It's a memorable day in Mario Kart history. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released on this day, April 28, five years ago in 2017. Since then, the game has gone on to become an absolute juggernaut that only continues to grow.

As of December 31, 2021, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold 43.35 million copies, making it by far the highest-selling Switch game (Animal Crossing: New Horizons follows with 37.62 million sold). Nintendo will announce a new sales number for its biggest games in May with its latest earnings briefing, so Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is only going to grow bigger in terms of its install base.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's sales success is particularly notable because it's not a "new" game per se. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is an enhanced version of Mario Kart 8, which originally released for the Wii U in 2014. That game sold 8.46 million copies to become the Wii U's best-selling game ever. Combined, Mario Kart 8 and Deluxe have sold just under 52 million copies. This includes copies included in bundles, like the popular Nintendo Switch Black Friday bundle.