Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Only Sells Just Over 35,000 Units in Japanese Launch

Why does almost every sales article on this site have a negative tone to it? I understand the sales actually aren't too great but it gets tired. Even something like "Donkey Kong country Tropical Freeze number 2 in Japanese charts but fails to impact WiiU sales."?

Can i have my metroid now please? Jeez nintendo... stop fooling yourself

Is this kind of article even news anymore?

@GuyBrush20x6,

It has a negative tone because it's negative news. That's a bad debut for one of the "big" titles. Just because this is a Nintendo website doesn't mean a part of their job is to make Nintendo fans feel happy inside by polishing turds. Their integrity as journalists require they report it like it is, and as Nintendo is flopping, most of the articles are going to have a negative undertone. Blame Nintendo, not NintendoLife.

@Guybrush20X6: DKCR made 165 K on the launch week

@LetsGoRetro

Oh don't worry, I'm blaming Nintendo plenty for making their WiiU casual games so overly novel to access (I still don't understand how to purchase Wii Fit U) and not making it clear the WiiU was a different console.

I only buy a few games at full price a year, and this year there are too many other games to buy (only at the second half of the year though). So I'll wait until there's a sale on DKC:TF - if there ever will be one. For €30, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Donkey Bomb

I'm sure it will do okay in Europe and NA, as there's a nice gap before Titanfall, Infamous and Ground Zeroes arrive in March.

I'm slowly losing my love for this company. I understand the first returns did well but that was more a result of "retro" being new again with NSMB & dkc:r. They actually thought they could capitalize and just keep pumping out 2d platformers in 2013, 2014 & beyond? Ugh.. This is just freaking painful to watch. Every single person except for the few hundred inside the walls of Nintendo saw putting Retro on a high tech, revolutionary project was the key to this platform catching a glimmer of hope, and instead they make a 2d platformer. Not only that but I recall a Retro employee actually tweeting something along the lines of "Another fps? Wow so boring", at one of the big e3 reveals a day or 2 before this got released. Oh, the irony.

This gets revealed, the media world and fans are universally disappointed, so Nintendo runs back to HQ and has a big meeting. "We need to recapture the public's interest with a big announcement" Miyamoto grabs his Zelda U paperwork and begins to stand up but the man next to him reaches out his arm, pushes Shiggy back in his seat, and with a twinkle in his eye says "I've got it. Cranky Kong as a playable character within the game everyone's disappointed in for existing" Board room erupts in cheers

@Guybrush20X6

That's true.

Okay, I don't have a Wii U and do not plan on getting one, but even if I was interested in getting one, I really don't know how to buy Wii Fit U or Wii Sports U.

If people here who read this website do not know how these games work, average people are probably even more lost.

@TruenoGT
Yes, the original Donkey Kong Country games on the SNES were huge hits in Japan. DKC was the 4th best-selling SNES game over there (after Mario Kart, Mario World and Dragon Quest VI). DKC2 was 9th and DKC3 was 14th.

Oh dear! So much for first party titles saving the wii u, maybe nintendo will have better luck at the end of May when they release mario Kart. But I very much doubt it anymore.

Another bomb? smh.

It may be a brilliant 2d platformer but sadly its still another platformer :/
I just hope Retro isn't forced to create a 3DS and Wii U Metroid at the same time, I hope some other company has been working on a 3DS version with a release this year...

Seeing as Donkey Kong, though a great series, has never been a system seller, I can definitely say I am not surprised by this. If Mario Kart 8 is unable to change the Wii U's fortunes then it's fate to quite possibly sell less than the gamecube may well be sealed.

I'm still hopeful for a turnaround but at this point I'd take the WiiU surviving until Smash 4 is made as the goal.

I may be wrong but weren't the Donkey Kong Country games more popular in the west?

I will not be get this game. I don't want it and Nintendo should slow down with their platformers. When will then start announcing games for the wii u.

I'll buy it, but not right now, I'm still playing other games.
However, I really thought this would sell like crazy in Japan... this worries me to be honest, but nothing much we can do.

For me at least, some years ago, Japan entered the void of moe/ecchi and never escaped from there, if you don't have some schoolgirls or anime characters, probably you will never succeed. This DK is to western in art style and music.

Donkey Kong wii drop so much of sales compared to wii u (gematsu) it's a disheartening indeed
Last week before ps4 and not so good news for wii u...

At least it's great to see 3ds game dragon quest is selling strong. Localize them please

Too little too soon maybe? How long between the N64 and Wii versions of DK? The Gamecube had Jungle Beat, which my whole family loves, but we're atypical, so I think there was huge pent up demand for the Wii version, not so much the Wii U version, which looks similar. Maybe if it were open world like the N64 version it would have sold better? Didnt NSMBU also sell worse than NSMBWii? I think its karmic payback for all the Nintendo fans mocking the endless parade of similar FPS games on the other consoles.

So next week is the big 1 yes? PS4 releases in Japan? Sony has been advertising it, may have drowned out DK last week. Wii U owners may be fed up and ready to switch consoles, so saving up all their pennies. Im not alone in thinking PS2 killed the Dreamcast, PS4 may not be doing Wii U any favors. Time will tell though, Japanese gamers seem to be busy buying 3DS games, maybe they really are done with home consoles? Or maybe their just biding their time? Soon.

LOL.

This is ridiculous. Nintendolife? WiiUBashing4Life would be more correct. Does it not matter to anyone on this site that a) Nintendo completely ruled the top 20 or b) that it's February... a traditionally slow month, or c) that Wii U has probably the smallest user base of any system on the list and still took #2? Spin, spin, spin away, click baiters... It is NOT bad news, it was never considered a huge title for Japan. Dragon Quest is a FAR, FAR bigger franchise in Japan... completely eclipsing Donkey Kong and it's western-style graphics, music and story-telling. And the comparisons? Even Nintendolife realizes they are reaching... immediately qualifying their DKCR comparison (and rightly so) by pointing out the HUGE Wii user base. And as for the Mario comparison... are you freakin' kidding me? That's just ignorant. Mario... Nintendo's biggest franchise AND a first-party release... during the freakin' holiday shopping season... vs a second-party Donkey Kong released in February? A traditionally slow game sales month? Again, I'm not some rabid Nintendo fan-boy, but I more and more frequently find myself pissed off and defending Nintendo against pure bull crap and negative spin. Look at the charts. Who owned that list? Nintendo. Period.

