Who went to the 1990 Nintendo World Championship? [Archive]

mailman187666

07-05-2006, 10:54 AM

Did anyone ever attend the actual championship that the silver cart came from? I remember going to it and had no idea where we were actually going on the car ride there. There were two HUGE sections, one for gameboy and one for NES. You basically were able to play almost every game available for both systems, including ones that weren't even out yet. They had a make your own music video where you danced to a cheezy rap song for nintendo fruit snacks. The powerpad was up on this stand where people could watch people competing against each other. Then everybody who was entering the competition was given a station to play at. I didn't win anything but at least i got to actually play the world championship cart they had. This thing was like every kids dream come true with the amount of games there were to play. It was like the woodstock of nintendo. Did anybody else attend this back in the day, if so share your experience.

P.S. I still have the recording of the fruitsnacks music video. Talk about blackmail material.

blissfulnoise

07-05-2006, 11:25 AM

I was in Denver in 1990 as was another forum member here and my brother. All three of us made it to the semi-finals. I might have gotten further but I got nervous on the stage and blew it in SMB losing not one, but two lives. I covered a ton of ground in Tetris (which goes to speak of my Tetris skills) but it wasn't enough though I think I was third in the group.

My brother was the only person we saw to actually beat a boss while playing the timed demo of Mega Man 3. He took down Airman.

A lot of people remember this event with an over-fondness though. While it was certainly cool at the time, especially to play a lot of soon to be released games, it doesn't hold a candle to my experience in Los Angeles at E3 1995. I'd recommend that any gamer serious about their hobby make an effort attend at least one E3. While E3 is, officially, industry only, nearly anyone can get a pass with a little asking around and/or work on their part.

ClubNinja

07-05-2006, 12:27 PM

P.S. I still have the recording of the fruitsnacks music video. Talk about blackmail material.

Get that thing on You Tube!

mailman187666

07-05-2006, 01:21 PM

yeah i think I'm all set with that. That tape is never going to leave my parents house for as long as i live.

Soviet Conscript

07-05-2006, 05:13 PM

you know whats funny, i was at it in Pittsbugh but i never realized it was the nintendo championships untill you mentioned the fruit snack rap. i acually still sing that song to myself every now and then...i used to drive my cousin crazy singing that over and over in the car.

i remeber my dad takeing me and all the great games includeing the gameboy section.

good times....good times...

aaronpetrosky

07-05-2006, 07:09 PM

I had a chance to go but I didn't :roll:

CartCollector

07-05-2006, 07:31 PM

yeah i think I'm all set with that. That tape is never going to leave my parents house for as long as i live.

Awww... Come on. Not even an mp3 of the rap?

Blitzwing256

07-05-2006, 08:19 PM

I went to the boston one and made it to the semifinals and almost got to the finals (was about 5000 points shy)

Garry Silljo

07-05-2006, 09:19 PM

I was at the one in Pittsburgh but never got to compete. I suffer from migraine headaches and got a massive one right in the middle of the event. It would have been great, but my night was basically ruined by that.

aaronpetrosky

07-05-2006, 09:46 PM

I had a chance to go to the Pittsburgh one as well. I live about 40 mins away from Pitt. I wish I would of went.

Rook_Jones

07-05-2006, 11:00 PM

No, I just watched The Wizard 100 time and wished I could play in a championship. Having been born in 1985 I think it was a little bit before my time, though.

segarocks30

07-05-2006, 11:15 PM

1. I wasn't even alive yet
2. Unfortunatly, they did not come around to CT. :(

tonyvortex

07-06-2006, 01:08 AM

i decided to skip it just so i could go to a doctor who convention.i must have been the only kid who would skip nintendo for getting to meet the 7th doctor.

Geddon_jt

07-06-2006, 07:08 AM

Yep, I went and competed in the Tampa show. I got 5th place and won a free Game Boy, as well as a NWC hat (both of which I still have!) :) I was 11 at the time and went with my brother and my best friend who was also an avid gamer. My brother kept spending $10 over and over to make it past the qualifiers but couldn't. At the third round, you knew you were in the final 7 if a light went off above your game station. I was one of the 7 but my best friend didn't make it - he was pretty upset.

