Tag Archives: mario kart wii

Nintendo has announced that it sold 12 million total hardware units in the US during 2011, marking the fifth year in a row it has accomplished such a feat. This includes more than 4.5 million units of Wii, more than 4 million 3DS systems, and over 3.4 million units of NDS systems.

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Nintendo’s announced it’ll release a new Wii hardware bundle in the UK to consist of the black SKU announced at gamescom, a black Wii wheel controller and a copy of Mario Kart Wii. The pack will launch this Friday, but no RRP was confirmed today.

Kotaku‘s rumouring that Nintendo will introduce a new budget line of titles for Wii in the US.

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Nintendo’s announced it’s to release a special Mario Kart Wii bundle in the UK.

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ELSPA’s announced that Wii Sports Resort and Professor Layton and the Curious Village were the top-selling Wii and DS games, respectively, last year in the UK.

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Vail Christian High School is teaching its students road safety using none other than Mario Kart Wii.

Apparently, the class is called “distracted and drowsy driving project” and kids use the steering wheel peripheral whilst trying to send text messages etc. and smashing into walls and other motorists.

“The whole focus of Vail Christian High School’s traffic safety project is about distracted driving,” said Kim Greene of the Vail Valley Medical Center.

“With the way Alli is driving, rarely on the road and often crashing into computerized cows, the program seems to be driving home the point,” added Colorado 9 News.

We only needed David Prowse MBE we we were kids.

Thanks, CVG.

The Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) has bestowed the title “Video Game of the Year” to Grand Theft Auto IV during the 2009 Video Game Home Entertainment Awards.

Call of Duty: World at War and Wii Fit took home three awards each. Mario Kart Wii won “Racing Game of the Year” as well as one for “Family/Children’s Game of the Year”.

Here’s the full list:

• Video Game of the Year – GTA IV
• Most Innovative – Wii Fit
• Best Third Party Publisher – Electronic Arts

Game of the Year Titles:

• DS – Guitar Hero: On Tour (Bundle)
• PC – World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
• PS2 – Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
• PS3 – Call of Duty World at War
• PSP – God of War: Chains of Olympus
• Wii – Wii Fit
• Xbox 360 – Call of Duty: World at War
• Action/Adventure – GTA IV
• Casual – Wii Fit
• Family/Children’s – Mario Kart Wii
• Fighting – Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe
• Game Graphics – Gears of War 2
• Non-sequel – Left 4 Dead
• Racing – Mario Kart Wii
• RPG/Strategy – Fallout 3
• Shooter/Military – Call of Duty: World at War
• Sports – Madden NFL 09

Full press release after the break.

Thanks, GameDaily

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A joint report from NPD, GfK Chart-Track and Enterbrain has just claimed that Mario Kart Wii was 2008′s biggest selling game across the US, the UK and Japan.

The Wii racer sold 8.94 million units last year, beating off Wii Fit with 8.31 million sales and an eye-watering effort from GTA IV. The Rockstar smash moved 7.29 million copies.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl came fourth with 6.32 million sales, and Treyarch will no doubt be thrilled with a fifth place for World at War and 5.89 million units sold, even without a Japanese release.

Press release after the break.

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Call of Duty: World at War is celebrating a month at the top of the UK charts, MCV writes.

The Activision shooter’s looking good for Christmas number one, although FIFA refuses to drop off, taking third place this week.

Last week’s chart here. Data below for the week ending December 6.

1. Call of Duty: World at War
2. Mario Kart Wii
3. FIFA 09
4. Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training
5. Need For Speed: Undercover
6. Tomb Raider: Underworld
7. Fallout 3
8. Wii Fit
9. Wii Play
10. Guitar Hero: World Tour

By Mike Bowden

According to this Gamasutra piece, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the biggest selling game in America so far this year, with 3.5 million units sold.

Mario Kart Wii’s in second place (3.4 million) with GTA IV coming in third, with 3.2 million copies sold.

More through there. These figures are taken from Matt Mathews’ latest NPD analysis feature.

Mario Kart’s still top of the UK chart, the top five of which have remained freakishly static since last week. Data for the week ending August 23.

1. Mario Kart Wii – Nintendo
2. Wii Fit – Nintendo
3. Beijing 2008 – Sega
4. Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games – Sega
5. Wii Play – Nintendo
6. Carnival: Funfair Games – Take Two
7. Big Beach Sports – THQ
8. Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training – Nintendo
9. Wall-E – THQ
10. Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock – Activision Blizzard

Nintendo chose to lead on Mario Kart and Wii Fit sles in its response to last night’s NPD data, with gigantic hardware figures taking a back-seat – winning in the console space is becoming normal for the firm, clearly.

“The Wii Wheel and Wii Balance Board accessories make game play fun for new gamers while presenting new challenges for those who have been playing a long time,” said NoA marketing head Cammie Dunaway.

“The diversity of the seven Nintendo games represented in NPD’s top 10 for May demonstrates how Nintendo has something for everyone.”

Not to waste the opportunity, obviously, the firm remembered to detail the fact that Wii represented 63 percent of all current-generation consoles sold in May, DS showed 71 percent share of the portable market in the US last month, lifetime sales of Wii now stand at nearly 10.2 million and lifetime DS sales are now at more than 20 million.

As you do. Press release after the link. Read the rest of our NPD coverage here.

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The bestsellers charts from two of the top online retailers in the US, namely GameStop and Amazon.com, show that Wii games make up 60 percent of games listed in the respective top tens.

While Wii continues to dominate overall at the two retailers, though, GTA IV 360 is sitting pretty at the top of the GameStop tree, although on the Amazon.com sales chart Mario Kart Wii has ousted Rockstar’s sandbox title this week to take pole.

