The Best-Selling Video Games Of The 2000s
The new millennium of video game history saw the emergence of high-definition games, realistic physics engines, and the prevalence of the FPS game. From Call of Duty to Bioshock, The Sims, and Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, the 2000s were all about creating realistic-looking and -sounding video games that people could while away their lives on.
Boy, did it work—here are some of the best-selling video games from 2000 to 2010. These are listed in descending order, saving the best-selling game of the 2000s till last.
Big Brain Academy
Developed and published by Nintendo in 2005, Big Brain Academy featured a series of brain-testing games and puzzles designed to enhance players' mental acuity and keep their brains active. It was a huge hit for Nintendo, selling 6.41 million copies following its release for the DS in June 2005.
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo: Combat Evolved was the first in the series of Halo video games, released on the Microsoft Xbox console (as a launch game) on November 15, 2001. Halo proved to be one of the best-selling games ever created and helped the original Xbox console to become one of the best-selling consoles of the decade. Halo: Combat Evolved is often considered one of the greatest video games ever created and sold 6.43 million copies worldwide.
Need For Speed: Underground
Need For Speed: Underground was all the rage among racing gamers who'd much enjoyed Need For Speed. Underground would re-immerse racers in the Need For Speed world and give players control over the Honda Acura Type R, which was the game's cover vehicle. Following its release in November 2003, the game sold 6.49 million copies worldwide.
EA Black Box, Need for Speed: Underground
Pokémon Platinum
Building on the success of the by-now well-established Pokémon video game series, Pokémon Platinum was released in 2008 by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS console. Despite being released late in the 2000s, the game still performed spectacularly in sales figures, grossing an impressive 6.68 million copies sold worldwide.
Mario Party 8
Mario Party 8 sought to build on the success of the Mario Party series, released for the Nintendo Wii in May 2007. Despite mixed reviews from critics, the game was still fun to play (even though it was single-player only), and sold 6.95 million copies worldwide.
Mario Kart: Double Dash
Mario Kart: Double Dash was the fourth installment in the Mario Kart series that built on the success of racing elements in previous games that saw players face-off against each other on 16 themed tracks. Released in November of 2003, the game allowed you to ride two-up in a single kart, adding to the fun! Scoring 87/100 on Metacritic, Mario Kart: Double Dash is the second best-selling Nintendo DS game of all-time, selling 6.95 million copies.
Nintendo, Mario Kart: Double Dash
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Another entry for Mario on our list is Super Smash Bros. Melee, the second installment in the Super Smash Bros. series, which features characters from other Nintendo video games, including The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, and Donkey Kong. Released in November 2001, Super Smash Bros. Melee saw a sequel, entitled Super Smash Bros. Brawl, for the Nintendo Wii. The first title sold 7.08 million copies worldwide.
Nintendo, Super Smash Bros. Melee
Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games
This one was released for the Wii and Nintendo DS in November 2007 and was the first official game of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. It's the first crossover game to feature Mario and Sonic characters and the first in the Mario & Sonic series. Selling 7.49 million copies worldwide, it began a series of video games associated with the Olympic Games.
SEGA, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV, otherwise known as GTA 4, was released in 2008 and was the sixth entry in the Grand Theft Auto series that first debuted in 1997, to much public controversy. But, by 2008, people had gotten used to the violence depicted in GTA and the game sold 7.58 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling GTA games ever. It even won a Game of The Year Award from gaming publications across the globe.
Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto IV
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X was originally released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2, showcasing new advancements in graphics, with three-dimensional areas making their first appearance in a Final Fantasy game (alongside the pre-rendered areas of previous titles). Final Fantasy X sold 7.95 million copies worldwide during the decade, but continues to rake in the cash: It sold 21.1 million copies worldwide by the end of 2021.
Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
One of the most revolutionary games of the 21st century, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare changed the landscape of first-person shooter video games and became one of the most successful video games of all time. It was the first video game in the Call of Duty series to be set in the modern era, breaking away from the WWII setting of previous games. Additionally, it featured a brand new game engine: IW 3.0, which greatly enhanced its graphics. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare sold 8.11 million copies worldwide and is considered one of the best Call of Duty games of all time.