Nerves got to me on the big stage and I blew it! I'll never forget it though, beforehand we (the final seven) were all briefed backstage "Ok, all seven of you have at least one a free Game boy." That was pretty kick-ass at the time, especially as a 11 year old.

Perhaps the strangest thing was, the kid who got 2nd place (and also won a power pad/glove and a bunch of other stuff), I ran into him on a Hawaiian cruise about 4 years later. Completely random. There was a Pole Position cab on the ship that we would compete on most nights. His name was Jordan, is there a list of winners anywhere on the internet?

rbudrick

07-06-2006, 10:19 AM

Perhaps the strangest thing was, the kid who got 2nd place (and also won a power pad/glove and a bunch of other stuff), I ran into him on a Hawaiian cruise about 4 years later. Completely random. There was a Pole Position cab on the ship that we would compete on most nights. His name was Jordan, is there a list of winners anywhere on the internet?

That IS really weird. I have a list of winners at home. My computer is down, but PM me in about a month and I should have it back up and running. I'll send you the list.

-Rob

mailman187666

07-07-2006, 04:34 PM

so nobody else went to this thing huh? I'm sure there has got to be a few videogame veterans out there that has some distant memories of this event. I'm 24 now and i went there when I was 8 years old and even I can remember a bunch of stuff. Lets hear the stories folks, I wanna bring back the good old memories.

mailman187666

07-07-2006, 04:34 PM

Rook_Jones

07-08-2006, 02:48 AM

I was the winner. Yeah. Then I stole all the championship game carts and sold them 20 years later to pay for college.

Oh no wait, that was just a dream I had. Dangit!

NYLatenite

07-09-2006, 02:36 AM

I didn't go there, but I did see this *slightly* overpriced item on Ebay recently...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nintendo-World-Championships-1990-Gold-NES-NWC-1-26_W0QQitemZ260003592768QQihZ016QQcategoryZ62053QQ rdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Rook_Jones

07-09-2006, 09:32 AM

I didn't go there, but I did see this *slightly* overpriced item on Ebay recently...

Good lord. That's worse than the one time I saw someone post some lego instruction manuals at a starting bid of $9,999. Not sure what was up with that.

But still...dang!

Captain J

07-09-2006, 12:22 PM

i was suprised to see so many people in this thread who competed in pittsburgh because so did i! i actually made it to the final rounds but lost and it has haunted me every day since! LOL i actually found a few pictures of me competing at the championships. im 28 now and i was 12 then, man what a difference!! to see what i look like now, click on my profile and you can compare the two! LOL anyways the other picture with the two tiems were my quarter finalist sticker and my vip pass for my mom since we had to come back the next day for the final rounds and you could only bring two people (only found one pass though) this is all i have left though so enjoy!

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h113/captain_j/joenwc90_1.jpg

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h113/captain_j/joenwc90_2.jpg

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h113/captain_j/nwc.jpg

mailman187666

07-10-2006, 08:26 AM

wow, those pictures definately bring back some old memories. I was at the one in MA. I didn't win anything and did pretty bad on the actual competition, but it was still fun as hell. I wish I could have gotten some pictures taken also, but all i got is the rap video, which i still need to look for somewhere.

Captain J

07-10-2006, 10:03 AM

well i would love to see your video, i might even pay a small amount to see it! LOL

i wanted to make that video as well, but i started out playing the demo games you could play and then i started the tournament and was doing that pretty much the rest of the day so sadly no video for me!

mailman187666

07-10-2006, 10:23 AM

I've been getting a few requests for a copy of this video. I didn't know people would actually want it, I've been offered $50 for a copy of it too. Is this actually something that people want? It sure suprises the sh*t outta me because I used to pop it in and laugh at how horribly I dressed and how much of a dork I really was when I was 8 yo. I really don't know if I want to send the tape out though just for the fact of me being seen dancing in 1990 by everybody who collects nintendo stuff on the internet. If somebody offered me something good in trade for a copy of it then I'd probably swallow my pride and not give a sh*t about it. I'm not trying to take bids and try to get people to give me hundreds of dollars for it or anything, but how much does anybody really think this tape is worth?

rbudrick

07-10-2006, 06:43 PM

Well, like I said, it's probably only worth about that, $50. While it is an "official" NWC item, everyone who got one obviously got a very personalized version of it. Since it's a very plain, unlabeled tape, it's really mostly only valuable historically, but practically worthless monetarily. Just my opinion, but I'd like to hear other's takes on it too.

