When Nintendo first announced that it would be bringing back the Nintendo World Championships for this year’s E3, we had no clue what the games would be. It would seem now that the games used in the qualifying rounds — all dating back to the 8-bit era — provided a major clue.
Qualifiers for the championships began on May 20 in eight Best Buy stores across the nation. To get their chance at the big time, players competed for high scores in the NES Remix versions of three games: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3 and Dr. Mario.
It appears that Nintendo is keen on keeping the retro aesthetic in place, as the company tweeted the first of 15 different games that players will compete in at the main Nintendo World Championships at E3. The game? The Legend of Zelda for the NES.
In addition to kicking off a successful series, The Legend of Zelda is a milestone in its own right, so its inclusion in the championships is easy to understand.
Which other games may be included in the game is anybody’s guess, though we do have a few clues. In fact, looking at the games included in NES Remix and NES Remix 2 may be all that is necessary. Though Nintendo hasn’t made any indication that it plans to use only games from that series, the games announced so far do lean in that direction.
The original Nintendo World Championships held in 1990 featured three games: Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and Rad Racer. Neither of the latter games are available in either NES Remix game, so it isn’t likely they will make an appearance.
The Nintendo World Championships will take place on June 14, starting a 3:00 p.m. PT. Not going to be at E3? Don’t worry, Nintendo will be streaming the event, as well as its Nintendo Direct press conference, which takes place at 9:00 a.m. on June 16.