Infinity Ward, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Super Mario 64 DS
A re-release of the hyper-popular Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo DS, Super Mario 64 DS debuted on the Nintendo DS in 2004 and offered brand-new features without taking away from what players of the 1996 game loved. These included new collectibles and characters, a multiplayer mode, and focus on Yoshi as being the first playable character in the game, with Mario, Wario, and Luigi being unlockable. Super Mario 64 DS was hugely popular among those who had played the OG game—and those who were new to the Mario franchise on the DS. It sold 8.13 million copies worldwide.
Super Mario Galaxy
The third 3D game in the Super Mario series, Super Mario Galaxy was created by Nintendo for the Nintendo Wii console and released in November 2007. The gameplay features several galaxies and worlds, wherein the player must fight bosses and play through challenges to collect Power Stars. It became the first title to win a BAFTA Award for Best Video Game and sold a stunning 8.43 million copies worldwide.
Halo 2
Halo 2 was always going to be a success, given Halo: Combat Evolved's popularity. Lovers of the first game flocked to the stores in droves to pick up their copy of the sequel on the eve of its release on November 9, 2004. Halo 2 saw a revival of the popular Master Chief character from the United Nations Space Command as he took on the parasitic Flood and Covenant. Halo 2 sold 8.43 million copies worldwide, on-par with Super Mario Galaxy.
Wii Fit Plus
Wii Fit Plus was released for the Nintendo Wii in November 2009 as an expansion to the hugely popular Wii Fit fitness game that was released on December 1, 2007. Like Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus allowed players to participate in various exercise-related games involving yoga, strength-training, aerobics, and balance—designed to work with the Wii balance board. Wii Fit Plus brought 15 new games to the Wii Fit platform and sold 8.61 million copies worldwide.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
The highly-anticipated sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was released in 2009. Developed by Activision and Infinity Ward, Modern Warfare 2 picked up where Modern Warfare had left off with action-packed, exciting gameplay and a vast multiplayer platform. It was the best-selling video game in 2009 in the United States and sold 8.88 million copies worldwide.
Infinity Ward, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
A sequel to the hugely successful Super Smash Bros. Melee, Brawl was released as a fighting game by Nintendo, exclusively for the Nintendo Wii. Allowing players to take control of several playable characters from the Mario universe, the goal of Brawl was to knock players off the screen. You could even connect online and battle others!
Super Smash Bros. Brawl sold 9.17 million copies worldwide, despite being released late in the decade, in January 2009.
Game Arts, Super Smash Bros. Brawl
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
A sequel to New Super Mario Bros. (released for the DS in 2006), New Super Mario Bros. Wii saw the platform game come to the Nintendo Wii, allowing Wii users to play their favorite nostalgic platform game, now using the Wii remote. What was new about the game? Players could now play with up to four of their friends cooperatively or competitively—both online and offline.
This was a huge hit among Super Mario Bros. fans, and the Wii version of the game sold 10.03 million copies worldwide.
Nintendo, New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Pokémon Fire Red/Green Leaf
Harkening back to the traditional Pokémon games, Pokémon Fire Red/Green Leaf were remakes of the 1996 video games, but were published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance, releasing in Japan and North America in September 2004. In typical Pokémon fashion, you play as a main character, entering into battles with other Pokémon and trainers from an overhead perspective.
The highly-anticipated release of the '96 classic performed well, selling 10.49 million copies worldwide.
Game Freak, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
Gran Turismo 4
Gran Turismo 4 put the pedal to the metal, allowing you to take control of over 700 cars from 80 manufacturers, and featuring over 50 tracks, many of which were new or modified versions of the old Gran Turismo games. Gran Turismo 4 was the third best-selling game for the PS2 in 2005, selling 10.50 million copies worldwide.
Polyphony Digital, Gran Turismo 4
Halo 3
The Halo series went from strength to strength in the 2000s, with Halo 3 topping the sales figures of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. Released by Microsoft for the Xbox in 2007, Halo 3 sold 10.70 million copies worldwide.