-Rob

blissfulnoise

07-11-2006, 09:25 AM

rbudrick

07-11-2006, 10:07 AM

This is an example of collectors gone absolutely crazy. There is no monetary value in that tape what so ever in terms of it's "Nintendoness". It's simply a little kid making a faux music video at a Nintendo sponsored event.

And I'd be really wary about releasing that tape on the internet unless you're ready for the worst.

Now if you had footage of an unreleased game or even footage of you playing in the tournament, that would be a different story. But I couldn't imagine anyone who would want to put a video of a total total stranger, an 8 year old kid no less, rapping about fruit snacks, in their collection.

Well, I could, but that person frightens me.

That's my opinion on the matter.

Well, historically, it is the only known, existing version that was recorded of that part of the show. Sure, other's may have a copy of themselves doing it, but so far, this is the only known one. It's really only valuable historically. I only offered mailman187666 $50 not as a collector (as I only want a COPY of the tape, not the original), but as a writer. It's just a cool little tidbit that could fill a couple paragraphs in the book I'm working on. I promised him I would not release the tape to the public without his permission if I got a copy. I mean, who would want others to see them rapping those lyrics wearing shitty 90s era clothes? Heh heh... LOL I can totally understand his unwillingness for anyone to see it, so I offered the money, and promised to make a DVD backup for him.

By the way, if any one else went to the show and has pics or video, I'd love to see it. Pics from the NWC, for some strange reason, are far and few in between.

Oh, I went to the Worcester, MA show, btw.

-Rob

mailman187666

07-11-2006, 10:31 AM

well I wasn't acctually rapping the lyrics myself, they had a pre-recorded rap playing as us (as little kids) are just dancing to it with a huge mario stage setup thing in the background. I really don't know who actually did the rap, it sounds like a kid with early 90s rap skills (not saying much). Its almost like a comercial rap you'd hear for McDonalds but not even as good as that :roll: . I know rbudrick made me an offer on just a copy of the tape and i could understand the reasoning as to why he would want a copy, I just want to hear what other people have to say about what this personalized footage could be all about in terms of its scarcity and anybody else really hearing about this kind of thing. I'm sure plenty of others made this video too, but i have yet to have heard about anybody else doing this and still having the copy. Is there really no video footage of this event at all?

blissfulnoise

07-11-2006, 01:03 PM

I was going to add rbudrick not withstanding because I know he's working on a book about the NWC.

I guess in that respect it may have some value.

And of course there's video footage of this event out there. Probably hundreds of tapes just like yours on family home movie reels, but no one even thinks of them as "collectors" items or the like because to your average joe, the notion of someone wanting to buy a tape of a child/teenager old dancing to a Nintendo rap is, frankly, creepy.

If they were using the footage to add to a documentary about the NWC, that's one thing; to seek out a copy for a private collection is another.

I don't know. I try to be pretty non-judgemental when it comes to things people collect but this is a spot where I draw my own personal line in the sand.

rbudrick

07-11-2006, 01:10 PM

I have a theory that it might have been some of the members of Daughter Brite and the Soda Pop Mikes doing the rap. It was the family rap group that got on stage to do their corny, shitty rap show at the event. Whenever they got on stage (I'm told this by a certain Nintendo staf member at the event), the staff would clear out. They hated that shit, heh heh. I remember seeing them in Worcester and my buddy and I were looking at them in AWE of how shitty they were, as were the rest of the audience standing around. They were very BAD. I wish I could get a video of them from one of the shows.

At one point, Daughter Brite yelled into the mike, "Everybody say HO!" People looked at each other like, "Why? What the fuck for?" After she asked a second time, my buddy kev yelled out "Ho!" But he said it in a way that definitely called her a ho. Funniest shit ever at the time. To be honest, that marks officially the first time I ever heard the non-prostitute version of the word ho in a rap song. I think they started the trend. ;)

Their CD is terrible. You can get it for like 3 bucks from Amazon, last I checked. There's couple really dumb Nintendo lyrics in the album and some really cheesy, shitty lyrics.

