CGC Video Games Certifies Two Ultra-rare Cartridges from the First Nintendo World Championships

CGC Video Games™ just had one of its most exciting submissions to date: two cartridges from the first official Nintendo World Championships (NWC) event! These game cartridges are among the rarest and most coveted items in video game collecting. 

The 1990 Nintendo World Championships circuit was one of the first major eSports events in US history. Half a million contestants competed across 29 American cities in regional competitions. Each age group winner of the regional competition — 11 and under, 12 to 17 and 17 and over — was invited to compete in a national event held at Universal Studios Hollywood. This shared experience among the nation’s young video game enthusiasts not only popularized eSports, but in many ways helped create the video game community that exists today.

Contestants at the national event played a special 1990 Nintendo World Championship cartridge that contained customized versions of three NES titles: Super Mario Bros. (1985), Rad Racer (1987) and Tetris (1989). After the competition, Nintendo gifted one of these cartridges to each national finalist, as well as executives and employees associated with the tournament. Hundreds of grey NWC cartridges were made for the tournament, but less than a hundred are currently accounted for. Each is individually numbered.

This cartridge is No. 0095 and was gifted to NWC finalist Adam Misosky after the competition. Misosky was the 11-and-under finalist from Cleveland, Ohio. He advanced to the final round at Universal Studios, where he came in second place behind winner Jeff Hansen.

In addition to the grey cartridges awarded to NWC finalists, up to 26 gold NWC cartridges were awarded to first and second place winners of a separate 1990 Nintendo Power Players' Poll Contest. These cartridges contained the same program used with the grey NWC cartridges but were encased in a gold-colored shell rather than the standard grey shell, similar to that of The Legend of Zelda (1986). Out of the 26 gold cartridges that Nintendo Power awarded, less than half are currently accounted for.

The importance of the 1990 Nintendo World Championships event and the NWC cartridges to video game collecting cannot be overstated. They represent the birth of popular eSports competitions and the beginning of a national video game community. By certifying and encapsulating these cartridges, the submitter has helped authenticate and protect two crucial pieces of video game history.

Are you ready to help preserve video games for the future? It’s easy! Learn how to submit by clicking here.