Top 20 best-selling Switch games in Japan (update by Famitsu for the system's 2 year anniversary)

[Deleted member 10737]

thanks to Chris1964 for posting the numbers in the media create thread. i thought it would be good to share them with people who don't check that thread often. these sales are physical only and don't include eshop downloads.

source

01. [NSW] Splatoon 2 # <ACT> (Nintendo) {2017.07.21} (¥5.980) - 2.980.986
02. [NSW] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate # <FTG> (Nintendo) {2018.12.07} (¥7.200) - 2.885.281
03. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe <RCE> (Nintendo) {2017.04.28} (¥5.980) - 2.185.049
04. [NSW] Super Mario Odyssey # <ACT> (Nintendo) {2017.10.27} (¥5.980) - 1.940.587
05. [NSW] Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! / Let's Go, Eevee! # <RPG> (Pokemon Co.) {2018.11.16} (¥5.980) - 1.425.935
06. [NSW] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild # <ADV> (Nintendo) {2017.03.03} (¥6.980) - 1.244.404
07. [NSW] Super Mario Party # <ETC> (Nintendo) {2018.10.05} (¥5.980) - 950.068
08. [NSW] Kirby Star Allies <ACT> (Nintendo) {2018.03.16} (¥5.980) - 695.303
09. [NSW] Minecraft # <ADV> (Microsoft Game Studios) {2018.06.21} (¥3.600) - 651.275
10. [NSW] New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe <ACT> (Nintendo) {2019.01.11} (¥5.980) - 465.742
11. [NSW] 1-2-Switch <ETC> (Nintendo) {2017.03.03} (¥4.980) - 449.437
12. [NSW] Arms <FTG> (Nintendo) {2017.06.16} (¥5.980) - 425.881
13. [NSW] Mario Tennis Aces <SPT> (Nintendo) {2018.06.22} (¥5.980) - 400.018
14. [NSW] Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun! <ACT> (Bandai Namco Games) {2018.07.19} (¥6.100) - 306.250
15. [NSW] Pokken Tournament DX <FTG> (Pokemon Co.) {2017.09.22} (¥5.980) - 301.429
16. [NSW] Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate # <ACT> (Capcom) {2017.08.25} (¥5.800) - 254.017
17. [NSW] Dragon Quest Builders 2 <ADV> (Square Enix) {2018.12.20} (¥7.800) - 249.889
18. [NSW] Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 01: Variety Kit <EDU> (Nintendo) {2018.04.20} (¥6.980) - 240.926
19. [NSW] Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze <ACT> (Nintendo) {2018.05.03} (¥5.980) - 227.296
20. [NSW] Xenoblade Chronicles 2 # <RPG> (Nintendo) {2017.12.01} (¥7.980) - 221.234

 

[Deleted member 3017]

Seeing Zelda become an evergreen in Japan of all places is so wonderful.

 

[Deleted member 10737]

Seeing Zelda become an evergreen in Japan of all places is so wonderful.

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yeah, it's really great to see the title not only help successfully launch a system and do well critically and commercially, but also find its place among nintendo's evergreen titles in all regions.

 

[Elven_Star]

Thought Xenoblade Chronicles 2 would be much higher. Also, sad that Octopath Traveler has not made the list.

 

[Deleted member 48434]

YOU'RE A KID NOW
YOU'RE A SQUID NOW

 

[K Samedi]

Thought Xenoblade Chronicles 2 would be much higher. Also, sad that Octopath Traveler has not made the list.

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There's a possibility that it would have made the list if dogital was known. It had a high digital ratio due to stock issues in Japan.

 

[Technosteve]

why is smash like 7200 yen? do they just make up prices for games in japan?

 

[Deleted member 10737]

sad that Octopath Traveler has not made the list.

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yeah. but they really messed up the game's launch in japan. the digital sales for it have to be very high in japan tho, since we know the game sold 1.08 million (physical+digital) outside japan as of the end of 2018, and a few days ago we learned it has sold 1.5 million worldwide.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Yay Xenoblade 2 and DKCTF.

 

[Shortiloe]

Isn't it amazing that a new IP, Splatoon, launched on a dead console just 5 years ago and is already bigger than most of Nintendo's well known Brands?
I love this industry. So much can change a lot in a few years.

 

[Quinton]

Seeing Xenoblade 2 at #20 and Octopath nowhere to be found (granted, digital sales would almost certainly place it somewhere around the back of this list given its shipment issues over there) really goes to show just how invaluable Western territories are for the success of many JRPGs these days. It's a very good thing for publishers that so many Switch owners belong to this somewhat niche fandom, guaranteeing at least OK sales of such titles.

For those of us who lived through the dark ages of JRPGs in the West, at which time it took a relatively major grassroots fan campaign to even bring the first Xenoblade overseas, it's kind of therapeutic to see the way things are now.

