Mario Galaxy romps Japan

By Robert Purchese Published 8 November, 2007

Ace Combat does well, too.

Super Mario Galaxy has unsurprisingly trampled all over competition this week in Japan, selling over three times more than its closest competition.

More surprising was that Ace Combat 6 was the close competition, an exclusive title for the not-selling-so-well-over-there Xbox 360.

That was all according to Media Create figures, which saw Super Robot Wars Scramble Commander The 2nd on PS2 and Wii Sports as the only non-Nintendo DS titles in the rest of the top 10.

The full list looks like this. New entries are marked with an asterisk and total sales are also displayed.

  1. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - 251,000*
  2. Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Xbox 360) - 77,000*
  3. Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (DS) - 51,000 / 193,000
  4. Super Robot Wars Scramble Commander The 2nd (PS2) - 21,000*
  5. DS Bungaku Zenshuu (DS) - 18,000 / 72,000
  6. DS Nishimura Kyotaro Suspense Shin Tantei Series: Kyoto Atami Zekkai no Kotou - Satsui no Wana (DS) - 18,000 / 115,000
  7. Wii Sports (Wii) - 16,000 / 2,182,000
  8. Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day (DS) - 15,000 / 676,000
  9. World Soccer Winning Eleven DS Goal x Goal! (DS) - 15,000 / 44,000
  10. Pokémon Mysterious Dungeon: Time Expedition Party (DS) - 14,000 / 552,000
Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (48) Latest comment 4 years ago

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  • SeesThroughAll #1 4 years ago

    How many copies would AC6 be selling in Japan, had Namco made a PS3 version from day one?

  • Psychotext #2 4 years ago

    Those Mario numbers don't look great too me. Don't Mario games usually sell far higher than that?

  • Darren #3 4 years ago

    "Super Mario Galaxy does well in Japan" says EG, yet crap sites like CVG report that sales of 100,000 or so are disappointing after just ONE day (despite claims that there were some 700,000 pre-orders)! LOL

  • mkreku #4 4 years ago

    Well, it DOES seem a little low.. Especially considering that the Wii is the most sold console and a game like Halo 3 had like.. a billion pre-orders. I would have thought SMG would absolutely trounce the competition. This isn't trouncing.

  • Garulon #5 4 years ago

    "How many copies would AC6 be selling in Japan, had Namco made a PS3 version from day one? "

    Prolly less - the 360 is currently outselling the PS3 in Japan, and the PS3 hasn't had a top ten hit over in Japan, well, ever, AFAICT.

  • Darren #6 4 years ago

    Yeah, but the Japanese have always been an odd bunch, seemingly preferring to buy crap/mediocre games and overlooking the really good ones with a few exceptions, like anything by Square-Enix or Level 5. I mean Dragon Quest on the Wii has apparently sold millions yet the reviews I've read make out that it's little more than average compared with previous titles.

  • Gurgeh #7 4 years ago

    The hardware sales could be interesting this week.

  • Eighthours #8 4 years ago

    Less copies sold than Sunshine in the same period, sadly.

    *Shakes fist at Japanese*

  • GingerNathan #9 4 years ago

    "Prolly less - the 360 is currently outselling the PS3 in Japan"

    No it's not.

  • SeesThroughAll #10 4 years ago

    360 currently outselling PS3 in Japan.

    Wishful thinking, Garulon.

    "PS3 never had a game in the top 10"

    Irony at it's best.

    Get some facts, then we'll talk.
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/07 @ 11:25

  • myiagros #11 4 years ago

    Prolly less - the 360 is currently outselling the PS3 in Japan, and the PS3 hasn't had a top ten hit over in Japan, well, ever, AFAICT.

    wrong on both counts, why bother trolling.

    SeesThroughAll has already linked to hardware sales, and Hot Shots Golf 5 for one was definately a top 10 hit.
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/07 @ 11:25

  • DrDamn #12 4 years ago

    Yep here is the chart from week of release for EG5 - linky

    Interesting to note that both Dragon Quest on Wii (300k+) and even Mario Party 8 (280k+) both outsold Mario Galaxy in Japan in their first weeks. Both over ten weeks ago with less Wii owners to sell to. Backs up Darren's point above.

  • baardhimself #13 4 years ago

    lol, last week in japan Imabikisou which is PS3 exclusive was #4 in the charts. Its been a whole 7 days since the last PS3 top 10 game!

  • Psychotext #14 4 years ago

    I think I may be forced to kill the next person that posts a vgchartz link as fact...

  • CouldntResist #15 4 years ago

    I suspect sales of SMG will do well on the weekend and end up looking wholly respectable within a week. Unlike us "ooo, it's a new game, i think i'll call in sick" British, most Japanese have a strict work ethic.]

