Block buster

Nintendo of America has confirmed that the Nintendo 3DS family was the biggest-selling hardware platform during the month of February, with 395,000 consoles retailed during the period.

Predictably, the New Nintendo 3DS was the reason for this surge - it sold 130 percent more consoles than Nintendo 3DS XL did it in its first month, back in August 2012.

The system launched alongside The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D, which has become the fastest-selling Legend of Zelda hand-held title in US history. More than 515,000 combined physical and digital units were sold during February.

Elsewhere, Capcom's Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate continued the positive trend by posting sales of 290,000 combined physical and digital units, making it the fastest-selling Monster Hunter title – across all platforms – in North American history. It's also Capcom's fastest-selling title on the Nintendo 3DS in the region.

Such bumper figures are perhaps to be expected when new hardware hits the market, but these are impressive numbers nonetheless.

Nintendo's other console - the Wii U - isn't in quite as rude health, but there are still positives to consider. This year, sales of Wii U hardware in North America have increased by more than 20 percent over sales in the same period last year. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U has passed the 1.5 million marker, while amiibo toys have shifted 3.5 million units - again, both of those figures are for North America.