It sells bad, because the console already has enough platformers, and what people wanted was a new Metroid, not another Donkey Kong, if the game would had released later on, maybe after a new Metroid and the library of the console diversified, things would had gone better, but it was released at a bad moment, when the majority of the library of the games on the console were platformers, and when the most people wanted was a new Metroid.
COMG guide to points: 1 point = Raging. 2 points = Beasting. 3 points = Tearing it up. 4 points = Berzerk. 7 points = Rampage. 12 points = Burst. 15 points = god mode. 20+ points = DIVIDING BY ZERO!!! 40+ points = Youkai (originally Pokemon).
-1 = Negabeasting. -5= NegaRampage. -10 = NegaBurst