Nintendo
Nintendo

How many copies did Mario Kart sell? — 2024 statistics

Karting to the top!

Fact-checked
First Released
August 27, 1992
Genre
Racing
Developer
Nintendo
Publisher
Nintendo

It’s astounding to consider how a modest plumber in red overalls would ascend to become one of the most iconic figures in fictional history. With fourteen titles to its name, Mario Kart sales have been remarkable. In this exploration, we’ll dive into the Mario Kart statistics, tracing its inception, current prominence, and potential future trajectory. There’s much ground to cover, so let’s dive in! Oh, by the way, if you’re interested in these sorts of topics, we can tell you exactly how big the gaming industry is!

Mario Kart key stats

In this segment, we’ll highlight key Mario Kart sales figures, revenue, and other vital details. The monumental success of the Mario Kart and Super Mario series has profoundly influenced the gaming industry. Their unmatched popularity underscores their role as pillars of gaming, and it’s essential to recognize their lasting impact.

The Mario Kart sales have exceeded 173 million copies worldwide.

(Source: Nintendo)

GameYearCopies sold
Super Mario Kart19928,760,000
Mario Kart 6419969,870,000
Mario Kart: Super Circuit20015,900,000
Mario Kart: Double Dash20036,960,000
Mario Kart DS200523,600,000
Mario Kart Wii200837,380,000
Mario Kart 7201118,970,000
Mario Kart 820148,460,000
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe201753,790,000
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit20201,270,000

Analyzing Mario Kart sales, it’s evident that the franchise has been a significant success story for Nintendo. Standout performances include “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” with 52 million units and “Mario Kart Wii” at 37.38 million. Additionally, “Mario Kart DS” notably sold 23.60 million units, solidifying its position as a top-seller for the DS platform. Even earlier entries, like “Super Mario Kart” and “Mario Kart 64”, sold 8.76 million and 9.87 million units respectively, setting the tone for the series’ enduring appeal. In summation, the Mario Kart series has been instrumental in Nintendo’s financial triumph and remains cherished by fans globally.

Mario Kart 8 is the 6th-best-selling game of all time with over 60 million copies worldwide.

(Sources: Nintendo)

GameCopies sold
Minecraft238,000,000
Grand Theft Auto V175,000,000
Tetris (EA)100,000,000
Wii Sports83,000,000
PUBG: Battlegrounds75,000,000
Mario Kart 8 / Deluxe60,460,000
Super Mario Bros.58,000,000
Red Dead Redemption 250,000,000
Pokémon Red / Green / Blue / Yellow47,520,000
Terraria44,500,000

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has achieved a remarkable milestone with 43.3 million sales on the Nintendo Switch and the rest on the Wii U. This makes Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the best-selling Nintendo Switch game of all time. The game has also performed exceptionally well in Japan, with 5 million copies shipped in the region alone. With the continued popularity of the Nintendo Switch and the longevity of the Mario Kart franchise, it is possible that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe could break into the top 5 most sold games in the future.

Mario Kart 8 was a massively popular game when it first came out for the Wii, but when it was re-released to the Nintendo Switch, that really tipped the scales in Nintendo’s favor as the game became the best-selling Mario Kart game as well as the best-selling Nintendo Switch game of all time. It has also climbed the ranks when it comes to the highest-selling games of all time, and as time goes on, it might even rise higher than the #6 position.

Mario Kart revenue has reached an impressive $6.8 billion.

(Source: VG Sales)

  • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe generated $2 billion in revenue.
  • Mario Kart Wii generated $1.4 billion.
  • Mario Kart DS generated $925.6 million.
  • Mario Kart 7 generated $783.4 million.
  • Mario Kart 64 generated $670.2 million.
  • Super Mario Kart generated $670.2 million.
  • Mario Kart 8 generated $506.9 million.

Since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has two releases and the second one is immensely popular, it is no surprise that these games have generated the most revenue. What is important to note here is that the entire Mario Kart series has generated over $6.8 billion in revenue, which is an astronomical number for any franchise to aim for, and $2 billion for a single game is just unbelievable.

Mario Kart Tour has over 200 million downloads on the Play Store.

(Sources: Sensor Tower, Nintendo Life, Games Industry)

  • It has accumulated over $293 million in consumer revenue.
  • It was the second-highest-selling Nintendo mobile game on the Play Store in 2021, falling behind Fire Emblem Heroes.
  • The game was downloaded 10 million times on its first day.
  • It took the game 11 days to race past 100 million downloads.
  • The same period yielded $17.8 million in consumer revenue.
  • The game generated $100 million within its first six months.
  • This was made possible by a Gold subscription which costs $4.99.

