Nintendo Celebrates Success with Modern Mario Game’s Record-Breaking Launch
In an impressive feat, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has soared to success, with 4.3 million copies sold in its first weeks, earning it the title of the fastest-selling modern game in the series. Notably, this distinction applies to all Mario games released after the Wii and DS eras, as Nintendo did not track software sell-through data prior to these consoles.
Nintendo is highly optimistic about the game’s continued success, emphasizing that their flagship franchise’s titles tend to maintain consistent sales over extended periods. Furthermore, with the holiday season approaching, the company anticipates that Wonder will remain an enticing choice for players. Sales in 2024 are also projected to be robust.
Before this, Super Mario Odyssey held the record as the fastest-selling game in the series, achieving 2 million copies sold within its first three days.
Wonder marks a significant milestone as the first entirely new side-scrolling Mario game in over a decade. Nintendo attributes its successful launch, along with an overall boost in Mario game sales, to the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
The movie, which premiered in April, has had a ripple effect on various titles in the franchise including U Deluxe, Odyssey, Kart 8 Deluxe, Maker 2, and 3D World – Bowser’s Fury, which all reported year-over-year increases in sales. Additionally, mobile Mario games saw a surge in new users, and Mario merchandise sales experienced a boost.
Nintendo is gearing up for a significant surge in game and hardware sales, with Black Friday just around the corner. The company is offering the traditional Mario Kart 8 Deluxe hardware bundle for $300 and an appealing Switch OLED bundle that includes Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for $350. To explore more deals and offers, you can refer to GameSpot’s comprehensive guide to Nintendo’s best Black Friday deals.
In other notable news, the Nintendo Switch has surpassed a remarkable milestone, with over 132 million units sold, and total game sales exceeding 1.13 billion. As anticipation builds for a new Nintendo console expected to launch in 2024, it’s worth noting that it might share the same Nintendo Account system as the Switch.