Wii Fit is the big news in the UK, with the title not being able to appear in Play.com’s Bestsellers list due to supply shortages for the second week running.

The game has pushed GTA IV PS3 off the second spot in the Amazon.co.uk charts.

It is also worth noting that whilst Mario Kart Wii comes in fourth place on Amazon.co.uk, Play.com is sold out of this as well, meaning the store’s top ten could look rather different if this and Wii Fit were in stock.

By Mike Bowden

Nice debut there for Sega’s Valkyria Chronicles, but there’s no moving Mario Kart Wii at the top of the Japanese all formats. Last week’s chart here, Figures below for the week ending April 27, from Neogaf via Media Create.

01./01. [WII] Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo) – 152,000 / 947,000
02./02. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (Capcom) – 93,000 / 1,807,000
03./00. [PS3] Valkyria Chronicles (Sega) – 77,000 / NEW
04./00. [NDS] Taiko Drum Master DS: Seven Island Adventure (Bandai-Namco) – 56,000 / NEW
05./00. [NDS] Summon Night (Banpresto) – 38,000 / NEW
06./04. [WII] Wii Fit (Nintendo) – 37,000 / 1,934,000
07./03. [NDS] We’re Fossil Diggers (Nintendo) – 22,000 / 58,000
08./06. [NDS] Pokémon Ranger: Batonnage (Pokémon) – 20,000 / 477,000
09./07. [NDS] DS Beautiful Letter Training (Nintendo) – 18,000 / 167,000
10./05. [PS2] Musou Orochi: The Evil King Returns (Koei) – 15,000 / 322,000

New MediaCreate figures show Mario Kart easily leading the Japanese all-formats, and Monster Hunter heading inexorably towards 2 million sales. Data for the week ending April 20. Here’s last week’s chart. Thanks to Neogaf.

01./01. [WII] Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo) – 202,000 / 795,000
02./02. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (Capcom) – 124,000 / 1,714,000
03./00. [NDS] We’re Fossil Diggers (Nintendo) – 35,000 / NEW
04./04. [WII] Wii Fit (Nintendo) – 32,000 / 1,897,000
05./03. [PS2] Musou Orochi: The Evil King Returns (Koei) – 24,000 / 308,000
06./05. [NDS] Pokémon Ranger: Batonnage (Pokémon) – 21,000 / 457,000
07./13. [NDS] DS Beautiful Letter Training (Nintendo) – 15,000 / 149,000
08./09. [WII] Deca Sporta (Hudson) – 14,000 / 148,000
09./10. [WII] Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo) – 13,000 / 1,575,000
10./14. [WII] Wii Sports (Nintendo) – 12,000 / 2,924,000

Data for the week ending April 19. Mario Kart for Nintendo’s win. GT5 didn’t last long, did it?

1. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo)
2. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Sega)
3. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (Sony)
4. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Konami)
5. Sega Superstars Tennis (Sega)
6. Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (Ubisoft)
7. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision)
8. UEFA Euro 2008 Austria-Switzerland (EA)
9. Brain Training (Nintendo)
10. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Activision)

Not the most jolting shock of the Century, but Mario Kart Wii has gone straight in at the top of the Japanese all formats. Monster Hunter was in a comfortable lead in the previous week, as you’ll recall.

Data’s for the week ending April 14.

1. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) – 594,000 / New
2. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP) – 222,000 / 1,590,000
3. Musou Orochi: Maou Sairin (PS2) – 56,000 / 283,000
4. Wii Fit (Wii) – 31,000 / 1,865,000
5. Pokémon Ranger: Batonnage (DS) – 30,000 / 436,000
6. Tottado! Yowiko no Mujintou Seikatsu (DS) – 26,000 / 65,000
7. Pro Yakyuu Spirits 5 (PS2) – 22,000 / 102,000
8. Star Ocean 2: Second Evolution (PSP) – 18,000 / 108,000
9. Deca Sports (Wii) – 17,000 / 133,000
10. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) – 14,000 / 1,563,000

Mario Kart Wii races to the top of the UK Charts this week, knocking GT5: Prologue off the top spot for the first time in two weeks.

As expected CoD4 finally drops out the top ten, as does Condemned 2. This data is for the week ending April 12.

1. [Wii] Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo)
2. [PS3] Gran Turismo 5: Prologue (SCE)
3. [Wii] Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games (Sega)
4. [Wii] Wii Play (Nintendo)
5. [Wii] Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Konami)
6. [Wii] Carnival: Funfair Games (Take 2)
7. [DS] Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training (Nintendo)
8. [360] Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (Ubisoft)
9. [Wii] Game Party (Midway)
10. [DS] Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games (Sega)

By Mike Bowden

Sorry, but we had to post this. GoNintendo’s published what has to be the most pathos-heavy games-related image yet created. It’s of “Mario” and “Peach” sitting in the middle of an Irish street to celebrate the launch of the game over the water. It’s stuff like this that gets us up in the morning. And has us staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night.

Play-Asia’s just put the following message to those with pre-orders for the Japanese version of Mario Kart Wii, according to GoNintendo:

This is an important e-mail update regarding your pending preorder Mario Kart Wii (w/ Wii Handle) (Nintendo™ Wii Japan, NTSC J)

We received the first small delivery today for testing and unfortunately we have to inform you, that the game is not compatible with the Datel Freeloader (US and PAL Version).

In case that this affects your preorder, please contact our customer service as soon as possible to amend/cancel your order, as otherwise we will ship your order within the next 48 hours.

If you own a Japanese Wii and you do not want to change your orders, you do not have to reply to this email.

Once again thanks for shopping with us and sorry for the inconvenience caused.

That’s a shame. Or not. Depends whether or not you’re Nintendo Europe, really.