    Edit: but then again those crazy Japs have a strict gaming ethic too :)
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/07 @ 11:47

  • Pac #16 4 years ago

    Has there been any mention of availabilty problems for SMG in Japan?

  • mkreku #17 4 years ago

    I think I may be forced to kill the next person that dismisses a source without providing a better alternative...

  • Psychotext #18 4 years ago

    @mkreku: Try media-create or famitsu. You know, people that don't make up numbers.

  • kobashi #19 4 years ago

    Not sure if 250,000 is that great. I mean Wii hardware sold 41,000 so roughly a 20,000 increase due to SMG being released. 360 had a roughly 15,000 increase due to Ace Combat.

    I really thought Wii Hardware would get a bigger boost than this. Publishers may be very worried about bringing out traditional games as they are not doing big numbers in Japan. Watch when Wii Fit is released next month Wii sales will go crazy again!

  • Psychotext #20 4 years ago

    @frod: Yes, vgchartz do go back and fixed their fudged figures. Though it's going to be interesting to see how far out they get now they can't copy NPD every month. ;)

  • neilka #21 4 years ago

    "Mario Galaxy romps Japan"? That... that doesn't mean anything, guy.

  • Gurgeh #22 4 years ago

    Actually so far the 360 *is* outselling the PS3 in Japan... for this week. It won't last however, it may not even last to the end of the week.

  • DrDamn #23 4 years ago

    Actually I was trying to stop using them as a source myself. At one point they had number of Wii's "sold" higher than the official Nintendo figure of "shipped" consoles. It's a reasonable counter to someone just pulling "facts" out of their ass though (Garulon).

  • BadBoyBonner #24 4 years ago

    I am not sure the greatest tactical counter is to criticise someone for maybe pulling facts out of their arse with a website that self evidently does pull facts out of it's arse ;-)

  • Diomedes #25 4 years ago

    Poor numbers for Galaxy ....being the Mario entry for this generation of the main series I would expect it to do better than 250K.It has done less than Sunshine and that Mario Party 8 too .And 2/3 of the shipments unsold in the stores ,taking dust if we were talking about a Sony product if you understand me .

    As for top ten games in PS3 last week there was Imabikisou ,two weeks ago Lair ,one month ago Oblivion ,Bladestorm 5 weeks away ,Everybodys Golf then ...and next week there will be Dynasty Warriors 6 ,Ratchet and Clandk and Heavenly Sword that should point their nose in the Top Ten as well .

    As for the 360 outselling the PS3 THIS WEEK in Japan it could be ,after all the PS3 is about to receive a price drop and many customers will wait .....but lets wait until tomorrow to see the numbers .Actually the vgchartz numbers arent even out and the only thing out there is the Sinobi data that supposedly is Famitsu leaked data and is "roughly " estimations ....so lets wait until tomorrow .Even if it managed the PS3 would come back next week with the price drop and big games appearing ...

  • Triggerhappytel #26 4 years ago

    Is AC6 a full-on 360 exclusive, with the 'Only on Xbox 360' stamp and everything?

    If not, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect an announcement for a PS3 version in the coming months...

  • DrDamn #27 4 years ago

    @BadBoyBonner

    But ArseFacts with Linkage > ArseFacts :)

  • spd39th #28 4 years ago

    Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - 251,000 -> Sales 10/29 - 11/4
    SMG came out on November 1, so that makes 4 days sales, not a week sales.

    And please, stop comparing with New Super Mario Bros, this game is an handheld game. Handheld and home consoles are diferent markets in Japan, handheld is a lot more succefull market in Japan.

  • Dizzy #29 4 years ago

    Been a massive AC6 pub campaign. Saw giant posters in Akihabara and big screen demos everywhere. Lots of people seemed to be playing and enjoying the game.

    Mario well... Nintendo rules Japan with an iron fist.

    >Has there been any mention of availabilty problems for SMG in Japan?

    The game is everywhere and quite easy to get.
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/07 @ 13:06

  • symbiote #30 4 years ago

    Wow. Go DS.

    Small country. Small people. Small consoles. Big cocks.

  • Dizzy #31 4 years ago

    >Big cocks.

    Well you can buy condoms here with the brand name Super Big Boy and a picture of a (horny IMHO) horse on the package :)

  • Beano #32 4 years ago

    Garulon: "Prolly less - the 360 is currently outselling the PS3 in Japan"

    Joke of the month. Thank you :)

  • Beano #33 4 years ago

    "If not, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect an announcement for a PS3 version in the coming months... "

    Or a AC7 which is 95% the same as AC6 just like they did with RR6/RR7.

