Splatoon sales have consistently tracked ahead of Mario Kart 8

Nintendo has revealed that, following their respective release, Wii U shooter Splatoon has consistently outsold Mario Kart 8.

Although the racing game made a far bigger impact at release, from week two onwards the colourful shooting release has outsold it worldwide every single week, enjoying a particular boost in the run-up to Christmas.

Splatoon is not losing momentum even after the start of a new year and we anticipate it has the potential to be a long-selling title,” Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima told investors.

Note, however, that Mario Kart 8 still enjoys the far better sales total, with lifetime sales standing at 7.24m units. Splatoon has to date sold 4.06m units. The Wii U itself has sold 12.6m units lifetime to date.

Of Splatoon Kimishima added: It has gradually expanded even among kids and female consumers, and we expect more popularity due to word-of-mouth. We can say a good cycle has been established for this title.

We are also trying various measures from an operational perspective, including holding events in and out of the game, to create opportunities for consumers to continue playing it even long after its release. It has contributed to maintaining high usage rate and public attention.”

The exec added that 690k people took part in a recent online Splatfest competition in Japan.