Everybody knows how much the Wii U has struggled since its launch in November 2012. Trying to market a new console when cheaper alternatives are on the market is always hard, especially when people questioned how much of a jump the Wii U really was in comparison to systems like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. However, the biggest challenge has been a lack of third-party support, leaving to way too many dry spells of games, as most of the big games are straight from Nintendo or their developers.
Now enters Mario Kart 8, which some hoped could be the savior for the console, but most thought the system was long dead, even with Mario Kart 8 out and Super Smash Bros. on the horizon this winter. Just like with past entries in the series, Mario Kart 8 is selling like crazy, with two million copies sold worldwide in less than a month, as it released on May 29 in Japan and May 30 in the US.
Perhaps even more incredible is thinking how high of a percentage of Wii U owners have bought the game already, showing how vital the series is to Nintendo. There were only an estimated six million or so Wii U consoles sold worldwide so far, so two million buying the game is great news for Nintendo. It has also been reported that Wii U console sales have increased a good bit as well, and likely will continue to grow as more and more people get to play this gamechanger for the Wii U.
This is about the first time that the Wii U is looking like it could propel itself back into the console race. While it likely won’t be able to compete with the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, we have some of the best games of the last year releasing on the system, Super Mario World 3D, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, The Wonderful 101, and now Mario Kart 8. Super Smash Bros. and The Legend of Zelda Wii U are still coming, with other surprises like Hyrule Warriors and Splatoon looking like a lot of fun as well.
Let us know below whether or not you have a Wii U yet, and if not, has Mario Kart 8 made you rethink not having one? Also, what game would sell you on buying a Wii U if none of the games so far have?
