Nintendo breaks down Switch 2021 game sales, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is ‘evergreen’

You go, Luigi

If it’s a Nintendo mascot game that hasn’t bombed, odds are it’s evergreen. It’s the expected state of things. It’s why so many first-party games are not discounted for years, and a true testament to the character factory approach that is Nintendo. Where there’s mascots, there’s merch and other opportunities. But it also, naturally, impacts Switch 2021 game sales.

In addition to providing a new “top 10” list of best-selling games on Switch to date, Nintendo also, in a separate document, outlined a few extra details for games too new to be on the list; or are close enough that are still selling well. The dates range from April through September 2021.

Here’s what Nintendo had to say about the Switch 2021 game sales breakdown:

“As a result, we have continuously released new Nintendo titles for Nintendo Switch since the launch of the platform, resulting in a software lineup that is unprecedented in both quantity and quality. As you can see with the continued growth in sell-through of evergreen titles into this fiscal year, people who are purchasing a Nintendo Switch for the first time are buying not only new titles, but also previously released titles.”

That’s par for the course for Nintendo. People see a nostalgic character they like, they might buy it. And really, a lot of the games on this list are in the top 10 overall best-seller pantheon.

But it’s important to note a few outliers. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe was on the top 10 previously, but was knocked out by games like Ring Fit Adventure: it’s still selling, and nearly hit one million units from April through September 2021.

Luigi’s Mansion 3 is also on the list, selling 700,000 units in that same timeframe. That’s good! A lot of people doubted this series, but it came back in a big way on the Switch and wormed its way into people’s hearts. It’s easy to see why Nintendo acquired Next Level Games.