Out of the many timeless video game IPs and series out there, Nintendo's famous plumber may take the cake, from platformers, to party games, to of course, the kart racer, Mario has both dominated and pioneered quite a few genres over the years. And although Super Mario Kart first released on the SNES back in 1992, the series continues to be incredibly successful today.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been a consistent best-seller for the Nintendo Switch, beating its own annual sales records time and time again. With such high sales, it's not hard to imagine that it is a game that can be enjoyed by all ages. Now, it seems that Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser has taken it upon himself to introduce his parents to the world of Mario Kart.
Over on Twitter, Bowser shared with his followers that he was teaching his parents how to play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch. It looks like they learned to play in the Switch's handheld mode, and that they were fairing pretty well also, as one photo shows that one of Bowser's parents placed second as Koopa Troopa. Of course, it's only fitting that Bowser donned a slick SNES shirt during these Mario Kart lessons as well.
Although the original Mario Kart 8 game performed well when it released on the Wii U back in 2014, it was almost certainly hindered by the hardware's poor sales. With the Switch not having that same issue, the game skyrocketed in popularity upon the release of its deluxe port and continues to gain popularity even today. Recently, Mario Kart 8 viewership has exploded on the livestreaming platform Twitch as well, helping some fairly popular streamers gain their highest concurrent viewer-counts to date. Even today, despite Mario Kart 8 Deluxe being over 4 years old now, Nintendo continues to support the game through various online tournaments and events.
Just last month, Mario Kart 8 made the news for officially becoming the best-selling racing game ever made. The game continues to top monthly sales charts without fail, being the third-best-selling Switch title in March of this year, only topped by Monster Hunter Rise and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, which had just launched in the very same month and the month prior respectively.
However, Mario Kart has not only been in the news lately for its sales. Fans are eagerly looking to the future of the series, though they are divided. Many believe that releasing a new Mario Kart game would halt the success of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, while others believe that the game's success means the perfect time for a new installment. Of course, in situations like this, it seems that only time will tell, but at least it's clear that individuals of all ages continue to enjoy Mario Kart for the time being.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is available now on Nintendo Switch.