Activision's Call of Duty franchise is a juggernaut in the video game industry, consistently finding itself at the top of each months best-sellers list. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is no different, with it likely to remain one of the industry's top-selling game throughout all of 2021. However, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was briefly dethroned in January 2021 with the launch of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury.
Even though Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available on numerous gaming platforms and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is only available on Switch, the latest Super Mario adventure still managed to secure the top spot on the NPD sales chart for February 2021. Other new February games made the list as well, with Persona 5 Strikers coming in third place and Little Nightmares 2 taking the sixth slot on the list.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury's sales success really shouldn't come as a surprise. After all, the Super Mario franchise is one of the most recognizable and beloved gaming franchises that exists. Not only that, but Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury earned rave reviews from critics when it launched last month, which almost certainly helped boost its sales.
One would think that those that already own the Wii U version of Super Mario 3D World may skip on the Switch port, but even they may have been convinced to double dip. After all, Super Mario 3D World on Switch has a number of improvements not found in the Wii U version, including support for online co-op as well as generally faster gameplay and other quality of life changes. But one of the main reasons that some dedicated Nintendo fans may have purchased the Switch version even if they already own the Wii U original is the Bowser's Fury bonus adventure.
Bowser's Fury has been well-received by fans and critics alike, as it offers a truly unique, if brief, Super Mario experience. Bowser's Fury is essentially what an open world Super Mario game would look like, and it seems many were impressed by the concept. Perhaps the game's sales success will convince Nintendo to take the open world Super Mario concept a step further with the next game in the long-running platforming franchise.
It's unclear if Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury will be able to keep the top spot for March. This month will see the launch of some pretty big games, including Monster Hunter Rise on Switch, and those new releases may push Super Mario 3D World down the list of top sellers. Fans will just have to wait for the results to come in next month to find out more.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is available now, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.