The UK release of Mario Kart 8 helped boost weekly Wii Usales by 666 per cent.
Retail monitor Chart-Track said the game recorded the highest week one sales for any Wii U title since the console's November 2012 release and the second best launch in the series' history. Mario Kart 8 hardware bundles accounted for 82 per cent of weekly Wii U sales. Nintendo will be hoping the release of Mario Kart 8 can kickstart a turnaround for the console globally following disappointing Wii U sales in the year ended March 2014.
Those who purchase Mario Kart 8 then register their copy on the Club Nintendo website before July 31 will receive a code to download a free Wii U game.
Mario Kart 8 debuted at No.2 on the UK all formats all prices chartbehind Watch Dogs, which set a new IP sales record and also enjoyed the 17th highest week one sales of any game in the UK.
"This is Nintendo serving up unprecedented helpings of joy as only it can," we said in our Mario Kart 8 review. "Each and every track is a delight to experience," it reads, and "the master of karting is a real looker to boot."
See what other critics thought of the racer in our Mario Kart 8 review round-up.