According to independent market research firm NPD Group, Nintendo's Wii console has reached another milestone by becoming the top selling, new-generation videogame console in Canada (the overall, top-selling game system is a handheld, not a console... the Nintendo DS).

According to the latest data, total "life to date" sales of the Wii console in Canada, which launched in November 2006, has hit 813,000, officially edging past Xbox 360 and more than doubling PlayStation3 in total hardware sales.

"Since launch, the Wii console has consistently been a top seller in the Canadian market," said Darrel Ryce, Director for The NPD Group, Inc. "Seventeen months after the launch of the system and it still remains one of the hottest items at retail, selling out almost as quickly as it hits retail shelves".

Other factoids provided by the NPD include:

• The Wii console was the number one selling home console system for 13 of the past 17 months

• Since the launch of the Wii console, Nintendo's Wii Play has become the number one selling title in the market, while Super Mario Galaxy for Wii lands in the number three position across all platforms (number two is the formerly-indomitable Halo 3 for Xbox 360)

• Super Smash Bros. Brawl, launched in March 2008, sold nearly 200,000 Canadian copies in March 2008, making it Canada's number one selling title of 2008 so far

Nintendo's momentum in the Canadian market is expected to continue with the upcoming launches of Mario Kart Wii (April 27) and Wii Fit (May 21).