But go ahead and lose hope, complain, piss and moan, drink the kool-aide. This ridiculous, spin-laden crap that always shows up on this site (and to be fair, some others as well) just creates more negativity unnecessarily. I just love how everyone is parroting one another about how horrible this is, and how it's a downward spiral and Nintendo is doomed... For the lova crap, people... Nintendo is still selling games like crazy... more than anyone else, as the chart indicates. Even on a 'struggling' system that has gotten nothing but bad press around the world.

Got mine today because I preordered it. So one sold in Norway and played before launchdate. My two sons have already finished the first level. They are loving it. This will go down as a true classic. Can't wait to get home from work!

@rjejr

"I think its karmic payback for all the Nintendo fans mocking the endless parade of similar FPS games on the other consoles."

Exactly. Third DKC game released since late 2010. Platforming titles like this have a niche audience now, and three similar looking releases (one being an identical re-release) like this don't excite anyone other than the most ardent Nintendo fans.

@Peach64

Simple answer is that Japn loves the 3DS and the 3DS port of returns only came out last year. Why rush out and get an update so soon?

Wii U install base is just too small in Japan. Unfortunately, it will likely remain that way throughout the Wii U's lifespan.

Good thing the 3DS is around.

guys you do realize its in second place which is good , and its so stupid to switch consoles just because its struggling really ? why does it matter :/

At this rate well... Just brace for small numbers of wii u sold next week

FPS genre Vs. Nintendo's game development Vs. whatever japan is snapping up at a given moment lol.

Mario Kart is the Wii U's last chance...

Feel bad for Retro and all, but we really only need one DK game maybe every 5 years. I'm sure it will do better in America, like 40k, but it's not going to set the world on fire.

MK7, SSB4 and X.... the last 3 bullets in Nintendo's WiiU chamber.

But hey, positive note, 8 of the top 10 games are 3DS games. So at least they are dominating in software in some way.

Kind of glad this didn't set the world alight, because Nintendo need to know that DKC was not what we wanted, but poor week one sales mean very little. This game will probably sell at this rate for quite a while because there's nothing else available til MK8. There is also that slight possibility that Wii U is selling millions of digital copies to pioneers like @MAB.

Nobody got the correct date for the last Nintendo Direct in my competition but I think some people might have been spot on with the sales for this game (which was parts b) and c) of the competition.

this site only has negative news, there are two ways of advertising, place news in a possitive way.
If things arent changing me including many others i know will be heading towards other Nintendo related sites, or change your staff, into people who really care about Nintendo related stuff. not people who want to bash it some more.

@Guybrush20X6 Because the numbers are horrendous. 35.000 is a dismal figure and its impact on hardware sales very worrisome.

Even DQ's numbers are bad if you compare them with previous installments.

Donkey Kong and/or side scrolling fatigue, perhaps? I know i'm starting to feel this way...

The hell with them all, I love a great side scroller.

Jeez guys... Seriously, this isn't the only game that launched like this and was a success. Wind Waker launched worse, yet it broke a million.

@Tsusasi Western oriented? Take your out of your donkey and check how well did previous DKC in Japan.

The site is clearly positive but if something is negative they don't hide it.

_{Please watch the profanity and insults — TBD}

To those criticizing this site and its writers because it sometimes reports negative news and gives interesting, honest and independent opinions on things, then I think the Nintendo site you would prefer is this one: www.nintendo.com

@divinelite @LetsGoRetro - When I hit the reply button on my earlier post there were only 7 (seven) other posts - I type very slowly - so it only looks like I just copied and pasted your replies together. I'm not normally that blatant a plagiarist without giving credit where it's due

@ThomasBW84 ...most of the news I notice from this site is usually negative lol
I did like yall's reviews at one point but these days to get to them I have to scroll past 5 or 6 articles like "Watch Dogs U Canceled?!", "What Nintendo Should Do", "What the Direct Says for..." and now "Tropical Freeze only sells blah blah blah"
Seriously it is annoying. I bet the traffickers that are fan boys to your sister Sony and MS sites just eat up all of this negativity and don't even look past the negativity when considering getting a Wii U. Wii U's biggest enemy right now is all of the negative press it has been getting so good job Nintendo Life, sure you think you have had good intentions but really you are just part of the bigger problem of trolling media.

It is an evergreen title and I'm sure it will sell well over the course of it's life but this is not a very good debut. Regardless though, it is another quality title in the Wii U library and we have another 8K added to the user base.

Trying to be positive and based on estimates and charts, the Wii U is avg 35-40K per week world wide for January and February so I think that is well above where the numbers were for a good portion of last year. Hopefully Nintendo has a surprise for us in late March / Early April and then we will see if Mario Kart 8 has the kind of impact I expect it too.

Here comes the doom! And LOL at the people now blaming Nintendo Life, that's new.

@ThomasBW84 Thanks for reporting on all Nintendo-related news, for me these reports are very interesting. Only wished they had total numbers for consoles as well. And included eShop sales.

Can't wait to get my hands on this! The game looks great.

And also excited to see what Retro will be giving us next.

IMO this is the kind of title that wouldn't sell well as an average, compared to other hotshots like idk...3D world or maybe even Zelda (I'm talking worldwide here people), and I feel like not many people (not including me) are interested in the actual Donkey Kong franchise, therefore lack of sales. Even though I do like the franchise, I will be holding off from this game probably for the next half a year to year due to other games with higher priorities, but then that has nothing to do with you muahaha

So basically a lot of people want this site to lie to them.

Don't listen to the people with their heads in the sand, NintendoLife. Your articles show a fair representation of the Nintendo landscape.

Well, except those stories on AE Games. Giving that "company" credibility was embarrassing.

@rjejr @Tsusasi @LetsGoRetro very well said man, journalism requires both sides to be shown to be fair and accurate. As a Nintendo site the bad news stands out but to criticize for having both sides is to celebrate ignorance!!
"The top ten alone features eight 3DS titles, with Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze in second place"....what do you want , glitter and sequins to make this stand out!! I hate the doom&gloom brigade as much as anyone but when reporting cold,hard numbers, there is no debate. Just facts. Comparing sales in a slow month is the same as a busy one, figures vs figures. Simple. I don't think any Nintendo fan likes dwelling on bad news but it sounds like it's getting to you a bit, it may get better, hopefully not worse but it could. And should STILL be reported on accurately.
I think your spot on rjejr.....too much Kong/2d platform, too soon. There isn't enough hype behind the franchise or game play to justify a major impact. The ps4 situation will be interesting, it's worth pointing out that gta has outsold Mario3dw in Japan so far so despite many other factors to this, maybe their home console culture is changing to a more western/violent mindset. The one Nintendo seems to have abandoned so far this gen!

