Home Gaming Knack has outsold Super Mario 3D World in the UK

Knack has outsold Super Mario 3D World in the UK

1 min read
67

WiiHardlyKnewU

The PlayStation 4 made its UK debut this past Friday and has gone on to become the fastest selling console in the UK, displacing the previous champion, the PSP. Super Mario 3D World, one of the best games of the year and possibly the best Mario game since Super Mario Galaxy was also released this Friday – and it’s been bested in sales by a poor PlayStation platformer; Knack.

According to the UK’s ChartTrack, Super Mario 3D world debuted at number 14 on its sales charts. The game has been lavished with universal acclaim and currently has a Metacritic rating of 94.

Unfortunately, it’s been beaten, at number 13 on the sales chart by Sony’s Knack; a platformer that fails to show off the power of the PS4, and seems to be stuck in the mid-90’s. Not it’s Metacritic rating, mind you – that’s sitting at a deplorable 55. 

US gamers seem to have a little more sense; reports are that Super Mario 3D World has sold over 200 000 copies in two days in the US, beating the 100 thousand copies Knack has sold so in the US thus far. Still not good news for Mario though because even in the one place you’d expect  the game to do well, Japan, the game has failed to set charts ablaze and hasn’t resulted Wii U uptake significantly increasing.

Super Mario 3D World was the game that was supposed to save the ailing Wii U, which has struggled with both developer and consumer support since release. It’s really quite a pity – because it’s a wonderful system, and Super Mario 3D world is the most fun I’ve had with a game all year.

Of course, Knack has probably sold close to as many copies as it ever will, while Mario will have a long tail yet.

Last Updated: December 2, 2013

67 Comments

  1. RyseandRepeat

    December 2, 2013 at 13:34

    Geoff’s header for his review of Knack is still one of his finest creations!

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief of Souls

      December 2, 2013 at 13:38

      Agreed

      Reply

    • Vampyric Squirrel of the Sith

      December 2, 2013 at 13:39

      This header is probably the closest to Geoff’s face Mario can get without being Asian

      Reply

  2. Admiral Chief of Souls

    December 2, 2013 at 13:38

    So much fail here (but not in the gif, cuz awesome)

    http://d24w6bsrhbeh9d.cloudfront.net/photo/aQqXjAK_460sa.gif

    Reply

    • Vampyric Squirrel of the Sith

      December 2, 2013 at 13:40

      Midget Face surfing… it’s a thing now…

      Reply

    • That Tall Twit

      December 2, 2013 at 13:55

      Buuuuurn!

      Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      December 2, 2013 at 14:24

      John Cena wishes he could do that… 5 Moves of Doom < FaceSlide

      Reply

    • ALKi1234

      December 2, 2013 at 14:48

      Thank you.i needed that.

      Reply

  3. Admiral Chief of Souls

    December 2, 2013 at 13:39

    Bunch of sheep

    BAAA BAAA BAAA

    Reply

  4. RyseandRepeat

    December 2, 2013 at 13:41

    Man this makes me sad. World is going crazy!

    Reply

  5. Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

    December 2, 2013 at 14:18

    The real news is really that PS4 is now officially the fastest selling console in UK gaming history. Knack is merely a passenger on a train of freaking awesome. However, I am actually keen to play Knack, my buddy in the US loves it, and since Polygon hates it, it must be freaking awesome (the combination of one of the most cynical gamers loving it and Polygon hating it means it must be pretty awesome).

    So come December 13, I will get Knack as well.

    Reply

    • iAmWeasel

      December 2, 2013 at 15:46

      Have watched a few Knack streams and I think it looks decent. I’ll get it but not a full retail price purchase for me.

      Reply

    • Nico915

      December 2, 2013 at 18:45

      I’m getting it too! Are you in s africa?

      Reply

  6. Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

    December 2, 2013 at 14:23

    I think Nintendo needs to start rethinking its strategies. Clearly, merely throwing Mario isn’t going to save them any more. It’s just strange to think that even though they dominated the first part of last gen, they’ve really been incredibly out of touch (the end of last gen and the start of this current gen).

    And I’m talking about Microsoft-levels of fail…. Microsoft on the other hand can afford to fuck up, they can money hat or pay their way out of most conundrums. Nintendo can’t.

