Nintendo's new strategy for the 3DS seems to be working

Nintendo has reported a third solid month for its 3DS, once again claiming the top spot as the best-selling game platform. Carried significantly by Animal Crossing: New Leaf -- which sold 150,000 combined digital and packaged units in July, for a total of 660,000 units since its release in June -- the platform saw a year-on-year sales increase of 45 percent for software and 14 percent for hardware in July. The publisher also announced that 3DS title Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, which launched in March, had surpassed 820,000 combined physical and digital units in July. Meanwhile, software sales for Wii U are chugging along, with New Super Mario Bros. U surpassing 830,000 lifetime sale units and Earthbound's recent Virtual Console re-release "off to a great start," according to Nintendo. Recent overhauls to the 3DS's StreetPass feature and a robust portfolio of predominantly first party titles staggered throughout the latter half of the year -- including Pokemon X and Y for 3DS and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for Wii U -- will also likely sustain momentum through the holiday season. Further reading: -An up-close look at Nintendo's growing digital sales business