Nintendo strikes gold for first time in years

Nintendo has officially gotten its groove back.

After a dismal few years, when it was overshadowed by Microsoft and Sony, the pioneering Japanese video game company has struck gold with its Nintendo Switch, sales figures released Tuesday reveal.

Nintendo, the creator of Super Mario, sold 10 million units of the hybrid console in its first nine months and seven days in stores.

The $300 Switch — a first-of-its-kind hybrid system that allows users to play on their TVs as well as on the go — was released in March and has posted sales totals equal to other first-gen consoles, like PlayStation 4 and the Wii.

The hot start puts the Switch on track to move 14 million units in its first year.

That would put in on par with the hot start posted by Sony’s PlayStation 4, which also sold 10 million consoles in its first eight months and 29 days. However, Switch has done it before the holiday season, and the PlayStation 4 was released in November and received a big Christmas sales bump.

Sony announced last week that the PS4 has sold 70 million units since its 2013 release.

Nintendo’s new system is a hit with critics and consumers alike, and is on pace to outsell its predecessor — the Wii U — in its first year. The Wii U moved 13.5 million units in its five-year span.

The Switch’s most popular game, Super Mario Odyssey, sold 2 million units in its first three days, making it the fastest-selling title in the history of Mario’s long and illustrious career.

The numbers are especially promising for Nintendo, which experienced severe supply chain issues during the console’s first few months and struggled to meet demand.

With manufacturing sorted out and the holiday season upon us, the Switch is poised to keep up with the Wii, which moved more than 100 million units in its lifetime.

Nintendo’s ADRs closed Tuesday at $48.03, down 1.9 percent. They are up 85 percent this year.