Nintendo 3DS set records in 2013

With the WIi U still having a hard time gaining significant traction in the console market, all eyes are on the Nintendo 3DS which seems to be quite healthy at the moment.

In fact, 2013 set some 3DS records in terms of software sales. Game sales for platform topped 16 million units (retail and digitally), which puts it up 45% compared to 2012. Hardware sales across the 3DS/2DS family have reached 11.5 million units in the United States alone.

To keep the momentum going, they provided updates on Yoshi?s New Island, which is scheduled for March 14th and Disney Magical World, which is scheduled for April 11th.

Read on for the announcement from Nintendo.

Shoppers bought Nintendo 3DS games in record numbers in 2013, and Nintendo plans more great games to continue the momentum in 2014. Here is a recap of 2013 by the numbers:

• More than 16 million combined packaged and digital Nintendo 3DS games were sold in 2013, an increase of more than 45 percent over 2012?s Nintendo 3DS game sales.
• The Nintendo 3DS family of portable systems, which also includes Nintendo 3DS XL and Nintendo 2DS, has crossed lifetime hardware sales of more than 11.5 million in the United States alone.
• Seven Nintendo 3DS games that launched in 2013 have a Metacritic score of 85 or higher, including two games at 90+ (The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and Fire Emblem Awakening).

?Nintendo 3DS is a powerhouse with games and experiences that appeal to all kinds of players,? said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America?s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. ?We?re not slowing down in 2014. With more games featuring fan-favorite franchises on the way, the best days of Nintendo 3DS are still to come.?

Nintendo has great Nintendo 3DS games planned for early 2014 to keep the momentum going. Yoshi?s New Island launches March 14 in stores and in the Nintendo eShop. The game is being produced by Takashi Tezuka, the creative director of the original Yoshi?s Island for Super NES. Yoshi reunites with Baby Mario in a gorgeous landscape to help him to safety. Flutter jumps, ground pounds and egg throws all return, along with some new actions that use the unique features of Nintendo 3DS.

Disney Magical World is a new game featuring dozens of Disney characters in a variety of Disney-themed worlds. Players can customize their characters with hundreds of Disney-themed outfits and accessories, all while managing a caf?, planting crops and collecting Disney character cards. Players help different characters solve problems or find missing items. The game launches in stores and in the Nintendo eShop on April 11.

A free demo of Square Enix?s amazing RPG Bravely Default is now available exclusively in the Nintendo eShop. The extensive demo features content not included in the main game, but players who purchase the full game can transfer some of their data. The full game launches in stores and in the Nintendo eShop on Feb. 7.

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy challenges players with more than 150 mind-bending puzzles. In this final installment in the secondProfessor Layton trilogy, players embark on a worldwide adventure in search of lost Azran artifacts. The game launches Feb. 28 in stores and in the Nintendo eShop.

Remember that Nintendo 3DS features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.