Animal Crossing: New Leaf has been doing extremely well in Japan since its release at the beginning of November this year. A couple of days after hitting stores the game had sold out across Japan, leaving many fans disappointed who never managed to grab a physical copy. Not long before the month was out, it was announced that it had surpassed one million sales.
Continuing on its success in Japan, it has been reported that Animal Crossing: New Leaf is the first 3DS game to reach 2 million sales in the Land of the Rising Sun — this puts it ahead of titles such as Super Mario 3D Land, New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Monster Hunter 3G. This milestone has been reached in just a little under two months.
Are you surprised at this news, or was this level of success to be expected? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
[source nintendoeverything.com, via tinycartridge.com]
Comments 55
Animal Crossing is so awesome, but still....can't believe it sold that many copies that quickly!!
This better have more to do gamewise if its selling this well......
A game worthy of these sales, indeed!
This should have been a worldwide release. The numbers would be even higher than they are and they will go up drastically when Europe and North America get their release. It will be the best game on 3DS and might be for a while the way Nintendo has been treating the system. Sorry to be a downer on such a great title but i'm still disappointed with the 3DS games line up although the past few months have been pretty nice the Virtual Console is rediculously bad. whoever is in charge of that is fired! LOL They should be Loading up VC every week with Classic after Classic
Just wait until DQVII is out.
It's because real life sucks so people want to play their imaginary lives in their little town.
Personally i don´t like the series. Not my type of game. I prefer good ol´Monster hunting. But every good selling game helps to keep the 3DS alive.
Wow, that's pretty impressive.
Good to hear it's doing so well.
What about MK7? Did this outsell that? MK7 was the best selling game of 2011 in Japan
WOW. Man o' man is the Japanese market so different from North America. Too bad I live in the US yet my gaming tastes veer heavily toward the Japanese side of things.... but I won't complain about living here.
Just curious: What's the highest selling Vita game so far?
Great! Now hurry up with the NA localization already!
@Falk_Sturmfels No Online play with Monster Hunter on 3DS make it a no Buy for me. Plus Monster Hunter just feels like work to me and who needs that! I already work 40 hours a week. I know they will sell a Gazillion copies of that but for myself I was hoping for Multiplayer online. Maybe sega will come to their senses and save the online multiplayer RPG genre for 3DS with Phantasy Star Online 2. I doubt it but its fun to think about
@LittleIrves
Uncharted: Golden Abyss 0.87 Million
Source: http://www.vgchartz.com/platform/43/playstation-vita/
@NintendoLee Cant wait for DQVII
not surprise by this animal crossing has some hard core fans out there...
***DOH! I got off topic again. I'm so bad at that*** I cant wait for Animal Crossing. me and some others still play wild world 1 night a week. We are ready for the 3DS version
Dang. I kinda wonder if they will have that same success when they ring it over to America and Europe
Whoop-de-do. When are they going to release it to the rest of the world?
{pouts}
What can I say? Japan know good games.
Every time a new Monster Hunter, Dragon Quest or Animal Crossing game comes out they're all over it. It's just too bad that Japan realises most of the rest of the world isn't like this - which is why we haven't even seen any of these games yet...
I love to nibble on juicy pineapples and let their sweet smelling succulent juices run all down my face. Oh yes the JUICES smell and taste soooo good.
i need this game so bad
I am not surprised, animal crossing is always great and has a lot to do in it and is always fun to play with friends.
@LittleIrves Me too, I'm more of a Japanese only gamer, although 007 Golden Eye wii, Batman WiiU, and ZombiU are looking like potential western titles I want (used to be Epic Mickey, but I've taken them off)
You see Nintendo, this is what happens when you actually improve a series.
No excuse me while I continue trotting through my fantisty would where Unicorns deliver the mail, the sky is purple, and improvements to a series actually effect sales...
I have very little doubt that sales in the west can replicate these sales. There's a potential fan base for this franchise but living in a time where Call of Duty is the major contender for the heart of the majority of gamers it's not going to be easy even with skyrocketing sales for the 3DS.
