The NPD sales results for the US market have often reflected these improved fortunes, and courtesy of a major release Nintendo achieved success in what is traditionally one of the quietest months at game retail.

Splatoon 2 was that big arrival, aiming to build upon the success of the original on Wii U.

Splatoon 2 Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy Grand Theft Auto 5 Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Injustice 2 Mario Kart 8 Overwatch Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege NBA 2K17 Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands Call of Duty: Modern War Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Minecraft Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare MLB 17: The Show ARMS Battlefield 1 Mass Effect: Andromeda Tekken 7

In the hardware stakes it was Nintendo Switch on top in July, as well, helped by Splatoon 2 and restocks; that said, units were still pretty tough to find, but enough systems arrived and sold to top the NPD charts.

He's the guy to thank for the generally brilliant nature of the content which massages your eyeballs on a daily basis.