@Tsusasi I think Tsuchiya got banned a long time ago, and now he/she made a new account.

I get the same vibe with a similar name.

Meh, I've still pre-ordered and paid for mine, and I'm sure I will enjoy the heck out of it. It's only £30.00 too, so it's not like it's even a £45-£50 game like Mario or Zelda (not that price ever stops me anyway).

As for the game being a huge IP and not selling as it should, whether Donkey Kong goes on to help sell another thousand Wii U consoles, or ten thousand (as well as those that buy it that already own the console obviously), or more perhaps, does it really matter??? That's still a few thousand extra people to add to the install base that might not have bought a Wii U had it NOT been for Donkey Kong. Just enjoy stuff for what it is, not what it isn't, regardless of sales figures.

Hope everyone enjoys DK on Friday

The game is topping charts for pre-orders on several different Amazon sites. Hopefully it sells better in those territories than Japan.

@XCWarrior
DKCTF is on top of the amazon gaming charts in France, Italy, Germany and Spain. It will sell well in Europe.

Again I'm going to point out that 3DS DKR was only recently released in Japan.

I think Wii U owners everywhere are looking for different genres now. Releasing 2 platformers back to back was never a good idea imo, sales would have been even worse if it wasn't delayed. Hopefully we won't see another big budget 1st party platformer until 2015.

@ThomasBW84 Except that this isn't bad news, the Wii U doesn't have a huge base like the Wii... even 'late in it's cycle'. And I haven't ignored the other articles... I just don't see much by way of positive reporting. It's either negative or spun so, or just another news piece for the most part. I'm tired of the nonsense. We are all aware of Nintendo's marketing blunders, the system naming debacle, and the fact that sales are slow... but this doesn't surprise me nor do I see it as negative. And instead of letting the numbers speak for themselves and informed readers take from it what they will, you editorialize and lead with a negative headline. THAT is not cool, and I'm going to call it like I see it. Kicking the crap out of a dead horse, and leading stories with negative commentary isn't necessary.

3DSs second year on the market was a slow rise up from 2011. Hopefully nintnedo will do the same with WiiU and in 2015 we can have the huge boom for Wii U like how we did for 3ds in 2013. Nintendo has a huge list of franchises they can use on Wii U.

@ThomasBW84 don't worry man, the few with integrity will always be resented by many without. It's plumbs new depths to criticize a pro Nintendo site for reporting Nintendo sales!! A few people are speaking out of frustration I feel, understandably, but are going too far to attack the sources of the facts, not the facts themselves.
Thanks for telling it like it is, we need this in a world filled with so many reality filters that people can't handle being told what they can't bear to hear!

Whatever. Looking forward to Friday.

@hosokawasamurai speak for yourself

@Emblem Bingo. The last three games I've played on the Wii U have been Super Luigi U, Rayman Legends, and Super Mario 3D World. As good as DKCR: TF might be, I'm just ready for a breather from platformers. I can buy this game now, or I can wait for the new South Park RPG on the PS3 in two weeks. I'll probably get this game during the non-Watch Dogs, pre-Mario Kart drought.

I guess we'll be seeing that 3DS port sooner than i thought..

Yikes.
Nintendo might want to get that new console out on shelves asap. Its become obvious that the market doesnt care about the Wii U for whatever reason.

I can't believe that some people are still sticking their heads in the sand. And apparently want others to actually shove their heads in the sand.

How many Wii u's are there in Japan?

What % of those who have a Wii u bought DK?

Not all Wii u owners will buy DK.

The main issue I have with this is that DK is typically more western oriented and WiI U's small userbase was likely a factor

@Tsusasi

"NINTENDO IS DOING GREAT!!! NINTENDO IS DOING GREAT!! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!"

@DarkCoolEdge Yeah... about that. The series has always had a western touch... both aesthetically, aurally and even gameplay-wise. The fact that the others sold well in the first week speaks more to the popularity of the systems and their installed base at the time, not DK's regional leanings. But it's not a franchise with that kind of pull in Japan. Nothing I've read anywhere has pointed to it being considered a 'AAA' title. It will do ok long term, but I don't see it selling huge numbers... never did expect that.

@rjejr it's karmic payback for all the times Nintendo have said stuff like "we're not planning another F-Zero/Starfox/waverace/1080' because we think there is nothing we can add to the gameplay with a new version"

Not sure what it is about this article has upset people. Is it the word 'only' in the title? Everything else is ok news except for Wii U hardware sales but they were already bad and are only going to get worse in the run up to MK8 so I suggest that people stop reading these articles if seeing poor sales upsets them. I dread to think what the reaction will be to 'Yarn Yoshi' joining Project HAMMER in the Nintendo graveyard.

@Zool any news on a sequel? It's been more than 20 years since Zool 2.

@ThomasBW84

I think there is an even balance of good/negative news on this site, but it's just that, for the Wii-U at least, the negatives are FAR more significant than the positives.

When the Wii-U does something well it's slightly above average, but when it does badly, it's spectacularly so.

The sad part is, that's still the second best selling game of the week...too bad nobody seems to notice or care. Yes, that number is bad, but the numbers in general were bad last week.

@Tsusasi i think you're right, it's a low sell week, but they just need to name the article "DKCTF went numbert 2 in the first week, or something like that.
"sales for this week . .. bla bla bla....

@ThomasBW84 Don't worry, I think it might be just Tsuchiya who got banned months ago, and now made a new account.

@ULTRA-64 Reported accurately, yes... as is. Not lead with editorializing. We are big boys and girls. We know number and words n stuff. We also know the Wii U's situation. I hate the drum beat of doom... especially when played on a dead horse or taken out of proper context.

BTW Nintendo is recovering the stock price

NL can't report on positive news if there isn't any. Yes this looks like it is a great game, and its a shame it isn't selling well in japan, but Nintendo is the only one to blame if it bombs worldwide

@JohnRedcorn That's a goo... oh wait. No it's not. Next.

@Tsusasi "...I'm not some rabid Nintendo fan-boy..."

You are the epitome.

@ThomasBW84 I like you, along with almost all NL staff. If Nintendo was doing as good as a job as you guys do covering them, there wouldn't be any problems right now. To anyone else complaining saying you're being unfair is the most literal definition of a nintendrone. Ninty has never had such a slump, and it's only fair to acknowledge it.

