J. Clement
Research lead covering internet and gaming
Mario gaming franchise - Statistics & Facts
What is the most iconic self-introduction of a hero? Bond, James Bond? Call me Ishmael? My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die? Or.. it's-a me, Mario! Ranked among the most enduring and best-selling video gaming series worldwide, the lovable, multi-talented Italian plumber’s exploits need no further introduction. Inextricably linked with the Nintendo gaming ecosystem, Mario is one of the most valuable intellectual property (IP) in entertainment.
Currently, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch is the top-selling Mario game of all time. It also claims the top spot as the best-selling Nintendo Switch game ever. Overall, Mario games heavily feature among the annual rankings of best-selling video games in many countries.
Additionally, with nearly 25 million hours of watch time in the second quarter of 2024, Mario games are also ranked among the most popular video game franchises on video streaming platform Twitch.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie , released in summer 2023, was one of the biggest films of the year and is currently the third-highest grossing animated movie of all time, with a lifetime gross of over 1.36 billion U.S. dollars – ranking ahead of Frozen, by the way. The Super Mario Bros. Movie currently claims the biggest worldwide opening weekend for an animated film, as well as being the highest grossing film based on a video game. Based on this success, a sequel was announced with a prospective release date of April 2026. It is fair to say that as long Nintendo is around, so will Mario.
A multitude of Marios, oh my
Mario does not equal Mario – there are over 200 Mario games available across various genres and subseries. The most prominent of these are the Super Mario platformer games, of which at least one title has been released for every major Nintendo video game console. Other popular Mario gaming series include the Mario Kart racing series, the party game series Mario Party, various Mario sports games, Mario puzzle games, Mario role-playing games, as well as other character spin-offs (Luigi, Yoshi, and Wario).Currently, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch is the top-selling Mario game of all time. It also claims the top spot as the best-selling Nintendo Switch game ever. Overall, Mario games heavily feature among the annual rankings of best-selling video games in many countries.
The Mario brand is widely popular
At the end of 2023, nearly nine in ten adults in the United States were aware of the Super Mario gaming series, making it the most popular gaming franchise in the United States. Mario Kart followed with an awareness reach of 76 percent. In total, about six in ten U.S. adults have ever played a Mario-related video game, with men being slightly more likely than women to have done so.Additionally, with nearly 25 million hours of watch time in the second quarter of 2024, Mario games are also ranked among the most popular video game franchises on video streaming platform Twitch.
Spotlight: Mario’s movie magic
With its near universal positive consumer sentiment, it is hardly a surprise that Nintendo is maximizing the brand’s earning – although not every venture was immediately successful. Following the critical and commercial disappointment of the 1993 live-action film Super Mario Bros., Nintendo didn’t license its Mario IP for decades. However, video game movie adaptions have come a long way since then, and Nintendo changed its approach to the topic.The Super Mario Bros. Movie , released in summer 2023, was one of the biggest films of the year and is currently the third-highest grossing animated movie of all time, with a lifetime gross of over 1.36 billion U.S. dollars – ranking ahead of Frozen, by the way. The Super Mario Bros. Movie currently claims the biggest worldwide opening weekend for an animated film, as well as being the highest grossing film based on a video game. Based on this success, a sequel was announced with a prospective release date of April 2026. It is fair to say that as long Nintendo is around, so will Mario.
