Super Mario 3D Land sells 5 million, Skyward Sword 3.4 million

Nintendo may have failed to hit its sales expectations for the 3DS, but the device isn't without its success stories. As part of Nintendo's postearnings information dump, the publisher revealed three first-party games that easily topped the million-unit sales milestone.

Super Mario 3D Land topped the 3DS's sales charts through December, selling 5.03 million units worldwide. The portly plumber's latest outing arrived to a solid critical reception in November. December's Mario Kart 7 posted a close second with 4.54 million units sold, while June's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D sold 2.49 million units.

On the Wii, Nintendo saw a strong performance from Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Launched in late November, Link's latest action adventure sold 3.42 million units through December. That figure was good enough for a third-place finish on the Wii chart, behind Mario Kart Wii (4.91 million) and New Super Mario Bros. Wii (3.53 million).

Turning to the DS, Pokemon White/Black continued to put in solid numbers, topping the handheld's chart with a combined 2.91 million units sold. New Super Mario Bros. and Mario Kart DS followed, with 1.87 million units and 1.26 million units sold, respectively.

A full list of Nintendo's million-unit sellers for the April-December period, as well as those games' lifetime-to-date tallies, can be found below.

3DS
Title / 2011 sales/ LTD sales
Super Mario 3D Land / 5.03 million / 5.03 million
Mario Kart 7 / 4.54 million / 4.54 million
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D / 2.49 million / 2.49 million

Wii
Title / 2011 sales/ LTD sales
Mario Kart Wii / 4.91 million / 31.91 million
New Super Mario Bros. Wii / 3.53 million / 25.47 million
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword / 3.42 million / 3.42 million
Wii Sports / 2.4 million / 79.16 million
Wii Sports Resort / 2.19 million / 29.87 million
Wii Party / 1.91 million / 7.68 million
Wii Fit Plus / 1.75 million / 20.24 million
Kirby's Return to Dream Land / 1.21 million / 1.21 million
Wii Play: Motion / 1.12 million / 1.12 million
Super Mario Galaxy / 1.09 million / 10.4 million

DS family
Title / 2011 sales/ LTD sales
Pokemon Black & White / 2.91 million / 14.42 million
New Super Mario Bros. / 1.87 million / 28.74 million
Mario Kart DS / 1.26 million / 22.30 million
*Professor Layton and the Last Specter / 1.19 million / 1.19 million
Kirby Mass Attack / 1.01 million / 1.01 million

*Sales figures do not include Japan.

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3DS getting new 2D Mario

Nintendo fans will soon be getting a new Mario game and a new way to take the company's systems online. Today, Nintendo announced that a new 2D Mario side-scroller is in development for the 3DS and detailed the plans for an online hub called the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and 3DS.

Nintendo shed little light on the new Mario title outside of acknowledging its existence. The company assigned the game a broad release window, saying it will ship during Nintendo's next fiscal year, which runs April 1, 2012, through March 31, 2013.

Nintendo also announced today the Nintendo Network, a new online service for the 3DS and Wii U that will cover "competitions and communication among users, as well as the sales of digital content." According to the company, the Nintendo Network will run parallel to the current Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service.

Additionally, the Nintendo Network will introduce a personal account system for the Wii and will allow for multiple accounts to be registered to the console. According to Nintendo, offering this has been "a challenge we needed to tackle."

Further, Nintendo said it is exploring the possibility of offering full-game downloads through the Nintendo Network for the 3DS and Wii U. Nintendo said it already has the required infrastructure to allow for full-game downloads, and the concept was "built into the design" of the 3DS.

Nintendo indicated that full-game downloads for the 3DS and Wii U may still be far off. According to the company, it has not yet finalized partnerships with wholesalers and retailers, and storage capacity on SD memory cards is also an issue needing to be considered.

The last major announcement during Nintendo's investor meeting was word that the Wii U's tablet controller will include Near Field Communication (NFC) support. According to Nintendo, adopting this technology into the Wii U's tablet controller will make it possible to "create cards and figurines that can electronically read and write data via noncontact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world."

NFC technology was most recently used in Activision's Skylanders: Spyro's Adventures. In that game, players use real-world action figures to alter gameplay within the gameworld. According to Nintendo, NFC technology for the Wii U could enable further possibilities including "means for making micropayments."

The Wii U is due for a global launch by the end of 2012. No mention has been made of a price for the forthcoming console. Gamers eager to get a further glimpse at the console can follow the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo, where Nintendo will have finalized hardware on hand.

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