When I first saw Nintendo World Championship: NES Edition, I didn’t think too highly of it. I think it looks cheap and like a nostalgic money grab. I think that seems cynical. In hindsight, maybe I Being the cynic that I am, I had this idea: As detailed in my previous preview of the retro pack, there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye at first glance.
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Initial criticism I received, such as being annoyed that the package didn’t include full versions of the NES games it featured, quickly faded away. Obviously this wasn’t included because it would be distracting in a way: this is a game about tiny challenges where every millisecond counts – not playing The Legend of Zelda 1 from start to finish 》. That being said, Nintendo isn’t entirely generous on its part – these same games are available on Nintendo Switch Online, and they’d rather you pay for a subscription. But my point is, the package doesn’t feel incomplete.
Where I think NWC: NES Edition feels lacking is in the online element. You can see how the time trial nature and multiplayer mode really took off online and became a viral sensation, at least among us middle-aged guys eager to show off our skills in a 40-year-old game. Oddly, there is a relative dearth of this title online. It received a lot of criticism from critics as a result, and deservedly so. Oddly enough, the rankings don’t even compare to games like Super Mario Maker.
Single mode provides the ability to play more “directly” with other players, allowing you to compete against virtual record data set by other real players, which is then transmitted to you over the Internet. That’s great – but a tantalizing and annoying glimpse into the game Could have been There have always been more suitable hooks online…but it doesn’t.
In a game like this, I shouldn’t see friendly competition prosecuted primarily through screenshots posted to social media and forums. Hell, this is how I played high-score challenges with friends in Star Fox 64 – and that was twenty-seven years ago. So this kind of thing is unacceptable. But…listen to me for a moment…paradoxically, I’ve come to terms with it. I’m pretty happy with that.
Nintendo World Championship: NES Edition is all about retro. It carries the memory and energy of live tournament events from the nineties. One might say that due to its meager online capabilities, it’s a bit also vintage. But it’s like going camping, or staying in some run-down house without all the modern amenities…it has charm nonetheless.
All the beauty here is that it’s a local multiplayer game. I’ve had the chance to play it with friends a few times now – it’s been awesome. thrilling. There aren’t many games—I can’t really think of one other than Super Smash Bros.—that are truly worth connecting eight controllers to a Nintendo Switch. But damn, this is one of them.
You’ll be huddled around the screen, each focused on your own little mini-screen, your eyes flicking rapidly back and forth to your competitors’ screens to see if you’re ahead, behind, or even. We started making our own rules and gradually eliminated people from the competition. There will be shouting. Maybe a little pushing. Of course, there were nervous squeals and hands running through the hair (or, given the age of the target audience, over the bald head) that frustrated it all.
This one is awesome. It actually reminds me most of Mario Party, but it kind of takes away from the parts of Mario Party that feel a little random to me – the board game stuff. Here, everything is action, and every mini-game, every challenge, every action has immediate consequences. We quickly realized its potential. Drinking rules were drafted more quickly. And none of this…none of it exists exactly on the Internet, not in the same way.
That’s why Nintendo World Championship: NES Edition is one of my favorite new multiplayer games in years, right up there with the likes of Gangster Beasts, Ultimate Chicken, and Street Fighter 6.
Still, Nintendo has been criticized for its lack of features. But for just £25, if you can get your friends together in the same room… it’ll be one of the best experiences you’ll have all year. This is undeniable. Hopefully, if the SNES version becomes a reality, other features will come as well – which could make it unstoppable.
