Nintendo’s handheld division had its best March ever thanks to the one-two punch of the 3DS and the new Pokemon.
Nintendo might have a new console on the way, but the Wii’s once-mighty strength has been flagging lately. Luckily for the Big N, its handheld division is ready to pick up the slack: Nintendo said that March 2011 was the best March ever (in America) for the hardware giant’s portable platforms.
The charge was led by the superb Pokemon Black & White, which sold almost 2.5 million combined copies (1.3 million for White, 1.1 million for Black). It was bolstered by not-half-bad sales for Nintendo’s new 3DS, which moved over 400,000 units. The plain ol’ DS wasn’t ready to pass the buck just yet, however: With the jump in Pokemon-related interest for the system, the DS family sold over 460,000 units in North America last month.
That’s over 860,000 handheld units sold in a month, for those counting at home. Not too shabby at all.
“Both Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo DS family had a strong month, indicating that Nintendo has something for everyone,” said NOA Corporate Communications director Charlie Scibetta. “Nintendo provides people with the best video game experiences, from 3D visuals without special glasses to a touch-screen interface to motion controls.”
The Wii, meanwhile, moved 290,000 units in the month – somewhat respectable, sure, but hardly groundbreaking.
In the next few months, said Nintendo, the 3DS will be updated with things like an internet browser, the sorely-needed Nintendo eShop, and Netflix streaming over a broadband connection. I don’t know why you’d want to watch it on the tiny 3DS screen instead of your big flatscreen TV (if you have one), but hey, whatever works.