Not to oversell the subject, though. A game like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is never, ever, ever going to hit the sorts of milestones that publishers expect at minimum from games within other genres. Only a slim handful of JRPG titles really move the needle worldwide these days, and those precious few are PS4 titles first and foremost, actually.

 

[Evil Lucario]

Fucking awesome to see Xenoblade 2 just make the list. It definitely sold over 330k according to Nintendo themselves so digital sales must actually be pretty good.

 

[Comic Obsessed]

The fact that XC2 keeps selling is beautiful. Hope it eventually reaches 2 millions and becomes MS' biggest success story.

 

[DecoReturns]

I could've sworn that Mario Party was at a million Physical.

 

[Deleted member 10737]

kinda funny how the biggest third party game on switch is by microsoft.

Isn't it amazing that a new IP, Splatoon, launched on a dead console just 5 years ago and is already bigger than most of Nintendo's well known Brands?
I love this industry. So much can change a lot in a few years.

Click to shrink...

yeah, splatoon being such a phenomenon in japan is really crazy, specially since it got its start on the wii u.

The fact that XC2 keeps selling is beautiful. Hope it eventually reaches 2 millions and becomes MS' biggest success story.

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isn't it already monolith soft's best-selling game?

I could've sworn that Mario Party was at a million Physical.

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it is, according to another tracker (media create). in a few weeks it'll become a million seller in famitsu's charts as well.

 

[Evil Lucario]

kinda funny how biggest third party game on switch is by microsoft.


yeah, splatoon being such a phenomenon in japan is really crazy, specially since it got its start on the wii u.


isn't it already monolith soft's best selling game?

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Yeah Xenoblade 2 is Monolith/Takahashi's best-selling game, higher than Xenogears, Xenosaga Episode 1, and Xenoblade 1.

 

[Deleted member 2791]

15. [NSW] Pokken Tournament DX <FTG> (Pokemon Co.) {2017.09.22} (¥5.980) - 301.429

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This makes me very happy.

 

[404LinkNotFound]

ARMS selling that much in japan despite being a fighter is amazing

 

[Comic Obsessed]

isn't it already monolith soft's best-selling game?

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Yep but I want it to become even bigger.

 

[Deleted member 10737]

since some of the games on the list are ports/enhanced versions of wii u games, let's see how they have sold compared to the wii u versions. (numbers from here)

mario kart 8
wii u: 1.35M
switch: 2.18M

breath of the wild
wii u: 137K
switch: 1.24M

minecraft:
wii u: 552K
switch: 651K

new super mario bros. u
wii u: 1.26M
switch: 456K

pokken:
wii u: 173K
switch: 301K

donkey kong country tropical freeze
wii u: 120K
switch: 227K

 

[Sgt. Demblant]

Yay for Labo!

Double yay for Xenoblade 2!

 

[mute]

why is smash like 7200 yen? do they just make up prices for games in japan?

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It varies. There is no 59.99 MSRP-esque standard.

 

[DecoReturns]

Yo, When we getting Pokken 2?

 

[Mirev]

20. [NSW] Xenoblade Chronicles 2 # <RPG> (Nintendo) {2017.12.01} (¥7.980) - 221.234

This is sad honestly. This game is so good...

 

[Comic Obsessed]

20. [NSW] Xenoblade Chronicles 2 # <RPG> (Nintendo) {2017.12.01} (¥7.980) - 221.234

This is sad honestly. This game is so good...

Click to shrink...

Sold beyond expectations anyway.

 

[Deleted member 10737]

20. [NSW] Xenoblade Chronicles 2 # <RPG> (Nintendo) {2017.12.01} (¥7.980) - 221.234

This is sad honestly. This game is so good...

Click to shrink...

it has sold 1.53M worldwide (as of september 2018), that's a great result for a relatively new JRPG series. there are less than a handful of JRPGs left that can sell more than that.

 

[julian]

Yay for Labo!

Double yay for Xenoblade 2!

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Agreed for both, but Labo probably wouldn't have charted if digital was included. It's the only game on the list without an option to buy digitally.

 

[Ladioss]

Damn those numbers. It surprises me every time I'm reminded the Japanese market is so dead.

 

[Deleted member 10737]

here are the 5 titles that would likely be number 21-25 (numbers as of the end of 2018):

[NSW] Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle <SLG> (Nintendo) {2018.01.18} (¥5.980) - 213.453
[NSW] Octopath Traveler <RPG> (Square Enix) {2018.07.13} (¥6.800) - 193.780
[NSW] Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 for Nintendo Switch <FTG> (Bandai Namco Games) {2017.09.07} (¥6.800) - 181.090
[NSW] Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker <ADV> (Nintendo) {2018.07.13} (¥3.980) - 156.330
[NSW] FIFA 18 <SPT> (Electronic Arts) {2017.09.29} (¥5.800) - 122.998

happy to see mario+rabbids performed decently in japan.

 

[Glio]

Yo, When we getting Pokken 2?

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If it exists, it would make sense in 2020.

