Nintendo just revealed a NES speedrunning collection inspired by an ultra-rare 1990 cartridge

You might not know this if you grew up in the later eras of Nintendo, but the company ran an esports competition called the Nintendo World Championships way back in 1990. The event toured 29 American cities and players from across the country gathered to compete using a custom Nintendo Entertainment System Game Pak. The cartridge used in the event went on to become a prized collectors’ item, but now, players will get a chance to buy a physical item directly inspired by it.

The franchise has had numerous titles appear on the Nintendo Switch, many of which are among the best-selling games the console has had in its seven-plus years of life. However, new information has revealed that the Switch's lifecycle has been the best period of the series, as it has eclipsed all past generations by large margins, even ahead of Gen 10 and future games' releases.

While here in the US the Nintendo Switch Online service got three new Mario games this week (yes, Alleyway is a Mario game), the update for Japan included a bonus classic you may not have heard of. Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (officially translated as The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls) was a Japanese Game Boy release, co-developed by the familiar tag-team of Nintendo R&D1 and Intelligent Systems, responsible for much of the Game Boy’s lineup. And while The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls may not be a household name, if you’re a fan of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (and who isn’t?) you should take the time to play it.

Following the confirmation that the next iteration of the Nintendo Switchwill be unveiled before March 2025, recent leaks may have just revealed the hardware users can expect to find within the hybrid console. The current iteration of the ever-popular console is notorious for its less-than-desirable specs; even when it launched in 2017, it's power was significantly less than competitors like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. While the so-called Switch 2 likely won't rival Sony and Microsoft's machines in terms of performance, it sounds like it will at least be a major step up for Nintendo.

Nintendo has officially announced Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition.

Speedrunning has a long history with Nintendo games, with titles like Mario and Metroid famed for their speed-running potential. Nintendo Switch owners will soon be able to test their skill on various retro challenges when launches on July 18. Additionally, NES superfans who don’t mind paying a bit extra can pick up the $60 Deluxe Set, now available for pre-order.

Nintendo has announced Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, a new game coming out this July that tests players’ speedrunning skills in NES classics like Super Mario Bros. and Metroid.

Nintendo has revealed Nintendo World Championship: NES Edition, a game designed around speedrunning challenges and more across 13 classic NES games. Set to hit Switch on July 18, Nintendo World Championship: NES Edition features more than 150 challenges to complete, and you can compete for top spots on global online leaderboards or with friends. 

Nintendo has announced Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition for Switch. It will launch on July 18 for $29.99 via Nintendo eShop, and $59.99 as a “Deluxe Set” physical edition.

A newly filed patent highlights an interesting detail about how the Nintendo Switch charges its three controller components to ensure that they all have an equal amount of power. The Nintendo Switch is truly unique among modern gaming hardware in how it combines the power of a traditional console with the portability of Nintendo’s old handhelds. This is done through the Joy-Con controller, which can be attached to the Switch’s included to be used as a handheld, connected to a special holder to emulate a traditional controller, or held as two separate pieces for motion control gameplay.

Nintendo has confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal will take place this fiscal year, but set expectations ahead of June’s Nintendo Direct by stating that this stream will not feature the next generation console.

Amid months, even years, of rumors about the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has finally confirmed its existence. It will be revealed within this fiscal year, i.e. between now and March 31st, 2025.