It’s official! Super Mario Bros. Wonder has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the fastest-selling Super Mario video game in history. Since its highly anticipated release on October 20, the game has garnered widespread critical acclaim, with some experts hailing it as a contender for the coveted title of 2023’s Game of the Year.
Not only has Super Mario Bros. Wonder earned accolades from critics, but it has also captured the hearts of fans worldwide. Its immense popularity is evident in its impressive sales figures, surpassing even some of the most beloved titles of recent years, including the highly acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
This accomplishment adds yet another feather to the cap of this already distinguished and celebrated game, solidifying its place as a monumental achievement in the realm of Super Mario games. Plus, we guess it means people get freaky for elephants. Maybe.
According to Nintendo’s latest financial report, the title has sold approximately 4.3 million units in the two weeks since its release. There is one caveat, though: Nintendo began collecting this data when it released the Nintendo DS and Wii consoles in 2004 and 2006 respectively. So, if another Super Mario title exists that sold more in its first two weeks, there is no way to know for sure, but we doubt it.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the first 2D platformer in the franchise since 2012’s New Super Mario Bros. 2. Nintendo’s report attributed the game’s success to its 2D status as well as the release of the Super Mario Bros. Movie earlier in the year.
That film remains one of only two movies, alongside Barbie, to gross over $1 billion this year and broke several records along the way. It also inspired Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s visual style and further proved that the video game movie adaptation curse is well and truly broken.
Nintendo also noted that Super Mario titles have strong staying power and sell well over long periods, with the implication being that Super Mario Bros. Wonder will continue to appeal to gamers globally into the upcoming holiday season and beyond.
The Super Mario franchise is one of the best-selling and longest-running video game franchises ever. Given its age, one would expect the franchise to be winding down for latter generations of video games to take center stage. However, the performance of Super Mario Bros. Wonder suggests otherwise.
If anything, we expect the franchise to experience a resurgence and rise to the top of gamers’ awareness going forward, bolstered by brand new generations of fans either following in their parents’ footsteps, or entering the universe via the popular movie.
For one, the gaming behemoth has a slew of other Mario games in the works. Three of these titles, Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, and Mario vs. Donkey Kong, are remakes of old ones, while Princess Peach: Showtime! and Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD will be brand new entries. Super Mario RPG is slated for release later this month, while the other titles won’t arrive until 2024.
Nintendo also intends to expand its movie universe with multiple projects reportedly in the works. Given the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and its knock-on effect on Super Mario Bros. Wonder, this is hardly a surprise. The company has also recently announced a live-action Legend of Zelda film being in the works.
If Nintendo successfully pulls off its strategy, then it’s game over for the entertainment industry. With its dual-pronged approach of releasing movies and video games simultaneously, the company will become the new Marvel Studios with a tight grip not only on Hollywood but also on the gaming sphere.
