Nintendo’s Wii U might be flatlining worryingly, but the 3DS is picking up the slack in all regions. After an incredible year for the handheld, which saw one major quality release after another, Nintendo reported today that the 3DS’s lifetime sales in the United States alone were 11.5 million units, with 16 million games having been sold in just that region in 2013 alone.
Nintendo also talked about the 3DS’s great year, pointing out how seven games that released on the system in 2013 aggregated at least an 85 on Metacritic, with two scoring higher than 90. All these titles were exclusive to the 3DS.
“Nintendo 3DS is a powerhouse with games and experiences that appeal to all kinds of players,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “We’re not slowing down in 2014. With more games featuring fan-favorite franchises on the way, the best days of Nintendo 3DS are still to come.”
Although it is hard to imagine Nintendo replicating a 2013 kind of year for the 3DS ever, it does have some good software lined up for the year- Yoshi’s new Island, Bravely Default, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, Mario Golf, Super Smash Brothers, and Kirby Triple Deluxe are just some of the titles that we know will be coming to the system this year. Nintendo also confirmed that Disney Magical World, a Disney themed Animal Crossing-esque game that was a surprise success in Japan, will be hitting the system this year.
With the 3DS’s success worldwide (it was the highest selling system in Japan and UK too), at least Nintendo’s bean counters can relax just a little bit.