The physical retail sales of "Mario Kart: World" in Japan have officially surpassed the lifetime sales of "Mario Kart 8" (Wii U version), marking a major achievement for Nintendo's new entry in the long-running racing series. As of this week, "Mario Kart: World" has sold 1,365,072 physical copies in Japan since its release on June 5, 2025, exceeding the career sales of 1,310,444 copies of "Mario Kart 8" (Wii U version), which was released on May 29, 2014.

This milestone makes "Mario Kart: World" the seventh-highest-selling game in the series in the Japanese market, ranking higher than "Mario Kart: Super Tour" on the Game Boy Advance platform and "Mario Kart: Double Impact" on the GameCube platform. The sales ranking of this series in the Japanese market is as follows:

1. “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition” (Nintendo Switch) – 6,373,284 copies

2. Mario Kart DS (Nintendo DS) – 4,020,000 copies

3. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) – 3,830,000 copies

4. Super Mario Kart (Super Famicom) – 3,820,000 copies

5. Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo 3DS) – 2,887,908 copies

6. Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64) – 2,240,000 copies

7. Mario Kart: World (Nintendo Switch 2) – 1,365,072 copies

8. Mario Kart 8 (Wii U) – 1,310,444 copies

9. Mario Kart: Super Tour (Game Boy Advance) – 938,175 copies

10. Mario Kart: Double Impact (GameCube) – 825,894 copies

It was previously reported that "Mario Kart: World" was the first game released by Nintendo for Switch 2 to have physical sales exceeding one million in Japan, achieving this result in just three weeks. It's worth noting that this record-breaking performance does not include digital sales.

The game was released simultaneously with Switch 2, and Switch 2 became the first and fastest-selling hardware in Nintendo history, with global sales exceeding 3.5 million units in the first four days. The high penetration rate of the hardware undoubtedly laid the foundation for the game's early success.

The latest version 1.1.2 update of "Mario Kart: World" has made comprehensive adjustments to the "random" track selection system, causing controversy among players. The feature, which previously prioritized classic multi-lap tracks, now cycles through three preset tracks, including some shorter single-lap variants. This change dissatisfied players who valued the diversity of the original system.

"Mario Kart: World" is a Switch 2 exclusive game, retailing for $79.99, and can also be purchased as a bundle with the console.