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.

While Sony and Microsoft made headlines in January for their acquisitions of Bungie and Activision Blizzard respectfully, Nintendo has been largely silent on the topic of consolidation in the gaming industry. In its latest investor Q&A, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa addressed the matter and spoke about how the company would rather prioritize investing in the developers that it already owns, explaining a need to retain the "Nintendo DNA" of these studios.

"I really have a hard time imagining which of the big ones they could even be interested in buying," Furukawa said of the current acquisitions race, per Bloomberg. "Nintendo will always stay Nintendo. The company has always relied on first-party games, and I don't see any reason why they should change. Our brand was built upon products crafted with dedication by our employees, and having a large number of people who don't possess Nintendo DNA in our group would not be a plus to the company."

While Nintendo has worked with outside studios before--last year's Metroid Dread was developed by Spanish studio Mercury Steam--it has continued to invest heavily in its development studios. Last year the company announced that almost $870 million would be used to support its studios, and would only consider acquisitions if the developer in question could offer technology and expertise that Nintendo would find too costly to replicate by itself.

The last time that Nintendo bought another studio was in January 2021, when Next Level Games was acquired. Considering how Next Level had collaborated with Nintendo for many years before it was purchased, it likely had the essential DNA that the company was looking for.

2021 has been a great year for Nintendo, as it announced that the Switch had become its best-selling home console of all time, outselling the classic Wii. Its latest Pokemon games are also doing well on the market, further solidifying its decision to avoid going on a studio buying spree for now.

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

The Nintendo Switch has become the fastest home console to sell 100 million units, and has now outsold the Nintendo Wii.

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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Nintendo Switch has now sold 103.54m units worldwide, meaning it has beaten the company's hugely-successful Wii (which finished on 101.6m).

No other Nintendo home console comes close, though the DS handheld family shifted some 154m units over its long lifespan.

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Nintendo has once again taken aim at YouTube channels streaming soundtracks from its games.

The takedowns started over a year ago now, in December 2020, after which Nintendo fans hit back at the decision to block the soundtracks of games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, and Mario Kart Wii by trolling the company on social media.

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The post My Nintendo physical rewards down, watch your monthly point expirations appeared first on Destructoid.

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One of the best perks of Nintendo Switch Online is the ability to play dozens upon dozens of classic Nintendo games on Switch. At the time of writing, there are more than 100 SNES and NES games on the Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) service ($4/month, $8/3 months, $20/year), and an additional batch of Nintendo 64 games and Sega Genesis games in the NSO Expansion Pass ($30/year), with more on the way. The service also includes helpful features like optional save states for all the games available, rewinding your gameplay for NES, SNES, and Genesis, and unique versions of some games that start you out with end-game stats and gear so you can blast through each level.

A collection of more than 135 retro games (and counting) means there's a lot to parse. While many of the included titles are among the best games ever, there are some clunkers in the mix, too. For anyone wondering which of these games are worth your time, we picked a bunch of titles across the service's four available console libraries that we think represent the best on the service.

That said, just because your favorite isn’t listed doesn’t mean we think it’s unworthy. There are so many amazing retro games available on NSO, more than we have space to list. So think of this as a starting point for anyone unfamiliar with Nintendo’s (and now Sega’s) legacy catalog.

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NES

Kirby’s Adventure

Kirby's Adventure

Kirby’s Adventure is the cute pink puff ball's first game on home console, and the follow up to 1992’s Kirby’s Dream Land on Game Boy. It’s also the game that introduced many of Kirby’s now-iconic abilities. Like in other 2D action-platformers, Kirby runs and jumps over obstacles and give baddies the boot, but he can also inflate himself to float over danger, or inhale enemies then spit them out as star-shaped projectiles that can hurt enemies and destroy objects. He can also gain special abilities by absorbing certain items and enemies, which opens up new paths and secrets hidden in each of the game’s 41 levels.

See our Kirby's Adventure review.

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The Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda

The original Legend of Zelda is a surprisingly open-ended adventure that still holds up today.

