Nintendo Reveals The Best-Selling Switch Games Of All Time
From the early days of the Nintendo Entertainment System through to the Game Boy, the juggernaut of the Nintendo 64 to the often-forgotten GameCube, the Wii revolutionising how we play video games to the might of the Switch, we've come a long way with the House that Mario built.
As the Nintendo Switch enters its fourth year, the plucky hybrid of portable and home gaming is still going strong and has officially passed 89 million consoles sold. Although there's been a slight year-on-year slump, there's no escaping the Switch's legacy as the best-selling console of 2020. However, aside from the console itself, you might be wondering which games have been flying off shelves.
What are the best-selling Switch games of all time?
While some gaming companies are notoriously covert with their stats *cough* Microsoft *cough*, Nintendo has opened the doors and revealed exactly what's going on behind the scenes. Since the Switch first launched in March 2017, it's become known as a software stomping ground for some classic Nintendo franchises. Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, and Animal Crossing have all had their time to shine, but who came out on top?
Despite Mario starting out as the inconspicuous Jumpman in 1981's Donkey Kong, he's come out of his Koopa shell to become Nintendo's mascot. With this in mind, it's no surprise his titles have soared to the top of the Switch's best-selling games chart. Taking first place, it's apt that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe get the gold, with 37.08 million copies sold. Most impressively, Mario Kart 8 has crossed this milestone thanks to 1.69 million copies sold in the last quarter.
Up next, lockdown favourite Animal Crossing: New Horizons has sold a whopping 33.89 million copies. Even though it's still a far cry from Mario Kart's runaway success, we can't get enough of spending Nook Miles and building our own furry paradise.
Third place goes to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as the crossover chaos has helped the brutal brawler sell 24.77 million copies. Rounding off the Top 5, we've got The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (23.20 million) and Pokemon Sword & Shield (21.85 million).
The full list is as follows:
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 37.08m
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 33.89m
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – 24.77m
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 23.20m
- Pokémon Sword & Shield – 21.85m
- Super Mario Odyssey – 21.40m
- Pokémon: Let’s Go! – 13.57m
- Splatoon 2 – 12.45m
- Ring Fit Adventure – 11.26m
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury – 6.68m
- New Pokémon Snap – 2.07m
- Mario Golf: Super Rush – 1.34m
- Miitopia – 1.04m
What does the future hold for the best-selling Switch game of all time?
Despite the original Mario Kart 8 coming out on the Wii U all the way back in 2014, the enhanced version raced onto the Switch with Deluxe in April 2017. Given the fact it appeared just after the Switch's launch, it makes sense Deluxe sold a lot of copies.
Still, there's no accounting for the massive growth the game has faced in the last quarter. Games like Pokemon Let's Go have crawled by with an extra 290k sold in the last quarter, while Mario Odyssey's extra 540k is a long way off Deluxe's continued popularity.
The question remains, what comes next? Nintendo was a massive hit at this year's E3, and while other developers struggled to make much of an impact, Nintendo paved the way for what's next. Even if we aren't getting that mythical Nintendo Switch Pro - and the OLED continues to divide - the software side of the business is looking solid.
The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild 2 was the most-talked-about game at E3, while there's also plenty of hype for Pokemon Arceus, Metroid Dread, and Splatoon 3. Of course, we guess there are plans for Mario Kart 9 out there somewhere. It's only a matter of time before something topples Mario Kart 8 Deluxe from the winner's podium, however, we'll have to wait and see what does it.