@Tsusasi

"We also know the Wii U's situation. I hate the drum beat of doom... especially when played on a dead horse or taken out of proper context."

The "proper context" of Nintendo's last major Wii-U release until May 30th launching with abysmal sales numbers in Japan?

I have to say this isn't a clear-cut purchase for me. I have two Mario games and Lego City so I think I'm sorted for platformers. Heck I've even got Super Mario Bros and Super Mario Bros 3 if I was tempted to do more as well as Rayman Legends Challenges.

Just give me some nice indie content on the eshop and NES Remix 2 and I'll be cool putting more time into games I already have.

I'm still going to enjoy the hell out of this game on day one.

@enderboy221 cool, but we can't report news ahead of time can we? Only what's happened so far, and so far the sales aren't that good for a name like donkey kong.

2 words: Yeah, and ?

@Tsusasi is obviously wrong and either a troll or really stupid. Either way he should leave.

@ThomasBW84 - "That's fine, just ignore all our pro-Wii U coverage, "

I think you just made their point for them. There where many different titles you could have chosen for this article - "Nintendo has 9 of top 10 (15 of top 20) games this week" or "DKCTF debuts at #2" or "New release DK boosts Wii U sales over 20%" or simply drop the "only" and "just". The title reads MUCH better w/o the "only" and "just".

Many people here know why you wrote the title the way you did. The Wii U is in ICU in a coma and DKCTF was it's last legitimate AAA chance at revival before MK8 many months away in late May, w/ the PS4 launching in Japan. So DKCTF was an all important moment for the Wii U, and it didn't live up to expectations. (How many were expected, nobody ever says.) So I agree w/ you, it is bad news, but I can also easily see somebody else reacting that way to the title. They are reacting to all the good news this week for Nintendo , and you are reporting on the all important Wii U moment. Just b/c you are right doesn't make them wrong.

@Tsusasi - I was going to reply the same as your second post #59 - the calm well reasoned one - after the emotional outburst that was post #25, but also on point.

@Funny_Moblin I don't even know what that means, but I haven't done anything wrong. I am aware that it is fashionable to bash the Wii U, and that instant gratification is king these days. I was patient with my Gamecube, and it paid of wonderfully. And while I waited for the games I wanted to play, I enjoyed my Dreamcast, and my PS2. Everyone wants everything at once, and some overnight miraculous recovery, but it isn't coming and to expect it so quickly is folly. But it will come, although it may not take a form that sets the world on fire, I'll be enjoying myself yet again. In the meantime, there are plenty of games, I have a LOT of PS3 PS+ games to play as well, and Bravely Default is calling my name. All of this hyperbole and doom and gloom helps no one and creates an echo chamber wherein someone such as myself will receive very little support for my opinion and the mob will rule. So be it. I am unfazed.

Like other users have said, DKC:TF is a title that is favorable to Westerns more than Japanese. Also, the install base of the Wii U in Japan is very small compare to other territories like North America and Europe. Besides, not everyone is a fan of Donkey Kong.

Japanese gamers favorite genres are fantasy, science fiction, mecha, and sports like baseball. Nintendo should look at one of these genre to be able to score new consumers fir their Wii U install base.

@rjejr I am passionate in all things and have never seen reason to filter myself. Life is too short to mince words. I do apologize if I come off as acerbic, but I am what I am and it is what it is. But thanks for correctly diagnosing the intent of the post and my reason for annoyance. Much appreciated.

@rjejr thanks God that you speak better English than me... that's what i want to say...
Well all know that this time Nintendo is doing bad in almost all sense, except the 3DS, in 35k for a new game... but the article could have another name.

I'm a realistic person, I don't like sugar coat information. If things are bad, I would like to read the true opinions of the journalist. Bad news are always going to have a negative tone, if you wanted the other way around, then you like to be lied. As other guy said above, if you really want to read about rainbows and puppies around nintendo in general, then visit it's oficial page.

@zool Yup. Exactly.

@mercurio2054 Exactly.

@Doma You are incorrect. Sorry. Next.

Disappointing but it is what it is. And I'm sure people are saying "Should've been Metroid", but Metroid wouldn't have done any better. If anything it probably would've done worse. Japan cares little about Metroid.

@JohnRedcorn Aaaand you've made my point by drinking and then regurgitating the kool-aide. I'll let you figure out what I mean.

(Here's a hint: February launch, not a 'AAA' title, number 2 in software sales in spite of having a smaller user base than the other systems on the list ≠ 'abysmal' sales)

terrible news, but i'm looking forward to their 2014 software lineup and significant improvements overall (hopefully)

i'm not just talking about getting the Wii U "back in the game" and moving lots of hardware units with Mario Kart 8, Smash Bros. etc., but also about improvements to their online-services/features, online multiplayer etc.

hopefully they'll have a few surprises for us at E3, i just want nintendo to have a good year - they make the greatest games and i will always love this company <3

but they seriously need to step up their game when it comes to online multiplayer and all that kind of stuff, it's extremely annoying how bad their online-services are (if you can even call them that... most basic things aren't even available)

when it comes to nintendo.. it's still considered a miracle if you have proper online-friendlists in any of their games.... we still can't properly chat with one another.. they still don't have a teamspeak-like program, their online-servers for most of their games are absolutely horrendous and they apparently don't care

and what's (apparently) the reason for all that? all their "protect the children"-junk... because they seem to think 80% of their customers are kids and the other 20% are pedophiles.. and therefore we can't interact with one another on their systems, super annoying

you can easily do stuff like that on PC, the PS4 and even on the xbox... why not on nintendo hardware? it's not nintendo's job to protect the children, it the parents' job, so get your act together.. and give us what we want

regarding their upcoming games etc... i absolutely trust nintendo (as always) that they'll develop the best games, looking forward to buying them all

@WebHead This. Let's not forget Metroid prime.

I know Japan isn't totally in love with the DK franchise like they are in the west, but man, those numbers hurt.

Nintendo's biggest mistake?

Making the 3DS and Wii U experiences too similar.

3DS has a Mario 3D Land VS Wii U Mario 3D World
3DS has Donkey Kong C:R VS Wii U Donkey Kong C: TP
3DS has Mario Kart 7 VS Wii U Mario Kart 8
3DS has Sonic Lost World, as does Wii U

3DS will get Smash Bros 3DS, like Smash Bros. on Wii U
3DS will get Sonic Boom, like Wii U

Nintendo is not giving enough reason why people should invest in a Wii U rather than a 3DS.

