Japanese company Nintendo announced Thursday that its popular gaming console DS's lifetime sales have exceeded 50 million units in the United States.

Nintendo also has sold 273 million games for the handheld device in the U.S. since its arrival in 2004, according to data collected by market researcher NPD.

Last month, the company sold more than 140,000 DS devices, and another 260,000 of the Nintendo 3DS model. This escalated the monthly sales figure up to 10 percent compared with the figures that were accumulated after a considerable price drop in August.

The Nintendo 3DS, launched in the U.S. in March with glasses-free stereoscopic abilities, gained more grip in the country last month. This was again due to the Aug. 12 price cut that lowered it to $180 from $250 per unit.

Nintendo is set to launch Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land for the 3DS later this year, USA Today reported.

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