If they were using the footage to add to a documentary about the NWC, that's one thing; to seek out a copy for a private collection is another.

I don't know. I try to be pretty non-judgemental when it comes to things people collect but this is a spot where I draw my own personal line in the sand.

Lol, totally, dude. Glad you see my plight instead of seeing me as one step down from murderers and child molestors, heh heh.

Is there really no video footage of this event at all?

Well, not much. There is a videotape given tot the finalists of highlights from the event, but I have not gotten a copy of it yet, despite repeated promises of it. I heard a rumor about a second official tape going around of game tips, but can't confirm it....I know I got conflicting reports on it. Nintendo was going to do a TV show series on the event and lost millions when the deal fell through (lost sponsors, etc.). So, Nintendo has craploads of footage but will probably never release it.

In the hands of regular showgoers, yeah, there's tons of footage, but it's hard to get a hold of, as pretty much everybody considers their footage as Mailman does his...very personal, hence reluctance to release it. So yeah, No one seems to want to release their NWC footage, strangely enough.

-Rob

TurboGenesis

07-11-2006, 03:24 PM

I went to the NWC in Detroit (cobo hall) I think I advanced 2 rounds before being eliminated(messed up in tetris). I spent most of the day playing the games at the koisks. Spent alot of time playing Ninja Gaiden II.

I still have the brochoure and a certificate from the event.

rbudrick

07-11-2006, 03:40 PM

I still have the brochoure and a certificate from the event.

Which certificate? Got a scan?

-Rob

Push Upstairs

07-11-2006, 05:11 PM

This book on the NWC sounds rather interesting.

Any timeframe as to when it might be completed?

rbudrick

07-11-2006, 05:48 PM

This book on the NWC sounds rather interesting.

Any timeframe as to when it might be completed?

Whew, dunno. That's a tough one. Anywhere from 1 to 5 years, I would imagine. The problem is gathing the info...there's a lot of roadblocks. I'm slowly gathering interviews from every finalist....but I have to find them all, which is tedious. I've only spoken to a couple staff members, probably 20 finalists. Barely anybody shares their pics and video from the event. Oh, and I'm trying to get pics of every NWC cart that was given to the finalists. I'm also trying to gather any scrap of documentation I can that was given to either the finalists or the staff. I wouldn't mind putting scans of these internal memos and such in the book...I wonder if that would pose any copyright problems...

See, I've got this huge database of info, but there's a shitload of holes in the data, you know?

I intend to do some sections in the book on the other Nintendo competitions of 92 and 94 too. I also really want to do something about modern professional gaming and other gaming competitions.

If any of you finalists are out there and I haven't interviewed you yet, please get a hold of me!

-Rob

Robynator

02-20-2008, 03:13 PM

Whew, dunno. That's a tough one. Anywhere from 1 to 5 years, I would imagine. The problem is gathing the info...there's a lot of roadblocks. I'm slowly gathering interviews from every finalist....but I have to find them all, which is tedious. I've only spoken to a couple staff members, probably 20 finalists. Barely anybody shares their pics and video from the event. Oh, and I'm trying to get pics of every NWC cart that was given to the finalists. I'm also trying to gather any scrap of documentation I can that was given to either the finalists or the staff. I wouldn't mind putting scans of these internal memos and such in the book...I wonder if that would pose any copyright problems...

See, I've got this huge database of info, but there's a shitload of holes in the data, you know?

I intend to do some sections in the book on the other Nintendo competitions of 92 and 94 too. I also really want to do something about modern professional gaming and other gaming competitions.

If any of you finalists are out there and I haven't interviewed you yet, please get a hold of me!

-Rob
Hi, I'm a total newbie, and, to be perfectly honest, not even a gamer (should I even admit that?), but I WAS a crew member for the 1990 NWC, so maybe that gives me a pass, eh? I have lots o'stuff left over from my fun year on the road pimping Nintendo to all the pale American children, including my official uniforms! Yippee! And yes, my friend Paul Kennedy ran the Fruitsnacks video booth. The song was called "Mario Raps" and I will never get either it or the Super Mario 3 music out of my head, if I live to be 100. Poor Paul, he had to listen to it hungover almost every day, all day.