Zelda 1 features recognizable elements in its story and gameplay, such as a secret-packed overworld, numerous dungeons and bosses to overcome, and an array of items that unlock new abilities. However, unlike many of its sequels, most of Zelda 1 can be tackled in any order. And once you beat the game, you unlock a “Second Quest” mode that remixes the locations of dungeons and treasure for a totally new experience. Just be warned that there’s very little hand-holding in the original adventure compared to later entries in the series. Stumbling into strong enemies or impassable obstacles too early can be frustrating, but players are free to explore as they please and there’s something to discover on almost every screen, making your progress feel more genuine.

See our Legend of Zelda review.

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Punchout!!

Punchout!!

Speaking of NES games whose influence is still apparent in gaming today, the next NES game you should play on NSO is Punchout. This 1v1 proto-fighting game has elements of rhythm and puzzle games, and inspired everything from Street Fighter and fighting games in general, to action games with deliberate combat like Dark Souls and Monster Hunter. No, seriously.

Punchout Is all about timing and patience. Each opponent in the game’s roster has a unique fighting style and a unique personality to match. Your opponent will telegraph their moves with small tells that you need to memorize so you can respond with the proper counter move or dodge. Timing is also important, as some of the animations are quick and hard to spot, and your window of opportunity is short. Punchout is a tough game to master (and some of its characters are woefully outdated stereotypes), but the unique gameplay is still worth experiencing today--and hey, you can always use NSO’s built-in rewind feature for an easier playthrough.

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Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. wassn’t the first Mario game on NES, but it was Nintendo’s mustachioed plumber’s first full 2D platforming adventure.

Even if you’ve never played Super Mario Bros, you probably know what to expect: The evil turtle King Bowser has kidnapped Princess Peach, and Mario’s gotta save her by running left and jumping on things. The plumber can consume mushrooms that make him bigger and stronger, use fire flowers to throw fireballs, or collect stars that make him temporarily invincible. Super Mario Bros. still holds up today, but if you want some more variety in your platforming...

See our Super Mario Bros. review.

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Super Mario Bros. 3

Super Mario Bros. 3

If you’re going to play just one game in NSO’s NES collection, it should be Super Mario Bros. 3.

Super Mario Bros. 3 is arguably the best game on NES, and still one of the best 2D platformers ever made. It outshines all previous Mario games and, frankly, many of the games that came after. It’s also notable for refining and cementing many elements the series is still known for, such as the Tanooki Suit and Super Leaf power-ups, sectioning levels into “worlds” with specific themes, and characters like the Koopalings. There’s also an SP version that starts at the final stage of the game, and lets players select from one of eight different power-up boxes for extra help.

See our Super Mario Bros. 3 review.

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SNES

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

Donkey Kong Country 2 refined the core gameplay ideas introduced in the first Donkey Kong Country and added unique elements that make for a better game than the original.

Like in the original, players control a tag-team of two characters exploring dangerous levels set in a variety of tropical lands, but you won’t be playing as the titular Donkey Kong this time. Instead, Donkey Kong Country 2 is the first game in the series to give Diddy Kong the starring role--but he’s not alone. Diddy’s pal Dixie Kong joins him on a quest to save Donkey Kong from the clutches of series villain King K. Rool. You can play the entire game solo or with a partner, and there’s tons of secret items and bonus levels to discover, adding plenty of replay value to this charming 2D platformer.

See our Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest review.

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

A Link to the Past set the structure that almost every Zelda would follow for the next 20-plus years.

Like the two previous Zelda titles, players controlled the hero Link on his adventure across Hyrule to defeat Ganon and save Princess Zelda. However, A Link to the Past is more guided and story-driven than the first Zelda, ditches the RPG mechanics Zelda II experimented with, and took dungeons from enemy-filled gauntlets into puzzle-filled labyrinths with unique themes, resulting in a well-paced adventure.

That formula would remain core to the series’ gameplay until 2017’s Breath of the Wild, but A Link to the Past’s gameplay loop was novel, and a refreshing change for the action-adventure genre at the time. It’s considered by many to be the best Zelda game, and it's easily one of the best games on SNES.

See our Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past review.

