Pokémon Sun and Moon have sold 14.69m, now third-best selling 3DS game to date

Pokmon Sun and Moon have collectively sold 14.69m units, Nintendo confirmed this morning, making it the company’s third best-selling 3DS game to date.

The figure comes from the company’s latest consolidated financial results for the nine months ended December 31st 2016. After a stellar sales period over Christmas, Pokmon Sun and Moon have now surpassed Pokmon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire despite only being out for two months, which collectively sold 13.68m units, and isn’t far behind Mario Kart 7, which has sold 14.82m units.

As many speculated at the end of last year, a large part of Sun and Moon success is down to the mobile hit Pokmon Go, Nintendo has confirmed:

"The release of the smart device application Pokmon GO led to increased sales of software in the Pokmon series released in the past and drove Nintendo 3DS family hardware sales growth, particularly outside of Japan," the report reads.

Nintendo 3DS hardware sales were 10 per cent up year on year, according to the report, selling 6.45m units over the nine-month period. Meanwhile, the total number of 3DS software units sold hit 476.78m, an increase of 20 per cent year on year.

Pokmon Sun and Moon are also on track to outsell Pokmon X and Y, which have cumulatively sold 16.06m units to date.

Other highlights from the report show that Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS has sold over 2m units worldwide. The game sold 1.04m units in Japan and 0.97m overseas. The Wii U original, meanwhile, has so far sold 3.89m units worldwide.

Nintendo says it also hopes to maintain momentum for Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS and Pokmon Sun and Moon in the months to come.

"For Nintendo 3DS, we aim to maintain the buzz surrounding the hit titles Pokmon Sun and Pokmon Moon and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, as well as releasing new titles such as Mario Sports Superstars."

In Europe, the 3DS first party release schedule looks reasonably healthy compared to other regions, with Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World hitting stores on February 3rd, Mario Sports Superstars coming on March 10th, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia on May 19th, and then two YO-KAI WATCH 2 titles (Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls) coming in the spring. Fire Emblem Warriors will be the main autumn release, and Ever Oasis and Pikmin for Nintendo 3DS are also listed for 2017, while a new Dr Kawashima’s Devilish Brain Training title is listed as TBD.