As part of Nintendo's latest financial report, which has revealed that the Nintendo Switch has now surpassed the SNES' lifetime sales, the company has released an updated list of its best-selling games on its latest system.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe still reigns supreme as the console's best-selling title, but a couple of newcomers have burst onto the scene since the last update Nintendo provided. Both Super Mario Maker 2 and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening have been knocked out of the top ten thanks to the arrival of Luigi's Mansion 3 and the mindblowing sales achieved by Pokémon Sword and Shield.
We compared Sword and Shield's tremendous opening sales to the lifetime sales achieved by past Pokémon games earlier this morning - the numbers are staggering.
You can see the full top ten below (bear in mind that the data only references Nintendo-published titles).
Top Ten Best-Selling Nintendo Switch Games (as of 31st December 2019):
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - 22.96 million
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - 17.68 million
- Super Mario Odyssey - 16.59 million
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 16.34 million
- Pokémon Sword and Shield - 16.06 million
- Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! / Let's Go, Eevee! - 11.76 million
- Splatoon 2 - 9.81 million
- Super Mario Party - 9.12 million
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - 5.85 million
- Luigi's Mansion 3 - 5.37 million
The numbers above are worldwide sales and include retail, digital, and copies bundled with hardware all combined.
Any surprises? Perhaps Animal Crossing: New Horizons will be the next game to threaten the top ten. Feel free to share your thoughts below.
[source nintendo.co.jp]
Comments 62
Very happy about Luigi's Mansion 3 breaking top 10. Well deserved imo.
Not in the top 10, but definetly one I'm very happy about as well, is Astral Chain breaking the 1 million barrier!
It's so nice to finally see Platinum Games get strong sales on their awesome games ^_^
Just image the crazy sales numbers if they released MK9 instead of MK8DX back then
I mean it still sold 8Mio units on the wii u and i guess many people didn't buy it twice
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe = Beast.
My boy Luigi kicking ass and taking names.
Also happy for NSMBU Deluxe as it is great fun.
If AC meets expectations it will be on the top 10 list for sure. I have no doubt.
Nice to see Luigi's Mansion doing to well.
Kinda shocked that NSMBUDX is on the list but Mario Maker 2 is not. I guess it's somewhat lower sales might be why Nintendo seems to have forgotten it?
I really expected MM2 to get more themes and content in general the way Splatoon 2 got regular content updates.
Now give us a new mario kart. And we’ll give you billions of moneys.
Pleased to say that I own 5 of those 10 games
Good to see Luigi's Mansion 3 doing well, it's such a great game. I do think Link's Awakening could have done much better had it none been a straight up remake, it's still a very good game but it could have been something truly special without adhering to its Gameboy limitations.
I am surprised by the absence of Mario Maker 2 but once again that really could have benefitted from having a proper single player game thrown in as well as a better system for uploading levels, world maps anyone?
I wish ARMS got more attention.
Boxing genre games are really RARE in video games nowadays.
@Marios-love-child 9/10 for me. I do not have the lets's go versions of pokemon but all the other games we have.
me too. Release Mk9. Money, lots, me give.
@mariomaster96, I've bought MK8 3 times. Once on the Wii U, then at launch on the Switch - traded it in and re-bought during a digital sale. My kids love MK. I can't see number 9 coming for quite some time
@Drussa
The ones I have are
Mario Kart 8
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Party
New Super Mario Bros Deluxe
Luigi's Mansion
Before you say it...... I know I must be the only day one adopter that didn't and still hasn't bought Zelda haha
Mario Kart 8 DX annual sales by calendar year:
> 2017: 7.33 million
> 2018: 7.69 million
> 2019: 7.94 million
> 2020: ???
If this pattern continues, Mario Kart 8 DX will reach 30 million copies sold by the end of the year.
@Welshland neither can i, why should they release MK9 if MK8DX continuous to sell incredible
Nearly half of all Switch owners have MK8DX. Safe to say we won't be getting a new MK game any time soon because of it. Why cannibalize your best seller? I'm not mad, though. It's fun.
I'm not trying to weigh in on the Pokémon controversy here, but it's kind of sad that a game with such mixed reception for being supposedly rushed and incomplete is about to outsell Super Smash Bros. Ultimate--a game that over the past couple years has proven to be a massive love letter to gamers of all walks of life--in just a couple months.
I’m proud of you Luigi.
I own 9/10 of them
I own nsmbu on the Wii u
@BlackKnight93 was it a disappointing year for you
@mariomaster96. @Ladasta I'm so in the minority here, but I don't MK 9. I love MK8 & all my friends have MK 8 so plant online works really well. Another DLC pack would be nice though
I find that if the game is bundled with the console it should not be counted, is that just me?
@Bunkerneath Haven't most of these been bundled at one stage or another?
@Not_Soos I don’t think 17 million sales is anything to feel sad about even if it gets beat by Sword and Shield... A lotta games are in that boat.