    Reply

    • Junebug McCallister

      December 3, 2013 at 05:54

      Uhhh, Nintendo has plenty of money to fall back on. Ever heard of the 3DS? Brilliant little thing, sells better than anything else on the market.

      Reply

  7. Mabenito

    December 2, 2013 at 14:28

    Even if Mario scored a 100 on Metracritic, I won’t but it. Why? Because I’m done playing Mario and maybe taking my age into consideration. Maybe people in the UK feels the same way…! But Knack would be something to consider, why not?

    Reply

    • SirDjss

      December 2, 2013 at 16:42

      Well im 33 and i enjoy mario 3d world. Getting a bit sick of all the cod bf4 shooters with all of their buggs and issues and i actually relized that this mario game are way more fun the all the “mature” games are togeather. I am not afraid to tell people that i enjoy mario 3d worlds one bit 🙂 deal with it mate

      Reply

      • Mabenito

        December 4, 2013 at 13:36

        You guys missed the point where i said, ” I’m done playing Mario”. And I’m not a COD, BF fan either. And you missed the “maybe” too.

        Reply

    • Junebug McCallister

      December 3, 2013 at 05:47

      Anyone who has an avatar of South Park, a show that relishes in poop jokes, has no right to condemn anything for immaturity.

      Knack sucks, Mario is great. Gamers have just gone batty evidently.

      Reply

      • Kaihaku

        December 4, 2013 at 17:49

        The UK has traditionally been one of Nintendo’s weakest regional markets since Sega trounced them there generations ago. So this isn’t any more surprising than if Halo 5 ends up selling poorly in Japan.

        Reply

    • Casper Steuperaert

      December 3, 2013 at 16:26

      Simply because Mario is a better platformer. I just wished Sony would get some sense and ask Activisio, to make a new Legend of Spyro and a Jak and Dexter game.

      Reply

    • Kaihaku

      December 4, 2013 at 17:47

      Let’s take my age into consideration, I’m a gamer but now I’m also a parent. Guess what. I’ll do my personal gaming on the PC and family gaming on the Wii U. Maybe Nintendo didn’t “grow up” with me, but now that I’m a parent that’s actually a selling point.

      Reply

  8. Brian Murphy

    December 2, 2013 at 16:43

    I’ve heard allot of differing opinions on Knack, so it doesn’t surprise me.

    Reply

  9. Trim Dose

    December 2, 2013 at 16:50

    Mario got knaked in the ass!

    Reply

  10. Jack Slater

    December 2, 2013 at 16:52

    Us gamers have more sense because they listen to the biased reviews from biased websites made by biased journalists that hate Sony and want to promote their national brand? Yeah, great.

    american gamers are asked to hate Sony and praise microsoft products. When an american website gives a 5/10 to killzone shadow fall, which is a true next gen game, and gives a 9.5/10 to a dead rising 3 game, with graphics from the x360, at 720p, and framerate between 16 and 24 fps, we perfectly see how smart american gamers are, to believe those asssholes from sites like polygon, or biased idiots like sessler. Bravo. No doubt, american gamers are really smart and have much more sense.
    Fortunately, the rest of the world, gamers aren’t that smart, and are too stupid to believe in those american pro-microsoft reviews and the racist patriotism they denote. My apologies for being one of those foreign idiots that don’t believe knack and killzone are 2/10 games, and every single xbox one game, full of micro transactions, with 720p graphics, are 9.5/10 games.
    Sorry for being so stupid, and not believing in sessler crap about ‘graphics and resolution don’t matter’. I would rather trust a dog with rage than a single word coming from that biased useless xbot journalist.

    Sorry for not being that faithful xbot whose food is amazing xbox articles and doom and gloom Sony articles.

    So yeah, keep on defending and blindly accepting anything microsoft craps, and keep on adoring those thousands pro-microsoft and anti-sony reviews. And don’t forget, graphics and resolution aren’t important.

    We, idiots with no sense, the biggest thing we are proud of, regarding america, is the fact and chance we’re not american.

    Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      December 2, 2013 at 17:18

      Uhm…. 😀 Now that’s a meaty rant!

