Mario Kart 8 is now the best-selling racing game in US history, thanks to its long staying power in the sales charts. The Mario Kart franchise has had an incredible run of being the best-selling games on Nintendo systems for the past few consoles released by the company.
The original version of Mario Kart 8 was the best-selling game on the Wii U, selling over 8.45 million units over its run. This pales in comparison to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which is currently the best-selling Nintendo Switch game, with over 33 million units sold. The only serious threat to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's throne is Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which is closing in on the top spot with over 31 million units sold. The most impressive aspect of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's success is that the game rarely leaves the sales charts. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released in 2017, yet people are still buying the game, to the point where it's seemingly a mandatory purchase for new Nintendo Switch owners.
Mario Kart 8 has beaten its predecessor as the best-selling racing game in US history. This comes from sales figures given by Mat Piscatella of the NPD Group on Twitter. The game places sixth overall for the month of March and was third in the Nintendo chart, sitting behind Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury and Monster Hunter Rise, which itself has already shipped over five million copies. These figures are just for physical units and don't take digital sales into account.
There are a number of popular racing franchises in the US, like Gran Turismo and Need for Speed, but few have had the staying power of the Mario Kart franchise, which has been around since the early days of the Super Nintendo. There are lots of racing games that aim for realism and use real-life vehicles, and those definitely have a strong appeal. Where Mario Kart succeeds, however, is in its universal approach. Even people who don't like racing games can love Mario Kart, as it has the chaotic fun of a party game.
The incredible success of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe means that Mario Kart 9 probably won't happen for a while, especially as Nintendo is still trying to turn Mario Kart Tour into a hit. The love for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe keeps growing, and it will be interesting to see what other records it will break before the Switch reaches the finishing line.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is available now for the Nintendo Switch.
Source: Mat Piscatella/Twitter