The Top 9 Best-Selling Games in the Mario Kart Franchise - Sales

by William D'Angelo , posted on 02 March 2020 / 13,008 Views

The Mario Kart franchise has been a mainstay for Nintendo since the original, Super Mario Kart, launched for the SNES. Every Nintendo console and handheld since the SNES and GBA have gotten a release in the kart racing series.

Unsurprisingly, Nintendo's best-selling home console and handheld also have the best-selling Mario Kart games, according to shipment figures from Nintendo. Mario Kart Wii shipped 37.20 million units, while Mario Kart DS shipped 23.60 million units.

Mario Kart 8 shipped 8.44 million units on the Wii U. While that might put it as the seventh best-selling game in the franchise, it was also released on the worst selling Nintendo console, the Wii U, which sold just 13.56 million units lifetime. That would mean nearly two-thirds of Wii U owners purchased the game.

The rerelease of Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, released for the Nintendo Switch on April 28, 2017 and has shipped 16.69 million units as of March 31, 2019. The figure is expected to continue to climb as the hybrid console continues to sell at a strong pace. It will likely continue to move up the best-sellers chart for the Mario Kart franchise. It has shipped 44.9 percent of what Mario Kart Wii shipped.

Here is the list of the best-selling games in the Mario Kart franchise:

Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 37.20m
Mario Kart DS (DS) - 23.60m
Mario Kart 7 (3DS) - 18.26m
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (NS) - 16.69m
Mario Kart 64 (N64) - 9.87m
Super Mario Kart (SNES) - 8.76m
Mario Kart 8 (WiiU) - 8.44m
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GCN) - 6.88m
Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA) - 5.91m

A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.

12 Comments

poroporo (on 13 July 2019)

Would appreciate a new Mario Kart. New tracks...

SecondWar poroporo (on 13 July 2019)

You might have to hold out hope for some DLC. Nintendo only seems to release one MK per console.

Bofferbrauer2 poroporo (on 14 July 2019)

But since that one was a Rerelease, there's still a possibility for a new, Switch-exclusive Mario Kart to come out, so I wouldn't dismiss that possibility just yet.

SecondWar poroporo (on 14 July 2019)

I'll guve you that there is probably a slightly higher chance of seeing MK9 on the Switch than in past console cycles, but given how MK8D is selling Nintendo won't see a need to break the habit.

PAOerfulone (on 13 July 2019)

With Nintendod's next earnings release right around the corner, I think you probably should've waited a little bit. ;)
Regardless, I think it should be somewhere between 18-18.5 million with the next update and close to 20 million by the September 31st update. At the very least, I think MK8D should easily become the 2nd best selling game in the franchise and I'll even say I think 30 million is a lock.

zorg1000 (on 13 July 2019)

MK8 Deluxe has a real shot at becoming number 1.

Comment was deleted...

zorg1000 zorg1000 (on 13 July 2019)

Ya legs of Switch will be very important as well as whether or not it becomes a pack-in title at some point.

tak13 zorg1000 (on 13 July 2019)

More possible now with the Nintendo switch lite...
I'll go bolder, MK8 DX might have a real shot to become the best selling Nintendo games ever excluding wii game series.

Bofferbrauer2 zorg1000 (on 14 July 2019)

I think the only think that can really stop MK8D now from taking the top spot is a potential Mario Kart 9 coming out for the Switch, stealing it's spotlight.

S.Peelman (on 14 July 2019)

Mario Kart 8 combined is already second, but I think the second place is also the lowest it’ll go on Switch alone. Wii is still far away, but not impossible, which is crazy.