NSMB sets Wii sales record in Japan

By Oli Welsh Published 8 December, 2009

Nearly a million copies in four days.

According to Enterbrain (translated by GameSpot), New Super Mario Bros. Wii sold 936,734 copies on its first four days on sale in Japan, 3rd to 6th December.

That's the best opening-week sales performance in the country in the Wii's history, beating Super Smash Bros. Brawl's previous record by over 100,000 units. That game sold 820,000 copies in a week back in January. It's more than three times the sales of last week's Japanese chart-topper, the latest Professor Layton game for DS.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii has made a less spectacular showing in the UK charts, placing behind Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin's Creed 2 in its first two weeks on sale. We don't yet know how it's done in the US, however - NPD figures for November are expected this week.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (22) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Charlie_Miso #1 2 years ago

    English in 'poor taste' shocker!

  • Dizzy #2 2 years ago

    It deserves to do well... it is an ace game. Japan in Nintendo-country shocker :)

  • MORZTAN #3 2 years ago

    @ Dizzy

    It would be 3 years ago.

    EDIT: Marked down?
    Edited by 1 at 08/12/09 @ 12:18

  • Tomo #4 2 years ago

    It'll do fine in the UK. Probably be knocking around the Top 5 for most of the beginning of next year.

  • KDR_11k #5 2 years ago

    New Super Mario Bros. Wii has made a less spectacular showing in the UK charts, placing behind Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin's Creed 2 in its first two weeks on sale.

    Note that it does lead the individual formats list, MW2 and AC2 only take the lead by being on multiple platforms.

  • Vice.Destroyer #6 2 years ago

    Could it be that Reggie wasn't completely off the mark when he predicted that NSMB would match the sales of MW2 on ONE of the two platforms? I am intrigued.

  • JuanKerr #7 2 years ago

    I played Quake recently and it's essentially the same as most modern FPS games. Does that mean all current gen consoles are homes of games from the 1990s? FIFA and Pro Evo are still essentially the same as they were 7 years ago, so are they shit too?

    That's a terrible argument MESSIAH.

  • kinky_mong #8 2 years ago

    if mario kart was released on the 360 without the mario name, it would have got a below 5 score.

    Oh dear Donnie. Even by your usual poor standards that's an abysmal argument.

  • gav_and_the_gavster #9 2 years ago

    NSMB is ace. And even though the mechanics aren't all completely new, the experience it delivers is brand new for me. It's a dream come true that I can now play "my type of game, not the wife's" in a co-op situation with her.

  • Alterego-X #10 2 years ago

    "Could it be that Reggie wasn't completely off the mark when he predicted that NSMB would match the sales of MW2 on ONE of the two platforms? I am intrigued."

    He was talking about USA sales, until this January. This was probably a bit off, it will most likely take until February or March until they match, no one expected that MW2 will be this front-loaded. If it would follow MW1's sales pattern, it would have been a safe bet.

    On worldwide lifetime sales, NSMB Wii, could potentially outsell NSMB DS' 20 million, that will be far, far more than MW2.

  • telboy007 #11 2 years ago

    "The wii has such a bad software library that average games are promoted to excellent games. "

    What like Silent Hill, which has just got a 9/10? You speaketh tripe.

  • gingerlink #12 2 years ago

    I think NSMBWii topped modern warfare 2 in the last week of UK sales actually...

  • secombe #13 2 years ago

    Yup, single platform sales have NSMB at #1.

  • Stompy #14 2 years ago

    "The wii has such a bad software library that average games are promoted to excellent games."

    In a world where prejudice against a 'casual' or 'kiddy' console is acceptable because of its user demographic, amount of terrible cash-in games, and low graphical power... in this world, the reviewers actually give that console a leg-up?

  • Bazfrag #15 2 years ago

    "I think NSMBWii topped modern warfare 2 in the last week of UK sales actually..."

    My faith in UK gamers is returning.

  • TonyHarrison #16 2 years ago

    It's not just a Wii record, it's the biggest opening week in Japan on any of the three consoles.

    Only handheld games have fared better.

  • IronCladChicken #17 2 years ago

    @MESSIAH999
    If you were playing GoW you'd be more interested in the person watching thanthe game itself - with Mario kart you'd be too involved to give a crap ;)

  • smelly #18 2 years ago

    "Banjoe kazooie NAB on the 360 is a perfect example, its far more innotive than SMG but sold poorly and scored fairly average. "

    WTF?!? What utter nonsense? are you REALLY comparing Nuts and Bolts to Galaxy!?! Oh dear.. it's obvious you havent played galaxy. As a platformer fan - i have both games... Nuts and bolts sold poorly and scored averagely because it was.. *shock* not very good!

    And to try to claim Nuts and Bolts had more "imagination" in it?!? W..T..F?

    CLUELESS TROLL ALERT!!!! If you're going to slag off a game, it normally helps if you've actually played it - then you wouldnt look like a retard.

  • smelly #19 2 years ago

    >Long live Nintendo and their fun games.

    +1 - people seem to forget that games should be.. erm.. you know.. erm.. fun!

  • bad09 #20 2 years ago

    "people seem to forget that games should be.. erm.. you know.. erm.. fun! "


    I keep seeing you post this Smelly and I have to say something. Fun is what YOU make of it. Your "I and Nintendo know what's fun" attitude is pure Ninty fanboy rubbish I'm afraid.

  • robson_wii #21 2 years ago

    Usually Nintendo games are fun. I have just started NSMBWii and, although it is a complete throw-back to a different generation, it seems like it will grow on me now I understand the mechanics of the game.
    On the other hand some non-Nintendo games such as COD:Reflex are not fun. Some levels were good but on the whole I found it dull and uninteresting because of the controls and the way the game played.

  • varsas #22 2 years ago

    @MESSIAH999: You do realise that the ps1 is 2 generations before the 360 and not 1 as between the cube and Wii?