Here Is The Best Selling Game For Each Nintendo Console

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home April 6, 2025 15 Views 13 Min Read
Here Is The Best Selling Game For Each Nintendo Console



Summary

  • Mario games dominate Nintendo’s console sales, with titles like Super Mario Bros. and Mario Kart being top-sellers.
  • Pokemon is also a major player in Nintendo’s success, with games like Red and Blue and Gold and Silver selling millions.
  • Each Nintendo console has its iconic best-seller, from Wii Sports on the Wii to New Super Mario Bros. on the DS.

Nintendo has been around for a long time, so the company has played a part in several console generations— more than the likes of Xbox and PlayStation. So, there have been a lot of Nintendo systems. Each one’s games catalog heavily featured first-party titles. After all, Nintendo has always relied more on its own games than those by other publishers.

Young Link from Majoras Mask holding up Sheikak Mask over pixelated background from Earthbound.

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The Best Game On Every Nintendo Console

Nintendo’s decades in business have given us some excellent games.

The likes of Mario, Legend of Zelda, Pokemon, Smash Bros, and more all fit under the Nintendo umbrella. So, it’s no surprise that many of the best-selling titles on its consoles are first-party ones. Here are the highest-sellers on each system.

12

Nintendo Entertainment System

Super Mario Bros. – 40.24 Million

Mario and a Goomba in World 1-1 of Super Mario Bros (1985) for the NES.

If you’ve ever wondered why Mario became the face of the Nintendo brand, the first game selling 40.24 million copies was a big reason why. It was unsurprisingly the best-selling game on the NES, and nothing really came that close. It was bundled with the console, so that gave it an advantage.

The game is still fondly remembered to this day and holds up well. The level design remains fantastic, as does the presentation. Even modern-day Mario games still contain elements that were introduced in this original title.

11

Game Boy

Pokemon Red And Blue – 31.37 Million

Pokemon Red screenshot of the player stood next to the table that contains three Pokeballs.

Pokemon has become a prominent media franchise, and it all started with Pokemon Red and Blue on the original Game Boy. The game sold 31.37 million copies, and that isn’t including Pokemon Yellow’s sales.

While everyone is used to the concept of Pokemon games by this point, it was an original concept back when this game was released. The idea of a world filled with small, unique creatures that you can battle and capture was very creative. It helped that the game was satisfying to play, too.

10

Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Super Mario World – 20.61 Million

Cape Mario riding Yoshi in Super Mario World.

The second Nintendo home console, the SNES, had some incredible games. However, it’s hard to beat the juggernaut that is Mario, so, of course, Super Mario World was the best-selling title on the system.

Skyward Sword Wii

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This game is often regarded as one of the best Mario games ever. It shares a lot of the same concepts as the original titles, as it’s a 2D platformer that has you jumping around colorful levels. However, the game is visually a bit different, and it includes Yoshi, as this was the creature’s first appearance in the series.

9

Nintendo 64

Super Mario 64 – 11.91 Million

Mario jumping away from a giant Chain Chomp in Super Mario 64.

The Nintendo 64 wasn’t quite as successful as the NES and SNES, but that can’t be down to game quality. You could play plenty of classic titles on the N64. One of the best and most famous was Super Mario 64, which outsold everything else released on the system.

The game was the first 3D Mario title to be released. Switching from 2D to 3D isn’t easy for a popular series. Yet, Mario 64 made the transition look seamless. In fact, the extra dimension allowed the developers to be even more creative when it came to designing levels.

8

Game Boy Color

Pokemon Gold And Silver – 23.1 Million

The player character sitting next to a Pokemon and its trainer at night in Pokemon Gold and Silver.

Like the original Game Boy, the top-selling title on the Game Boy Color was part of the Pokemon series. While Gold and Silver wasn’t quite as successful as Red and Blue, it was still a hit, gaining 23.1 million sales.

The game was similar to the first in concept. You’re a Pokemon trainer who catches Pokemon and fights Gym Leaders. Yet, the Pokemon you’re catching, using, and fighting are different, as this is the second generation of Pokemon.

7

Game Boy Advance

Pokemon Ruby And Sapphire – 16.22 Million

Pokemon Ruby And Sapphire trainer walks through the tall grass.

