Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

‘Super Mario Odyssey’ for Switch sells over 2 million units in just three days

'Super Mario Odyssey' is the fastest-selling Mario game in North America, Europe

By
Super Mario Odyssey Trailer - Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Odyssey was one of the most anticipated games of 2017, and it appears that Nintendo Switch owners wasted no time in picking up the mustachioed (former) plumber’s latest adventure. In just three days, the game has sold more than 2 million copies, making it the fastest-selling Mario game of all-time in both North America and Europe.

“While about 7 million units of Nintendo Switch hardware have been delivered into the hands of our consumers around the world, we estimate that the global sell-through of Super Mario Odyssey has already exceeded 2 million units in just its first three days,” said Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima in a financial briefing. Kimishima added that Nintendo wants the game to become an “evergreen” title with legs “beyond this holiday season.”

Recommended Videos

Kimishima also revealed that the SNES Classic Edition and its international variants have managed to sell 2 million total units as well, and reiterated that the console will not be discontinued anytime soon.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

“The expectation is that the chance to interact with video games for those who either haven’t done so in a long while or those who never have will lead to a greater appreciation for our newest gaming console, Nintendo Switch,” he added.

Related

One other trend that is particularly encouraging for the Nintendo Switch is players’ continued console use. With a steady stream of games releasing throughout 2017, Nintendo didn’t see much dropoff. After the release of Arms and then Splatoon 2, even more people were playing the system. Given those games’ summer release dates, they also had little competition from other big-name titles.

Nintendo’s plan to have users play the Switch in both its docked and handheld modes appears to be working. About 20 percent of users play the system exclusively in its dock, while about 30 percent play the system exclusively as a handheld. The other half of users switch between the two modes. Some games are better-suited to the docked mode, such as Super Mario Odyssey, while games like Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe work quite well in the handheld mode, so type of usage could vary from game to game.

The Nintendo Switch still has one more heavy hitter releasing in 2017: Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The open-world Japanese role-playing game is the sequel to one of the most acclaimed games on the Wii, as well as a successor to the Wii U’s Xenoblade Chronicles X.

Updated: Added information on Super Mario Odyssey becoming the fastest-selling Mario game ever.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Hades 2 shows the Steam Deck’s biggest advantage over the Nintendo Switch
A Steam Deck sits next to a Switch OLED.

It's always an exciting week when the sequel to one of the greatest games of all time surprise releases on a Monday. That's what happened on May 6 when Hades 2 surprise launched into early access. Players are already diving into the surprisingly robust roguelike, testing their might in its new biomes. I've been enjoying it myself from the comfort of my couch -- and not on my Nintendo Switch, where I played the first Hades. Instead, I'm curled up with my Steam Deck.

The PC-only launch means that Hades 2 is a Steam Deck "exclusive" for the time being (or at least exclusive to portable PCs like it and the Asus ROG Ally). It'll likely come to Nintendo's system -- or its predecessor -- once it hits 1.0, but developer Supergiant doesn't expect its game to leave early access until at least the end of 2024. Until then, you'll need a device like the Steam Deck to play it on the go. That's a reminder that Valve has beaten the Switch at its own game, and Nintendo will have to get creative again with its next system to regain its throne.
Early access on the go
Based on my time with it so far, Hades 2 is a phenomenal match for the Steam Deck. It's already Verified for the platform, and for good reason. It looks fantastic (especially on an OLED screen) and runs smoothly. I've already taken it on the go and found that it's not a huge drain on the Steam Deck's battery. At this point, I don't imagine I'll need to play it any other way.

Read more
The Nintendo Switch just got 2 surprise games — and they’re both worth grabbing
A teddy beat sits on an embroidery hoop in Stitch.

If you were unable to catch this week's Nintendo IndieWorld showcase, then you missed a surprisingly loaded show. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes got a May release date, WayForward showed off its Yars' Revenge revival, and Steamworld Heist 2 got an exciting reveal. In the midst of all those headlines, two smaller games were surprise released on the platform: Stitch and Sticky Business. Don't sleep on either of them, as they're both worth a purchase.

Both games are ports of previously released games, but both went a bit under the radar upon their original launch. Sticky Business modestly launched last summer on PC, whereas Stitch has actually been around since 2022 as an Apple Arcade exclusive. The latter even has an Apple Vision Pro version now that can be played in mixed reality. I can't blame anyone for missing either, but their Switch releases offer a good opportunity to catch up with some quiet hidden gems.

Read more
World of Goo 2 might just be the Nintendo Switch’s next must-own co-op game
A built structure in World of Goo 2.

When I sat down to demo World of Goo 2 at this year’s GDC, I noted to the developers on hand how surprising it was to see a sequel after so long. “It’s been, what? Ten years?” I said. I was very far off the mark: They noted that the original World of Goo launched in 2008. After playing a few levels (and having an existential crisis over time’s rapid passing), I’d find myself wondering how such an obvious slam dunk didn’t come sooner.

Like its predecessor, World of Goo 2 is a physics-based puzzle game where players craft structures from little, gooey critters. It presents a series of engineering challenges, as poorly built structures will topple under the weight of all those jiggly little pals. Rather than reinventing that concept entirely, World of Goo 2 adds some wild new ideas onto that stable structure that opens up its puzzle potential. The result is a chaotic co-op game that’s a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch.

Read more