Pokémon reportedly had its best game sales in 2021 since Gold and Silver

Last year was a fantastic one for The Pokémon Company, especially in the games department. In the gaming industry, a lot of 2021’s best sellers were 2020’s releases—and the Pokémon franchise is no exception.

Although Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl weren’t exactly what fans were looking for in Diamond and Pearl remakes, the company still had a good year in terms of game sales. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were the third best-selling titles of December 2021, according to NPD Group executive director and video game industry advisor Mat Piscatella. They were also the best-selling Nintendo games of 2021, which is impressive considering they were released in November.

In addition, the games were the fourth best-selling in 2021 based on dollar sales—and that isn’t including digital sales. Physical copies of the games were also on the rise. The sales of physical copies in 2021 reportedly saw their highest peak since 2000 when Pokémon Gold and Silver first came out in the U.S.

The rest of the top-selling list for 2021 for the Nintendo Switch is full of games that were released in 2020 and earlier. This includes Mario Kart 8, which has been on sale since just after the original sale date of the Switch in 2014 and is still sitting in the No. 2 spot in 2021 for best-selling games.

Here’s a full list of all the best-selling Switch games in 2021:

1. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
2. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
3. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
4. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
5. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
6. Monster Hunter Rise (Capcom)
7. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
8. Mario Party Superstars
9. Pokémon Sword and Shield
10. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
11. Metroid Dread
12. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
13. New Pokémon Snap
14. Minecraft (Microsoft)
15. Super Mario 3D All-Stars
16. Super Mario Party
17. Super Mario Odyssey
18. Ring Fit Adventure
19. Mario Golf: Super Rush
20. Luigi’s Mansion 3