Nintendo Planning National Mario Tournament

A billboard ad for New Super Mario Bros. Wii shows Super Mario Bros. 3.

Nintendo will be stepping into new promotional waters for New Super Mario Bros. Wii as it holds a national tournament over the next two months to determine the best players in Japan. CEO Satoru Iwata revealed these plans to Kyodo News Service on the 7th.

Regional tournaments will be held in Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Sendai and Tokyo starting in February. The winners will be invited to Tokyo on March 27 for a final round.

The tournaments will require that players collect the most coins. Players will be divided up by age, but families will also be able to take part in team battles.

Specific dates and entry requirements will be announced at the Nintendo home page later today.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii was the biggest year-end title here, selling over half a million units in the last full week of the year alone. Since its early December release, the game has sold over 2.5 million units.