Pokemon Legends Arceus is off to a very good start, as Nintendo has announced the game sold 1.425 million copies during its first week. That is a huge result, and it's second only to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which sold 1.881 million copies during its first week in 2020.

The numbers came from industry analyst David Gibson, as shared on social media. Legends Arceus was released on January 28, so in fact it's been out for less than a week.

GameSpot's Pokemon Legends Arceus review scored the game an 8/10. "It's the most daring and inventive the series has been in years, breaking apart the staid core and creating something new and exciting from its pieces," Steve Watts said.

In other news about Switch game sales, Nintendo updated its list of the best-selling Switch games, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe topping the list with a whopping 43.35 million sold.

As for hardware, the Nintendo Switch has now soldmore than 103 million units, surpassing the Wii.

As part of Nintendo's latest earnings release, the company updated its list of the best-selling Nintendo Switch games of all time, and Mario Kart 8 is still on top by a good margin.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has now sold 43.35 million units globally as of December 32, 2021. That's a massive number, even ahead of Red Dead Redemption 2 (39 million sold).

Rounding out the top five on Nintendo Switch in terms of sales are Animal Crossing: New Horizons (37.62 million), Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (27.4 million), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (25.8 million), and Pokemon Sword/Shield (23.9 million). Also of note, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl combined to sell 13.97 million units since they launched in November 2019, instantly propelling the games to No. 9 on the all-time highest-seller list for Switch games.

You can see the full top 10 list below, as shared by Nintendo. The numbers include games sold within bundles, as well as digital sales.

Nintendo also confirmed that Pokemon Legends Arceus sold 1.425 million copies in its first week, which is the biggest first-week for any Switch game in history except for Animal Crossing: New Horizons (1.881 million in first week).

As for hardware, the Nintendo Switch has now sold more than 103 million units, surpassing the Wii.

Nintendo Switch Top 10 Best-Sellers

As of December 31, 2021

1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe -- 43.35 million
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons -- 37.62 million
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate -- 27.4 million
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild -- 25.8 million
5. Pokemon Sword/Pokemon Shield -- 23.9 million
6. Super Mario Odyssey -- 23.02 million
7. Super Mario Party -- 17.39 million
8. Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu/Let's Go, Eevee -- 14.33 million
9. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl -- 13.97 million
10. Ring Fit Adventure -- 13.53 million

Should PlayStation 2 start sweating? Nintendo’s latest financial earnings report has revealed that Nintendo Switch has hit an amazing 103...

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With so many great Switch games, it can be hard to pick a new title for your collection. We've made it easy: Here are the best Nintendo Switch games you can get right now.

Amazon has dropped a wave of Nintendo Switch game bundles with some big combined savings. The bundles feature some of the console's best titles including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and many more. If you want to expand your Switch library or stock up on gifts for friends and family - now's a great opportunity to snap up some of the most popular Switch games, and save some money in the process.

Right now you can get Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for a combined price of £71 - that makes each game £35.50 each (normally £59.99 each). You can also pick up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe and Super Mario Maker 2 for a total of £95.98 - making each game less than £32 each.

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Physical sales of Pokémon games in 2021 in the US were the best they've been since 2000, when Pokémon Gold and Silver first came out in the US.

It has been a long time since the last brand-new mainline Mario Kart entry, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch seemingly acting as a stopgap measure until a true sequel is released. Based on a recent report, it appears Mario Kart 9 could be on the way, and in traditional series fashion, it will apparently come with a new "twist."

But just what will that twist be? The GameSpot staff thought long and hard about how Nintendo could change up the formula, ranging from radically altering the races themselves to bringing other Nintendo franchises into the fray. These are--plausible or not--the new twists we want to see in Mario Kart 9.

Aerial vehicles with branching paths

This. Just do this.

Mario Kart has been one of Nintendo's most successful franchises ever, but there was another Nintendo kart racing game that doesn't get enough love: Diddy Kong Racing. Its blend of "traditional" kart action with flying segments and branching paths created a hectic and less-predictable racer than its more popular cousin, and it opened up races to strategic considerations that aren't possible in a standard Mario Kart match. Nintendo has dabbled in this for Mario Kart with gliders and occasional forks in the road, but designing an entire game with this in mind would make for the freshest Mario Kart since Double Dash. Just imagine avoiding a blue shell by transforming your kart into a plane just as it homed in on you! -- Gabe Gurwin, SEO Editor