      Reply

    • Gavin Mannion

      December 2, 2013 at 17:35

      umm Super Mario is a Nintendo Wii U game… what’s Microsoft got to do with it?

      Reply

      • Jack Slater

        December 3, 2013 at 04:21

        Hmmm, just give me a few seconds so I can think, please.
        OK,I know now.
        Knack was murdered by MICROSOFT fans, journalists, websites. Because:
        – MICROSOFT fans want Sony to die, not tomorrow, or next year, but yesterday
        – MICROSOFT biased websites assassinated knack, as they did for all the ps4 exclusive games, so the launch lineup titles look like crap, compared to the perfect 9’s and 10’s all microsoft exclusives got
        -MICROSOFT biased websites like polygon destroyed every ps4 exclusive game, naturally, and praised xbox one games as much as possible. But when you watch their 12 hour xbox one video, they clearly state killzone shadow fall graphics are better than ryse ones. Naturally, their reviews say otherwise, since they have a job to do, which is making ps4 exclusive titles look like crap, and make xbox one exclusive titles look like they are all phenomenal, therefore, everybody should avoid buying a ps4, and should run and buy an xbox one, because, you know, even if the ps4 is displaying 2.25 times more pixels and looks better, next gen, officially, ‘resolution and graphics aren’t important’, according to the words that came out of sessler top asshole( there are one asshole on the bottom, and another on the top, both release the same stuff)
        – MICROSOFT sponsored websites like polygon (750K $), gamespot, etc, that are pro microsoft and anti-Sony, and are proud of it, and thousands other, once again, do their best to make people buy an xbox. Last gen, they kept hiding the truth, and barely(or never) talked about the huge rrod issue, so people don’t start buying ps3’s instead. Today, that officially the ps4 is much more powerful (225%) more and better graphics on call of duty ghosts are there to prove it to even the biggest delusional xbox fanboy(there are like 25-30 million worldwide, because the 80 million xbox360 sold, 50 million were actually re-re-re-re-replacements, after re-re-re rrod/heat/disc scratching issues, and those active 30 million gamers(95% play halo and cod online,and have a gold live subscription) re-re-re-re purchased a x360, when warranty was over), and because Sony did things right, have been giving lots of great stuff through psn+, and because gamers, even fans, started hating microsoft so much, to the point sessler had to put his unbiased mask off, several times, like when he asked microsoft fans to calm down, and wait for E3, etc, and more recently, when he said to gamers, after a 7-8 year generation where every single pixel did count, and where a single texture popup on a ps3 game would declare the xbox360 version winner, he said, he dared saying, he was so desperate to ask people to not buy a ps4 because it was much more powerful system, with much better graphics and higher resolution, that he dared humiliating himself, being hated by every single gamer in this world, being discredited and called xbots and idiot, with millions of comments from people, on forums, saying they won’t trust him anymore, but still, he came up, and begged xbox fans to not get a ps4 for its extra power, and instead, buy an xbox one, because, from now on, after Messiah sessler said, ‘graphics and resolution aren’t important, next ps4/xbox one generation.
        – sessler is just one of the countless MICROSOFT tools whose work is bashing Sony devices and promoting xbox ones. Of course, sessler gave forza5 a 5/5, naturally, he didn’t talk about the 300% visual downgrade from the E3 versions running on high-end computers, and the release version.naturally, he didn’t ever talk about the huge micro transactions ripoff, where people have to race and win 200 times the same race, on the same tracks, for earning enough credits to buy a single car, because the game never gives you a free car for free,when you race and win, even 200 times in a row, to force you to use you visa card, and start buying simple cars with real money, for up to 70$ for one single car. Of course, he didn’t talk about it, lying to future innocent kids or young people and hiding the sad truth about the game ripoff and micro, or rather macro transactions fest. Scenery is flat, public is made in 2d, all has been downgraded to keep the 60fps full HD target, but, hey, cars are shiny. It’s a 5/5.

        With people and websites like that,with behaviours like that,with all the anti-sony hate, what else can we expect? Of course, games like knack, these reviewers want to finish their article and want to speed-run the game, in 15 minutes, to publish their 4/10 review, but since they keep dying like huge pos, every 10 seconds, because the game is meant to be played with a cool , relax mood, and a old-school spirit, instead of being approached like an fps, these guys get so frustrated that the 4/10 becomes a 3/10.