Pokemon was really the big series for Nintendo’s Game Boy consoles. Like the first two, the highest-selling game on Game Boy Advance was from that series: Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. Plus, other Pokemon games did very well on the system, such as Emerald and FireRed and LeafGreen.

Ruby and Sapphire served as the third generation of Pokemon games. So, it introduced new creatures for you to catch. The core premise of the title was the same as the others, as you’re a trainer that’s trying to catch all the Pokemon and defeat the famous Gym Leaders. The premise still wasn’t stale by this point.

6

Nintendo GameCube

Super Smash Bros Melee – 7.09 Million

Samus charging her gun Yoshi is shooting his tongue at her in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

The GameCube wasn’t one of Nintendo’s biggest success stories. It didn’t sell as well as its predecessors, likely due to releasing the same year as the original Xbox and only one year after the PS2. This is why the top game on the system only sold 7.09 million copies. That game is an iconic one, though, as it’s Super Smash Bros Melee.

Captain Falcon stands above a target, Fox, Mario, and Pokemon Trainer stand on the edge of a cliff, Mr. Game & Watch approaches the Master Sword.

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While it isn’t the first entry in the series, it is the one that really put the platform fighter series on the map. Its fast-paced, action-packed fighting mechanics were a delight. And the game was well-tuned enough to become prominent in the competitive scene.

5

Nintendo DS

New Super Mario Bros. – 30.8 Million

Mega Mario stomping on enemies and pipes in promo art for New Super Mario Bros.

In the mid-2000s, Nintendo moved away from Game Boy to make a new handheld system known as Nintendo DS. One of the console’s best exclusives was New Super Mario Bros. It also happened to be the best-selling game on the system since it sold 30.8 million copies.

At the time of release, it was a bit of a throwback Mario game. After all, the series had seemingly moved onto 3D titles after Mario 64, but this is a 2D side-scroller. It showed that this type of Mario game could still exist as it was a brilliant title.

4

Nintendo Wii

Wii Sports – 82.9 Million

Playing Tennis in Wii Sports.

While the GameCube wasn’t a runaway success, the Nintendo Wii certainly was. In fact, it is one of the most successful consoles ever. This is due to its uniqueness, as it fully commits to motion controls. These controls were really shown off in the system’s best-selling game, Wii Sports.

It’s worth noting that Wii Sports sold more than any other because it was bundled with the console. So, you couldn’t get a Nintendo Wii without it. However, it still deserves praise for being a fun sports game that shows off what the Wii can do.

3

Nintendo 3DS

Mario Kart 7 – 18.99 Million

Yoshi racing through Rainbow Road in Mario Kart 7.

There are many series that star the famous Mario, and most of them are successful. For example, Mario Kart 7 ranks as the best-selling Nintendo 3DS game. A few Pokemon titles almost recaptured the series’ reputation of being the most successful handheld games for Nintendo. Yet, they didn’t sell quite as well as Mario Kart 7.

Like every entry in the series, Mario Kart 7 is a kart racer featuring characters from the Mario universe. So, the likes of Yoshi, Bowser, Luigi, and more race around distinct, colorful tracks with one another.

2

Nintendo Wii U

Mario Kart 8 – 8.46 Million

Bowser on a Captain Falcon Kart in Mario Kart 8.

Wii U didn’t hit the heights of the Nintendo Wii in terms of sales, so neither did its games. Yet, some still sold well, including the top seller Mario Kart 8, which sold 8.46 million units. This is quite a bit more than Super Mario 3D World, which was the second best-selling game on the system and sold 5.89 million copies.

Mario Kart 8 provides a similar experience to the early Mario Kart games. This means you drive around a track as a Mario character, trying to get first place, while using special items on your opponents.

1

Nintendo Switch

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 67.35 Million

Princess Peach holding a Bomb while riding down Rainbow Road in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

You don’t typically expect a remaster of a game to be the highest-selling game on a popular console like Nintendo Switch. Yet, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe managed to achieve that very feat. It sold 67.35 million copies, which is more than double the amount of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In fact, even the second-highest-selling game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, wasn’t very near Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Perhaps the large number of sales is down to many players skipping the Wii U, meaning they missed the original version of Mario Kart 8 and caught up when they got the Switch. After all, there isn’t much gameplay reason to get both versions, as they’re effectively the same.

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