Nintendo just dropped its annual investor report, and the numbers are hard to argue with: Mario Kart World is the Switch 2's runaway bestseller, and it isn't particularly close. If you've been playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder and wondering what else the red plumber's franchise is up to, here's the short answer: printing money.
The numbers that tell the whole story
According to Nintendo's official investor report published earlier this month, Mario Kart World has moved 14.7 million copies since the Switch 2 launched in June last year. That figure alone would be impressive for any game. For a console that's still in its first year of life, it's a statement.
The gap between first and second place is significant. Donkey Kong Bananza sits at 4.52 million copies, which is a genuinely solid debut for the franchise. But it's barely a third of what Mario Kart World has pulled in. Pokémon Pokopia rounds out the top three with 4 million units sold, which looks even more remarkable given it's only been out five weeks.
Here's the thing: Pokopia's trajectory is worth watching. Closing in on Donkey Kong Bananza in a fraction of the time suggests the Pokémon series still has serious commercial momentum, even if it can't touch Mario Kart's numbers right now.
Mario Kart World's open-world map
Classic Nintendo titles refuse to go quietly
The report doesn't just cover Switch 2 exclusives. Re-releases of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen collectively sold 4 million copies on the new hardware, which tells you everything about how Nintendo fans feel about owning native ports versus streaming through Nintendo Switch Online.
On the original Switch, things are still moving. The decade-old console shipped another 3.8 million units, with evergreen titles like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Super Mario Party Jamboree continuing to drive steady sales. The re-releases of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 added 2.60 million and 2.76 million copies respectively after their October launches.
Nintendo confirmed that across both Switch consoles combined, the company shipped 136.91 million software units for the fiscal year. Annual revenue cleared $14.6 billion, up roughly 38% from $11.5 billion the prior year, with a profit of $2.7 billion.
Switch 2 top sellers compared
The backlash that didn't dent the bottom line
Mario Kart World hasn't been without controversy. Social media has seen consistent criticism of its open-world structure and the way it moves away from the formula that made Mario Kart 8 Deluxe a 10-year staple. Some players found the shift jarring. Others simply weren't sold on the new direction.
14.7 million copies suggests those voices, while real, represent a vocal minority. The broader audience showed up in force.
The Super Mario brand's grip on Nintendo's financials extends beyond games, too. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is currently sitting at $940 million at the box office, meaning the franchise is dominating both screens and sales charts simultaneously.
What this means for the Switch 2's first year
The platformer genre has always been Nintendo's home turf, and these figures confirm the Switch 2 launch year played out almost exactly as you'd expect: Mario leads, everyone else competes for second. For players picking up the console now, the library is already deeper than it looks at first glance, with both new releases and strong legacy ports filling out the catalog.
If you're new to the Switch 2 side of things and jumping into Super Mario Bros. Wonder, our Super Mario Bros. Wonder strategy guides are worth bookmarking, including our full guide to finding every Koopaling location if you want to track down all seven boss fights without wandering blind.
The next set of Nintendo sales figures will be the real test: whether Pokémon Pokopia can close the gap on Donkey Kong Bananza, and whether anything on the horizon has a shot at threatening Mario Kart World's lead.