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Super Mario Kart

Super Mario Kart

Super Mario Kart wasn’t the first arcade racer with combative powerups, but it was certainly the most notable. It paved the way for the franchise’s dominance as the best-selling games on nearly every subsequent Nintendo console and handheld. Fans of modern Mario Kart may be initially disappointed by the SNES game’s lack of kart customization options and slimmer roster of racers and tracks compared to other games in the series, but Super Mario Kart is still a joy to play. It’s a pure arcade racer that doesn’t need gameplay gimmicks or excessive customization to hold your attention.

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Star Fox

Star Fox

Star Fox was one of the first fully-3D console games, and one of the few games on the SNES to take full advantage of the Super FX chip--the first-ever 3D rendering chip available on a home gaming console. While not as pretty as future Star Fox games or the rail shooters that came after, the original Star Fox was a mind-blowing leap in video game graphics. To be fair, Star Fox 64 (which is available in the NSO Expansion Pack's N64 library) is basically a 1-to-1 remake of the SNES game's story, gameplay, and music, and is arguably a much better game, but the SNES version is still fun and worth playing if you’re a fan of Fox McCloud and crew. And if you need more space shooting goodness, Star Fox 2--which was originally canceled just after the game was finished and left unreleased for decades--is also available on NSO.

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Super Mario All-Stars

Super Mario All-Stars

Super Mario All-Stars is a collection of the original Super Mario Bros trilogy on the NES, plus Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan) on a single cartridge. All four games in the compilation were remade for the SNES with new graphics, controls, extra content, and more. Some have argued that the remakes are inferior to the originals, but they are easier on the eyes and have better controls. But hey, if you really want to play the original versions, they’re available in NSO’s NES library.

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Super Mario World

Super Mario World

Look, we know we keep calling the Mario games on this list some of the “best games ever made,” but for many, Super Mario World is the best.

Super Mario World was the first all-new Mario game on the SNES and the immediate sequel to Super Mario Bros. 3. World built upon everything Mario Bros. 3 excelled at--specifically the excellent level design, pacing, and responsive controls--and expanded the formula with bigger levels filled with secrets that encouraged players to replay and explore more than any prior game in the series.

Super Mario World was also the first game in the series to feature Yoshi as Mario’s rideable companion, as well as all-new power ups, enemy types, and gameplay mechanics that make World an incredibly deep game. And topping it all off is the richly detailed 16-bit sprites the perfectly capture the “feeling” of Mario, and an amazing soundtrack from series composer Koji Kondo.

If you only have time to play one Mario game in the NSO collection, it should be Super Mario World.

See our Super Mario World review.

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Super Metroid

Super Metroid

Super Metroid is a masterpiece of non-linear level design, atmospheric story presentation, and 2D action-platforming. The game starts strong with players controlling the intergalactic bounty hunter, Samus Aran, investigating a distress call from Ceres space station. As you quickly find out, almost all life on the station has been killed by space pirates and their leader, Ridley, who are after the last known Metroid--a parasitic organism that saps the life energy from its prey. Samus follows the space pirates down to the planet Zebes, the setting of the original Metroid.

From there, the game never lets up. Players explore a winding labyrinth of seamlessly interconnected levels, collecting power ups that bolster Samus’ arsenal with new weapons and abilities that unlock more of the map to explore, while the eerie (but catchy) soundtrack and atmospheric sound design create an engrossing atmosphere.

There’s a reason this game inspired a massively popular sub-genre that bears the Metroid franchise’s name, and why Super Metroid is often considered the best game in the series. Everyone should play it and find out why.

See our Super Metroid review.

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Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island is a strange game. A good game, mind, but a strange one. It’s technically the second entry in the World series, but is a major departure from the established gameplay and art style of previous Mario games. The most notable change is that you play as Yoshi--an entire pack of multi-colored Yoshis, actually. Mario is still here, but as a baby the Yoshis are escorting back to his parents (while also saving baby Luigi along the way).

Controlling Yoshi is also a departure from Mario’s purely jump-focused skills and power-ups. Yoshi can eat enemies to turn them into eggs, throw said eggs at enemies and obstacles, and jump longer distances than Mario ever could thanks to his floaty double-jump. In turn, Yoshi’s Island’s level design differs from other Mario games to accommodate the dinosaur sidekick’s unique kit, offering a more exploratory, puzzle-platformer structure.

