Summary
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has topped the NES in lifetime sales, with sales continuing strong through 2023 and beyond.
- The game, released in 2017, is considered a must-have party game for the Nintendo Switch with features easy to enjoy.
- With over 61.97 million units sold, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the top-selling Switch game, surpassing other popular titles.
One of the bestselling Switch games of all time, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, has now passed the NES in lifetime sales. Some outlets believe that promos like the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle were huge contributors as to why the game has continued to sell even through 2023 and beyond. The Switch sales are on top of what the original Mario Kart 8 on Wii U sold. It's not a secret that the game has achieved a lot in the gaming industry and that there is much fanfare regarding the kart-racing title.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released way back in 2017 and holds the distinction of being the first ever Super Mario game of any kind on the Switch. Many consider it to be one of the ultimate party games, and its inclusion in the Switch line-up has made it a must-have for the system. Some fans believe that the Nintendo Switch's features make Mario Kart 8 Deluxe easy to enjoy, with a big factor being that one Switch can already allow two players to play on the same system. Now, fans of the kart-racer will be glad to know that the game has reached a new milestone.
Mario Kart 8 Study Claims to Have Found the Best Racer and Kart Combo in the Game
A study claims that it has found the most optimal combination of playable racer and customizable vehicle in Nintendo's Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
According to video game content creator Shane Gill, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has surpassed the lifetime sales of the NES. This is quite a feat, considering that NES and Famicom sales hit 61.91 million units, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch alone has sold around 61.97 units as of March 2024. Just in January 2024, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was said to be the 18th best-selling game of that month across all platforms. It's highly likely that, as of the time of writing, sales numbers have grown even more.
Top 5 Best-Selling Games on Switch as of May 2024
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - 61.97 million units
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons - 45.36 million units
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - 34.22 million units
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 31.85 mllion units
- Super Mario Odyssey - 27.96 units
The list of top 10 Best-Selling Switch games has revealed that the closest property behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Even in this case, New Horizons was behind by more than 15 million units when the list was released. Even games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild were way behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in sales.
Technically, Mario Kart 8 has been dominating the charts since 2014. Mario Kart 8's original run for the Wii U also saw it as one of the best-selling games on that system, with 8.46 million units sold. That effectively puts the game with more than 70 million units sold. It's quite an impressive feat that may continue as content for the game was released as recently as November 2023. Whether this lifetime achievement pushes Nintendo to release more updates in the future is still anyone's guess, but many fans might support the game even more should this happen.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Released
- April 28, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a racing game in the world-renowned racing game series. The game was released in 2017 for Nintendo Switch and was at the time the first Mario game on the platform. It is an improved version of the Wii U game Mario Kart 8. It comes with added characters and changes in Battle Mode.
Burn rubber across Mushroom Kingdom raceways—underwater, in the sky, upside-down in zero-g, and past the finish—for the win! Get revved up for local multiplayer, online in-game tournaments, a revamped battle mode, and more!
Stay fresh in the Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe game by playing as guest characters Inkling Girl and Inkling Boy! You can use their Splatoon inspired karts on their battle mode stage, Urchin Underpass.
There are also returning items, like Boo, the item-stealing ghost, and the Feather, used exclusively in battle mode. Veterans rejoice—you can hold two items at once! Prove you’re the world’s best racer and battler in online tournaments, or simply race and battle friends online. With many control options and handheld mode, there’s always a way to play on the Nintendo Switch™ system!
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD, Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Franchise
- Mario Kart
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- Genre(s)
- Racing
