The Top Five Selling Nintendo 3DS Games of All-Time

There is a lot of fanfare for gaming consoles like PlayStation and X-Box, but there was a time in which Nintendo was at the top of the gaming console world. While Nintendo is no longer the most sought-after gaming system, the company has still had a rather impressive run over the years. The truth is that while PlayStation and X-box were making major headway with games like Madden and Grand Theft Auto, Nintendo decided to take another route — carving out its own little niche in the market. Another gaming fanatic and I were discussing some of the top games released by Nintendo and the conversation quickly switched to the top-selling Nintendo 3DS games of all time. The list is quite extensive, but we decided to share with you the top five all-time selling 3DS games for Nintendo. Some of these you will recognize but there might be one that shocks you.

5. New Super Mario Bros. – 11.73 Million Units

Mario was a major theme in the Nintendo lineup and there is no surprise that the Marion Bros. franchise actually has two different 3DS games in the lineup. New Super Mario Bros comes in at the number five spot. What is surprising is not that the series was so successful, but just how successful it was. When you think of exciting games, you tend to think of the game mentioned in the introduction (Grand Theft Auto, Halo, Madden, etc.) but Nintendo was quietly stacking of unit sales on these seemingly childish games that captivated the minds of children and adults alike.

4. Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire – 13.85 Million Units

If there was a game more popular than Mario Bros. it was the Pokemon franchise. Pokemon took the world by storm in ways that few gaming themes have ever done. And while some people view Pokemon as a kids theme, there were plenty of adults who absolutely loved this game. The Pokemon experience was so popular that the franchise holds down three spots on the top-five list.

3. Pokemon Sun/Moon – 15.91 Million Units

Just for the record, I was not a huge Pokemon fan, but I had kids in the house that absolutely love the game and the storyline. I make this declaration for the sole purpose of indicating that I have no clue what Pokemon Sun/Moon is or the direct storyline behind it. However, there were at least 16 million consumers around the world who were familiar enough to spend their money on the game. Let me say that I have no idea how you 15.91 units. Maybe someone did not buy the whole game. These numbers are coming directly from the Nintendo sales department, so obviously they have some unique way of counting units sold that gives partial credit in certain situations.

2. Mario Kart 7 – 15.95 Units

There were many version of Mario Kart, but seven was the most popular, taking the number two spot in the all-time sales list for 3DS games. Mario Kart is the second Mario Bros. game to make the list. It is a racing game theme. The game allowed players to compete against the computer or multiple players could compete simultaneously. While the character themes remained true to the Mario Bros. identity, there definitely a heightened sense of competitiveness when playing this game, which explains why it was so popular. This Kart serious was an expression of the constant evolution of the Mario brand and series of games. It was the effort of designers to keep up with the rapidly evolving demand for newer more exciting games. The fact that this game sold close to 16 million units worldwide speaks to the success of the designers in this instance. For those wondering if the game stands up in the current gaming landscape, for classic fans, the answer is yes.

1. Pokemon X/Y – 16.2 Million Units

As I stated before, I am not a Pokemon fan, so this is all foreign to me. The X/Y series is a series of role-playing games that move along the Pokemon theme. What is most interesting about this particular series is that it is the first installment of the Pokemon theme, which means that the original is the best selling. It sort of makes sense. The game has had a lot of time to reach that number one spot. However, it takes more than time to reach 16.2 units sold. You have to remain relevant and fun for fans over that time, and the X/Y series was able to do that.