When the Nintendo Switch came out, a very simple and easy question was asked about what the best-selling title in its lineup would be when all was said and done. The answer to that came rather shockingly in the form of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. This was the port of the Wii U version of the title (a theme very popular with the Nintendo Switch) and added on all the DLC characters like Link, the Inklings and more to the roster along with new maps and carts. It’s sold incredibly well and remains firmly atop the Switch’s best-selling list.
But now, according to the NPD, its continued sales have allowed it to have a special ranking here in the US. Mainly, they’re claiming that Mario Kart 8 is the best-selling racing title in the history of the United States.
https://twitter.com/MatPiscatella/status/1383042668750512134
That’s huge when you consider some of the competition in the likes of Forza, Grand Turismo and others. Now, a key thing to note here is that they say “Mario Kart 8” and not “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe“. Suggesting that this is a lumping of their sales.
According to Wikipedia, the Wii U Mario Kart 8 had 8.45 million copies sold by the end of March 2020. And the Switch’s Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold 33.41 million as of December 2020. Meaning that at the least it’s over 42 million units sold when you factor in the last three months of sales.
This is a huge accomplishment for Nintendo, one that perfectly goes alongside Super Smash Bros Ultimate which is the best-selling fighting game in gaming history.