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Animal Crossing is quite a different game to the rest on our list, yet when the social simulation game was released in 2005, Animal Crossing: Wild World allowed users to take control over anthropomorphic animals and perform tasks for the betterment of the little village. Being played on the DS, it also allowed users to connect to others via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing players to travel and visit other villages (a part of the game that remained in-service until 2014).
Animal Crossing: Wild World sold 11.23 million copies worldwide and is the ninth best-selling game in the history of the Nintendo DS.
Nintendo, Animal Crossing: Wild World
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto III is a sequel to Grand Theft Auto II that was released in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2. The game saw players take over a character, completing a variety of missions to play through the story mode—a slight departure from the general open-play nature of GTA. However, the game also featured an open world that players could freely roam and perform all the unusual criminality that they'd come to expect.
The game became one of the best-selling GTA games of all time, the best-selling game of 2001, and sold 11.60 million copies worldwide.
Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto III
Wii Sports Resort
The popular Wii Sports game received a much-welcomed expansion in 2009, when Nintendo released Wii Sports Resort, the first Wii game to require players to use the Wii Motion remote, which was packaged with the game. Players of Wii Sports Resort could now enjoy 12 sports including canoeing, swordplay, basketball, archery, bowling, cycling, and a host of others.
The game became the third best-selling game for the Nintendo Wii and sold over 12.49 million copies worldwide.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Another Grand Theft Auto title for our list is the fourth installment in the series. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City takes the player on a single-player mode that details a mobster's rise to power following his release from prison. There's also an open-world gameplay option, just like in the previous title, Grand Theft Auto III. Like the previous title, Vice City performed solidly, selling 14.20 million copies worldwide.
Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Brain Age 2
Brain Age 2 was released by Nintendo in 2005 in Japan, and 2007 elsewhere. Brain Age 2 built upon the success of the first Brain Age game, giving users a chance to both test their brain age initially, then build upon their brain age via a series of games intended to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Brain Age 2 was a huge hit among those who fondly remembered (maybe thanks to Brain Age?) the first one, selling 14.57 million copies worldwide.
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec was released in 2001 to much acclaim and fanfare, despite cutting its number of available cars from 650 in GT2 to just 180 in Gran Turismo 3. However, it did make significant advancements in its graphics, environments, and artificial intelligence of computerized opponent racers. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec sold 14.89 million copies worldwide.
Polyphony Digital, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire
Pokémon makes a reappearance on our list with Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire, two titles released simultaneously by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance in mid-2003. Both Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire allowed for four users of the Game Boy advance to be connected to one another play across the platform. The game's objectives and style of play is largely unchanged from previous installments, yet despite the lack of any major advancements, both Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire sold well: 15.38 million copies worldwide.
Game Freak, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
Mario Kart DS
Mario Kart DS was released in November 2005 for Nintendo's handheld gaming console, the DS. Unfortunately, the single-player mode is fairly repetitive and doesn't offer much by way of fun, but Mario Kart DS did offer "Battle" and "Versus" modes, both of which saw the player square-off against other players, both online and offline.
Mario Kart DS was the first title in the series to allow online play via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. It sold 17.29 million copies worldwide.
Pokémon Diamond/Pearl
Another role-playing game from the Pokémon franchise makes our list of best-sellers in the 2000s. This time, the sequel to Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire added 107 new Pokémon, as well as Pokémon Contests and an online playing mode previously unseen. It was only released on the Nintendo DS, but that didn't stop Pokémon die-hards from getting their hands on the title, which sold 17.35 million copies worldwide.
Game Freak, Pokémon Diamond/Pearl
Pokémon Gold/Silver
At the turn of the century, Nintendo was working on Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver, releasing these versions for the Gameboy Color from 2000 through 2002. The games introduce 100 new species of Pokémon and are the first installments in the second generation of Pokémon games. Despite their staggered release, Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver sold 18.02 million copies worldwide.
Game Freak, Pokémon Gold/Silver
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
You mightn't think that a title made exclusively for one console would sell well in the mid-2000s, but this was the height of the Sony vs Microsoft battles in the video game world and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was Sony's big answer to Xbox's previously-successful titles. It includes the Bloods and Cripps street gangs, the 1992 LA Riots, and the Rampart police corruption scandal.
