Nintendo has chosen eight Best Buy stores where the first round of Nintendo World Championships tournaments will be held on May 30th. These will be qualifying events, and anyone is welcome, regardless of skill (though you have to be at least 13 years old to participate).

The qualifying competition will feature the Championship mode of the Ultimate NES Remix series of games on the Nintendo 3DS. These are a series of classic games that have been redone for the modern game systems. The tournament will specifically focus on Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, and Dr. Mario. Don’t worry if you don’t have a 3DS or the Ultimate NES Remix, though—games and consoles will be provided at the Best Buy locations.

The qualifying events will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Best Buy stores at the following locations:

1717 Harrison St.
San Francisco, CA

3675 Pacific Coast Highway
Torrance, CA

10760 NW 17th St.
Miami, FL

900 E. Golf Road
Schaumburg, IL

12905 Elm Creek Blvd. N
Maple Grove, MN

5001 Northern Blvd.
Long Island City, NY

9378 N. Central Expressway
Dallas, TX

2214 S. 48th St.
Tacoma, WA

The winners of these qualifying rounds will earn the chance to compete in the Nintendo World Championships 2015 on June 14 in Los Angeles, the same week as the E3 gaming trade show. And even if you’re not angling for a chance to win, the tournaments themselves might be fun to participate in—or even watch.


This article was written by

Keezy is a gamer, illustrator, and designer. Her background is in teaching and tutoring kids from ages 9 to 19, and she's led workshops for young women in STEM. She is also holds a certificate in teaching English. Her first memory of gaming is when her dad taught her to play the first Warcraft when she was five. You can find her at Key of Zee and on Twitter @KeezyBees.