Nintendo's handheld 3DS console has sold over 4.5 million units in the U.S. during its first year on sale, the company confirmed today.

The Nintendo 3DS launched in the U.S. on March 27, 2011, and has managed to surpass the 4.5 million sold figure in just less than 12 months -- nearly twice as many units as the original Nintendo DS managed in its first year on sale.

The stereoscopic 3D console got off to a rocky start when it was first released, but a price cut during the summer, along with a string of big-name releases such as Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7, helped sales of the console rocket.

It eventually went on to surpass first-year sales of the Nintendo DS -- currently the best-selling video game console ever -- in just eight months.

Nintendo also noted that over 9 million 3DS software units have been sold in the U.S. to date, while overall sales from 3DS hardware, software and accessories have now surpassed $1.2 billion in the U.S..

The company already revealed last month that the 3DS has sold 5 million units in Japan, taking exactly 52 weeks to do so.