No 3rd party games at all on this list.
@Marios-love-child If it is not your thing then don't even bother. If you like RPG's then it is a true must buy (in my opinion at least). I have had so much fun playing it and then re-playing it again with my son.
@Anti-Matter Arms probably did well but the ticket entry in that top is at 5 million sales. Very few exclusives games can reach that.
@BlackKnight93
"I've heard more and more people claiming that 2019 was a lackluster/disappointing year for Nintendo"
Don't listen to them.
If you got a lot of great Switch games during 2019, then good for you.
Ignore those minority complaints and saltiness.
@Drussa
Yeah just not my cup of tea really.
I did buy the remake / remaster of Ocarina of Time for the 3DS when it first came out and I just couldn't get into it.
@Dman10 This is a Nintendo published list, it would be up to the individual 3rd parties when they release their units, I imagine Mario and Rabbids: Kingdom Battle would be top, maybe around 3-4 million?
Luigis Mansion 3 is a huge success plus this is just physical sales add digital sales and it's probably over 6 million
New super mario bros u deluxe outsold mario maker 2 by at least half a million? Wow.
Mario Kart Wii sold 37 million units.
If you sum Mario Kart 8 and 8 Deluxe, we have 31 million units...
When we check the list with:
Mario Kart 8 (a Wii U game)
Super Smash Bros (C'mon, the Wii U version was almost the same game)
Zelda BOTW,
Splatoon (same as smash bros),
New Super Mario Bros U,
you can say that sometimes in a generation nintendo fails with its hardware, but never with their games.
Amazing that Mario Maker 2 is not on the list and NSMBU and Mario party are.
I expect LM3 to climb some places, it’s not yet out for a long time. I had 8 of them (I never had any of the Pokémon games) and sold 3 (Mario Party/Smash/Splatoon 2) and I really regret getting rid of Splatoon 2.
I bought Smash 2 times on the Switch. First time I just couldn’t get into it. Second time I picked it up with a huge discount and told myself that this time I would get the hang of it…… I didn’t…..
I never played the original Links Awakening, maybe that’s why I really loved the game and it has a nice spot in my top 5 Switch games:
1. Super Mario Odyssey
2. Luigi’s Mansion 3
3. Links Awakening
4. Breath of the Wild
5. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
I love Mario Kart 8 on the Switch, but I played it on the WiiU and only bought this version for my kids. So it doesn´t get a spot in my top 5 Switch games. On the WiiU list, it does...
@jancotianno Whilst I can appreciate the point you're trying to make, I'm sorry but Smash Ultimate and Splatoon 2 are really not even close to being the same games as their predecessors.
You might as well be saying the Super Mario Bros. is the same as NSBMU - there's shared gameplay mechanics between the two, but they're definitely not the same thing. There's so much more going on.
A few of my own thoughts
1.) Mario Kart 9 is likely years away lol. 22 million for 8 Deluxe? Holy crap!
2.) So much for the Pokemon Sword and Shield backlash hurting sales. 16 million units sold in 2 months is impressive.
3.) It's crazy Super Mario Party didn't receive any DLC. Look how popular that game is!!! Nearly 10 million sold. I suppose they want SMP2 instead?
4.) Would be nice if a third party game could crack in with the big boys. The charts are impressive but certainly support a certain third party narrative people like to push.
Adding these 10 games you'd get something north of 7,5 BILLION dollars... Tell me again how's this supposed to mean they're doomed...
@Nintendofan83
1) hoping for some DLC at least
2) boycott successful!!
3) yeah... It's probably coming this year...
4) those numbers are from Nintendo, 3rd parties have to disclose their numbers themselves (though I doubt any would crack top 10)
This tells me Nintendo need to be working on the next Mario kart game, if they are not already.
@Nintendofan83,
In all fairness the Pokemon backlash was only in the minds of the complainers, the main mass market had no idea of any issues with the game, or the fact it was being discussed on the internet.
@BlackKnight93,
Awesome post, but I would not worry too much about what a few people on internet forums think, they are and have always been a minority, they just do not seem to realize it.
@johnvboy good point - I'm only a fair weather Pokemon fan so I didn't follow too closely. I'm about 8 hours into Sword and I am enjoying it.
Welp, MK9 is most likely gonna be a next Gen game at this point. No reason for Nintendo to make MK9 when MK8 sells this good. I was planning on skipping MK8 to wait for MK9 but I guess this leaves me no choice.
@Nintendofan83 You ain't lyin' about Super Mario Party! The game even seems to hint at (yeah yeah could be reading into it) DLC and would've been one of the more obvious choices for it considering the limited content(even though it's still fun). Did they not trust its success or something?
Great for LM3! Sort of games I bought a Switch for. Keep them coming.
