Shigeru Miyamoto has once again spoken about one of Nintendo’s strongest franchises, Mario Kart. During the Q&A session that followed Nintendo’s Q2 2025 financial results, Miyamoto was asked if he thought another Nintendo game could ever outsell Mario Kart. He believes innovations and new ideas can be applied to game design, but he also demonstrates an awareness of the reasons that make Mario Kart so successful.
Mario Kart’s Record-Breaking Success
Mario Kart has continued its strong performance, with Mario Kart World selling 9.57 million copies on the Nintendo Switch 2. During the same time, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold 69.56 million copies, making it the best-selling game on the original Switch.
There have been countless iterations of Mario Kart, and has become beloved by the gaming community. The game has built an immensely positive reputation over the years, and Miyamoto believes another title might not be able to surpass it with regard to its immense popularity.
Miyamoto’s View: There Are No Limits
Regarding Mario Kart IP’s future potential, Miyamoto asserts Nintendo’s optimism and suggests there are no limits. As such, he states, aiming higher is part of Nintendo’s ethos, evidenced by the reception of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The film surpassing target expectations demonstrates the out-of-the-box potential of established franchises.
To Miyamoto, this optimism fuels Nintendo’s pioneering drive. He stated, if a new IP really connects achieving great success is within the realm of possibility. While he did state no other IP may come close, he did recognize Mario Kart’s enduring popularity and steady longevity.
The Pokémon Comparison
Miyamoto recounts a lighthearted but revealing moment with Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri, where Tajiri lamented that to exceed Mario’s sales you’ll have to sell two copies of the software to each customer. This means Tajiri envisioned selling two copies of the same software, a concept that materialized with Pokémon Red and Green.
The lighthearted nature of the conversation demonstrates the culture of friendly competition within Nintendo from which innovation stems. The domination of one series is and should be a catalyst for the rest to creatively iterate and innovate.
Will any game surpass Mario Kart?
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been pretty much unbeatable in terms of sales, even considering the success of Nintendo’s other recent titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Its accessibility and constant replay ability have kept it in the public eye for decades.
Looking to the future, Nintendo’s next major obstacle may not necessarily be overcoming the sales figures of Mario Kart, but instead creating something just as culturally significant for a new audience. As suggested by Miyamoto, the potential of imagination is limitless; however, Video game classics like Mario Kart may just be impossible to replace.
Mario Kart’s success is not just about the sheer number of sales. It shows the immense and enduring joy of shared gaming, not to mention the sheer brilliance of Nintendo’s gaming design.
