Because 2 like Link's Adventure was a departure from what made the original so popular and it wasn't as good, and 3 came around when buzzword was starting to be generated for the 16 bits.  From about the NES's release until the time some of the other franchises started to gain a bit of popularity SMB was the driving force behind the sales of the NES.  On the other hand Wii Sports has been along for the ride while other games largely fueled the popularity of the Wii:  Zelda:  Twilight Princess, Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Brothers, Mario Kart, and Wii Fit. 

People buy the wii because of Wii sports. That's a fact.

Wii sports is a great game that appeals to every kind of game. That's a fact.

People doesn't buy the wii because of the price. If that was the case, then the xbox360 arcade version would sell better than the Wii.

People doesn't buy the wii because the motion controller. If that was the case, then the PS3 would sell way much better than now.

Those are the facts.

Whether you like it or not.

Sorry buddy but people doesn't buy the wii to play zelda or mario. They play because of wii sports and the others you mention.

Sorry to ruin your hardcore little world but that's the sad tragic true. Wii sports sells. Sorry.

So why is that a departure of Zelda, leads to 67% of the original being sold, while a departure of Mario leads to 19% of the original being sold? Why is there that big a difference?

And if all those people really did buy the NES to play Mario, why wouldn't they have purchased SMB3, even if it was released near the end of the generation? They would be doing a disservice to themselves, by not playing SMB3, if they really bought the NES for Mario.........unless they didn't buy it for Mario, and just saw that it came with a free game.

All those games released after the wii was out for a year, except for Twilight Princess. The wii sold ~14 million in the first year. Twilight Princess has 5 million sold to date. If we assume all 5 million bought it in the first year (which of course, did not happen), what did the other 9 million purchase the wii for?

Forget it guys. Wii sports will be the highest selling game bundled or not. For people who don't like it because they don't like the game or what it stands for. Think for a second what game is synomous with the Wii. People talked about and talk about Wii sports today. Wii Sports sold systems and Wii sold some Wii Sports. Some Hardcore gamers who weren't sure actually played because it came with the Wii and they actually liked it.

As I said before Wii sports made Mii's popular. Wii sports reached the mainstream. At parties people ask to play Wii Sports. People played Wii sports in other peoples home and wanted it for themselves. In Japan the Ration is almost 50%. If you were to apply that to the rest of the world it would be at 23 million right now. I know you can't do that but it is the only metric we have for non bundled.

So you think SMB should be discounted because it was bundled? That game was genre defining but set back in terms of the PC gamers at the time. Mario wouldn't have sold that much without the bundle but Nintendo wouldn't have sold so many NESs without that bundle.
SMW was bundled do you discount that game too. You don't think SMB, SMW, Wii Sports would of sold explosively without being bundled? You don't htink they helped the sales of the systems they were bundled with in a significant fashion. If teh bundle would of sucked it would of hurt the Wii just like it would of hurt the NES and the SNES. Instead they were games that made people want more. So they bought the system.

God some peple are as bad as the "OMG 3d is going to destroy Hardcore gaming" 12 years ago.

It is true as a bundle some people got the game that didn't want it. I got stuck with MGS4 because I wanted BC on my PS3 I traded it in. This will always be the case but in general credit is due where credit is do and Wii Sports as the defining game of the Wii has earned its right. It may not be a game you like but to state otehrwise is just whining.

Oh no a company gives away a free game that you can't buy except in Japan.

GTA: San Andreas n00b

Well it is actually Super Mario Land(It was never bundled). However what will you say when Wii Fit passes GTA:SA?

http://www.vgchartz.com/swlaunch.php?reg1=All&game1=Wii+Fit+-+Wii&reg2=All&game2=Grand+Theft+Auto%3A+San+Andreas+-+PS2&reg3=All&game3=&weeks=100&weekly=1

Wii Play already passed it.

The True test is Wii Sports Resorts and I do believe that will pass GTA:SA. I am estimating 20 million LTD for that game.

 any need for the "n00b" bit? I tke it you have never asked a question you don't know the answer to? Grow up.

OT - Wii Sports is a radical shift in gaming and is the system seller. Mine is still played 25 months after purchase. It is also for me the last great Nintendo title.

     The only time people ever talk about Wii Sports is when one group of people (mainly Nintendo's diehard message board fans) say it is the greatest bundled game of all time or the best system seller of all time (when there is nothing to really support that notion and its Game Rankings score is a 7.6), then the other group that points out that the real reason the game sells so many copies is because it is bundled with the Wii.  If any other Wii game had been bundled with the Wii, then it would have sold just as well as Wii Sports.

he was being sarcastic... I think.