3DS version of Capcom’s meal ticket beat out Mario titles and Skyrim in latest Media Creates chart update; 3DS system sales dominate.
To say that the Monster Hunter series is popular in Japan is a huge understatement. New entries of the action RPG usually end up on the top spot of any sales chart in the region for an ample amount of weeks. Monster Hunter 3G for the 3DS is no different, as the game debuted at number one with 521,959 units sold on the recent Media Creates sales chart update for the week of December 5 through to December 11.
The game is a sequel to the Wii title Monster Hunter 3 and features different control schemes for underwater segments, reworked camera controls, 3DS Streetpass functionality, and local wireless play. New monsters in this version include Bracchidios (featured on the game’s cover) and Guran-Miraosu, while returning monsters like the Gigginox and Uragaan have new attacks so that players are forced to revamp their hunting strategies. On a related note, the Slide Pad extension made its debut in Japan on the game’s release; the attachment adds an extra right analog stick along with another pair of shoulder buttons.
Coming in second and third place was Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land, with 183,834 and 89,743 units sold, respectively. The PS3 version of Skyrim, the newcomer title of the week, was at fourth place with 75,865 units sold, while the Xbox 360 version was at ninth place with 37,037 units sold. The high placement of both versions had a lot to do with the fact that Skyrim got a perfect score on Japanese video game magazine Famitsu.
On the hardware front, the 3DS dominated the sales chart as Nintendo sold 350,321 units, likely due to the combination of Monster Hunter’s popularity, the existence of two Mario titles and the Slide Expansion bundles offered in Japanese retailers. The PSP, Wii, and PS3 also experienced small leaps in sales. Sony sold 51,191 and 44,661 units of the PSP and PS3, respectively, while Nintendo sold 46,018 units of the Wii.
JAPAN GAMES SALES WEEK OF DECEMBER 5 – 11
Software
Rank/Title/Publisher/Platform/Unit sales
1. Monster Hunter 3G / Capcom / 3DS / 521,959
2. Mario Kart 7 / Nintendo / 3DS / 183,834
3. Super Mario 3D Land / Nintendo / 3DS / 89,743
4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim / Bethesda / PS3 / 75,865
5. Kidou Senshi Gundam: Extreme VS / Namco Bandai / PS3 / 56,584
6. Magician’s Quest: The Merchant’s Store of Sorcery / Konami / DS / 46,042
7. Dragon Ball: Ultimate Blast / Namco Bandai / PS3 / 44,593
8. Kirby’s Return to Dreamland / Nintendo / Wii / 44,570
9. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim / Bethesda / Xbox 360 / 37,037
10. Just Dance Wii / Nintendo / Wii / 30,935
Hardware
3DS – 350,321
PSP – 51,191
Wii – 46,018
PS3 – 44,661
DSi XL – 4,007
Xbox 360 – 3,211
DSi – 2,609
PS2 – 1,268
DS Lite – 14
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