@MuhBael
Honestly, i can taste F1 Race Stars PS3 and Modnation Racers PS3 to experience with other Kart games.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is already great and i have played it on my Switch, but i think Modnation Racers offered something more interesting that Mario Kart still doesn't have yet.
Switch Top 10 (131.5 mill.) is already 2.7 million more than the 3DS Top Ten (128.8 mill. - but 3DS has backwards compatibility so I guess you gotta give it some allowance for DS software sales too).
@mariomaster96 I double dipped 😀
Luigi's Mansion 3 deserves so much <3 Look at this top 10, everyone. Where at a point where many great games don't even fit it anymore. Switch is thriving and I'm here for it
I’m so happy to see such fabulous numbers for Nintendo, but with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe selling like hot cakes, it makes me extremely doubtful that we’ll see MK9 this generation.
Nintendo, I dare you, prove me wrong!
It blows my mind that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe hasn't gotten any DLC yet, considering it prints money. It'd be a win-win for Nintendo and fans.
Glad to see Luigi's Mansion 3 break the top 10. Marvelous game. Surprised that NSMBU Deluxe overtook Super Mario Maker 2.
I own four out of the top ten and definitely intend to pick up both Pokemon games (one version of each, anyway) as well as Luigi's Mansion 3 at some point.
I skipped NSMB as I have it on Wii U and didn't feel like double-dipping.
@glaemay ARMS at least broke 2 million copies, so unless Nintendo expected better sales, it should have been a success. It's just a shame it didn't last longer in terms of popularity.
@Anti-Matter For what it's worth, pretty much everything that didn't break a million this year is left out of these reports, including games like Kirby and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Personally hoping for a sequel for ARMS if the Switch lasts long enough, and the dev team isn't busy with MK9 (also, something, something, Smash Fighter).
Speaking of boxing games, I hope Nintendo's considering a new Punch-Out. Even a remake would be nice.
Is this total sales? If that's the case, it's really nice to see the NSMBU port so low. I know that NSMB games usually sell better than other Mario games even though they are the worst.
Also glad to see Sword/Shield coming out in a significant margin over LGP/E. I just wish the margin were even larger. Like much larger. Like large enough to kick LGP/E out of the top 10, even top 25. =P
Great sales for Luigis Mansion 3. Well deserved. Shame for Three Houses, such a good game.
@electrolite77 there's really no shame to be had for Three Houses. I didn't see it reported here but the GameXplain video talked about it and 3H is currently sitting at 2.58 million (.4 million than last quarter I believe) which puts it as the second best selling game in the series, and will likely surpass Fates and be the first in the series to hit 3 million by the end of it's lifetime (if not 2020). For a series that hadn't even hit 1 million copies until 3 entries ago, this is a tremendous feat. Though, after typing all of this I realize that you may have meant "same for Three Houses", but I already took the time so I'm hitting reply.
Too bad to see Mario Maker 2 not doing so well. Evidently it was better suited as a Wii U launch title (gamepad, miiverse, and free online all being superior to what they have on Switch).
Also interesting to see Luigi’s Mansion 3 reaching E ticket status. And Breath of the Wild inching closer to overtaking Odyssey (a first for Nintendo consoles I believe).
Animal Crossing should kick NSMBUD out of the top 10. And hopefully the Breath of the Wild sequel is out later this year.
I see 12 games in that top ‘10’ list
@Klunk23
You interpreted me absolutely right. I maybe felt that Nintendo had really thrown their weight behind 3H and were looking to make it an A Tier franchise, and maybe hadn’t achieved that. But you may be right and they may be pretty pleased with the result. It’s a much more popular series than it was a few years ago, that’s for sure.
@electrolite77 I think that making a strategy RPG a true A Teir series is an honestly impossible task. But with the past few games the series is definitely one of their top B selling series, seemingly doing better than even Kirby.
Units sold during Q3:
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 3.95 million (19.01 million to 22.96 million)
Smash Ultimate 1.97 million (15.71 million to 17.68 million)
Super Mario Odyssey 1.21 million (15.38 million to 16.59 million)
Breath of the Wild 1.80 million (14.54 million to 16.34 million)
Sword and Shield 16.06 million (0 to 16.06 million)
Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee .48 million (11.28 million to 11.76 million)
Splatoon 2 .53 million (9.28 million 9.8 to 9.81 million)
Super Mario Party 1.54 million (7.58 million to 9.12 million)
NSMBDX 1.26 million (4.59 million to 5.85 million_
LM3 5.37 million (0 to 5.37 million)
BoTW a 3 year old game still selling that tells you something.
Super Mario Maker 2 also hit 5 million sales, it's a bit lower than Luigi's Mansion 3 though, so it missed the Top 10 by just a little.
@Not_Soos There was no mixed reception. Reviews spoke clearly: good games, could have been better, could have been worse.
The sales speak just as clearly: the games were well received.
The loud minority online will always be distorted.
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