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Reviewed By What started in 1983 with the standalone Mario Bros. has since grown into one of the biggest and best-selling video game franchises of all time.
We were curious to discover which is the best-selling Mario Sports video game, so our team researched the best and most popular games in the franchise.
What is the best-selling Mario Sports video game?
| Rank | Name | Release Date | Console | Copies (Millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | 2017 | Switch | 52.00 |
| 2 | Mario Kart Wii | 2008 | Wii | 37.38 |
| 3 | Mario Kart DS | 2005 | DS | 23.60 |
| 4 | Mario Kart 7 | 2011 | 3DS | 18.97 |
| 5 | Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games | 2007 | Wii/DS | 13.06 |
| 6 | Mario Kart 64 | 1997 | N64 | 9.87 |
| 7 | Super Mario Kart | 1992 | SNES | 8.76 |
| 8 | Mario Kart 8 | 2014 | Wii U | 8.46 |
| 9 | Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games | 2009 | Wii/DS | 6.99 |
| 10 | Mario Kart: Double Dash!! | 2003 | GCN | 6.88 |
The full top 10 includes a range of games for different consoles:
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the most popular game in the Mario franchise, with 52 million copies sold worldwide.
- In second and third place are Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart DS, with 37.4 million and 23.6 million copies sold, respectively.
- In fourth place is Mario Kart 7 with 18.95 million copies sold, and rounding out the top five is Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games with 13.06 million.
The total number of sales of the top 10 most sold Mario Sports games has reached 185.97 million copies.
Plumbers by trade, Mario and his brother Luigi are known globally for their iconic catchphrases and high-flying antics thanks to the popular Mario video games.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe launched in 2017 on the Nintendo Switch games console and sold 52 million copies worldwide, creating a revenue of over $2.04 billion.
The online multiplayer video game was launched shortly after the release of the much anticipated Nintendo Switch console in March 2017 as one of its flagship games, which may explain its popularity.
Mario Kart Wii
Following in second place is Mario Kart Wii. Initially released in April 2008 (two years after the launch of the Nintendo Wii console), the video game went on to sell 37.4 million copies and generated a staggering $1.4 billion in revenue.
Mario Kart DS
In third place is Mario Kart DS, which was released in 2005 on the popular handheld games console, Nintendo DS.
Mario Kart DS was revealed to have sold 23.6 million copies globally with a revenue of $925 million.
Mario Kart 7
Mario Kart 7 takes fourth place with a total of 18.97 million copies sold and $783 million generated in revenue.
Released in 2011, Mario Kart 7 was a modern take on the original Mario Kart DS video game, updating gameplay and features to the newly launched Nintendo 3DS console.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
In fifth place is Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.
The crossover between Nintendo’s Mario and Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog characters was released in November 2007 as the first official video game of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games held in Beijing.
The popular video game sold 13.06 million copies worldwide across the Nintendo Wii and DS platforms.
Mario Kart 64
In sixth place is a game that holds a special place in the hearts of many 90s and early 00s kids, Mario Kart 64.
The game sold 9.87 million copies globally.
Super Mario Kart
Super Mario Kart was the first instalment in the beloved Mario Kart series.
Launched in 1992 on Nintendo’s SNES console, the video game went on to sell 8.76 million copies throughout its life cycle.
This popularity kickstarted the Mario Kart series, which has gone on to spawn many successful sequels to date – as shown by their dominance of this list.
Mario Kart 8
Following closely behind in eighth place is Mario Kart 8, which sold 8.46 million copies worldwide.
The video game was released in 2014 on the Nintendo Wii’s successor, the Wii U.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
The second instalment in the Mario & Sonic series is Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.
Following on from the success of its predecessor, this video game was launched in 2009 as the official video game of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games held in Vancouver.
It sold 6.99 million copies globally, ranking it ninth on this list.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Finally, in tenth place is Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Released in 2003 for the Gamecube console, it sold 6.88 million copies.
The real numbers of the Mario franchise
Mario is an iconic figure in the video game industry, and the sales figures spanning over five decades prove it.
With Mario Kart 8 Deluxe selling 52 million copies since 2017, it shows that Mario and his friends are still incredibly popular to this day and likely will be for generations to come.
What’s your favourite game from the franchise?
Let us know in the comments what games from your list you’ve bought or played. Also, which is your favourite one and which one has disappointed you? Let’s talk!
