When setting a profile on Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, you can choose a favorite game from a near-comprehensive list of official NES/Famicom games released within the console's original lifespan, including games made by third parties, regional retitles, and even licensed IP games. As a result of this, it marks the first time since their release that Nintendo has officially acknowledged Mario is Missing! and Mario's Time Machine, a pair of third-party Mario educational games, discounting a vague and dismissive unnamed acknowledgement in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

The existence of Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition was accidentally leaked ahead of its official announcement by the ESRB website on May 3, 2024.