        With all that hate, of course, ps4 exclusive games can only receive bad scores from the US press. Whenever I see an 8-9/10 score for killzone shadow fall, I check the website, and it’s located in UK. Strange coincidence, huh?

        Hope you understand what microsoft have to do with knack. They have a hate-engine that 30 million xbots and websites/journalists use, to produce even more hate, on every single post, comment, review, and that engine is damn efficient. Working perfectly since 2005, used 99% by US customers, and each upgrade makes it even better and powerful.

        Reply

    • magx01 .

      December 3, 2013 at 02:02

      I think you misunderstand what makes games good/fun. If you didn’t you wouldn’t be talking about review scores and technical aspects of a game since you would know that a game can look worse and have a lower framerate than some other game yet still be WAY better than it because it is FUN. I’d take, for example, PS2 graphics and 24fps if the gameplay was like DR3 over a technical beauty like the boring K3.

      Reply

    • Junebug McCallister

      December 3, 2013 at 05:48

      “american gamers are asked to hate Sony and praise microsoft products.”

      Lol since when? Last I checked IGN basically pleasures themselves to the name of Sony.

      Reply

  11. Magnumsally

    December 2, 2013 at 17:09

    1) the game was bundled with

    2) who cares

    Reply

  12. Magnumsally

    December 2, 2013 at 17:10

    “Super Mario 3D World was the game that was supposed to save the ailing Wii U, which has struggled with both developer and consumer support since release. It’s really quite a pity – because it’s a wonderful system, and Super Mario 3D world is the most fun I’ve had with a game all year.”

    says who that it was supposed to do that? historically 3d marios have never done that.

    The wii u has great support year 1

    Reply

  13. Aiddon

    December 2, 2013 at 17:26

    uh, those first “week” sales numbers for SM3DW are a bit slanted. Why? Because they don’t account for a full week. The game was released, at the earliest, on the 21st, meaning you’d get half a week if you’re being generous. It’s amazing at how so many articles about that are failing to provide context.

    Anyway, I can’t helpe but feel a LOT of people are going to be scrubbing themselves since Knack has been cited as a boring, mediocre platformer.

    Reply

    • Kaihaku

      December 4, 2013 at 17:53

      It’s the UK. It’s traditionally been one of Nintendo’s weakest regional markets so this is really no more surprising than when Halo 5 ends up selling poorly in Japan.

      Reply

  14. Bilal Prince- Ali

    December 2, 2013 at 17:31

    I’m NOT tryna be a fanboy but why the hate for Knack…? its DEFFO a lot better than people give it credit for…? -__-

    Reply

  15. Vicar In Ubuntu

    December 2, 2013 at 18:38

    (before release) “X will save the Wii U!””
    (months after release) “Psh, no one actually thought X would save the Wii U, but clearly Y will!”

    Repeat ad nauseum

    Reply

    • Guinness4power

      December 4, 2013 at 16:37

      I thought you were actually talking about the Monolith game X that’s coming out haha. That is one game that will be absolutely beautiful on the Wii U, and hopefully show that Ninty can be serious.

      Reply

      • Kaihaku

        December 4, 2013 at 17:58

        The X trailer is what that convinced me to buy a Wii U. Though, Mario Kart 8 probably would have sold me as well.

        Reply

  16. betelgeuse

    December 3, 2013 at 00:44

    i wonder if they include the knack console bundle in the sales,as that would probably account for most of them

    Reply

    • Junebug McCallister

      December 3, 2013 at 05:50

      I think they do.

      Reply

  17. bartleby451

    December 3, 2013 at 00:52

    I’m playing Super Mario 3D world and to be honest its not all that, certainly nothing ground breaking. Plus you’ve got to think of the size of both the user bases and what they have to choose from when buying a game, from a limited choice.

    Reply

    • Wade Nixon

      December 3, 2013 at 05:11

      I have to agree, I dont find Mario 3D world that amazing. It’s fine but to non Nintendo fans it’s like Mario 64 with cat suits.

      Reply

      • bartleby451

        December 3, 2013 at 21:07

        I know whats with the cat suits? I don’t get it.