It was the best-selling video game of 2004, selling 18.15 million copies worldwide.
Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Brain Age
The original Brain Age game was groundbreaking when it was released by Nintendo in 2006 in North America. Based on the premise of training one's brain using games that encouraged critical thinking and problem-solving, Brain Age was a huge hit among Nintendo DS players. While Nintendo of America has refused to endorse or support any scientific proof that the game improves brain function, scientific studies of 600 Scottish students showed that, of those who played Brain Age for 20 minutes before class each day, test scores improved by 50%.
Brain Age sold 18.73 million copies worldwide and won multiple awards for its gameplay quality and innovation.
Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart was released for the Nintendo Wii, bundled with the Nintendo Wii Wheel to allow for a more immersive racing experience. Mario Kart Wii showcased 32 tracks and allowed players to race against each other locally (with two- and four-person split-screen) or online using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection platform. Mario Kart Wii was well-received by critics and fans alike, earning high praise for its gameplay and multiplayer experience.
Mario Kart Wii sold 20.7 million copies worldwide, making it the second best-selling Mario Kart game of all time.
New Super Mario Bros. DS
When New Super Mario Bros. was first released for the Nintendo DS in 2006, gamers who loved the 2D platform genre of video games rejoiced. It was seen as a breath of fresh air in a world dominated by 3D graphics and ultra-realism. New Super Mario Bros. followed much the same storyline as we've seen in other Mario titles—Mario fighting through various villains to reach (and defeat) Bowser and rescue Princess Peach.
Despite the samey nature of the game, it had received a huge expansion from previous entries, consisting of eight worlds and 80 levels—there's even a fight with Bowser Jr. New Super Mario Bros. sold 20.92 million copies worldwide.
Nintendo, New Super Mario Bros. DS
Wii Fit
This is the original fitness game for the Nintendo Wii that spawned a sequel and a number of other spin-off games. First released in 2007, along with a Wii balance board as part of a bundle, Wii Fit introduced "exergaming" to the masses and sought to make it easier for people to exercise while still interacting with their Wii console. This introduced yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance-based games.
Wii Fit sold over 22.50 million copies worldwide, becoming the Wii's seventh best-selling game in the process.
Nintendogs
Nintendogs was a real-time pet simulation game aimed at the younger generation of Nintendo DS players. Released in three versions—Dachshund & Friends, Lab & Friends, and Chihuahua & Friends—gameplay saw the players take on the role of a pet owner, with the touchscreen allowing them to "pet" the dog, as well as purchase various items such as treats and bowls. Speech recognition software allowed them to tell the dog to sit or lie down.
Nintendogs sold fantastically for a pet simulation game, reaching over 23.43 million households worldwide.
Wii Play
Meant to be played with your friends, Wii Play was released as a party game in December 2006. Showcasing the diverse features of the Wii remote control, the game featured nine minigames, including a shooting game (ala Duck Hunt), billiards, fishing, and table tennis.
Despite being very repetitive, Wii Play sold 26.53 million copies worldwide.
Wii Sports
One of my favorite games, back when I had a Nintendo Wii was the immersive sports game collection known as Wii Sports. Featuring a multitude of sports games that are super fun to play with another person or against the computer, Wii Sports was released in December of 2006 and included five playable sports in the original game package: tennis, baseball, golf, bowling, and boxing. It spawned the aforementioned sequel, Wii Sports Resort, in 2009.
Wii Sports sold 58.4 million copies worldwide! It blew Wii Play out of the water and is still the best-selling game on the Nintendo Wii of all time.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's "No Russian" Level
We can't leave video gaming in the 2000s in the rear view mirror without mentioning Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's "No Russian" level. The level itself is a playthrough of a terrorist attack on a major Russian airport, wherein the playable character plays the role of the terrorist and sets about gunning down civilians in one of the most shocking moments of 2000s video game history.
This led to calls for the game to be banned and recalled throughout the world. Japan and German releases of the game featured an altered level, wherein you're given a "Game Over" notice if you do choose to partake in the slaughter. The Russian version of the game had the level removed completely.
How many of these video games did you play in the 2000s? What were some of your favorites? Head down to the comments and let us know.
