Nintendo 3DS Sales Rocket in Japan, Boosted By Mario Kart 7

It finally seems like sales of Nintendo's 3DS console are starting to take off! Helped by price cuts and the recent release of eagerly awaited games such as Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land, things are looking up for the 3D handheld console.

According to figures from Media Create, the seemingly once-troubled 3DS has shot to the top of the bestseller list in Japan with almost 206,000 unit sales last week alone!

That places it ahead of the Sony PS3 and PSP in second and third place, each clocking up around 40,000 sales. The Nintendo Wii, however, didn't quite make the podium, with 31,000 unit sales over the same period and, further behind, Microsoft's XBOX 360 is still struggling to keep up in the Japanese market with less than 1,700 consoles sales—that's less than the DSi XL!

Thanks Mario!

While last summer's price cut has almost certainly helped things along nicely, the biggest boost to sales is likely to have come from Nintendo's most famous character, as Mario has finally put in an appearance on the 3DS. Mario Kart 7 has proved a huge hit with over 420,000 copies sold last week alone, compared with around 74,000 for Super Mario 3D Land released just a few days before.

Although no official figures on sales in the UK are available yet, it seems likely that the Mario effect will work its magic for Nintendo over here too—especially with Christmas just around the corner.


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