@Hokori Yes it beat MK7. Here's a nifty little gif showing you just how well it did. http://www.gonintendo.com/content/uploads/images/2012_12/tumblr_mfn858r2xN1qzp9weo1_1280.gif
@SMEXIZELDAMAN True dat.
This really deserves it and is understandable; it is Japan. They have dating videogames. u-u So I can see an updated best seller selling amazingly.
@TheRavingTimes I Agree
Whoa that's bananas! More than Mario? Holy shizz....
That's pretty surprising...I'll be sure to get it when it comes out.
@Redxzero WUT? You said the same thing on PushSquare
I want my copy already! I need to start house decorating!
and still 3ds zelda smash bros. 3ds and monster hunter 4 to come nintendo have japan sewn up
RELEASE IT HERE ALREADY
Was this released in Korea this month?
Looking forward to downloading this to my 3DS in the near future
While we (in America) are waiting for this game to be released, Japan keeps reporting on how awesome it is! There's no justice...
May 1st for north America According to Gamestop
I knew it would sell well A new type of Animal Crossing was bound to catch every ones attention! Bravo creators, bravo.
Animal Crossing is dominating! Can't wait to finally play this next year.
Well of course it was gonna sell fast! A lot of new additions! We have all been waiting for more and more Animal Crossing. It's a good way to pass time.
i really really want this, i truly love the 3DS library, 2012 was awesome with Resident evil, Kingdom hearts, metal gear solid, kid icarus, paper mario and so much more i enjoyed, however 2013 is when it's gonna get better, castlevania, monster hunter, fire emblem, animal crossing, and possibly bravely default and dragon quest 7... now game freaks get to work on that "new path for pokemon thing" and make 2013 the best year in portable gaming ever.
Come ON! at least with numbers like that they should think about releasing it over here sooner.. but I want mine already, like yesterday..
I can't really defend the series as I don't know why I like it.. I just do.. I have every edition of the game except the Gamecube one that started the whole thing. Its hard for me to play more than one town at a time though I tried recently. I hope we get a hard date for the software release soon
@Redxzero Me too!
All I can say is I am very happy for Nintendo. It seems every generation there is a different Nintendo franchise that is Number 1, which says a lot about the breadth and strength of it's games.
I know Japan really likes their handhelds, but my god they must really love Animal Crossing. Outselling Monster Hunter is no small feat.
@Maiacerese Its not that simple, unfortunately. AC is a really text heavy game and localization isn't just translating words, but making sure everything makes sense for the intended audience, right down to the humor.
Animal Crossing. I just don't get it. Good though that it is selling well. But I still don't get what the point is.
And everyone thought I was kidding when I said New Leaf would be the 3DS' first killer app.
Now Nintendo, onto part 2. Release it overseas.
wow, new leaf is spreading across japan like the plague!
**sigh**... I reeeeeally don't want to continue getting the AC series as not enough really changes to keep me interested in getting the next installment, but as I look back, I'm a hypocrite because I've played all of the AC's thus far. Moral of my story is I will likely get roped into AC yet AGAIN and I don't want to. I just hope there's enough changes to justify this purchase... **grumble, mumble, grumble**
Fantastic to hear it's doing such great business in Japan.
I'd probably put this down to the time elapsed since the last Animal Crossing game and series establishment. Progression doesn't always equate to great sales, sadly; one of the reasons why we're knee-deep in New Super Mario Bros. games instead of wherever 3D Mario is set to take us.
Animal Crossing: Wild World exceeded everyone's expectations when it came to sales in the West, so I have pretty high hopes that New Leaf will go on to become an evergreen 3DS seller. Quirky concepts like Style Boutique are faring quite well here, for example.
LOLOOLOLOLL!
It will sell more than the Vita!!
WOW!
given the fact that wild world sold around ten million on ds i would say this is doing just what nintendo expected now to sell about 6 million more in the rest of the world and another million in japan o_O
Meh, figures it would sell a lot in Japan. It's annoying that we have to wait for the us release in june
Bravo, just Bravo.
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