I was the girl who hung up all the banners during load-in, and during show days, manned (womanned?) the "info" booth, which meant I paged every child in New York City at least twice.

My big brother Steve was one of the emcees on the competition stage, along with Terry Torok.

If you have any questions about the tour, I'm your girl. I didn't manage to go all the way to the end, though; they let about half the staff go after St. Paul, to save $$, and if you didn't have a technical position you got to go home. Bummer.

A great year, lots of memories. May have some video somewhere; my brother walked around with a camera welded to his head all the time, so I'm sure we have something. Also, I've never seen mentioned that Steve Treccase, the musician from MTV's "Remote Control", was on the tour for musical stuff during the finals in each city. And we had lots of celebrity performances, too; DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince aka Will Smith in NYC at Jacob Javits, and friggin' BIZ MARKIE in Chicago! I thought it was really nice of the good people at Nintendo to hire a person with Down's Syndrome.

Anyway, it was a hoot. Got questions, shoot.

Blitzwing256

02-20-2008, 06:20 PM

I was at the boston show and as I said earlier made it to the semifinals, heres a few of the pictures I have from the event, I have a few more but never got around to scanning them:

http://www.green-ranger.com/nes/nwc/

of all the games my parents got a picture of ,it had to be me playing fester's quest (a game that was already out at the time and sucked) but it WAS the version with infinate health that was recently dumped. I have alot of good memories of the event, a few of the games i remeber vividily being differnt:

castlevania 3 was playable and you were completely invivincible, I was able to make it up to block 5 (with all the dripping acid) before the timer kicked in.

ninja gaiden 2 also had a simmilar invincible mode enabled.

god killer, was also partially translated and playble at the show (didn't have a us title yet) this was my favorate new game that i remeber playing but cuz I was a tard back then I coudln't figure out how to equip the sword!, still it was a game I looked forward to for many many months till it was finally released as Crystalis..

ScottK

02-20-2008, 06:44 PM

I was at the Chicago show. I was in the semi-finals and almost made it to the finals, but I placed #9th in my age category :( . Overall it was an experience of a lifetime that I will never forget. I had lots of fun. I didn't do the snack rap song. I did take the diet pepsi challenge and chose the diet coke...lol.

SystemFreak

02-21-2008, 01:57 AM

2nd place in my age group in Cleveland, OH (GO BROWNS!). Strange coincidence, I was bidding on an NWC grey cart that showed up on the bay a few years ago and asked the seller a question... we got to talking and came to realize that he was the guy I lost to in the finals. Small world, eh?

Still have most of the tchotchkes from the show (shirt, badges, etc) and still bitter that I didn't get that one last long piece in Tetris. ;)

Videogamerdaryll

02-21-2008, 09:55 AM

I was at the Nintendo World Championship in Jacob Javits in NY...

We came home with two shirts from the event inwhich I still have it in my closet..

I still remember the walk to the car as my uncle was too cheap to pay for parking so he parked real far away from the Javits center(this I can still see in my head)..I was sooo tired to walk after all the standing walking in the event.

To be honest,though I was totally into the NES at the time I had a girlfriend and she wasn't able to go so she was on my mind all day...
From how I remember it..It was exactly how it was written on this site though I was with my Uncle...I've been to so many things over the years and have forgot a lot about it..but this person totally cleared it up for me..
http://www.bobwhiteman.com/

rbudrick

02-21-2008, 06:07 PM

Hi, I'm a total newbie, and, to be perfectly honest, not even a gamer (should I even admit that?), but I WAS a crew member for the 1990 NWC, so maybe that gives me a pass, eh? I have lots o'stuff left over from my fun year on the road pimping Nintendo to all the pale American children, including my official uniforms! Yippee! And yes, my friend Paul Kennedy ran the Fruitsnacks video booth. The song was called "Mario Raps" and I will never get either it or the Super Mario 3 music out of my head, if I live to be 100. Poor Paul, he had to listen to it hungover almost every day, all day.

I was the girl who hung up all the banners during load-in, and during show days, manned (womanned?) the "info" booth, which meant I paged every child in New York City at least twice.

My big brother Steve was one of the emcees on the competition stage, along with Terry Torok.