 

[unicornKnight]

Microsoft the most successful 3rd party

 

[Dark Cloud]

Yep but I want it to become even bigger.

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Idk how much more potential this type of game has.

 

[JustJavi]

So weird to see Zelda so high up there.

 

[foxuzamaki]

20. [NSW] Xenoblade Chronicles 2 # <RPG> (Nintendo) {2017.12.01} (¥7.980) - 221.234

This is sad honestly. This game is so good...

Click to shrink...

Thats Actually a pretty good result for xenoblade 2, it even went above expectations and this isnt including digital

 

[Soapbox Killer]

Yo.......Tropical Freeze.

 

[Ikaruga]

Seems pretty good.

 

[Deleted member 437]

So whats that? 80% first party?

 

[Deleted member 10737]

So whats that? 90% first party?

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nope, just 80% 🙃

edit: nice edit

 

[Deleted member 3017]

Idk how much more potential this type of game has.

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Not much, which is why I'm hoping Monolith's upcoming action RPG is designed in such a way that allows its reach to be expanded beyond super niche JRPG players. As great as Xenoblade 2 is, a big part of its success comes down to when it released in the lifecycle of Switch and another game like that is very unlikely to see the same level of success.

 

[Raijinto]

So whats that? 80% first party?

Click to shrink...

Nice edit lol.

 

[a Master Ninja]

Minecraft is the best selling third-party game, and has earned a place in Smash Bros.

 

[foxuzamaki]

Seeing Xenoblade 2 at #20 and Octopath nowhere to be found (granted, digital sales would almost certainly place it somewhere around the back of this list given its shipment issues over there) really goes to show just how invaluable Western territories are for the success of many JRPGs these days. It's a very good thing for publishers that so many Switch owners belong to this somewhat niche fandom, guaranteeing at least OK sales of such titles.

For those of us who lived through the dark ages of JRPGs in the West, at which time it took a relatively major grassroots fan campaign to even bring the first Xenoblade overseas, it's kind of therapeutic to see the way things are now.

Not to oversell the subject, though. A game like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is never, ever, ever going to hit the sorts of milestones that publishers expect at minimum from games within other genres. Only a slim handful of JRPG titles really move the needle worldwide these days, and those precious few are PS4 titles first and foremost, actually.

Click to shrink...

Don't give PS4 too much credit, some of the most popular jrpgs are actually nintendo exclusive

 

[Quinton]

Don't give PS4 too much credit, some of the most popular jrpgs are actually nintendo exclusive

Click to shrink...

No, no, I know they are. But I'm talking specifically to Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts 3 here. (Yeah, Pocket Edition is on Switch, but. <_<) All I'm saying really is that Sony still has the gig sealed when it comes to the ones that light the charts on fire.

Unless we're tossing Pokemon into the equation, of course, in which case there's no competition!

 

[Dark Cloud]

No, no, I know they are. But I'm talking specifically to Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts 3 here. (Yeah, Pocket Edition is on Switch, but. <_<) All I'm saying really is that Sony still has the gig sealed when it comes to the ones that light the charts on fire.

Unless we're tossing Pokemon into the equation, of course, in which case there's no competition!

Click to shrink...

Pokémon is in the fire...it's a JRPG.

 

[Quinton]

Pokémon is in the fire...it's a JRPG.

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OK! There we have it, then.

 

[KillstealWolf]

We need a poll on the race to 3 million, what's getting their first, Splatoon 2 or Smash Ultimate?

 

[Quinton]

We need a poll on the race to 3 million, what's getting their first, Splatoon 2 or Smash Ultimate?

Click to shrink...

I can't imagine Smash doesn't eclipse Splatoon 2 and hit three million first. It's barely behind Splatoon 2 at all and it's only been out since December.

EDIT: Actually, I misread the numbers a bit. With 20k left on the clock I could see Splatoon 2 beating it, haha.

 

[Neoxon]

Impressive numbers for Splatoon, ARMS, & Xenoblade.

 

[Deleted member 10737]

We need a poll on the race to 3 million, what's getting their first, Splatoon 2 or Smash Ultimate?

Click to shrink...

done

I can't imagine Smash doesn't eclipse Splatoon 2 and hit three million first. It's barely behind Splatoon 2 at all and it's only been out since December.

Click to shrink...

here's how they were doing as of last week:

02./02. [NSW] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate # <FTG> (Nintendo) {2018.12.07} (¥7.200) - 23.745 / 2.909.026 (+15%)
13./13. [NSW] Splatoon 2 # <ACT> (Nintendo) {2017.07.21} (¥5.980) - 8.366 / 2.989.352 <80-100%> (+41%)

 

[Oregano]

So whats that? 80% first party?

Click to shrink...

That says more about how irrelevant third parties are in Japan, and how bad their Switch support has been.

This calendar year we're almost certainly going to see Nintendo + The Pokémon Company account for more than 50% of the software sold across all platforms.