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.
