Following Astro Bot's Impressive Debut, Here's The Top-Selling Platformers At Launch Since 2019

Key Takeaways

Nintendo dominates platform gaming with three Mario titles in the top 10 since 2019.
Sony’s Astro Bot outperforms Ratchet & Clank, with sales and critical data pointing towards a cornerstone franchise.
Sonic’s recent entries have the potential to join the top 10 list, while Astro Bot continues to release free DLC to engage players.

While platforming games might not be as big as they once were, the genre is a lot more varied now and isn’t just ruled by Nintendo’s Mario games. Case in point: Team Asobi’s recent release Astro Bot has made waves at Sony, not just because it’s one of the best-reviewed games of all-time on the PS5, with the game at a “Mighty” rating on Open Critic, with 99% of critics recommending it, but also because of its sales, which Sony has confirmed has already sold over 1.5 million copies since launch.

In case you’re curious how Astro Bot fares in comparison to other platformers, the team at mindGame Data shared their analysis of the top ten platformers based on the game’s first-month performance since 2019, and to no one’s surprise, a Mario game by Nintendo is at the top spot.

Platform Games’ Best Launches Since 2019

Note that the data below is for best launches, and doesn’t account for overall game sales.

1) Super Mario Bros. Wonder

2) Super Mario Maker 2

3) Sonic Frontiers

4) Suiper Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

5) Only Up!

6) Astro Bot

7) Kirby and the Forgotten Land

8) Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

9) Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

10) Sonic Speed Simulator

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Some key takeaways here:

Nintendo has three Mario games in the top 10, solidifying the company’s dominance in the genre.
While Sonic already has two entries, mindGame notes how Sonic x Shadow Generations, which was just released this October, is on track to break into the list, most likely landing in the middle of the pack.
Astro Bot’s surprisingly outperformed first-party platforming game, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart by Insomniac Games.
Only Up! rose quickly thanks to streamers on Twitch featuring the game on speedruns, but quickly fell down by the end of Summer 2023 when the game was permanently taken off Steam with the game’s creator citing stress as the main factor (since the game was being linked to NFT’s and accused of using infringing assets).

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While Crash Bandicoot is no longer a Sony mascot and an exclusive franchise, it seems that based on sales and critical data, Sony might have found its cornerstone series with Astro Bot. Not only is the gameplay solid, with the review of our sister site Game Rant giving it a perfect 10/10 score, but it even ropes in other gaming franchises into the game for added appeal, and also for multi-brand synergy as well.

No word yet on whether we’re getting a sequel to Astro Bot, but Team Asobi is busy pumping out free DLC for game owners with new speedrun levels and new bots.