Before most people had even heard of the Consumer Electronics Show, and prior to the existence of shows like the Electronic Entertainment Expo or IndieCade, console manufacturers held gaming competitions to put their brand out there and get people excited about their machines. The climate of the video-game market was completely different back then — and this was just 20 years ago!
Now you can own a piece of video game history…if you have a few thousand dollars lying around. Behold the prize package that finalists received at Powerfest, the Nintendo World Championships held in 1990. [Via Techeblog]
It’s on auction at eBay right now, and if you win, you’ll receive a numbered gray cartridge used in the competition that has a 6-minute medley of Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer, and Tetris. The winner of the auction will also take home a hat, a special NES controller with the World Championship logo on it, and home video footage of the event held at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Who would’ve thought that the kid who so proudly won these 19 years ago would be forced to hock his prizes when he grew up?