There was a time not too long ago when people thought that video game consoles were on the verge of extinction; that the game industry and the consumers that offer up their hard earned money would leave their Xbox and PlayStation behind. Media streaming was taking over, and prior to the launches of the PS4 and Xbox One in 2013, many were wondering if the next generation of consoles would sell at all.

Needless to say, both consoles have done incredibly well for themselves, though the PS4 has managed to hold the top spot over its competitor on a consistent basis, save for a brief moment during the holidays. And towards the end of last month, it was revealed that the PS4's library, better resolution, and its Blu-ray player were reasons people chose the PS4, thereby contributing to its strong sales.

This is all to say, rather unsurprisingly, that Sony's console has once again beat out Microsoft's in February, just as PS4's sales topped 20.2 million. Sony, in a tweet today, officially confirmed its ongoing success, while also stating that the console has become the "fastest growing console in PlayStation history."

But just because the PS4 outperformed the Xbox One last month, it doesn't inherently mean it was the top-selling console. That honor, at least this time around, goes to Nintendo and the 3DS line of handhelds. Now, would you believe that the launch of the New 3DS XL contributed to the hardware's success? Because it most certainly did.

In a statement to IGN, Nintendo reveals that 30% of the 395,000 units sold last month were New 3DS XL units. Presumably, this means that people didn't have much of a problem buying the new handheld iteration, especially when a remake of the beloved Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask was compatible with it.

Speaking of Majora's Mask, the 3DS remake (here's our review) took the top spot on February's software sales chart, followed by multiplatform titles Evolve and Dying Light, which, incidentally, also took the #3 and #1 spots on the PlayStation Store's sales list. Here's the February 2015 sales list:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (3DS)

2. Evolve (PS4, XBO)

3. Dying Light (PS4, XBO)

4. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)

5. Grand Theft Auto V (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)

6. NBA 2K15 (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)

7. Dragon Ball: Xenoverse (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)

8. Minecraft (PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)

9. The Order: 1886 (PS4)

10. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS)

It's a little refreshing to see two 3DS games among all those console games, a feeling that Nintendo is probably enjoying as well. What's most surprising about the pair of handheld games, however, is the inclusion of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. The series isn't too kind to new players, and it's oftentimes a bigger hit in Japan than anywhere else, but this time around American gamers showed interest.

As the rest of March continues, expect the PS4 and Xbox One to keep their respective momentum going. As for Nintendo's hardware, we'll have to wait and see how it does a month removed from the New 3DS' release. Perhaps Code Name: STEAM will be the next 3DS game to crack the top ten.

Source: IGN (1), (2), PlayStation Blog, PlayStation on Twitter