Nintendo Switch Lifetime Japanese Sales Data Compilation (Media Create)

Update: (October 9th, 2018 4:18M EST) Week 34-39’s Media Create Top 50, Famitsu Top 30, and Dengeki’s Top 50 are FINALLY up!

I also decided to finally split the three trackers into their own articles due to the sheer size of the article now. This will be repurposed as the Media Create article and the central hub with all updates. Find the trackers linked to below!

Links to each tracker:

Media Create/Famitsu/Dengeki

This will be the complete database of all up-to-date Nintendo Switch sales data in Japan. I will update this post multiple times a week as new data comes in! I will include data from all three trackers; Media Create, Famitsu, AND Dengeki!

Each entry will now show their most recent week. This helps know how old the numbers are, and helps me do the math when any shows up weeks later to determine their amount of weeks absent.

Note: Famitsu throughout 2017 would have their week show as one later (example; Media Create would be Week 9, 2017, where as Famitsu would be Week 10, 2017). Also, Famitsu had a Week 53 in the same week that Media Create had its Week 52, after that, both started at Week 1, 2018, matching each other.

All the data will be after the jump.

Dokapon Kingdom Connect (Switch) Review

Title: Dokapon Kingdom Connect
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Sting
Publisher: Idea Factory International (NA)
Release Date: May 9th, 2023 (NA)
File Size: 1000MB

Review copy provided by Idea Factory International

If you were around during the Wii era, you may recognize Dokapon Kingdom. This is/was an RPG and board game hybrid created by Sting. No, not the singer, but rather Sting, the Japanese developer that also created the Dept. Heaven series which includes games like Riviera: The Promised Land, Yggdra Union, and Knights of the Nightmare. They also created the 2-game Evolution series on Dreamcast (which later got a combined release as Evolution Worlds on GameCube).

Anyway, this game out of nowhere just sort of became a sort of cult hit within the niche market over the years, with physical copies going for insane prices on eBay. Well Sting (or perhaps Compile Heart) took notice and had a remaster made for Switch. Note that the Wii (and PS2) original was localized by Atlus, who also localized pretty much every game by Sting during this era. This time via Compile Heart’s involvement, Idea Factory International did the honors, fully retaining Atlus’s work, including the English dub! So how does it fare? Will you get rich, or be betrayed by your best friend? Let’s find out!

Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society (Switch) Review

Title: Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: Nippon Ichi Software America
Release Date: February 14th, 2023 (NA)
File Size: 3.8GB

Review copy provided by NIS America

After 5 years, NIS have released the sequel to Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk! Actually the game originally released in Japan all the way back November 26th, 2020 for PS4 and Vita (despite the latter being discontinued in Japan by then), and only finally released the Switch port a year later on November 11th, 2021 in Japan. Well it took a bit over a year after that for the localized version on Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC to be released in the west. So how does this fare compared to its predecessor? Will you enter the wardrobe and survive the labyrinth or get turned into minced meat? Let’s find out!

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero (Switch) Review

Title: The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Nihon Falcom/PH3 Games (Switch version)
Publisher: Nippon Ichi Software America
Release Date: September 27th, 2022 (NA)
File Size: 3.1GB

Review copy provided by NIS America

So this was a long time coming for fans of Falcom and the Trails/Kiseki series specifically. This and its immediate sequel Trails to Azure both take place after the Trails in the Sky trilogy (sadly not on Switch yet), but before the Trails of Cold Steel series, and this is the first time both Zero and Azure will be playable officially in English in the west, finally filling in some gaps for fans of the franchise!

Both Zero and Azure began on the PSP and have had a clusterfuck of ports over the many years and it’s crazy even with this new release by NISA. Would you believe that the Switch (and PC) versions of both games are actually widely considered to be BETTER than the PS4 versions? That’s because where as the PS4 version (by Falcom themselves) is more of a straight port of the PSP original (with some touch ups), the Switch and PC ports are by PC port legend Durante of PH3 Games and these ports come with MANY enhancements, both quality of life, as well as visually. So how does the game fare on Switch? Is it a zero, or a hero? Let’s find out!

NIS Classics Volume 3: La Pucelle / Rhapsody (Switch) Review

Title: Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 3: La Pucelle: Ragnarok / Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: NIS (originals) / Engine Software (Switch ports)
Publisher: NIS (JP) / NIS America (NA and EU)
Release Date: August 30th, 2022 (NA)
File Size: 1GB

Review copy provided by NIS America

And now we get to the 3rd NIS Classics set! Unlike the first two which were by Codeglue, the 3rd was by the returning Engine Software, who of course prior did the Prinny 2-pack, and the prior Falcom console games on Switch (such as Ys VIII, Ys IX, and Cold Steel III among others). How do these fare? Will it make you Ragnarok and roll, or will it make you Rhapsody blue? Let’s find out!

NIS Classics Volume 2: Makai Kingdom / ZHP (Switch) Review

Title: Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 2: Makai Kingdom: Reclaimed and Rebound / ZHP: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: NIS (originals) / Codeglue (Switch ports)
Publisher: NIS (JP) / NIS America (NA and EU)
Release Date: May 10th, 2022 (NA)
File Size: 2.8GB

Review copy provided by NIS America

Last year I reviewed the first volume of this new series of classic NIS ports, being Phantom Brave and Soul Nomad. They were a decent couple of classic NIS RPGs that came with some flaws (some fixed, others not). Now we’re onto volume 2 featuring Makai Kingdom from the PS2 and ZHP which this time is from the PSP. Codeglue, who did the first volume have returned to also do these couple of ports as well. How do both games fare as games and how did the ports turn out in general? Let’s find out!

Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars (Switch) Review

Title: Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Compile Heart/Tamsoft
Publisher: Idea Factory International (NA)
Release Date: April 19th, 2022 (NA)
File Size: 3.2GB

Review copy provided by Idea Factory International

Been a bit busy lately so I’ve been away from writing reviews for a decent bit. Apologies! Anyway, this is the crossover between Idea Factory/Compile Heart’s Neptunia franchise and Marvelous’ Senran Kagura franchise. Funny enough the game is primarily by Tamsoft, who’ve developed games for both franchises, so they’re quite the appropriate pick for such a crossover. So how does this game fare? Let’s find out!

SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters’ Clash (Switch eShop) Review

Title: SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters’ Clash
Platform: Nintendo Switch eShop
Developer: Code Mystics
Publisher: SNK
Release Date: January 12th, 20221 (NA)
File Size: 233MB

Review copy provided by SNK

It’s been a bit, but thankfully SNK and Code Mystics have brought another Neo Geo Pocket Color game to Switch, and this time it’s what may be the system’s signature title; SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters’ Clash! Originally in classic Pokémon fashion, this released as both an SNK version and a Capcom version, well fear not as this release includes both (and their JP versions as the other games do)! So how does this game fare? Does it play with a winning hand or does it go to the graveyard? Let’s find out!

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania (Switch) Review

Title: Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: RGG Studio
Publisher: Sega
Release Date: October 5th, 2021 (NA)
File Size: 3.1GB

Review copy provided by Sega

This is my first review of a Super Monkey Ball game, but not the first I played! Way back, I played and loved Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz on Wii, released on the system’s launch day. I found that to be super fun, colorful, pretty, and had an OUTSTANDING soundtrack. Fast forward to the Switch and Sega actually had remastered that game… to less than optimal results. Most of that wonderful soundtrack by Noisycroak was removed, no motion controls (not even on Switch), and a bizarrely different yellow and black interface, replacing that vivid, colorful one the original game had. I didn’t play it as a result. Very disappointed.

So now we arrive at this game, which is actually a sort of bundled remake of Super Monkey Ball 1, 2, and Deluxe, all mashed together (so not in the Crash and Spyro arrangement, but closer to Tony Hawk I guess). How did this turn out, at least to someone who never touched the original GameCube games? Well, let’s roll on and find out!

NASCAR Heat Ultimate Edition+ (Switch) Review

Title: NASCAR Heat Ultimate Edition+
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: 704Games
Publisher: Motorsport Games
Release Date: November 19th, 2021 (NA)
File Size: 7.1GB

Review copy provided by Motorsport Games

Well it took 5 years, but the NASCAR Heat franchise has finally made it to Switch, and there’s something very special about this franchise that will pique the interest of Nintendo fans; the franchise since the old days, ending with NASCAR Heat 4 back in 2019, was developed by none other than Monster Games, the creators of Excite Truck, Excitebots, and Excitebike World Rally! Monster Games had a near decade-long exclusivity with Nintendo. After finishing with the Excite series, Nintendo had Monster Games develop Pilotwings Resort for the 3DS as a launch title, and then had them port both Donkey Kong Country Returns and Xenoblade Chronicles from Wii to 3DS and New 3DS respectively. Remember those Diddy Kong Racing 2 by Monster Games rumors from back in 2012? I sure do…

After Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, Monster Games left Nintendo to return to making new NASCAR Heat games with NASCAR Heat Evolution in 2016. For whatever reason, none of the games from NASCAR Heat Evolution through NASCAR Heat 4 made it to a Nintendo system. NASCAR Heat 5 last year was taken over by the series publisher and co-developer 704Games, who then finally ported that to Switch as a definitive edition with extra content from the 2021 season. So how does this game fare on Switch? Does it fill you with Excite-ment, or does it feel more like a Burnout? Let’s find out!

NIS Classics Volume 1: Phantom Brave / Soul Nomad (Switch) Review

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Title: Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 1: Phantom Brave: The Hermuda Triangle Remastered / Soul Nomad & the World Eaters
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: NIS (originals) / Codeglue (Switch ports)
Publisher: NIS (JP) / NIS America (NA and EU)
Release Date: August 31st, 2021 (NA)
File Size: 3.3GB

Review copy provided by NIS America

This one’s a bit late and for good reason but I’ll get to that later. Anyway, this is the first of a new line of Switch-specific 2-packs of classic Nippon Ichi Software games from the past, now ported to Switch and bar the PC versions are in “HD” for the first time here. The first pack here has Phantom Brave: The Hermuda Triangle Remastered and Soul Nomad & the World Eaters, both originating from the PlayStation 2. In fact, Phantom Brave even got a Wii port back in 2009 as Phantom Brave: We Meet Again (get it?). Also note; both can’t be bought separately on the eShop, it’s all in one icon on the home menu. Anyway, how do both of these fare on Switch? Let’s find out!