Mario Kart Hits 2 Million Units

Amidst talk of Nintendo's financial struggles, disappointing yearly profits, and declining sales for the Wii U many figured there would eventually be a point where the company turns it all around. It's still a little too early to tell, but we may have hit that point.

Just reported this week, Mario Kart 8, the latest in Nintendo's kart racing franchise, hit 2 million units sold. Not only that, the game hit the milestone less than a month after its release.

We had already reported on Mario Kart 8's success — it's now the fastest selling Wii U title of all time — but these latest numbers put the game in an even bigger category. Chances are when all is said and done the title will be one of the, if not the, best selling Wii U release yet.

News of Nintendo's tremendous sales numbers comes courtesy of an annual shareholder's event (via Nstyles) where the company also revealed that Wii U sales are "picking up." So, with Mario Kart 8 doing big business and the Wii U seemingly bouncing back, this could be a sign of good things ahead for Nintendo.

It's also worth mentioning that Nintendo is coming off one of its best E3 showings yet, with upcoming releases like Super Smash Bros., Splatoon, and The Legend of Zelda generated a ton of buzz for the company. We obviously don't know what exactly fueled this uptick in Wii U sales, but we'd venture to guess that excitement for Nintendo's 2014 and 2014 slate certainly played a part.

Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime also thinks that this coming month (June) will be a big one for the Wii U manufacturer, and is eager to see the numbers. He, like many, believes that Nintendo's E3 2014 showing was enough to boost interest in the Wii U.

The financial struggles of Nintendo have been well-documented over the past year, and there's been a pretty even split between those who thought the company would bounce back and those who thought it was only a matter of time before they became the next Sega. Turns out Nintendo's major brands still have some clout and may be enough to turn a struggling console into a major player. We'll have to wait and see.

Do you think E3 2014 and the release of Mario Kart 8 were big turning points for Nintendo and the Wii U? How has your interest in the company and console changed?

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Source: Nstyles, IGN

Follow Anthony on Twitter @ANTaormina