Just make it Nintendo Kart already

This is admittedly a bit of a cheat, because Nintendo has been slowly inching toward this eventuality for a while now. Most notably in Mario Kart 8, the series introduced DLC that brought in non-Mario characters like Link from the Legend of Zelda and Villager and Isabelle from Animal Crossing. At this point, Nintendo should just throw open the doors to the broader Nintendo universe. I want Ganondorf riding a kart that looks like his fiery black steed, Samus in a kart modeled after her iconic Hunter-class gunship, and Pikachu with sick-ass lightning bolts on the sides of his motorcycle. Opening it up to the broader Nintendo-verse would also give the company more leeway to fashion tracks based on different types of environments, and to mix up some of the usual Mario-themed items with ones borrowed from other games. And before you ask, no, they don't actually need to change the name. The name "Super Smash Bros." has been a Mario reference from the beginning and no one thinks twice when we see Captain Falcon throwing down. -- Steve Watts, Associate Editor

Mario Kart Maker

I'd love to see Mario Kart 9 essentially be Mario Kart Maker. Just as Nintendo embraced level creation with the Mario Maker games, I want to see it do the same with Mario Kart, allowing players to create and share their levels online. We've seen a hint of this with Mario Kart Live in the real world, but I want full-fledged building tools for a proper MK game. Given that new entries are spaced so far apart, it would be a major boon for the game's longevity to have access to an effectively limitless supply of new courses--which would surely include some wacky and unconventional spins on what we expect from a Mario Kart track. I want to race as Waluigi around a track shaped like Tim Robinson in a hot dog suit, and I know the internet won't let me down. -- Chris Pereira, Senior Editor

Mario Kart goes live service

Totally real logo

I can't even begin to imagine how many hours I have played Mario Kart 8, but as much as I love Nintendo's mascot racing game, I am eager to see what's coming next. And that's why the report of Mario Kart 9 being in development with a "new twist" had me so excited. I am personally hoping to see the next Mario Kart game adopt more live-service elements. I would love to see new courses added regularly, or perhaps a Mario Kart Tour approach whereby new courses are rotated in and out, with limited-time events to take part in. I enjoy learning the ins and outs of any given Mario Kart course--and there are always so many details to learn and secret paths to uncover--and having even more courses to play with is an exciting proposition in my eyes. I would also love to see additional live-service elements get baked into the next Mario Kart game, like new challenges to work toward or a battle pass-style system that helps me feel a stronger sense of progression and accomplishment. Nintendo rolled out numerous new characters and arenas for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and I'm excited to see how a similar live-service approach for the next Mario Kart game might shake things up in a new and interesting way. -- Eddie Makuch, Editor

Mario Kart Ultimate

If the madmen at Nintendo did it for Smash Bros., surely there's no reason it can't be done in Mario Kart as well, right? Keeping in line with Nintendo's current trend of making just about everything you could ever want available on Switch (and the game industry's trend of remastering and/or remaking things), I think there's a possibility that Mario Kart 9 could act as a sort of an extensive collection of Mario Kart's past, featuring updated levels from every game, all your favorite characters, and many of the series' beloved past gimmicks, such as Double Dash's team racing. It also wouldn't surprise me if we get a Racers Pass with this next game in an effort to regularly breathe life into it and keep players on the edge of their seats as they wildly speculate as to what character could be coming next. While Sora's feet might be about two sizes too large to stuff into a kart, the thought of racing around as Pikachu on 64's D.K. Jungle Parkway brings me almost as much joy as the thought of a Diddy Kong Racingreboot does, so I'll take it as a consolation prize. -- Jessica Howard, Editor

