Nintendo Launching New Super Mario Bros. Wii Tournament

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata says the company is planning to launch a nationwide tournament  to determine who is the best New Super Mario Bros. Wii player in Japan.

In a recent Kyodo News Service broadcast, the Big N's president said over the next two months tournaments will be held in Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Sendai, and Tokyo beginning in February. The winners will be invited to participate in the final round in Tokyo on March 27.

So how do you win? The tournament's objective will be for players to collect the most coins. To keep things fair, Nintendo will divide gamers by age, and families wanting to participate can do so by playing in team battles.

For full details on the tournament, including game schedule and course list, visit the official Coin Battle site.

No word yet on if a similar tournament will be coming to North America, but all readers of The Wiire are encouraged to start calling for one in the comments below.