Nintendo’s Biggest Game of the Year Isn't What You Think It Is

It's been a quiet week for Switch gaming, with the release of Nintendo Switch Sports Resort and the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This time of year usually sees Nintendo's marketing teams preparing for big retail pushes, but this year, their attention has been drawn to Tomodachi Life, the third-biggest new release of 2026 in terms of revenue across six major Western markets.

Tomodachi Life, which was released in April, has outperformed Resident Evil Requiem, Pokémon Pokémon, Crimson Desert, and Forza Horizon 6 in terms of revenue. One month earlier, it was even the top-selling game. The game has sold an impressive 8 million copies by the end of June alone.

Nintendo UK's recent campaign, titled "Back to Me", features a young student returning home to play Ocarina of Time after being dumped. However, the storyline takes a turn when he and his sister create a Mii of his dad in Tomodachi Life. The ad highlights the game's popularity and Nintendo's continued support for it, even though it doesn't have a Switch 2 Edition yet.

Despite its unconventional nature, the success of Tomodachi Life shows that video games can be successful in forms that might not be immediately obvious. Nintendo's ad for Switch 2 emphasizes that you can play Switch games on Switch 2, but the campaign also emphasizes the broader message that Nintendo's hit games don't always look the way you expect them to.