Summary
While most fans would likely guess that the best-selling Nintendo Switch title of 2023 isThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,Suika Gameis actually Japan’s top digital seller. Surprisingly enough, Nintendo Switch owners, especially those outside of Japan, might not know about the physics-based puzzle game involving watermelons. That said,Suika Gamehas overtakenTears of the KingdomandSuper Mario Bros. Wonderto become the console’s most downloaded title. Despite not grabbing the top spot,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdombroke sales recordsand led an absolutely massive year for Nintendo.
The Legend of Zeldaisn’t the only franchise having a phenomenal launch window.Pikmin 4had a record-breaking releaseas well, becoming the best-selling entry in the series. Not to mention,Super Mario Bros. Wonderalso performed incredibly well for the Big N, as it became the fastest-sellingSuper Mariogame of all time in Europe. Still, despite multiple tentpole Nintendo franchises releasing blockbuster games in 2023, a little-known puzzle title swooped in to snatch the console’s top spot for digital downloads.
Suika GameovertookThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4,andSuper Mario Bros. Wonderto become the Nintendo Switch’s top-selling digital title in Japan. Much ofSuika Game’s success is being attributed to Japanese streamers who have been actively playing the puzzle title over the past few months. Additionally,Suika Gameis inexpensive at 240 yen (or $2.99 on the US eShop).
While not nearly as shocking asSuika Gamelanding at the number one spot, Western Switch gamers might be surprised to seePikmin 4coming in ahead ofSuper Mario Bros. Wonder. That said,Pikminhistorically sells well in Japan, and the game had a couple of months' head start onSuper Mario Bros. Wonder.
As well asTears of the Kingdomhas sold,Mario Kart 8 DeluxeandAnimal Crossing: New Horizonslook to be uncatchable as thebest-selling Nintendo Switch games of all time. Despite being a port of a decade-old Wii U game,Mario Kart 8 Deluxestill manages to top the charts thanks to DLC tracks and updates.
The hybrid console presumably looks to wind down in the relatively near future, but there is still plenty toexpect from the Nintendo Switch in 2024. While many expect a successor to the Switch to be announced at some point in the new year, Nintendo still has several confirmed games and updates to existing titles launching in the next few months.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to the beloved open-world adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This installment once again sees Link and Zelda battling to protect Hyrule from falling to Ganondorf. This new adventure takes place in the same land of Hyrule as Breath of the Wild but sees something called the Upheaval, which allows link to travel to Sky Islands, as well as deep into the Depths beneath Hyrule. Players can use special abilities to fuse together weapons, and build items to help them progress through the release.
