Summary
For the first time in six years,Mario Kart 8 Deluxefailed to crack the top 20 best-selling games list.Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis the enhanced version of 2014’sMario Kart 8, releasing for the Nintendo Switch in April 2017 with all the DLC for the original game packed-in, new characters to play, gameplay tweaks, fresh features, and more to make it a worthwhile investment even to those that already owned the Wii U original.
Unfortunately for Nintendo,the Wii U was a sales failure, selling only 13.56 million units, nearly 10x less than that of its predecessor, the Wii. Nintendo didn’t give up after the Wii U, though. It came out swinging with the home console/handheld hybrid known as the Nintendo Switch, with that device going on to become the third-best selling video game system of all time, right behind the DS and PlayStation 2.
Whereas the Wii U had a problem with content droughts, the Switch has had constant new releases on a regular basis. Nintendo did a good job of padding the Switch’s library with enhanced ports of Wii U games, which made a great deal of sense as the vast majority of Switch owners never had a Wii U. The most successful of these Wii U-to-Switch games is undoubtedlyMario Kart 8 Deluxe, which managed to crack the top 20 best-selling games for each month from April 2017 to October 2023, when its incredible streak finally ended. This is according todata reported by GamesIndustry.biz.
Top 20 Best-Selling Games for October 2023
October 2023 was a particularly busy month for new game releases, and so that combined with the fact thatMario Kart 8 Deluxehas already sold over 51 million copies makes it somewhat unsurprising that the streak was broken. But even thoughMario Kart 8 Deluxe’s incredible sales streak has finally come to an end, that doesn’t mean that the game won’t return to the top 20 list. In fact, Nintendo has freshSwitchMario Kart 8 Deluxebundlesfor the holiday shopping season that should give the game a huge sales boost and help it return to the top 20 best-selling games lists for November and December.
Even so, this is yet another sign that it may be time for Nintendo to move on from the Switch and focus on the Switch 2, or whatever its next console ends up being called. Rumor has it that Nintendo is already developing anewMario Kartgamefor the Switch successor console, and it will be interesting to see if it has the same kind of longevity asMario Kart 8 Deluxehas enjoyed over the years.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
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!
