Super Mario 3D World bestselling game February 2021 without digital sales physical only NPD Group data Nintendo Switch Wii 2009 hardware sales data

There is no force in this universe that can stop Mario (except of course March 31, 2021, at which point he is dead forever). Case in point, per NPD Group data relayed by analyst Mat Piscatella, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury on Nintendo Switch was the bestselling video game in February 2021 in the United States without even factoring in its digital sales. Nintendo does not share data on its digital sales, but the game came out on top anyway strictly on the strength of its physical sales. Also, just for good measure, Nintendo Switch hardware sales in the United States were the highest of any console in a February since Wii in February 2009.

Part of the reason Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury earned its bestselling status so handily is that it didn’t have stiff competition from other games that launched in February. Bowser’s Fury launched on Feb. 12, while Little Nightmares II launched on Feb. 11 and Persona 5 Strikers launched Feb. 22. Those other two games ranked admirably as well though, with Persona landing in an impressive third place and Little Nightmares II landing in sixth. Meanwhile, casual sales juggernaut Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War took the #2 spot.

Meanwhile, in addition to doing Wii-like sales numbers in February, Nintendo Switch hardware also surpassed the lifetime dollar sales of Nintendo DS in the United States. The takeaway here is that Nintendo is still doing very, very well, regardless of if it announces a “Switch Pro” anytime soon.

[Source]

John Friscia
Head Copy Editor for Enthusiast Gaming, Managing Editor at The Escapist. I'm a writer who loves Super Nintendo and Japanese role-playing games to an impractical degree. I really miss living in South Korea. And I'm developing the game Boss Saga!

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