The best Nintendo Switch games work either on the go or on a TV. Also they’re great. There are so many games on Nintendo Switch now that simply finding new ones can be incredibly daunting, and while the eShop might not have your back if you’re trying to make sure you’ve played the best the console has to offer, we definitely do. Our selection here is of ten of the most essential games on the console as we see it. Some of these are already the best-selling games on the console, while others are a few short steps off the beaten path. We’ll be adding and changing this list over time, and there’s loads of games that could easily feature here, but we’re pretty confident that we’ve covered the best Switch games here, so read on to find out what you should have in your library. The Best Nintendo Switch Games We could have an honourable mentions list long enough to keep you reading until the Switch Pro comes out, but we’re going to try and focus our attention a little bit. We do have some extras for you to consider at the bottom of the page, but here are the best Switch games around and why you should play them. Animal Crossing: New Horizons Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Monster Hunter Rise Metroid Dread Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Fire Emblem: Three Houses New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe Animal Crossing: New Horizons Have you ever felt like you want to escape the tedium of your normal life, the chores, the 9-5 grind, and the people in it, all to pack up and move somewhere else to do chores, work, and meet new people? Well, that’s basically what Animal Crossing: New Horizons is all about, and while that not might sound ideal, it’s an absolute blast to play, and a good chance to do something in a game that isn’t all about violence and chaos. Sometimes you just want to plant some trees, you know? Mario Kart 8 Deluxe There might be rumours of a Mario Kart 9 being in development, but Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the definitive Mario Kart game that you can buy now. Slick karting action, still great looking graphics, tons of new and classic tracks to race on and straightforward and fun multiplayer both online and offline, it’s a must have. Considering there’s been almost 40 million copies of this game sold already, this recommendation might be a bit redundant, but that’s just 4 copies sold for every 10 Switches and tens of millions of people out there that haven’t snapped it up! Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle If there was one game you’d expect to be an instant flop, it would be this strange crossover game with Ubisoft’s minion-like mascots. Well, much to our surprise and probably everyone else’s too, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is somehow one of the XCOM clones in existence. The mix of light-hearted cartoonish violence, surprisingly deep gameplay systems, and the sheer satisfaction of beating up Rabbids, makes for a truly fantastic game and there’s good reason why a sequel is on the way in 2022! The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Breath of the Wild was the first Switch game that a lot of people played, and it remains one of the most incredible gaming experiences around. The decision to turn Link’s adventure from a linear experience into a free-form open-world one changes the game completely, and the physics in the game allow for some of the most absurd interactions going. You absolutely have to play this. Already played through Breath of the Wild and want more while waiting for Breath of the Wild 2? Give Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity a shot for a prequel story and over the top combat! Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Smash Bros has been one of those series that has always been good, but nobody was expecting this entry to actually live up to its name. Ultimate has every character from the history of the game, nearly every level, new characters, new levels, and more gameplay than is reasonable. It’s also got a thriving online scene, excellent ideas for local play, and a cracking story mode as well. If you’re worried about fighters being constantly tweaked, Nintendo recently launched its last balancing update. Monster Hunter Rise The latest Monster Hunter game might just be the best one yet, which is an incredible accomplishment given that Monster Hunter World was so good. While Rise has you doing a lot of the standard monster hunting as you’d expect, it adds in new and exciting movement options, attacks, and a really cool setting to make it a contender for the best Switch game in existence. That’s one hell of a flex from a series that was massively overlooked by western gamers only a few years ago. Metroid Dread Our Best Nintendo Switch Game winner for 2021, Metroid Dread is an epic return for the classic series. Following on from their Metroid II remake on Nintendo 3DS, MercurySteam have created a modern 2D adventure for Samus Aran that pushes the original series’ narrative forward for the first time in 15 years. This game really lives up to its name, as you’ll truly dread stepping into the EMMI zones and running away from the implacable robots that hunt you. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Xenoblade Chronicles is easily one of the very best JRPGs of all time, but many will have overlooked the game’s original release as a Nintendo Wii exclusive. Almost a decade later, the Definitive Edition spruced the game up for the Nintendo Switch, improving the graphics across the board and expanding the story with the new Future Connected epilogue which brings a new area and allows for more closure to the original’s epic story. Already loved Xenoblade Chronicles in the past? Well, you might want to check out Xenoblade Chronicles 2 instead. Fire Emblem: Three Houses Fire Emblem was given a fresh lease of life on the Nintendo 3DS, but the tactical RPG series has reached a broader audience on Nintendo Switch with Fire Emblem: Three Houses. As a teacher at Garreg Mach Monastery, you pick one of three houses to guide through their studies and personal growth, as well as lead into battle. There’s a fun turn-based battle system to enjoy that leans on the established Fire Emblem formula, and it’s all wrapped up in a heroic fantasy narrative, but it’s really your investment in the characters and their journey that makes this one special. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe There’s loads of Super Mario games available to play on Nintendo Switch, whether it’s golden oldies from the NES and SNES in the Nintendo Switch Online library or the sublime Super Mario Odyssey, but we’re going to pick New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe for its family friendly credentials. There’s a huge amount of great 2D Mario (and Luigi) platforming on offer, and it’s enjoyable with children thanks to co-op play and the easier gameplay that Toadette offers. You might also like… Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Luigi’s Mansion 2 Mario Party Superstars Splatoon 2 Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury Super Mario Odyssey

We're always game for something new!

According to an industry analyst, Mario Kart 9 is currently in "active development", will have a new racing twist, and could be teased this year.