UK CHARTS: Mario Kart Wii smashes records as it hits No.1

Nintendo has grabbed the number one spot in ChartTrack/ELSPA’s all formats weekly sales rankings with Mario Kart Wii – knocking Sony’s Gran Turismo 5: Prologue into second place.

The title recorded the eighth biggest opening sales week in UK software history to claim the top spot in the week, ending Saturday, April 12th – becoming far and away the biggest launch of any Nintendo published title.

Amazingly, its first week sales dwarf those of all five other Mario Wii games combined (Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Strikers, Mario Party 8 and Super Paper Mario).

ChartTrack points out that Wii games featuring Mario accounting for 21.2 per cent of all Wii units since the launch of the console in December 2006.

Elsewhere, Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is a non-mover at number four – suggesting it’s still performing well on Wii itself.

Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 drops two places to number five, as sales of Condemned 2 from Sega fall by 20 per cent in its second week – seeing it move down from fifth to sixth spot.

The full top ten reads:

1) Mario Kart Wii – Nintendo
2) Gran Turismo 5: Prologue – Sony
3) Mario & Sonic at The Olympic games – Sega
4) Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 – Konami
5) Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 – Ubisoft
6) Condemned 2 – Sega
7) Wii Play – Nintendo
8) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock – Activision
9) Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Activision
10) Carnival – Funfair Games – 2K Play