  • Garulon #34 4 years ago

    Garulon: "Prolly less - the 360 is currently outselling the PS3 in Japan"

    Joke of the month. Thank you :)

    It is famitsu numbers:

    Hardware
    DSL 80000
    PSP 57000
    Wii 41000
    360 17000
    PS3 16000
    PS2 11000

    Software
    SMG: 250k
    Ace Combat 6: 65k
    Opoona: 3K

    It may be up or down next week, and the PS3 has a larger installed base still, and it's fighing over the potatoes when the Wii's got the chicken all to itself, but it still is.

  • Garulon #35 4 years ago

    "Wishful thinking, Garulon."

    Tsk. VGChartz - the last refuge of the fanboi :(

  • DrDamn #36 4 years ago

    So for possibly the first week ever the 360 sells more than the PS3 (a whole 1000 more) and you use that as justification to claim that a PS3 version would sell less? Great logic. Particularly when you factor in that part of the "surge" in 360 sales is because AC6 is currently exclusive.

  • SeesThroughAll #37 4 years ago

    Even more so if it was a reply to me suggesting that Namco would have been better off just releasing the game for both consoles, without any kind of exclusivity.

    How could it possibly sell less in that case?
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/07 @ 13:41

  • RickHard #38 4 years ago

    True : SMG numbers are not that amazing for what should be the most anticipated game on Wii... Well, anticipated by "gamers", not by moms and grand-pas... The issue with the Wii now is that there are more non-gamers than gamers owning the console, i.e. the lame attach rate. Why would mom buy SMG when she is still BrigBrainTraining and finds it great...

  • BadBoyBonner #39 4 years ago

    Without getting into a debate about what the recent Famitsu figures mean for the longterm.

    Surely it IS pretty amazing that the 360 has outsold the PS3 in ANY week in Japan ?

  • DrDamn #40 4 years ago

    @BadBoyBoner
    Good point. Would have been unthinkable with the original XBox. MS have got their Japanese act together a bit more this time though, with money hats a plenty.

  • kobashi #41 4 years ago

    In the long term it is worrying for the Wii if you ask me. Nintendo Japan has to attract the traditional gamer sooner rather than later. If Mario cannot do it than what will? Casual games will not last forever. I do not want the Wii to become a console full of third party casual games and a few nintendo gems.

  • GingerNathan #42 4 years ago

    "In the long term it is worrying for the Wii if you ask me. Nintendo Japan has to attract the traditional gamer sooner rather than later. If Mario cannot do it than what will?"
    I think you may be jumping to conclusions, I'm not sure how you can make that assumption from sales of 250K over four days. I'm expecting the game to sell similar to New Super Mario Bros., in other words not to have that initial hit of sales that you get with a FF or DQ game, but to sell well and stick around in the top ten for about twelve months selling millions over time.

    I suppose we'll have to wait and see over the coming weeks and months.

  • Garulon #43 4 years ago

    "and you use that as justification to claim that a PS3 version would sell less? "

    That and the legendary Japanese 360 owner's attach rate compared to the average Japanese PS3 owners attach rate"

    "Even more so if it was a reply to me suggesting that Namco would have been better off just releasing the game for both consoles, without any kind of exclusivity."

    Oh, OK I thought you meant instead of the 360 version. Yes, if there was a PS3 version as well it'd have sold a bit more. Enough to justify the porting cost? Namco didn't think so.

  • kobashi #44 4 years ago

    GingerNathan

    I am more worried about Wii Hardware sales. Wii has hit a bit of a slump and I thought SMG would boost it big time but it has not happened. Like I said before wait till Wii Fit is released, sales will go crazy again.

    I don't think SMG will hit the highs of NSMB. Them sales were out of this world!!

  • CitizenGeek #45 4 years ago

    I would have expected those figures to be higher, to be honest.

  • thiswaynow #46 4 years ago

    This game will sell phenomenally in the US and Europe, as well as probably maintaining prolonged sales in Japan. Everyone* that buys a Wii in the next 2/3 years will probably pick up Galaxy, as the best game on the console for the forseeable future.

    I also think everyone with a Wii game in development ought to take a good, long look at this game before they release their last-gen-looking efforts. This is what the Wii can do.

    * Ok, everyone except the Grannies..

  • Daikon #47 4 years ago

    @Has there been any mention of availabilty problems for SMG in Japan?

    Has there been any mention of availabilty problems for SMG in Japan?

    I was in a electronics superstore in Japan yesterday, plenty of stock still available.
    XBox 360 Elite was totally sold out though ^_^

  • redgiemental #48 4 years ago

    I think the reason that Super Mario Galaxy hasn't caused a massive surge in sales is that the people who are likely to pick it up in the first four days its out are likely mostly Nintendo fans who are also likely to have bought a Wii sometime during the whole year its been on sale already?

    Just a thought.
    Edited by 1 at 09/11/07 @ 10:34