Mario and racing are a match made in heaven…

In some totally well-deserved news that’s to be completely expected, Mario Kart 8 has officially become the best-selling racing game in U.S. history, beating out, well, another Mario instalment in the process.

The game, which includes both the Wii U version and the Nintendo Switch’s Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, has taken the title from classic Mario racing game and total drinking game favourite Mario Kart Wii. 

Although we don’t have any specific numbers related to U.S. sales, we do know that the Wii U version sold around 8.45 million games around the world from its release in 2014 to September 2020, with the Nintendo Switch version selling 33.41 million units globally from its release in 2017 to late 2020. Mario Kart Wii, on the other hand, was released in 2008 and has sold 37.38 million global units, as of September 2020.

No doubt everyone’s favourite moustache-rocking plumber is loving the news, and has been feeling the love as of late, especially as a sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. from 1985 recently sold for a whopping $660,000 USD in an auction (around $853,000 AUD). Thus, it seems the love for Mario in all of his weirdness and quirkiness will never die, and that’s a prospect we’re more than okay with (even though it beat out the most iconic game for the OG Nintendo Wii of all time). Check out some gameplay from the chart-topping game and see why its so huge below.