Nintendo World Championships winner’s 3DS is going for over $20,000 on eBay

As you can infer from his X posts, Goldberg was surprised by the demand for the system, writing on his eBay page that the scope of the auction had gone beyond what he expected, and that instead of risking shipping mishaps, he would like to deliver the system to the eventual winner in person if possible. As an aside, a movie about John Numbers transporting his prized 3DS across state lines while narrowly avoiding mishaps and reflecting on his esports fortunes has all the makings of a Marty Supreme-style odyssey. A24, make it happen.

For those out of the loop, the Nintendo World Championship is an official Nintendo-sanctioned video game competition with three installments (so far): 1990, 2015, and 2017. In each, competitors from all across the United States were tasked with butting heads in an assortment of Nintendo games. Those who made it to the finals of the 1990 circuit eventually competed via a custom-made NES cartridge featuring mini-games based on Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer, and Tetris. One of these cartridges would eventually be sold for over $100,000. While the circuit has been dormant for a while, it also inspired the 2024 speedrunning game Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition.

As for the championship that Goldberg won, he bested a lineup of celebrities, everyday Joes, and professional gamers to claim the title. The final round between Goldberg and the world record-winning speedrunner Narcissa Wright took place in the then-unreleased Super Mario Maker, showcasing just a glimpse of the hellish levels that game would eventually unleash on the world. Interestingly enough, Wright, the runner-up, also received a signed 3DS from Miyamoto. Based on the numbers so far, the existence of this duplicate doesn’t seem to have hurt the value of Goldberg’s eBay listing in the slightest.