Mario Kart World Tops the Japanese Charts, Switch 2 Sells 191K - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 18 December 2025 / 6,779 Views
Mario Kart World (NS2) has remained in first place on the retail charts in Japan with sales of 103,861 units, according to Famitsu for the week ending December 14, 2025.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (NS2) is in second place with sales of 50,292 units, while the Switch 1 version is in third place with sales of 40,813 units.
Momotaro Dentetsu 2: Anata no Machi mo Kitto Aru – Higashi Nihon Hen + Nishi Nihon Hen (NS2) is in fifth place with sales of 18,964 units, while the Switch 1 version is in sixth place with sales of 18,015 units.
Kirby Air Riders (NS2) is in fourth place with sales 39,206 units, Donkey Kong Bananza (NS2) is in seventh place with sales of 12,519 units, and Minecraft (NS) is in eighth place with sales of 11,770 units. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (NS) is in ninth place with sales of 9,513 and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (NS2) rounds out the top 10 with sales of 8,001 units.
The Nintendo Switch 2 was the best-selling platform with 190,944 units sold. The Switch 1 sold 31,344 units, The PlayStation 5 sold 18,912 units, the Xbox Series X|S sold 183 units, and the PlayStation 4 sold 13 units.
Here are the best-selling games in Japan:
- [SW2] Mario Kart World (Nintendo, 06/05/25) – 103,861 (2,458,007)
- [NSW] Pokemon Legends: Z-A (The Pokemon Company, 10/16/25) – 50,292 (1,397,534)
- [SW2] Pokemon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (The Pokemon Company, 10/16/25) – 40,813 (903,190)
- [SW2] Kirby Air Riders (Nintendo, 11/20/25) – 39,206 (327,824)
- [SW2] Momotaro Dentetsu 2: Anata no Machi mo Kitto Aru – Higashi Nihon Hen + Nishi Nihon Hen – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Konami, 11/13/25) – 18,964 (132,058)
- [NSW] Momotaro Dentetsu 2: Anata no Machi mo Kitto Aru – Higashi Nihon Hen + Nishi Nihon Hen (Konami, 11/13/25) – 18,015 (177,007)
- [SW2] Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo, 07/17/25) – 12,519 (403,783)
- [NSW] Minecraft (Microsoft, 06/21/18) – 11,770 (4,078,169)
- [NSW] Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo, 03/20/20) – 9,513 (8,283,927)
- [SW2] Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (Koei Tecmo, 11/06/25) – 8,001 (126,461)
Here is the hardware breakdown (followed by lifetime sales):
- Switch 2 – 190,944 (3,362,777)
- Switch Lite – 14,885 (6,780,048)
- PlayStation 5 Digital Edition – 12,671 (1,090,710)
- Switch OLED Model – 9,747 (9,365,054)
- Switch – 6,712 (20,200,082)
- PlayStation 5 – 3,270 (5,861,281)
- PlayStation 5 Pro – 2,971 (307,680)
- Xbox Series X Digital Edition – 131 (24,405)
- Xbox Series S – 33 (340,240)
- Xbox Series X – 19 (323,801)
- PlayStation 4 – 13 (7,930,124)
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 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
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The crazy thing with the Switch 2s sales is that aside from mario kart they haven't released sequels to any of the Switch 1s biggest hitters yet. We still have 3d mario, zelda, smash, animal crossing, splatoon and pokemon to keep sales high.
Have you, now.
Your laser-focused, constant downplaying of a platform doesn’t exactly tell us that you’re mature or grown up on this issue.
Downplaying of a platform is not being immature. Taking offense to someone downplaying a piece of plastic which is manufactured by a company that only exists to make profits for themselves and going all ad-hominem because of it... well...
If you don't agree with me, that's fine. State it. But honestly, why should it bother you whether or not I see a flaw in a game console? If I'm not getting personal, if I'm not attacking you or disrespecting you in anyway... why should it upset you? It's a GAME CONSOLE. It's not your mother. It's not your father. It's a hunk of circuit boards and plastic. That's it. Getting all hot and bothered by it isn't logical. It just ruins your hour/day, or puts you in a foul mood.
then why are you the one who seems emotional involved if you don't care about platforms? It's pretty logical what miedek said, the older Nintendo platforms competed against PS and 2 but Switch 2 doesn't compete with PS5 that much. It's really nothing to get crazy about, it's just logical thinking. PS2 vs Gamecube was like Honda Civic vs. Toyota Corolla. PS5 vs. Switch 2 is like Honda Civic vs. a Hayabusa or something. Both are meant to drive with but they won't steal sales of the other one.
