Smash Bros. Ultimate breaks Nintendo sales records

Super Smash Bros Ultimate has sold faster than any other Nintendo home console game ever, the company has claimed.

According to Nintendo president, Shuntaro Furukawa, Smash Bros’ Switch debut has sold some 12 million units since its December 7, 2018 release. That’s “the fastest start for any title on any Nintendo home console ever”, he said.

In Japan, Super Smash Bros Ultimate has already surpassed the lifetime sell-through of all other individual series entries in just four weeks, according to Furukawa.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (15m) and Super Mario Odyssey (13.8m) are the only Nintendo Switch games which have sold more copies than Smash Bros.

“This latest Super Smash Bros title is like a giant gathering of everyone who has ever had access to Nintendo games at any stage in their lives during the 35 years that Nintendo has been continuously producing video games,” Furukawa told investors.

“As a result, we’re seeing a change in consumer demographics as people across a wide variety of age groups are all playing Super Smash Bros.”

Nintendo Switch had sold more than 32 million units by the end of 2018, and while that’s below its own target for the financial year, first-party games such as Splatoon 2 and Zelda: Breath of the Wild continue to sell well.

Furukawa told investors: “As the spread of Nintendo Switch progresses, the number of new consumers is increasing. And to consumers who just purchased Nintendo Switch hardware, every existing title seems new.”

Nintendo intends to release five DLC characters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as part of the game’s season pass. The first character to be revealed is Persona 5’s Joker.