        Reply

  18. vastreammonster

    December 3, 2013 at 01:55

    This is just hilarious. Way to drop the ball Nintendo.

    Reply

    • Junebug McCallister

      December 3, 2013 at 05:51

      How did Nintendo drop the ball? It’s a great game, and a great system. It’s gamers who are dropping the ball by insisting on buying crap like Knack and Killzone.

      Reply

  19. Gabe Hoffman

    December 3, 2013 at 01:58

    The ignorance is strong here. Mario games are not designed to sell millions out of the gate. They are meant to sell steadily over an extended period of time usually several years. Probably the only reason Knack sold more is because it was part of bundles.

    Reply

  20. subsamuels

    December 3, 2013 at 02:20

    At this point if a game like Super mario 3d world can’t sell Wii U’s I’m not sure what will. I know hardcore gamers will buy the console for Smash Bros. but besides that and Mario kart I don’t really see any system sellers. Nintendo has to release a Pokemon game for the Wii U like the 3DS. At this point that’s the only game that can save them.

    Reply

  21. Nobody Important

    December 3, 2013 at 03:23

    It probably doesn’t help that a lot of people in the UK don’t seem to know the Wii U is actually a new console and not just a different Wii. The same confusion ensued with the 3DS.

    Reply

    • Wade Nixon

      December 3, 2013 at 05:16

      TBH people have figured it out now, it’s been a year. People just don’t want it. The ignorance of why it’s not selling cant be used any more, after a year people know what it is, it has games on it that are exclusive with good reviews yet still no one buys it.

      It’s not a good console and people talk with their money. More people bought a PS4 in 48 hours in the UK than the Wii U could manage in a year, there is no gaming slump people just don’t want a Wii U.

      Reply

      • Junebug McCallister

        December 3, 2013 at 05:52

        It is a good console, with plenty of great games. I guess gamers have just reverted back to the fourteen-year old mindset they had at the dawn of the 2000s.

        Reply

        • Brad Jame

          December 5, 2013 at 15:54

          Or maybe gamers have grown up and out of the fourteen-year old mindset they had?

          Reply

  22. Jamar

    December 3, 2013 at 06:55

    I found Knack to look decent, but despite a poor launch, I doubt it will outsell Mario.

    Reply

  23. UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

    December 3, 2013 at 11:48

    I like how Nintendo sticks to the basics… No REALLY fancy graphics. Just good gameplay at a decent resolution.

    Reply

    • Guinness4power

      December 4, 2013 at 16:55

      The Wind Waker HD remake looks stunning on my 60 inch plasma! I still can’t get over how beautiful it is! They don’t always go for hyper-realistic, but they are still some amazing looking graphics.

      Reply

  24. Zorbo85

    December 3, 2013 at 18:10

    LOL what did people expect?it is a classic case of to little to late!!!for the last 12 months the Wii U has been a complete joke with ZERO quality games, 3rd party turning their backs,delay after delay and Mario after Mario Mario!!!
    This game should have been a launch title and the U should have launched this October not last November!!
    Also to release it in the middle of 2 next gens a week apart was commercial suicide and so dumb from Nintendo thinking just one great game in 12 months would make people rush out and buy a Wii U when 2 next gens have just arrived and have been on the mind of gamers ever since E3 and Nintendo failing has took a lot of gamers who were thinking of getting a Wii U to save that little extra and buy a brand new NEXT GEN system not one with 7 year old tech!!!

    Reply

  25. UE

    December 3, 2013 at 18:33

    knack is a decent game, I wouldn’t say it is worth the asking price, but knock it down to a $39 price point and it is certainly worth it.
    Well polished game that provides a certain sort of enjoyment that isn’t for everyone but it doesn’t try to be.

    The thing I don’t get is how people can call it repetitive and then not say the same of cod ghosts or ryse… I would say I had more fun and challenge with knack than either of those games.

    But it is a launch title -shrugs- infamous will be the main headliner in the launch window imo.

