Nintendo Life: Metroid Dread Had The Strongest Opening Month Of Any Metroid Game Ever In The US

Nintendo Life

Early chart tracking suggested that Metroid Dread was enjoying a successful time at retail when it launched on Switch last month, but new sales data confirms that the game has actually had the best opening month for any game of the series to date (in the US, at least).

The NPD Group's Mat Piscatella confirms that Dread debuted as October's third best-selling game in the US, and the best-selling on Switch. Piscatella says, "Metroid Dread achieved the highest launch month sales of any Metroid franchise release in tracked history."

This follows on from an impressive UK launch too, where it had the strongest opening weekend the franchise had ever seen, and it also achieved a debut number one in Nintendo's home country of Japan.

Incidentally, Dread's early success also sparked improved sales for past titles still available on Nintendo's digital services. Last month, games like Metroid Fusion and Metroid Zero Mission were spotted sitting right at the very top of the Wii U's eShop charts.

David Jaffe and Kotaku be like:

This is a surprise to no one. Switch has a huge playerbase and Nintendo starved them for a year straight. These poor folks were desperate.

Except Metroid fans, whose series has been niche for it's entire life until now.

METROID IS ALIVE

Very nice to see. Excellent game and very deserving of the sales and praise. I ended up also buying Fusion and Zero Mission on my Wii U via the Virtual Console. Haven’t played them before but really looking forward to doing so now. Hopefully Nintendo will bring some more Metroid goodness to the Switch.

Lets see how desperate they really are once Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shinning Pearl releases next week. It wouldn't surprise me if it surpasses Metroid Dread. Though I'm not all interest since I still own the originals on DS, but my daughter once Brilliant Diamond so I'll get for her.

@davillain-: Pokemon prints money, it's a foregone conclusion that it will outsell Metroid.

The King is back, haters rest in piece.

The series was on the brink of another 10 year hiatus.... real glad this game came out great and seems to be a success. Samus deserved to finally get a hit

What about Animal Crossing fans? The newest game, New Horizon is selling more copies worldwide than every Switch title with the exception of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

It's a fantastic game so far, it's underrated because of gamespots rating. Of the games I've played this year, it's right at the top along side forza5, subnautica, hades and persona5. I personally would put it in contention for my GOTY, but I'd say it falls short of the above.

Hades released in 2020 though, subnautica is from 2018, and forza is a masterpiece. Metroid is in good company

@onesiphorus: Animal Crossing (minus that bad Mario Party amiibo crap on Wii U) sold better since it's N64/GC debut. Metroid is more... complicated.

Jaffe still causing butthurt 🤣

Cringe.

No matter the Metroid title, it would have done well. You, and all the sheep saying for years how Nintendo has been neglecting the franchise for 20 years because it sold poor back when youtube, the social media, etc weren't even a thing, was always laughable to me. Relying on sales numbers of a franchise that didn't do very well so long ago is ridiculous. For the last 10 years, they could have released multiple Metroid titles, and they would be doing well, and possibly even be the #1 selling title for multiple months in a row. But, you had to defend Nintendo for ignoring this franchise because it sold poorly in like 2003. Laughable.

Capcom did the same mistake with Monster Hunter and MS is doing the same mistake with Perfect Dark.

@hardwenzen: Sorry, I read that in gibberish.

Expecting this one to sell 5-7M copies. Way higher than its predecessors.

@Juub1990: If you're serious, hell no.

For years, your excuse for Nintendo not releasing any Metroid games was that "15-20 years ago, the series didn't perform well". That's how stupid your reasoning was.

Same applies to the Monster Hunter series. Ever since MH Tri, i kept saying that Capcom should release their games on all the platforms if they want to make as much money as they can, and again, you sheep were quoting me saying how MH didn't do well ON A PS2, so it must do poorly over a decade later on a ps3-ps4.🤦‍♂️You rely on 20 years old sales statistics to judge game's profit released in the present day. Who does that?

Metroid Dread's success and greatness really did a number on this guy.

Sell the franchise to Sony already. It didn't do well on a Nintendo platform 15 years ago.

Because American's generally have terrible taste in games!

FACT!!!

According to Nintendo of America's president Doug Bowser in an interview with The Verge, Metroid: Dread sold 854,000 units in the U.S. which is "the best start for any Metroid game ever."

I keep waiting for Nintendo to realize core gamers actually bought Switches. Maybe this will be the game that proves it to them.

NOW BRING BACK F-ZERO YOU COWARDS!

@kizza_soze: Just look at the PS5 top 10 list. Lol

Well deserved, it's a brilliant game. And unlike cows, Switch owners will actually buy/play their first party exclusives instead of just talking about them on forums.

@hrt_rulz01: So this game will sell more than Sony exclusives?

@hardwenzen: Again. Sense, there is none.

I don't know what you're not getting. Your cultist friend Casey got it, and didn't liked what he saw.

I've never even spoken to him before.

Clearly, your ptsd over Dread is making you paranoid.

@casey-wegner: The visuals did gave me ptsd, and its all your fault🤣

Gonna be best selling Metroid ever!

Just more incentive for Nintendo to deliver on Prime 4.

hardwenzen really got clapped here.

We all saw him talk so much trash about Dread and pump up Returnal but ultimately in the end we see who got snubbed at the game awards and who has the sales.

He took an L in every possible way.

I don't see how unless he claimed Returnal would get more sales and awards than Dread.

Use this gif so your post looks more impactful. Just trying to help you out. Switch only owners need as much help as humanly possible😊