Smash won't save Wii U as it will be coming on 3DS. Neither will MK8, since a perfectly fine MK is out on 3DS. Nintendo needs to start differentiating a bit more if they want people to buy both a 3DS and a Wii U.

Does the Wii U need to be saved? I don't really think so. I'm enjoying the great games it has - it's like GameCube all over, which was my favorite console by far.

It's a game that is not Mario (or to a lesser extent Zelda) so be happy. If it is your cup of tea, then buy it and support Nintendo. If it is not, then don't.

There are so many variables in this equation: What marketing did Nintendo do in Japan? Will this title grow with time via word of mouth? What else happened this week in Japan culturally? Is the market over-saturated with platformers right now (my humble opinion is, yes it is)?

It's depressing watching how badly the Wii U is doing in basically every way.

@Guybrush20X6 why? Because Wii U is doing historically bad, that's why. At this point GameCube numbers would be a sweet dream.

@Azooooz Indeed. That is why Monster Hunter is so huge. Knowing the demographic. DK is not going to do MH or Dragon Quest numbers. The press and Nintendo may have declared this a huge title, but no one told the Japanese gaming public. It's a solid platformer, but it's not sales gold. Silver maybe, long term. Maybe.

I think it will do a little better in the west, but not by much. People have been referring to this game like it was actually a system seller since its announcement and I've never understood it. It's a 2D platformer, much like the one we've already played. It's going to be fun, but it's not going to move systems. Nintendo needs something new and unique to do that. (Or at least more exciting than a 2D platformer.)

@Tsusasi DKC, 3 million in Japan
DKC 2, 2.2 million
DKC 3, 1.75 million
DKCR 1.03 million

Yeah, you keep sayin' it doesn't appeal to japanese gamers.

I think that I'm going to be picking up a Wii u within a few months. Platformers are dead on sony and microsoft and they are my second favorite genre. I can tell just by looking that donkey kong country tropical freeze is a game worth playing, I'm just afraid to get one now that a price drop or special bundle may be on the way.

@Kodeen Who exactly did that? I don't recall hearing Japanese gamers raving over its announcement. The press and Nintendo hyped it... and that's Nintendo's job, but no one asked Japanese gamers apparently. While Famitsu gave it great marks, we all know that it doesn't always translate into big sales numbers... for any system.

@WebHead Retro are done with Metroid anyway, we don't need another from them specifically. But DK itself, was a much worse choice to go with. How many platformers does this console need?

It should've been a new IP.

@Doctor_Pancakes <--- clear example of head in the sand

The last one also launched in December on a platform that had 5x the install base. Plus we're talking DK here which is hardly what you'd call a system seller. All reasons why you wouldn't expect it to pull the same numbers.

This isn't really "unimpressive", it's just plain old obvious given the circumstances

@Guybrush20X6 If you want to see a Nintendo-centric site that only publishes negative news, you should head on over to MyNintendoNews.com. It seems that the only Nintendo related news they report there is about something negative pertaining to Nintendo. NintendoLife.com is at least somewhat positive in most of their articles.

Can't say that I am surprised, but it is still disappointing to see DKC make no change in the Wii U commercial rejection. This is what happens when you pack in an accessory that makes the system more expensive, but then don't really make that accessory essential to gaming on that system.

I am not saying they should force more gimmick use of that Gamepad in every game. I am saying, it should not be included. It should have been offered as an optional accessory.

@LetsGoRetro

That was funny

"pushes shigsy back into his chair" LOL

@Doma

Nintendo gave us The Wonderful 101 with Platinum Games. Didn't go so well.

@DarkCoolEdge from your figures it's obvious that Japanese interest in DKC has been waning for a number of years

Of course it didn't boost sales. Its NOT a system seller. They picked a game that we've seen too many versions of recently. A steller Metroid title with a 95%+ average on Metacritic was the only way to sell significant units and boost hardware sales. Just who is making these decisions!!??

@Nintenjoe64 You and me both are glad that this game didn't move many. I want Nintendo to know that this type of "reveal" and crap is not what their fans want. I for one would like a steak from Nintendo, instead of a damn Chicken Nugget Kids meal! Give us something more substantial than another 2.5D platformed!

@Nintenjoe64 maybe Nintendo should have taken heed to that same observation and thought twice about releasing Tropical Freeze.

And to everyone saying "just wait for MK8" mind you GameCube also had a Mario Kart on it, and arguably the best Smash Bros. ever made. Still sold 21 million consoles total.

@gatorboi352 I agree with you there. But I don't think Nintendo really "takes heed" just like they don't "care what their fans want" <--- This is according to Reggie Fils-Aime. If they don't care what their fans want then how do they expect to continue? I'm a Nintendo fan and have a Wii U, but I will not be buying NSMBU with a glorified coat of monkey fur and some stupid looking walrus enemies!

@2Sang Um... just wow. So very enlightened and tolerant. What exactly does this bring to the conversation again? Yup. Next.

@Darknyht : exactly. I know it's journalism to report these numbers, but we are not financial experts, don't know eshop sales, and the bottom line is, it does not effect us. Right now, I don't think Nintendo cares at all. Their fiscal year ends April 1st. They will probably have a lot more to say at that point. And if they don't, a PS4 becomes even more interesting for me, especially with the talks of a cloud service. If they ever offer the current PS3 games on that cloud, I see a valid reason to put aside my Wii U.

@fluggy Thank you. I've been arguing this point. Everyone keeps saying what a system mover it was supposed to be, and that these numbers are awful because it was supposed to be a HUGE game for Nintendo in Japan.

Never once did I hear that from any source in Japan.

Whelp.

@Tsusasi
Its getting a few average reviews as well. 82% average isn't exactly Game of the Year material..
. and at this desperate stage in the Wii U life cycle, nothing less than a classic will do.

at least this title sold more than w101 did in it's first week
wait who am i kidding? this will probably sell in the west for 100k or something, but until mk8, nothing will boost the wii u.

I did not think DK will be that big in Japan anyways. Hopefully Mario Kart will do better. Still waiting for that Kirby game, and still glad to see GTAV still on that list.

@fluggy Yes, because Metroid is selling like hot cakes in Japan.

Mario Kart 8 literally is the make or break for the console

To be honest, i don't think this is the type of game that the Japanese would be interested in. They're more interested in RPGs, rhythm games and life simulations. I for one can not wait to get this game.