Just because they don't share the same philosophy, it doesnt mean they don't compet for sales. Switch 2 is best build for the japonese gamer audience so they are chossing it over PS5. The same happened with PS1 and 2 vs 64 and Cube. Thats how competition works
It's the fastest selling console ever at the moment. So far games like Mario kart and Donkey kong are selling extremely well. So I'd say at the moment it looks like the public wants the platform. Games don't really need to be revolutionary to sell well. I wouldn't call most of the Switch 1s best sellers revolutionary, yet they are some of the best selling games ever. The pokemon games haven't even been particularly good and are still selling ridiculous amounts.
The N64 had a couple of “revolutionary” titles paired with very long droughts where nothing was released - and by nothing, I mean absolutely nothing at all. You had months where only one game would release, and it was some low budget third party game from some Western developer on their last legs. 1997 was an especially lean year for the N64.
All very true but man... what DID release changed industries and invented wheels.
The general public is showing they want the platform as evidenced by the sales. The difference between Switch 2 and N64 and Gamecube are multiple 1) Switch 2s releasing off the back of immense goodwill between Nintendo and both the buying public and also games developers 2) Nintendos developer relations are much, much improved since their arrogant Dream Team and Seal of Quality days 3) Switch 2 has parity (not in performance but in compatibility with industry standards) whereas N64 with its carts and tough development environment and Gamecube with its mini dvds presented challenges for developers 4) Switch 2s handheld hybrid format is one Nintendo popularised and that is still very much in demand by the public. Whereas N64 and GC looked outdated and kiddy with the lack of support for the latest media and because of the look of the consoles themselves.
So all in all bit of an apples to oranges comparison. But lets see how things progress.
I could easily argue, with its lack of power and one-size-fits-all carts, that the S2 has similar challenges. Virtual cards, ports that are inferior to PS5's, certain games that can't even run on it due to weak hardware (GTA 6)... the S2 has more in common with the N64 than you think.
Virtual cartridges only matter to a shrinking audience. Ask anyone under 20 whether they care about physical media, and most couldn’t care less. No one is buying a Nintendo console to play GTA 6. And realistically, any PS5 ports would likely be closer to Series S versions of those games anyway.
Ive addressed those previously. It lacks its competitors raw power but it has compatibility with industry standards (whether we're talking engine compatibility or features such as upscalers) allowing it to receive competent ports of many titles regardless of the power difference. Plus Nintendo has never had GTA on their platforms and as the DS, Wii, 3DS and Switch 1 show, GTA isnt the determinant of a consoles success.
Regardless, real world commercial performance points to substantial consumer interest and demand for the hardware. So not sure where youre going with your line of argument.
If it had a better Mario Kart game it would've done even better in Japan.
Disagree. I know MK8 got a LOT of new content, but I lost interest in it way faster than I think I will with World. MKW's physics are way better, and the karts feel way better to drive. It cannot compete with the years of content of MK8, but gameplay, at least for me, is way better this time around and it feels like an actual racing game.
Did we even play the same Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?
Mario Kart 8 was pretty bare bones when it came out. It took a lot of updates and DLCs to make it what it became. I’m enjoying MKW more than I did MK8 at this time in its release cycle.
True! I had it on release date for the WiiU, and back then not even battle mode was available.
At least MK8DX has more than just two Battle Modes. -_-
It only had one Battle Mode when it released.
But I remember it having Balloon Battle, Bob-Omb Blast and Coin Runners when it released.
You didn’t get the original Wii U rekease. I did. Only Balloon Battle, and no actual battle maps (only repurposed “regular” maps). All of those features came later.
Well if there are updates to add characters and courses to Mario Kart World they better be free, considering how much the base game costs.
It's Nintendo.
STOP KILLING MY OPTIMISM!!!!! hits Pemalite with DK hammer
That hammer is a $10 DLC, are you sure you wish to continue? ;)
Not the hammer you're thinking of. hits Penalties again
AFAIK MarioKart 8 was viewed as being a lesser of MKWii when it launched back in 2014, with a schism forming in the community similar to that between Smash Bros Melee & Brawl. It was only after recieving eight waves of DLC and a Deluxe re-release when the game became the "Definitive MarioKart Experience."
Give it some time. For what it's worth, the game is already comparable to MK8Deluxe in terms of quality, even in its base state. It's far from flawless, but there's already a lot of meat on its bones.
Very True
And if Nintendo supports it the way they did MK8, then by the time the next generation rolls around, MKW will be the definitive version. My kid already loves free roam, and I can’t wait to see what they add to it over time.
Capture the flag would be the best addition for battle mode. MKW mechanics would make this pure madness!
Animal Crossing is going to be big in January as well with the Switch 2 Edition and update coming.
no metroid prime 4?
Metroid is Niche. It was never going to be a blockbuster commercially. If it can do 5 million lifetime, that's a win.
It's this generation's Other M.
