Nintendo victorious in April console battle

Nintendo's Wii and DS consoles were the top sellers in the US in April

Nintendo is claiming victory after a recent study named the company's Wii and DS gaming consoles as the top sellers in the US. 

Research firm NPD Group had Nintendo selling 471,000 DS systems, making the portable console the top seller of any gaming system. The Wii topped the console category, logging 360,000 sales.

Sony's PlayStation 2 was second for console sales with 194,000 units. Microsoft's Xbox 360 sold 174,000 units, while the PlayStation 3 sold only 82,000.

Despite drawing criticism for lacking the graphics and processing muscle of the more expensive Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the Nintendo Wii has dominated its high-end counterparts in recent months. 

Nintendo also dominated US game sales in April, claiming the top four spots with Pokémon Diamond, Pokémon Pearl, Super Paper Mario and Wii Play.

The company claims that the two Pokémon games sold more than 1.75 million copies in the first two weeks of availability.

Reggie Fils-Aime, president and chief operating officer at Nintendo's North American branch, said that the popularity of the two Pokémon releases went beyond mere gaming.

"These new Pokémon titles have cemented their place alongside the most enduring intellectual properties of the book, music and movie industries," he said.