Could the poor sales be that the Wii U has an awful lot of 2D platformers? I can think of at least 4 that have been released in the past twelve months.

Reviews:
Gamexplain: 5/5
Destructoid: 100/100
Game informer: 93
Cheat code Central: 90
Nintendolife: 9/10
IGN: 84
Joystiq: 80
The escapist: 80
And poor old gamespot who thinks this isn't as good as they expected it to be, they gave it a 6/10. Oh dear.

Donkey Kong won't set the world on fire with people snapping up the Wii U. It was meant to be out at Christmas & was clearly ready then Mario Kart 8 should be released now with Smash Bros. in May.

DKC:TF is a "nice" game for current Wii U owners to maybe get during the drought. The excitement level for this game doesn't go much beyond that.

Lol at the people cheering the bad news.

I swear it has become a hobby and obsession with some people to gloat and cheer and sow discord at the mere mention of poor sales in territories they don't even live in.

From TVtropes.com:

Hatedom

A Fandom that is dedicated to hating a work or author, instead of celebrating it. Sometimes they view the work as So Bad, It's Good (to the ire of more traditional fans); at other times, they just loathe it outright, but enjoy making fun of it. Some works have the dubious honor of producing hatedoms larger than their traditional fanbase.

The problem is the dynamic of video game releases has changed since the glory days of console gaming.

There is too much hype, too much media, too much fanboyism, and WAY too much emphasis on "new releases". In the good old days, a game would release and sell over the course of a year or more if it was a good title.

The new triple A, bloated budget blockbuster model creates massive amounts of hype, and then convinces gamers that games have a short shelf life...not much different then milk or seafood.

Buy it now!... or it goes bad?

This mentality hurts Nintendo, who are known for producing amazing games with high replay value over short, linear, cinematic, style games with little replay value.

I don't care how much this game sells. I'll be one of the many purchasers. This game right here looks and plays AWESOME!! (Yes I briefly played it and it's beyond great) Maybe Japan fell off of DK. Well America and Europe didn't. We love him here and there.

@Rafie me too!

Got it pre-ordered and can't wait for friday.
Social life? Not this weekend!

@KevTastic84 and it doesn't even come out for another 3 and a half months.

@gatorboi352 How?

I love it how it sounds like bad news when the top 10 games are basically 3DS games with #2 and #12 being Wii U games. Oh so bad.

ugh Nintendo lower the Wii U's price, it's plain and simple. what's killing the Wii U is Nintendo's stubborn refusal to lower the price of the Wii U

the Wii U cost $189 to make but sells for $299
PS4 costs $381 sells for $399
Xbox 1 costs $471 sells for $499

and honestly it probably cost Nintendo even less to make the Wii U since it's been awhile since launch. Nintendo is basically a family console or a gamers secondary console so they need to price it accordingly. NO amount of software is going to push a console people aren't willing to spend too much on. Nintendo is all wrong about the price point

sell it for $199 and people will but it.

This might be just a bit off topic, and I don't mean to offend anybody, but why do so many people want to play so many game? Why are people desperate to play new games every month? I already have 9 Wii U games, and personally, the big Wii U titles such as Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros. are enough for me this year.

I find it so bizarre that so many people seem bored, with nothing to do wanting to play all these new games each month. These games are enough for me. I am very busy with college, and people complain that they want new games to keep them busy? I expect most people in this community to be teenagers/ adults. Do people even work? Do people even meet up with friends? Do people even go somewhere outside of the house? If you have a family, how is the time spent?

Again, I don't mean to offend anybody, but I am just quite confused by this...

I like how, whenever a Wii U game doesn't do amazingly in Japan, there's always of group of commenters saying that said franchise/genre "isn't as big in Japan anyway", but based on no actual evidence. Today it's seemingly that platformers and/or Donkey Kong games aren't popular over there... despite the fact that nearly all 2D Mario platformers and the original SNES Donkey Kong Countries are among the biggest-selling games of all-time in Japan.

@Senario is just like you say.

@funny_moblin you're like me, i want more games, but not for me, for the general public.. for me it is enough.

@Funny_Moblin those people wanting games every month are people in mid school, high school, or people living in basements. I mean in general terms - hardcore "crazy" gamers who need to game all the time. That's the only people buying the games on the xbox/sony and the Nintendo fanbase which is smaller. The rest are normal to casuals who buy only a few games a year and certainly don't complain about lack of games.

This is what I like to see. Retro needs to know that nobody wanted another Donkey Kong game in the first place. Sadly, they will make a trilogy out of this and it will be even more half baked.Here's to the next disappointment by Retro.

_{Knock it off with the insults — TBD}

Same old story : people would rather complain that there are no games to play than actually buy games.

@mercurio2054 Exactly. I I'm not worried about myself, and enjoy the few gems, but I do have some worry for Nintendo. You said it perfectly.

@dumedum That makes sense. Though, I consider myself a hardcore gamer (wanting to challenge myself with difficult games, and being competitive with others), but to a certain extent. I divide up my time, and I'm not as good as I can be.

The Wii U will only sell in Japan when "X" comes out

It pains me to say this about the WIi U, but as Porky Pig once said "That's all folks!" Seriously, the Wii U is about finished. When a MAJOR first party release doesn't even sell 50K in it's first week, in it's home country.......I don't know how else to put it, and this is coming from a borderline Nintendo fanboy.

Not good for Nintendo because Japan is their strongest market. They are going to have an even harder time in Japan when the PS4 is released.

@Tsusasi Don't shoot the messenger bro he just posting the facts on his article. What you expect for ThomasBW to do LIE about it.

@Daisaku36 Really? The great sales of 35k for a AAA game doesn't stink to you? You must not have a sense of smell.

>B..but it will sell millions here in the US
Maybe over the course of the wii u's lifetime, but it's not going to change the trajectory of the pii u like many others were claiming it would.

NOOOOOOOO TRAGEDY HAS STRUCK AGAIN

@GunstarHero234 exactly. If you think ThomasBW and the others enjoy the company of their childhood doing poorly (except chicken brutus when he reviews the shovelware eshop games) or think they have any biases AGAINST nitnendo, you're really, really mistaken.
_{Watch the insults — TBD}

@zool Pretty much. The install base is low, much, much lower than what Wii was when Returns launched. I mean...isn't this expected by now? Mario 3D World undersold compared to Galaxy and Galaxy 2.

