This just in. I've been handed an urgent news bulletin. Nintendo of America is reporting estimates that this past holiday season was one of their most successful to date. This, of course, comes as a shock to no one.

While I'm sure I don't have to tell you that Nintendo's been raping wallets left and right for the past few years, the fact that their products continue to sell as strongly as they have been is impressive. New Super Mario Bros. Wii will have hit somewhere around 4 million in sales in the coming weeks, and somehow, Nintendo's managed to sell more DSis and DS systems than ever before. I just don't get how there can possibly be that many people who still didn't have one of the portable consoles. Is it possible that hospitals are buying them for newborn babies as soon as they're popped out? In that case I know a certain editor-in-chief who just found himself in possession of a spanking new pink DSi. Oh, and a baby.

Regardless of how you feel about Nintendo's consoles, the company has proven they're going to sell and sell and sell and sell. Nintendo makes earning that paper look as easy as breathing, and they should be commended. Of course, they've already commended themself, so I guess I don't really have to tell them they're doing a good job.

You can check out the full press release below.

As everyone looks ahead to the possibilities in store for 2010, Nintendo of America is looking to extend the glow of the holidays with some fresh December sales information. The following items were announced by Nintendo President Satoru Iwata in Japan:

• Although official U.S. sales data for December and all of 2009 will be announced by the NPD Group on Jan. 14, it appears that U.S. consumers responded enthusiastically to Nintendo’s Wii^™ home console in December. Nintendo estimates that December sales in the United States will exceed 3 million units.
• Nintendo estimates that the portable Nintendo DS^™ lineup, including the Nintendo DSi^™ video game system, set a new all-time calendar-year U.S. sales record for any console or hand-held system.
• Nintendo software also continued to perform well. Although the NPD Group will provide the full sales numbers for each game, Nintendo estimates that lifetime U.S. sales of New Super Mario Bros.^™ Wii are approaching 4 million. The game, which is the first Super Mario Bros. game to include simultaneous four-player action, launched in the United States on Nov. 15.

“The millions of people who bought Nintendo hardware during the holidays can look forward to enjoying great games on those systems now and in the future,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for Nintendo DS, and Wii Fit Plus and New Super Mario Bros. Wii are all currently providing Nintendo fans with amazing experiences and fun adventures for the whole family.”