Super Mario Odyssey.

“We congratulate Thomas Gonda on his victory tonight. Nintendo World Championships 2017 showcases the best competitive spirit and sportsmanship of the Nintendo fan community,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s senior VP of Sales and Marketing. “Whether players compete on a global stage or with friends and family members in the living room or on the go, Nintendo games always deliver fun times and big smiles.”

The tournament included multiple Nintendo gaming systems and eras, including racing in Mario Kart 8, shield-surfing in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and getting the high score in Tetris.

Here is a full list of the games that were played at the tournament:

Stage
Game
Original System
Stage 1, Game 1
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo Switch
Stage 1, Game 2
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Wii U
Stage 1, Game 3
Metroid: Samus Returns
Nintendo 3DS
Underground Stage 1*
Balloon Fight
NES
Stage 2
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Wii U
Underground Stage 2
Bird & Beans
Nintendo DS
Stage 3
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Nintendo Switch
Underground Stage 3
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Wii
Stage 4
Splatoon 2
Nintendo Switch
Underground Stage 4
Tetris
Game Boy
Stage 5
ARMS
Nintendo Switch
Underground Stage 5
Mario Party 2
Nintendo 64
Finals, Game 1
Super Mario Maker
Wii U
Finals, Game 2
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
Game Boy Color
Finals, Championship Game
Super Mario Odyssey
Nintendo Switch

None of the competitors knew which games they would need to play, so much of the challenge was quickly adapting to the tasks as they were revealed. The Underground stages were used as a Loser’s Bracket, with the winners able to return to the main competition during the Finals.

The main stage focused heavily on new and upcoming titles for the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo was definitely showing off how the Switch library is suited for multiplayer gaming.

The Nintendo World Championship 2017 is the third of its kind, with the previous NWC in 2015, and the original dating back to 1990.

 


This article was written by

Eric has been writing for over nine years with bylines at Dicebreaker, Pixelkin, Polygon, PC Gamer, Tabletop Gaming magazine, and more covering movies, TV shows, video games, tabletop games, and tech. He reviews and live streams D&D adventures every week on his YouTube channel. He also makes a mean tuna quesadilla.