In gaming, there’s an unspoken rule: when a new entry in a series launches, the older one slowly fades out. But Mario Kart 8 Deluxe isn’t just any entry, it’s one of the most successful video games of all time. Even with Nintendo’s next-gen console and a shiny new racer, Mario Kart World, dominating headlines earlier this year, July’s U.S. sales numbers tell a different story. The Switch classic is still surging.
Switch 2 Adoption Is Strong, But So Is the Old Guard
Circana analyst Mat Piscatella shared the latest U.S. sales data, and the overall takeaway is that Nintendo is doing just fine. The Switch 2 continues its blistering launch, selling two million units in July alone. That puts it 75% ahead of the original Switch at a similar point in its lifecycle. By all accounts, Nintendo has successfully transitioned to its next system.
But the original Switch isn’t going away quietly. With 153 million units sold as of August, the console still commands a massive player base. And that base continues to fuel sales for games that are nearly a decade old, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe chief among them.
A Tale of Two Mario Karts
On the surface, Mario Kart World should be Nintendo’s flagship racer right now. It launched to strong numbers in June, becoming the best-selling Nintendo game in the U.S. that month. But July flipped the script. World tumbled to sixth place, while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe clawed its way back up to fourth.
The explanation is simple math. There are still millions of Switch owners who never picked up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. For them, the cheaper price point of the original console, plus the familiarity of a tried-and-true game, makes the older kart racer an attractive buy—even if World is technically the future of the franchise.
Donkey Kong Steals the Spotlight
The biggest surprise of July wasn’t the Mario Kart shuffle, though. That honor belongs to Donkey Kong Bananza. The new release not only topped Nintendo’s charts but also landed as the third best-selling game across all platforms for the month. It’s already cracked the U.S. top 20 games of 2025 year-to-date—something no other Nintendo release has managed yet.
This puts Bananza in rare company alongside industry heavyweights like Monster Hunter Wilds, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, and EA Sports College Football 26, which make up the top three for 2025 so far.
Why Mario Kart 8 Still Matters
Beyond raw sales, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s persistence shows how enduring certain games can be. Its polished track design, massive roster, and party-friendly gameplay have given it legs few titles can match. For players frustrated by Mario Kart World’s controversial new track system, even after Nintendo’s updates, the older game remains a more consistent experience.
The Road Ahead
Nintendo may want players to migrate to Mario Kart World, but the market has spoken. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving. And as long as millions of Switch owners remain in the ecosystem, the decade-old racer will keep outspeeding expectations.
