Nintendo World Championships 2017 announced for October 7th
Update: yesterday, Nintendo announced that the qualifier event in Miami has been cancelled, due to Hurricane Irma:
Due to Hurricane Irma’s ongoing effects, Nintendo and Best Buy have decided not to reschedule its Miami qualifying round for the Nintendo World Championships 2017. The two remaining spots in the tournament will instead be filled by selecting the participants from other regions with the best non-qualifying times. Nintendo World Championships will take place Oct. 7 in New York.
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Back at E3 2015, Nintendo revived the Nintendo World Championships: a special competition where the best players in the world United States competed on several Nintendo games, such as Super Mario Maker, Splatoon, or Mario Kart 8. It was a resounding success, and many fans were wondering if the company was ever going to host another one (especially with Nintendo’s recent focus on competitive play).
And it turns out that yes, Nintendo is indeed planning to host another one! Today, the company announced that the Nintendo World Championships 2017 would take place on October 7th, at the Manhattan Center’s Grand Ballroom in New York. Just like the one in 2015, this event is limited to people living in the United States and Canada, once again showing Nintendo’s utter lack of understanding of the word “World”.
There will be several qualifier events ahead of the main event: that’s where you will first have to compete if you want to take part in the Nintendo World Championships 2017. Everything you could win at those qualifiers:
- slot to compete in Nintendo World Championships 2017 in NYC on October 7th;
- travel to NYC for 2 (ARV: $1000)
- hotel in NYC for 4 nights from October 4th (ARV: $1200)
- a $400 gift card
NB: there’s two age groups (13 and older, and 12 and younger), so there’s two prizes/winners per location.
Here’s when and where the qualifiers will take place:
And here’s details about the qualifiers, which are played on Mario Kart 7:
- Age brackets: 12 and younger & 13 and older. Kids of all ages are welcome! If you’re 17 or younger, your parent or guardian must be present for you to participate.
- Game: Mario Kart™ 7 for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems
- 12 and younger – Character: Mario / Kart: Standard Kart, Standard Wheels, Super Glider / Stage: DS Luigi’s Mansion
- 13 and older – Character: Bowser / Kart: Standard Kart, Standard Wheels, Super Glider / Stage: GBA Bowser Castle 1
- Mode: Time Trial. You’ll get two tries to score the best time.
- One winner from each age bracket will qualify for an invitation to the final event.
You can find the full rules in this PDF file, and you can download the registration form by clicking here!
By the way, Nintendo is also planning to use those qualifiers as a way to let fans try out the latest games coming to Nintendo platforms. During each one, the following games will be playable at the participating BestBuy stores:
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo Switch)
- Metroid: Samus Returns (Nintendo 3DS)
What’s more, you will be able to check-in with your My Nintendo account (and more precisely its QR Code), and get 100 Platinum Coins. If you’re among the first 200 people to check-in each day, you will also get a My Nintendo pin!
Finally, here’s the rules of the tournament:
Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S./D.C (excl. P.R.) and Canada (excl. Quebec). Qualifier consists of 8 events, each at a different Best Buy location. Participation is on a first-come, first-served basis. Each local event will be held over a 2 day period between the dates of 8/19/17 and 9/10/17. Local events start at store open and end at 7 pm (Saturday) or 5 pm (Sunday), local time. Registration begins at store open (photo ID may be required). Minors (under 18 or age of majority in state of residence) must have parent/legal guardian present to play. Players will be split into 2 age groups (13 and over; 12 and younger). One prize per age group, per local event: slot to compete in Nintendo World Championships 2017 in NYC on 10/7/17, travel to NYC for 2 (ARV: $1000), hotel in NYC for 4 nights from 10/4/17 (ARV: $1200), and a $400 gift card. Winners must be in NYC and available to participate in activities from 10/5/17 through 10/7/17. For the Championship Event in NYC: The first place winner will receive a championship trophy (ARV: $2,780), and second and third place winners will each receive medals (ARV: $100 each). Odds of winning depend on number and skill of eligible participants. For participating stores and complete details, see official rules. Sponsor: Nintendo of America Inc., 4600 150th Ave NE, Redmond, WA 98052.
More details about the Nintendo World Championships 2017 can be found on the official website!