@brucelebnd

Oh really? Is that cost also considering R&D, marketing materials (boxes, manuals, plastics), manufacturing, labor and shipping? No. It's straight part prices.

Nintendo is selling the system at a loss. They're not lying to you. Get over it.

omg.... i wanna see the change of tides for the wii u... knock em down

@ThomasBW84 LOL news will annoy people, I for one believe its important to note that DK has not increased the hardware sales in Japan. The Nintendo Everything article recently was amazing on how many INDIES are making games!

@Senario Sigh what you want me to say then I have no negativity for this post also i'm not the one crying or having a tantrum of what the Japanese buys so I really don't give a damn if this game is in #2 spot or how long.

It is refreshing to come to a Nintendo website who tells it like it is, as it is, instead of writing articles that sound like paid propaganda pieces from the corporate world AND banning people voice an opinion other than the truth! This is what I want in a site - to read articles based on the truth, not based on trying to spin everything into a positive even when it's negative. That is the job of Nintendo's marketing people, not independent websites. I will now come here 'Daily" instead of that on the take "Daily" website!

@2Sang Well sadly i'm not the one on here having a PMS problem like some of these people but I believe karma has struck again like rjejr stated.

Integrating Discuss would not be a bad idea either since it is easier to follow.

@2Sang Yup. It's official. 2Sang is an inarticulate troll. Have fun being useless. I'd say use your words to respond, but you've probably used up all of the ones you can deploy effectively in any sort of coherent sentence. I don't mind debating with the others and no one has to agree with me, but your response is just ignorant.

Useless.

@Guybrush20X6 Because these people clearly just report it like it is and are not little kids writing biased articles, lying about numbers, omitting things to make things look better and not acting as if they are on the take!

@Senario So what? What do you want in news then besides "unbiased" because this is nothing but typical news to me and I have no problem with it.

@fluggy I agree. It's a good looking game that by all reports and the little time I've spent playing it at Nintendo events is fun to play, but it's not the system mover, blockbuster, 'AAA' title people are making it out to be... and the numbers are in keeping with the time of year, the user base, the demographic and the profile of the product. Which is why I say this isn't negative... it just is, and shouldn't be a surprise. Times and tastes can change in the sort of time we see since the previous games in the series. I had someone on here trying to quote SNES DKC sales to me, fully ignoring how many systems were out there and the fact that the approach to both the franchise and the graphics were fresh, new, exciting and hadn't been seen before on the system. This game... as good as it is... comes off as a bit 'me too', and doesn't really offer anything as ground breaking as the SNES series.

lol xD

@Tsusasi What are they supposed to do, play hype men for Nintendo? If the game sells porrly are they supposed to do like others sites do and always make excuses as if their job is to sell the Wii U and not report the facts. The facts are - the Wii U has flopped and so have the games.

_{If you have a problem with someone, please ignore them instead of resorting to insults. Thanks in advance! — TBD}

@Senario How do you suppose they should present this news? DKC:TF was one of the very few major (maybe even console-shifting) releases this half of the year, and it failed to shift consoles, even the game-sales fell short of what was expected of a major first-party release.

NL could have said that DKC made it to #2 on the list, that's a nicer angle but doesn't change the absolute figures, which are well below expectations.

Ignoring the Numbers it debuts at Number 2. (pretty sure this dosent include dl versions).

Isnt this more a statement on the Japanese console market. Lets face it PS4 came out in the west first as it would sell more. There has always been a cultural difference between us. Were smart phone gaming seems to be huge here. I think mobile gaming here has peaked & will just settle. Lets face it for every mega success like candy crush there are thousands of games not making anything. My wife plays games on phone & laptop but will she buy new games every month never. Would she pay £40 for a game. (as a gift for me maybee)

My goodness!! the Fanboys here are strong!! Look Thomas is just doing his job. He is reporting the news whether is good or bad for Nintendo, he is also not going to sugarcoat something negative just to please you guys. If donkey kong didn't sell well in japan in it's launch week, it just didn't sell well.. Face the reality guys, not everyone likes Donkey Kong!! If you guys wanna get mad at someone and their flaws it's Nintendo, Not Thomas.

Dang Nintendo! You done goofed!

@Tsusasi,

Let's play a game. Tell me which of these conversations is going on at Nintendo HQ right now.

A) "We have most of the top 20 baby! If you count, more of our stuff has a number than the other companies!"

Or

B) "Despite the fact that the 3ds continues to dominate, our current home console remains an utter failure, selling horribly, receiving bad press, missing target goals by almost 2/3's.. etc etc"

Do you think it matters to those invested in Nintendo how many spots on the chart Nintendo receives if in the end it results in losses? Nintendo fans have "well atleast we have the 3ds to make up for the wii u, mindset, but let me promise you, kids, Nintendo is looking at it the other way around. The wii u is draining the enormous success of the 3ds. Nintendo didn't release 2 consoles with the hopes that atleast 1 will do good.

Everyone on this website keeps complaining about bad news. THESE ARE BAD TIMES FOR THE COMPANY. NintendoLife isn't here to lie to you. It isn't a conspiracy people. Wii U is draining this company.

Yes, the 3ds is doing well.
Yes, Nintendo has enough in the bank to withstand an ultimate wii u failure.

That DOESN't matter. They still want it to succeed, and NLIFE is still obligated to report when it's not. It's their job. "Geez couldn't NLIFE have worded it a little more happy and put a picture of a bird smiling and giving a thumbs up and make it happy " blah blah NO! Grow up!

Until (if) Nintendo does a bettter job at turning this system's fortunes around, expect bad news. No matter WHAT excuse you think of, these are poor sales. Slow sales month, japan vs usa, people didn't buy games cuz they were feeling ill from all the st valentines day chocolate, whatever spin you put, this is bad.

What were you saying last year. Did you not think Pikmin 3, W101, Monster hunter 3u, Lego City, Wario, Mario 3d World, Donkey kong, etc. would turn the wii u's fortunes around? You're lying if you say no. Because if you didn't think that, then you shouldn't be surprised that bad news is being reported.

Nintendo is not in trouble, guys. But the wii u is. Nintendo will probably recover, build some revolutionary home console/portable combo system and be fine, but unless wii u recovers, stop complaining about bad news.

Honestly, the Wii U is doomed to a fate far worse than the Gamecube. The Gamecube at least had WAY more awesome games in it's first two years, while the Wii U only has like 5 good games? Also the Gamecube had WAY better third-party support. If I see any Nintendrones saying the Wii U will be the next Gamecube, I will smack them.

