Some games take a while to get off the ground, some become cult hits that gather steam over time, then there are those that launch into orbit right from the get-go. It’s these games that are much anticipated and have fans pinned to the refresh button so they can preorder a copy.
These big launches are usually the product of a series of successful titles, building the anticipation over years and creating a ravenous hunger for a big release. Super Mario 3D: All-Stars is the latest in a long line of smash hits that left indecisive fans without a physical copy at launch.
10 Super Mario 3D: All-Stars
Celebrating the 35th anniversary with a bang, All-Stars compiles three of the most popular and enjoyable games that Mario has to offer. It’s no wonder the hype train was fully behind the release, taking the best parts of fans’ nostalgic experience and giving it back to them.
Becoming the No.2 best-selling game of September, it has already hit the top 10 list for 2020. In a unique move, Nintendo has put an end date to the sale of the game on March 31, 2021. Possibly driving any fan that wants the game to act quickly, moving copies at an incredible rate.
9 Super Smash Bros. Brawl
The highly-anticipated reboot of one of the most popular crossover fighting games ever, Super Smash Bros. Melee. A game that to this day dominates the competitive scene and has a very active playerbase for a game that was released in 2001.
Selling over 800,000 copies on launch day, Brawl became an instant success. It then became Nintendo’s fastest-selling American game in history, capping out the week at 1.4 million sales. The game has now sold over 13 million copies, even with a new release already out.
8 Madden NFL 09
Giving respect where it’s due, Madden NFL 09 made waves for the time. Selling 2.3 million copies in its first month and becoming the best selling video game worldwide in the later part of 2008.
Shocking as usually NFL games heavily lean on the American market for their sales, having a global title under the belt is difficult. America stepped up in a big way and made up for the rest of the sales, pushing the game into the number 1 global spot for its time.
7 Pokemon Sword & Shield
With such an iconic series like Pokémon, it’s hard to imagine that over 20 years later the titles would still be breaking their own records. The game opened and sold 6 million copies in the first weekend, making it the fastest-selling title in franchise history.
It even branched outside of the series and became the fastest-selling Nintendo Switch game period, beating out iconic titles and tearing down the old records handily. Entering the Switch world and bringing a more developed version of the game really paid off.
6 Diablo III
Impressive enough on the prior stats, Diablo 3 sales continued to skyrocket to over 30 million in 2015. Becoming the tenth best selling game of all time, Diablo 3 has far surpassed any expectation and has maintained an active player base since.
5 Black Ops 3
Impressive to even be on the list considering the many blunders that Call of Duty had in previous titles, Black Ops 3 came back with a bang. Selling over 6 million copies in its first week, it became the best selling game in the US. This would continue and top the charts at number 1 for 2015.
It would continue the success and become one of the best selling games for the entire 8th generation of consoles, further cementing its legacy and bringing Call of Duty back into the winner board of commercial heights.
4 Skyrim
A name that any gamer worth his weight in salt has played, Skyrim took over the RPG scene in 2011. On its first day, the game already had 230,000 people playing and sold over 3 million copies in 2 days.
The game has sold well over 30 million copies, becoming one of the best-selling games of all time across all platforms. This is partly due to its longevity, with many mods and adjustments being made to this day, Skyrim has no lack of content in its huge world.
3 Red Dead Redemption 2
Coming off the revamp of wild, wild, west stories, Red Dead Redemption 2 was released at the right time. Taking full advantage of the open-world shenanigans and letting fans finally live out their Cowboy fantasies with some top-notch storytelling to go along with it.
Being one of the most anticipated games of all time due to its original title and Rockstar’s flaming hot track record, Red Dead Redemption 2 was going to have a hard time not selling big. Even so, becoming the second biggest launch in history was a big shock, surpassing the original’s sales in only 2 weeks.
2 Halo 3
Taking it all the way back to 2007, Halo 3 sold over 5 million copies worldwide in the first 2 weeks. It was credited with doubling the number of sold Xbox 360s, making it one of the most important games in Microsoft’s history.
Halo 3 is among the biggest US launches of all time, an especially impressive feat considering it didn’t have the benefit of being cross-platform. Putting the system on its back and carrying it to the top of the charts, Halo 3 goes down in history.
1 Grand Theft Auto V
This is it, the big papa. Grand Theft Auto V had 4 titles before it that had already been massive commercial successes, little did they know that all would pale in comparison. It sold 11.21 million copies in its first 24 hours, doubling the numbers expected.
This would only grow, the next 3 days saw it become the fastest-selling entertainment product in history. As of August 2020, the game has sold over 135 million copies and has gone down in history as one of the most profitable pieces of entertainment ever.
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