Pokémon beat Mario by making you buy the same game twice

The take: Pokémon's dual-version model turned a social mechanic into a sales strategy that encouraged players to buy the game twice or convince a friend to buy the other version.

What happened: During a recent Nintendo shareholders meeting, Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri once joked, "If you want to surpass Nintendo's Mario, you can't surpass it unless you sell two copies of the game to each customer," which became the rationale behind Pokémon Red and Green's 1996 dual launch.

Why it matters: Pokémon Red/Green/Blue sold 31.38 million units combined. Most players bought only one version, but collectors and families routinely purchased both, creating a strategy that's persisted and generated billions.

What to watch: Despite Pokemon's success, Miyamoto expressed skepticism any franchise could surpass Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's 69.56 million sales, noting "Mario Kart would likely continue to sell even more, so it may never be surpassed."

[Report] Nintendo shareholders meeting Q&A. Published November 2025.

The revelation came when shareholders questioned whether any Switch 2 title could surpass Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's sales.

Miyamoto recounted the pre-Pokemon conversation with Tajiri about needing to sell two copies per customer to beat Mario.

The strategy proved successful—Pokémon's first generation exceeded 31 million units (combined Red/Green/Blue), surpassing all Mario titles except Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario Bros.

They called it "encouraging trading." We call it "double revenue."

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Nintendo confirmed Pokémon's dual-version model was designed to sell two copies per customer.

After Miyamoto's shareholders meeting revelation, the strategy became explicit: the dual-version model monetizes completionists.

Tajiri saw that you beat Mario not by making a better game, but by making customers buy the game twice.

The blinder: make some Pokémon exclusive to each version.

Completionists either trade (converting one sale into network effects) or purchase both copies (converting one sale into two).

Pokémons Machamp, Gengar, Golem, and Alakazam's evolution is dependent on trading, ensuring the mechanic stays relevant.

Nintendo markets this as "encouraging trading" and "community building."

The economic outcome was that completionists and introverts who won't trade bought both versions.

The model persists.

Sword/Shield hit 26.96 million sales. Scarlet/Violet reached 27.61 million.

Tajiri presented it as a joke at the pre-Pokemon meeting.

Pro: The dual-version model creates genuine social interaction, encourages local multiplayer, and makes completing the Pokedex a shared achievement rather than a solo grind, fostering a sense of community.

Con: It's deliberately manufactured incompleteness that forces collectors to buy two copies of essentially the same game or coordinate trades, turning a social feature into a revenue strategy that disproportionately targets completionists.

Our read: Nintendo built exclusion into the design three decades ago. The model works because incompleteness is the default. Completionists pay twice or trade to resolve it. Tajiri presented this as a joke about beating Mario. Nintendo has used the strategy for 29 years across every Pokémon generation.

Bulbapedia: Pokémon Red and Green sales documentation

Pokemon Red/Green/Blue combined sales exceed 31 million units, "making these the highest selling Pokemon games as well as the only games in the series to exceed 30 million units." Tajiri's strategy of selling two copies per customer succeeded.

Game Freak has replicated the dual-version model in every generation since 1996. The approach has faced no meaningful regulatory challenges.

Pokémon Red/Green/Blue sold 31.38 million units. — VGChartz/Nintendo, March 2024

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