If you have any questions about the tour, I'm your girl. I didn't manage to go all the way to the end, though; they let about half the staff go after St. Paul, to save $$, and if you didn't have a technical position you got to go home. Bummer.

A great year, lots of memories. May have some video somewhere; my brother walked around with a camera welded to his head all the time, so I'm sure we have something. Also, I've never seen mentioned that Steve Treccase, the musician from MTV's "Remote Control", was on the tour for musical stuff during the finals in each city. And we had lots of celebrity performances, too; DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince aka Will Smith in NYC at Jacob Javits, and friggin' BIZ MARKIE in Chicago! I thought it was really nice of the good people at Nintendo to hire a person with Down's Syndrome.

Anyway, it was a hoot. Got questions, shoot.

Robynator, we must speak! Whatever it takes, I will do it to get an interview and copies of any footage and such you have. And the uniforms.

Private Message sent!

-Rob

debian4life

02-21-2008, 06:21 PM

Wikipedia has alist of the winners and runnerups as well as information on it at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_World_Championships

Regards,

Brian

TOROK

08-30-2008, 11:34 PM

blows my mind that anyone remembers this... I was at every event and didn't quite remember...

Clownzilla

08-30-2008, 11:42 PM

I was there. You see, it's time that you know the true man behind the name Clownzilla. Ladies and gentlemen, I am.............FRED SAVAGE!

chrisbid

08-31-2008, 05:13 AM

semi-finalist in cincinnati, i had never played rad racer before and was terrible at it, killing my time to place tetris

thahurricanegame

08-31-2008, 08:33 AM

Sadly this event was only exclusive to the US, here in Canada I believe starting in 1992 they "Nintendo Truck" started touring and you could play various games plus compete in special catridges..such as..the first year was Super Mario (you had to collect the most points) for the SNES and the second and last year of the Nintendo truck was the Special Star Fox cartridge.

I placed top in my country (Canada) for and went to the finals both years the Nintendo truck was touring, I think this competition (although not advertised as much as the one in this thread nor known for it's glitz and glamour) was much better because it was insane waiting and wondering if your score would hold up DAMN I even remember the second year (Star Fox) I followed the truck around and competed outside of my city when it stopped off at water parks and such, those were the times.

I have pictures of THOSE events maybe I'll create a different thread.

But this even that you guys are talking about I could only know due to two reasons..as a kid I was a Nintendo Power suscriber and read about it and obviously seen the movie The Wizard..after finding out about this competition I dreamed about competing and a few years later I was!

TurboGenesis

08-31-2008, 03:39 PM

Which certificate? Got a scan?

-Rob

WOW! I am late to reply to this but I have now just taken a picture of my materials from the NWC.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa231/Sonic__R/100_4077.jpg

I can try to take better picture upon request. Sorry for poor quality… camera is not of high quality :embarrassed:

rbudrick

09-02-2008, 04:26 PM

blows my mind that anyone remembers this... I was at every event and didn't quite remember...

Wait, why did you go to every event? Were you staff or something?

WOW! I am late to reply to this but I have now just taken a picture of my materials from the NWC.

Yes, please do! That certificate would be cool to read.

Sadly this event was only exclusive to the US, here in Canada I believe starting in 1992 they "Nintendo Truck" started touring and you could play various games plus compete in special catridges..such as..the first year was Super Mario (you had to collect the most points) for the SNES and the second and last year of the Nintendo truck was the Special Star Fox cartridge.

I placed top in my country (Canada) for and went to the finals both years the Nintendo truck was touring, I think this competition (although not advertised as much as the one in this thread nor known for it's glitz and glamour) was much better because it was insane waiting and wondering if your score would hold up DAMN I even remember the second year (Star Fox) I followed the truck around and competed outside of my city when it stopped off at water parks and such, those were the times.

I have pictures of THOSE events maybe I'll create a different thread.

But this even that you guys are talking about I could only know due to two reasons..as a kid I was a Nintendo Power suscriber and read about it and obviously seen the movie The Wizard..after finding out about this competition I dreamed about competing and a few years later I was!I wouldn't mind hearing this tale in a lot more detail! And that would RULE to see pics. ;)

-ROb