Written by: Leslie Horn



The Nintendo 3DS has crossed the 4 million mark for U.S. sales, the company announced Tuesday.

Launched in February, the glasses-less 3D handheld had a slow start, selling less than 3 million units in its first six months. However, it recently got a boost from Mario's first appearances on the handheld in both Super Mario 3D Land, which debuted in November, and Mario Kart 7, which went on sale last month. Both these titles have already sold more than 1 million copies since their respective launches, Nintendo said.

Additionally, Nintendo said it sold more than 4.5 million Wii consoles in 2011 and boasted that The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has moved more than 1 million units since its December arrival, making it the 45th Wii title to do so.

Nintendo also reportedly surpassed the 4 million mark for sales of the 3DS in Japan in the week leading up to Christmas. Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land have also sold more than 1 million copies each in the country.

Amid slow initial 3DS sales and a loss of nearly $1 billion in the first six months of its fiscal year, these numbers mean that Nintendo is ending a dismal year on a high note.

"One of the strongest software lineups in our history helped Nintendo have a great holiday season and to close 2011 with a full head of steam," Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales and marketing, said in a statement. "Not only have the new Mario and Zelda titles already broken records, but with strong reviews and satisfied customers sharing their positive experiences, all three area also shaping up to be the latest long-tail titles from Nintendo."

The 3DS could continue on its upward path, too. Over the next few months, Nintendo will roll out a huge lineup of new games for the console, including Kid Icarus: Uprising, which hits stores March 23.

In other Nintendo news, the company is reportedly prepping an app store for the Wii U, its upcoming console slated to launch this year, according to Slash Gear. An e-book store will also sell digital books, magazines, and game guides, among other content, the blog said.

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