New Super Mario Bros. Wii is kind of a big deal. Not only is it the first side-scrolling Mario game to allow for 4-player simultaneous co-op, but it also marked the triumphant return of “real” 2D Mario on home console. Super Paper Mario and Wario Land: Shake It! came first, but it was New Super Mario Bros. Wii that really brought the 2D series back to in full force to televisions everywhere.
By “everywhere”, I mean 15 million televisions and counting worldwide. To put that in perspective, just before he retired, Larry King Live was getting about 750,000 viewers per episode. Mario beats Larry King by over 14 million fans. No wonder the poor guy retired.
Larry King isn’t the only ass that’s getting kicked by New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The game is officially the seventh best selling Mario game in the series, and the fastest game to seel that many copies after just seven months after release. I wouldn’t be surprised if it sells another 15 million more before the Wii’s life-cycle is over, especially if Nintendo starts a Wii pack-in deal in the future.
Do you think that New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the exception to the rule, or do you think 2D platformers have once again become a big deal in the world of gaming? Do Nintendo’s upcoming 2D side-scrollers, Kirby’s Epic Yarn and Donkey Kong Country Returns, have a shot at making these kinds of numbers?
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Becomes Fastest Game- To Top 15m– [VGChartz]
