The new Smash Bros. is off to a strong start (and I strongly resisted the urge to say “smashing start”).
According to Nintendo today, Super Smash Bros for Wii U is the console’s fastest-selling game. It sold a combined 490,000 physical and digital copies during its first three days of availability in the U.S., which started on Nov. 21. Nintendo says this dethroned the Wii U’s previous quickest seller, Mario Kart 8.
Mario Kart 8 actually sold 1.2 million copies in its first three days, but that game launched in the U.S., Japan, Europe, and Australia at about the same time. Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U is currently only available in the U.S., which is why Nintendo specified that this is the system’s strongest U.S. start. Still, it’s likely a sign that the fighter will perform extremely well around the world.
Super Smash Bros. has long been one of Nintendo’s strongest franchises. The series has sold 14 million copies in the U.S. alone. Along with last week’s Wii U version, Nintendo released a Smash Bros. entry for the portable 3DS system in October. We loved both of them.
The Wii U can certainly use a hit. It has struggled to compete with the popular PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The holidays are obviously an important time for the industry, and Nintendo has positioned Super Smash Bros. as the Wii U’s must-own game of the season.