[HTML1]

Nintendo delivered a Super Smash Bros. Direct presentation this morning that was full of news. Fans of the brawler now have new characters, maps, and amiibos to look forward to and that's all before Nintendo's actual presentation. The Wii U and 3DS creators will host a presentation on Tuesday, but before that fans are able to get hyped up with the first Nintendo World Championship in years.

The second of Nintendo's three E3 events takes place tonight at 5:35 ET, just a few hours before Bethesda takes the stage. The Championship event is a showdown between eight qualified gamers who will compete in multiple Nintendo games until a clear winner emerges.

Although most of Nintendo's news will likely arrive on Tuesday, it seems like a safe bet that the company will at least hint at some of its plans during the competition (maybe even a Star Fox preview?). If nothing else, we'll get a chance to see some of the best gamers in the world facing off in games that are very different from the usual e-sports lineup of MOBAs and first-person shooters.

Nintendo is keeping some secrets about tonight's competition, but here are some of the details we know about the big event...

  • The Nintendo World Championships will feature 8 games.
  • Splatoon will be one of the 8 games, and the Nintendo World Championships will be the first place that Splatoon is played in tournament.
  • Kevin Pereira will be hosting the event.
  • djWHEAT, Andre from Black Nerd Comedy, and Justin Flynn will providing commentary during the event.
  • 8 winners of the Nintendo World Championship qualifiers at Best Buy will be admitted to the tournament.

Splatoon has become an instant hit with Nintendo fans and everyone should be looking forward to seeing the first major competitive event featuring the inventive Wii U title. Nintendo has promised to deliver guest appearances from comedians, celebrities, and pro gamers throughout the event.

What games do you hope to see the champs play? How do you think you would fare against these eight pros? Let us know in the comments.

Check back throughout the week for more of our live E3 2015 coverage.