What better place to start than one of the most popular mobile games you can play — Mario Kart Tour? This is a fantastic game because you can play it for free and live out everything that the Mario Kart series has to offer. Since it was added to the Play Store in 2019, Mario Kart Tour has swept the mobile gaming industry off its feet, amassing hundreds of millions of downloads and unimaginable amounts of revenue. This game was a massive success

Mario Kart Tour sales rocketed with over 90 million units in its first week, setting a new record for mobile games.

(Sources: iMore, Dexerto)

  • The same period yielded $12 million in revenue.
  • The game’s revenue was generated by gacha mechanics. Otherwise, the game is completely free-to-play.
  • The gacha mechanics used to generate profits were so successful that Nintendo removed them.
  • Nintendo replaced the gacha mechanics with a Spotlight Store that gave players the option of just purchasing the items that they wanted.

The success of Mario Kart Tour was incredible, so much so that Nintendo actually had to remove the gacha mechanics that yielded so much profit. 90 million downloads and $12 million in revenue is nothing to scoff at, and we are sure that the game is going to continue to grow over time as more content is added to the game and as more fans come into the Mario Kart fanbase.

Toyota is gifting SUV buyers a Nintendo Switch and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for every purchase.

(Source: GameRant)

  • The vehicle in question is the Toyota Grand Highlander 2024.
  • This is a very unusual partnership between the two companies, and it’s not the first time.
  • Nintendo partnered with Mercedes in 2014 to promote three of their new vehicles similarly.
  • The main ideas that both of the companies want to show are the family motives portrayed by SUVs and the Nintendo Switch as a console.

Now, this is something that no one was expecting. Game developers will often work together with other companies to secure more exposure and popularity, but when you think of Super Mario of all things, Toyota is not the first thing that comes to mind. However, it makes sense when you think about it since the Nintendo Switch is something that kids can immensely enjoy, and the Toyota SUV is intended for family use.

To sum up

Alright, that’s all we have to say about this iconic series and everything it has done for the gaming community over the years. Racing games are extremely successful most of the time because of their replayability and the excitement that they produce. When you couple a popular genre with an even more popular character, you get something that is simply unforgettable and bound to be popular for decades. The Mario Kart series is a titan within the gaming industry and we cannot wait to see how the series progresses in the future. This is the end of our prix, so we hope that you are satisfied with the information presented here and that you have learned something new!

Sources

  • “Mario Kart Tour Surpasses 200 Million Downloads and $200 Million in Lifetime Revenue”. SensorTower, 2021, https://sensortower.com/blog/mario-kart-tour-200-million-downloads
  • “Mario Kart Tour For Mobile Has Now Made Close To $300 Million In Revenue”. Nintendo Life, 2022, https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/09/mario-kart-tour-for-mobile-has-now-made-close-to-usd300-million-in-revenue
  • “Mario Kart 8 has officially sold 50 million copies”. KitGuru, 2022, https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/mario-kart-8-has-officially-sold-50-million-copies/
  • “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Has Surpassed 5 Million Lifetime Sales In Japan”. DualShockers, 2022, https://www.dualshockers.com/mario-kart-8-deluxe-5-million-sales-japan/
  • “Mario Kart Tour downloaded over 10m times globally in its first day”. Games Industry, 2019, https://www.gamesindustry.biz/mario-kart-tour-downloaded-over-10m-times-globally-in-its-first-day
  • “Mario Kart Tour is fastest ever mobile game launch, 90 million downloads in first week”. iMore, 2019, https://www.imore.com/mario-kart-tour-fastest-ever-mobile-game-launch-90-million-downloads-first-week
  • “Mario Kart Tour made so much money it doesn’t need loot boxes anymore”. Dexerto, 2022, https://www.dexerto.com/gaming/mario-kart-tour-loot-boxes-remove-nintendo-1924243/
  • “Mario Kart”. VG Sales, 2023, https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Mario_Kart
  • “Sales Data – Top Selling Title Sales Units – Wii U Software”. Nintendo. 2022. https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/software/wiiu.html
  • “Sales Data – Top Selling Title Sales Units”. Nintendo. 2022. https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/software/index.html