Skip to main content

Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

UK charts: Mario Kart in pole position

Full top 40 and more obvious puns inside.

Mario Kart has raced past Gran Turismo 5: Prologue to take the number one spot in the UK all-formats chart. Brrroom.

It's enjoyed the biggest launch of any Nintendo-published title, according to shop watchers Chart-Track, selling more copies than Mario and Sonic, Mario Galaxy, Mario Strikers, Mario Party 8 and Super Paper Mario combined. For those who really want to know, Wii games featuring Mario account for 21.2 per cent of all software sold for the console. FACT.

So it's GT5: Prologue in second and Mario and Sonic at the Olympics still riding high in third, despite countrywide pickets of GAME stores by pro-Tibetan protestors. Pro Evo remains stable at four, while Tom Clancy beats his tiny fists on the carpet and cries for the empty bellies of his poor children as Rainbow Six Vegas 2 drops two places to number five. Condemned 2 sales fell by 20 per cent this week, so it's gone down to six.

It's the Wii remote at number seven, or to be specific the one that comes bundled with some rubbishy old games about racing cows and the like. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock drops two places to number eight, Call of Duty 4 nudges up to nine and, one does not have the words, Carnival Games is up three places to round off the top ten.

Other movers in the top 40 this week include Viking: Battle for Asgard, down nine places to number 16. Poor old SEGA's also had to watch House of the Dead 2&3 drop from 17 to 25. Assassin's Creed is up 12 places to number 15 following the release of the DS and PC versions. Burnout Paradise, Command and Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath and PDC World Championship Darts have all dropped out of the top 40 entirely, while Halo 3 makes a re-entry at number 39.

  1. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
  2. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3)
  3. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii, DS)
  4. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PC, DS, PSP)
  5. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (Xbox 360, PS3)
  6. Condemned 2: Bloodshot (Xbox 360, PS3)
  7. Wii Play (Wii)
  8. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, DS)
  9. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, DS)
  10. Carnival: Funfair Games (Wii)
  11. SEGA Superstars Tennis (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS)
  12. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
  13. Dark Sector (Xbox 360, PS3)
  14. Game Party (Wii)
  15. Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, DS)
  16. Viking: Battle for Asgard (PS3, Xbox 360)
  17. Cooking Mama 2 (Wii, DS)
  18. FIFA 08 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, PS2, DS, PSP)
  19. Imagine: Babies (DS)
  20. Ben 10: Protector of Earth (Wii, PS2, PSP, DS)
  21. More Brain Training From Dr Kawashima (DS)
  22. Army of Two (Xbox 360, PS3)
  23. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
  24. Football Manager 2008 (PC, Xbox 360)
  25. The House of the Dead II & III Return (Wii)
  26. Ratatouille (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, PS2, DS, PSP, GBA)
  27. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, PS2, DS, PSP)
  28. Sonic and the Secret Rings (Wii)
  29. WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2008 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS, PSP)
  30. Mario Kart DS (DS)
  31. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS)
  32. Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 (Wii)
  33. Bully: Scholarship Edition (Xbox 360, Wii, PS2)
  34. The Simpsons Game (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS, PSP)
  35. 42 All-Time Classics (DS)
  36. Imagine: Fashion Designer (DS)
  37. MX vs ATV Untamed (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, DS)
  38. Baby Pals (DS)
  39. Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
  40. The Spiderwick Chronicles (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, PS2, DS)