    Reply

  26. UE

    December 3, 2013 at 18:33

    Also anyone who goes by meta critic scores at all doesn’t need to be listened to, I mean seriously…

    Reply

  27. Zorbo85

    December 3, 2013 at 18:39

    LMFAO it is all NINTENDO’S fault not the consumers!!!
    They decide to release the Wii U biggest game a week before Xbox One launches and on the SAME DAY the PS4 launches in the UKand then people wonder why it got obliterated by PS4 software, hardware and did not shift hardly any Wii U’s?
    Mario World was completed by October but Nintendo decide until the launch of PS4 to release it in Europe and UK?
    Seriously it is just one epic fail decision after the other with Iwata!!

    Reply

  28. Vitor Samuel

    December 4, 2013 at 17:30

    The thruth is. UK people is retarded, its the only place Knack beat Mario.

    Reply

  29. Kaihaku

    December 4, 2013 at 17:52

    Eh, I thought that Knack had interesting visuals…but from trailers it’s gameplay didn’t appear to be that revolutionary so I’m not surprised that it’s failed to make a splash among critics.

    Reply

  30. Brad Jame

    December 5, 2013 at 15:53

    Nintendo is stuck in the 90’s. Every year it’s the same story: new Mario, new Zelda. Well maybe people are sick of the re-hashes now? Thanks but I had enough Mario by the time I left high school. People are finally waking up to Nintendo’s bull.

    Reply

  31. DJ

    December 6, 2013 at 05:29

    I guess some people just have bad taste.

    Reply

  32. John

    December 6, 2013 at 09:04

    Super Mario 3D Word is a piece of handcrafted art, that hangs in the finest gallery in London. Knack is one of the many rubbish bins outside the apartment block down the street.

    Knack is only selling because it’s one of the only AAA first party exclusives available for the system right now,

    The reviews are right, Knack is poor, I really didn’t like it, it tried to bring back older style platformers, but it feels weak in comparison to even some of the first 3D games, back to when they were still learning the roped of 3D gaming, it’s that poor., It’s a good idea, but it can’t even hold itself together for longer than the first 2 levels, then it starts breaking it’s own rules and punishing the user harshly for it. Considering Ratchet and Clank was so robust, you’d think a new IP from the same Dev. would produce a product of equal quality, but apparently not. Insomniac needs to go back to making Ratchet and Clank.

    I’d have to say out of both the PS4 and Xbox One, the Xbox One has the best games right now, as much as I hate to admit it. Dead Rising is just magnificent, Forza 5, while missing a ton of content from Forza 4, is still an amazing title, the only let down is Ryse.

    But my favorite right now, is still the WIi U, I’m still playing Wind Waker HD, still playing NSMBU, still playing Wonderful 101, still playing Pikmin, hell, I’m still playing Zombi U despite how much penis it sucked.

    Reply

  33. Hedra42

    December 9, 2013 at 14:16

    Let’s get this into perspective, huh?

    For the week ending Nov 30, in the UK, 60k Wii U software titles were sold, of which 18k were Super Mario 3D World – just under 1 in 3. For the same week, 486k PS4 titles were sold, of which 19k were Knack – that’ll be about 1 in 25.

    Knack was the 7th best selling PS4 game in the UK, after Killzone, FIFA 14, CoD Ghosts, Battlefield 4, Assassin’s Creed and Need for Speed Rivals, all of which had Metacritic scores in the 80’s (the only anomaly being Killzone, with a rating of 74) whereas Super Mario 3D World was the best selling Wii U title in the UK for that week.

    Knack is an average game riding high on the hype of a new console launch in the UK, while Super Mario 3D World is a high quality game that was released in the same week for a much slower selling console.
    Knack has outsold Super Mario 3D World in the UK on a PS4 launch day? So what? Put it in perspective, and it’s clear that in general UK buyers – whether they’re PS4 fans or Wii U fans, know their high quality games.

    Reply

  34. Ptaz

    December 18, 2013 at 22:34

    You limey bastards sure love your Japanese products…

    Reply

  35. Lunastras

    December 22, 2013 at 23:06

    super mario 3D world global: 731k
    knack: 290k

    eat it

    Reply

    • David

      December 29, 2013 at 00:19

      Global 3D World 1.02M

      Knack 0.34M

      so now change the title of how 3d world outsold Knack… and killzone…

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also

Horizon Forbidden West features an entirely new skill tree and “free-climbing” system

You ever wonder if Nintendo paid the person who came up with “free-climbing” what they wer…