Rating of
4.5/5
Turbocharged Nostalgia
Nick - wrote on 09/08/24
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition for the Nintendo Switch doesn’t have a traditional story. Instead, it’s a nostalgic nod to the original 1990s event, featuring a collection of mini-games that represent the historic competition. While the game doesn’t offer a narrative, it does capture the spirit of the era. For fans of gaming history, you don’t need more, but for those seeking a deeper narrative experience, the game will fall short.
Presentation
The graphics have been beautifully remastered for the Switch, retaining the classic NES aesthetic while benefiting from the modern hardware. The menus and user interface are clean and polished, which you need to get the most out of repeated play to improve your times. The attention to detail in creating a look and feel that is easy and fast to use, while giving it a competitive feel is a huge plus.
Gameplay
This games incorporates 156 mini-games across 13 NES games, which are a fun throwback to the classic NES titles and provides a solid challenge to obtain the highest rank, called ‘S’ rank, on each one. Some games are clearly easier than others, and Kirby's Adventure was by far the hardest to obtain all ‘S’ Ranks for. This game is great and very enjoyable for short bursts, but it does lack the complexity and immersion necessary to want to play this for hours on end. For anyone like me who loves speedrunning games, this game is an absolute pleasure. There are many competitive modes, with the Legendary trial being the ultimate challenge, which the speedrunning community is latching on to for the top leaderboard spots on speedrun.com. I will admit, I experienced some unwanted input lag while playing, only because I’ve played these games on original hardware. But I did use a Switch SNES wireless controller, which made gameplay great.
Pros
• Speedrunning!
• Classic NES game nostalgia
• Deluxe Set includes gold game pak w/ stand, 13 art cards, and set of 5 pins
• Difficulty just right to try to get all S ranks
• Legendary trial, the ultimate challenge
• Weekly World Championships, online competition for 5 of the challenges
Cons
• Input lag very noticeable if you’ve played these games on original hardware
• No leaderboards between friends, must use speedrun.com
• Only 13 games, I want more!
• Not all S ranks are created equal, Kirby's Adventure was by far the hardest
• Gold game pak in deluxe set is for looks only, not NES playable
• Don’t try using a Switch Joy-Con controller, I played with a SNES wireless controller made for the Switch
• Survival mode is against other players’ ghosts
• Most game glitches are not allowed when playing
Originality
The game scores high on originality. It’s a unique release that pays homage to a historic event in gaming. The blend of mini-games from classic NES titles and the competitive aspect makes it stand out. There are also additional game modes including Survival and Weekly World Championships, which add a fresh twist to the nostalgic content. It’s a novel way to celebrate gaming history and brings something new to the table.
Replay Value
Replay value is only great if you love improving your personal best times and want to compete in the weekly World Championships to obtain a higher rank. There are no leaderboards with your Switch friends, if they added that as an update, I would rank this category higher. With that said, there are 156 mini-games to improve your time on, which does offer a lot of replay value.
Recommendation
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition for the Nintendo Switch is a delightful trip down memory lane for fans of retro gaming and collectors. It’s a well-crafted tribute to the original event with modern enhancements. If you have a fondness for NES classics and enjoy competitive speedrunning challenges, this game is worth checking out. For others, it might be more of a casual interest of something different to play. Overall, it’s a fun and unique addition to the Switch library that celebrates gaming history with style.
Stats
Hours Played: 25 hours or more (according to my switch profile)
Speedrun Mode: 156/156 (all S ranks obtained)
Legendary Trial: S rank
Player Icons: 501/501 obtained
Pin Collection: 183/183 obtained
Ratings
Story: 3/5
Presentation: 5/5
Game Play: 4.5/5
Originality: 5/5
Replay Value: 4.5/5
Overall (not an average) 4.5/5
