If there was any doubt that Nintendo is now back in a big way, the new NPD numbers, which Nintendo trumpeted in a press release today, should put it to rest. Nintendo announced today that the Switch topped hardware charts again last month in the US, being the highest selling system on the market for the third month straight, and the fifth month total out of the seven that it has been on the market.
This is an especially impressive feat, because the Switch achieved this in the month that FIFA and Destiny launched- which should have pushed the PS4’s hardware sales by all accounts. The Switch was buoyed by a number of games, too- Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle (which was seven on the individual SKU charts for the month by unit sales), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (number 10), and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (number 11).
Incredibly enough, Nintendo’s success last month doesn’t end there- the sales of all Nintendo hardware put together (3DS, Switch, SNES Mini) account for two thirds of all hardware sold last month. Not just that, but the 3DS exclusive Metroid: Samus Returns did well as well, placing in the top 10 charts.
So, it sounds like Nintendo has managed to stage a hell of a comeback in the last few months- and going into the Holiday season with a stacked lineup of exclusives and multiplatform games, they should be able to sustain and accelerate that momentum even further. It will be interesting to see this all play out.