This article examines the recent performance in Japan of the latest Mario Kart title, revealing surprising sales trends in comparison to its predecessor.

Physical sales of the new Mario Kart entry in Japan have already exceeded those of the previous installment for the Wii U. It is well known that the Wii U did not achieve the expected success, even though its top seller was Mario Kart 8.

After only six weeks on sale, the latest Mario Kart title has outpaced its predecessor in terms of physical copies sold. This development is notable, particularly because digital distribution was far less common during the Wii U era, making the achievement even more remarkable.

Recent reports indicate the following sales figures in Japan:

• The Wii U adaptation of Mario Kart 8 reached 1,310,444 physical copies sold.
• The new Mario Kart title has now surpassed this with 1,365,072 physical copies.

These numbers underscore a significant performance boost for the newest Mario Kart release, reflecting a strong market response even in regions with challenging past hardware experiences.