When Nintendo released the Nintendo Switch in 2017, any person who had ever purchased a Nintendo DS jumped for joy. Since its initial release, Switch games have become increasingly popular for their multiplayer ability, hybrid home console structure, and intriguing plot lines. However, newcomers to video games might be interested to know which games are the best-sellers on the list so far.
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So, which Nintendo Switch games are the best selling? Here’s everything we know about games past, present, and future.
Source: Nintendo
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Which Nintendo Switch games are the best selling?
In September 2019, Nintendo made an even easier version of the gaming console, the Nintendo Switch Lite, for those on-the-go users who needed a handheld version only. Per Nintendo, by the end of 2020, the total Nintendo Switch family units had outsold the lifetime sales of the Nintendo 3DS, its handheld predecessor, by selling nearly 80 million units.
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Source: Nintendo
Released on April 28, 2017, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe quickly rose to become the best-selling Nintendo Switch game in existence. As of Dec. 31, 2021, there have been 43.35 million copies of the game sold. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe follows its predecessor Mario Kart games, with the same racing format and multiplayer mode but introduces anti-gravity driving on walls or ceilings and allows players to bump into each other for a short boost.
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‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’
Source: Nintendo
Fans of the original Animal Crossing game lost their minds when Nintendo introduced this follow-up to 2012’s Animal Crossing: New Leaf and 2017’s Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. This 2020 social simulation game allows users to control a character who has purchased a desert island, and allows them to peacefully customize the island to their liking under the watchful eye of animated raccoon Tom Nook.
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‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’
Source: Nintendo
The third-best-selling Nintendo Switch game is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The fighting game follows characters from Nintendo games and other franchises facing off to knock one another out of an arena. 11 new characters were added to this version of the game, including Princess Daisy from the Mario series; Simon Belmont and Richter Belmont from the Castlevania series; Chrom from Fire Emblem Awakening; King K. Rool from the Donkey Kong series; Isabelle from the Animal Crossing series and more.
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‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’
Source: Nintendo
The fourth best-selling Nintendo Switch game was long-awaited by fans as the most recent installment in the Legend of Zelda franchise that reportedly took five years to develop. Breath of the Wild is set in an open world where players explore the kingdom of Hyrule while controlling Link. Players are encouraged to explore freely in the space and given scant instruction. A sequel follow-up is scheduled for release in 2022.
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‘Pokémon Sword and Shield’
Source: Nintendo
One of the biggest draws of the Nintendo DS console is the sheer number of nostalgic Pokémon games playable on the device. Thankfully, after the decline of the Nintendo DS, Nintendo Switch was quick to create a Switch-friendly version: Pokémon Sword and Shield. Nintendo has since followed up with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, remakes of the 2012 games of the same name, and another original addition Pokémon Legends: Arceus.