Nintendo console games have dominated Japanese retail for 20 consecutive years
In 2024, 13 out of the 15 best-selling games in retail stores in Japan were for the Nintendo Switch. This was reported by Video Games Chronicle, citing data from Famitsu and Game Data Library.
Super Mario Party Jamboree!
This situation has been occurring annually since 2005. For the past two decades, games for various Nintendo consoles have occupied more than half of the spots in the top 10 of Japan's retail rankings.
A similar story is reported in the console sales segment in Japan. The year 2004 was the last time a non-Nintendo console, the PlayStation 2, was the bestseller in Japanese retail. Since then, the first position has consistently been held by the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, or Nintendo Switch.
In 2024, only three weeks saw the PlayStation 5 surpassing the Nintendo Switch in sales in Japan. Overall, last year, the Japanese purchased over 3 million Nintendo Switch units, as well as 1.4 million PlayStation 5 units and 118,000 Xbox Series consoles.
As of January 5, 2025, Japanese sales of the Nintendo Switch reached 35 million units.
The 15 Best-Selling Retail Games in Japan in 2024
1. Super Mario Party Jamboree! (Nintendo Switch) — 954,261 copies.
2. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (Nintendo Switch) — 930,505 copies.
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Switch) — 536,019 copies.
4. Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo Switch) — 419,854 copies.
5. Momotaro Dentetsu World (Nintendo Switch) — 411,406 copies.
6. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch) — 377,781 copies.
7. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Nintendo Switch) — 372,903 copies.
8. Minecraft (Nintendo Switch) — 368,364 copies.
9. Jikkyo Powerful Pro Baseball 2024-2025 (Nintendo Switch) — 341,908 copies.
10. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PS5) — 339,168 copies.
11. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Nintendo Switch) — 283,744 copies.
12. Nintendo Switch Sports (Nintendo Switch) — 267,937 copies.
13. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Nintendo Switch) — 244,663 copies.
14. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (PS5) — 230,581 copies.
15. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) — 222,524 copies.