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Nintendo 64

Sin & Punishment

Sin & Punishment

It’s hard to recommend many games in the NSO N64 collection due to the subpar emulation for Nintendo’s fifth generation console, but there is one N64 game every NSO Expansion Pack subscriber should play: Sin & Punishment.

Sin & Punishment is an on-rails sci-fi shooter that was originally exclusive to Japan, but gained a cult following in the west from the import crowd. Nintendo finally made it available to other territories in 2007 via the Wii Virtual Console, but with the Wii’s shopping services long-since shuttered, the NSO Expansion Pack is the only way to play this game today (aside from buying an expensive copy on the used retro market). And you should definitely play Sin & Punishment. It’s a gorgeous game for the time, with face-paced gameplay that remains buttery smooth from start to finish. It’s a quick playthrough, too, only lasting about 2 hours depending on how quickly you get through each stage, but Sin & Punishment’s unique levels and high score-chasing incentives provide plenty of replayability for those who want to spend more time with the game.

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Sega Genesis

Gunstar Heroes

Gunstar Heroes

If you’re looking for a fast-paced run-and-gun shooter from the 16-bit era, Gunstar Heroes should be near the top of your list. This action-platformer is often regarded as one of the best in the genre and one of the best games on Sega Genesis in general. Critics lauded the fast-paced gameplay, varied level designs, and lush graphics at the time, and those elements still hold up well today.

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Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millenium

Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millenium

Phantasy Star was Sega’s answer to Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and while the series never caught on as widely as its competitors, the early games are among the best JRPGs ever made. Phantasy Star IV is by far the pinnacle of the entire franchise. It was lauded for its unique science-fantasy setting, deep combat system, and manga-inspired cutscene presentation.

Simply put: every RPG fan needs to play Phantasy Star IV. Don’t be intimidated by the “IV” in the title, though. While Phantasy Star IV concludes the series' storyline, you don’t need to play the other games to understand what’s going on. Phantasy Star IV is set 1,000 years after the previous games, featuring a unique cast of characters on a mostly standalone adventure to save the Algol star system that will stick with you long after the final boss is defeated.

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Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Sonic 2 is a bigger and faster evolution of the original game’s 2D platforming gameplay, and many cite Sonic the Hedgehog 2 as the pinnacle of the Blue Blur’s cartridge-based games. This is also where series-staple elements were introduced for the first time, such as Sonic’s now-iconic spin dash move, the pseudo-3D “special stages,” and--most importantly--Sonic’s trusty sidekick Tails as the second playable character. Tails tags along with Sonic in single player mode, or a second player can take control of the double-tailed fox in split screen mode.

See our Sonic the Hedgehog 2 review.

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Streets of Rage 2

Streets of Rage 2

Streets of Rage 2 is yet another game on this list that many consider the pinnacle of its respective genre--in this case, 2D beat-'em-ups. Players select one of the four playable characters: Axel, Blaze, Max, and Eddie. Each of the brawlers has their own unique look and fighting style, plus three difficulty levels to choose from, giving this brawler lots of replay incentive in either single or two-player mode.

Streets of Rage 2 was also a showcase of the Sega Genesis’ hardware strengths. The large, detailed sprites were some of the best in the 16-bit era, and the soundtrack from famed composer Yuzo Koshiro took full advantage of the console’s Yamaha YM2612 soundchip.

See our Streets of Rage 2 review.

Many regard Resident Evil 4 as one of the greatest games ever created, so naturally, it has seen more rereleases than one can count. A couple of those rereleases, namely the Wii port and the recently launched VR version, allowed players to experience this classic in a whole new way. While the fan-made Resident Evil 4 HD Project mod does not change the experience quite as much as those two did, it nonetheless looks insanely impressive and ambitious, which only makes sense since it remained in development for around eight years. This long wait will finally come to a close on February 2, but before then, fans can enjoy this final trailer for Resident Evil 4 HD Project that the modders put together ahead of release. In total, this new trailer lasts around five minutes, more than enough time for fans to appreciate all of the hard work that went into this mod. Many HD touchups of classic games look disappointingly sloppy or garish in execution, but this mod absolutely nails that fine bala...