@knowledgewhatup And again... I hate that I have to repeat myself... but 'facts' should be presented separately from any sort of lean or editorializing. Period. That is what I have been saying all along. And additional information... 'facts'... would be nice too. Like what the Japanese response had been during the build-up to the launch, does anyone in Japan even give a rat's donkey about this game/franchise at this point, what is the current installed user base, how have eShop sales impacted physical sales of games like this, acknowledging the time of year/buying season, take into account the fact that Mario is still in the top 20 and how does a clearly superior game in the same genre effect sales, how many people want to complete Mario before buying yet another game in the same genre.

Just facts, no spin, no gloom and doom. These sales are not bad... except through this filter ^

Again, the only people who ever implied that this game was a system seller for Japan, or a 'AAA' franchise entry were the press (harkening doom and gloom) marking it as yet another random test for the Wii U, and Nintendo... whose job it is to hype their games.

Do some probing and find out what the state of the Japanese gaming culture is right now. I'm sure that will help inform the numbers in the top 20... not just Nintendo. Those numbers aren't bad. They just aren't. They aren't stellar, but why would they be? It's a decent game sharing the same self space as an amazing game of the same genre.
_{Please watch the profanity — TBD}

@SecondServing Doooom! Doom doom doom! Despair! Angony!

The end is near! DOOOOOOM I tell you!

Oh wait... it's a western developed Donkey Kong game launched in February in Japan on a system that has a small user base that still took second behind a monster of a franchise the Japanese gamers LOVE on a system with a huge user base. Never mind.

@ThomasBW84 Well I just want to say that I'm fine with the ratio of good to bad news article when they are all written well which this site seems to do very well.

@Tsusasi The DKCs made by Rare, a Western UK based studio, sold ALOT in Japan. DKCR made by Retro sold alot in Japan. You sir, are in denial. Expect a new console in 2016, because I don't expect Mario Kart 8 and Smash to save it.

@ULTRA-64 - " it's worth pointing out that gta has outsold Mario3dw in Japan so far so despite many other factors to this, maybe their home console culture is changing to a more western/violent mindset."

I feel bad for them if this is true, but it makes sense as Japan is the home of violent cartoons like Attack on Ttian and DBZ. My wife and I watched DBZ way back when on Cartoon Network but now we'e watching the DVDs w/ my kids and she's all like - "where did all this blood come from?" Anime isn't for the feint of heart. Maybe they want their games to match?

@LetsGoRetro not complaining about the news, but rather the delivery. As I have to repeat myself once again. And I would imagine there are many conversations going on at Nintendo, good and bad but mostly they are just doing their jobs, sorting things out, regrouping and like an good company, not panicking but focusing and taking the good with the bad and doing what they have to do. Keep Calm and Mario On...

@SecondServing Again with the DKC... see my above comments about this false equivalency. Different time, different system, different market and different impact.

I love the DK games, it's ashame it's not selling well in Japan but that doesn't stop me from getting my pre-order & enjoying it. Obviously I would like to see it do better here in EU & US, so we have a chance of another DK game in the future. Only 2 days now.

@tsusasai,

Only the first part of that was meant to respond to your first comment. the 2nd half was more of a "letting my frustrations out, to a lot of people" type of thing but in re-reading it, i seemed overly aggressive to you. sorry if it came off that way!

@GunstarHero234 Nope. Just not spin or editorialize. That is all.

Ah...I remember my childhood days, when I was new to Nintendo, sharing the similar mindset of not knowing the world. It was just Mario and the big inspiration he provided. It was just me, the Mario games, and how I got inspired to want want to make 3D platformers some day.

Ouch, it all points to a slow burner.

We can just cross fingers for the West.

With that being said, though, you are asking NintendoLife to report bad news in a dressed up fashion. I also hate to repeat myself, but that's not their job. Being a Nintendo-centric website doesn't make them obligated to sugar coat. @Thomasbw84 gave this article a perfect title. Why? Because all us Nintendo fans have been holding our breath with each new release for "this to be the one", so when it isn't, it's disappointing.

Quite frankly, had he labeled it as you suggest I would've got excited, clicked on the article, and then I would've been disappointed and wondered why he sugar coated the fact that the game sold horribly. Darned if he does, darned if he doesn't. Give the guy a break, he's doing his job, and he's doing it well. I don't blame him for being frustrated at the criticism.

Hopefully it will be another ever green Nintendo release and sell consistently across the whole generation.

@Nintenjoe64 Well there is talk of another James Pond and Putty should be out soon on the 3ds, so who knows, maybe Zool 3

@Tsusasi "That is all" really so RAMPAGING this whole thread isn't dude just chill man. It isn't the end of the world ok DK just didn't do too good in Japan probably because of the PS4 close launch but at least the game in #2.

Just leave the thread if this is too negative next time or better yet just don't click to the thread at all that helps too.

@Tsusasi What you wrote adds up to propaganda - trying to 'put things in context' with regard to the poor sales of DKC. The FACTS are, the games was released in Japan and sol ONLY (yes - only, not 'just') 35,000, which is a DOA flop! The build up, context, Mario on the charts and all of that other stuff is just spin and an attempt to drown out the facts.

Does anyone else know if any RPGS besides X have been announced for wii u? I've been playing ps1 rpg's the last couple of months and man were some of these great. Suikoden 2 & Xenogears are flawless. FF7 & FF9 are also incredible.

I hope these kind of games get revitalized and brought to wii u. also @funny_moblin, i know for me personally, I don't like to play 1 game at a time.If i have aa 3 hour gaming session it'll often be 6 games for a half hour each. Then I'll stop 1 halfway thru, pick up a new 1, then come back to it, etc. So altho i may not be putting in as much time as some gamers, i'm playing a lot of stuff so variety is veryimportant to me.

35000 is bad folks, even if it's "2nd place"

@LetsGoRetro
"Suikoden 2 & Xenogears are flawless. FF7 & FF9 are also incredible"

Yes amazing titles you are playing the best and you have great taste in your RPG genre and Fei is epic.

Even though Discuss would be nicer to have on here, this site is a breath of fresh air! On that "Daily" site, you say one thing NO POSITIVE about Nintendo and they gang up on you with hate and call for your banning and the idiot site complies, which of course tells me a lot about their integrity. Those little kids that run that site will soon learn that you just can't get a pay off to write articles and be taken seriously as a journalist. Journalists job is not to pretty articles up (unless the boss directs them too), it is to present facts - period, and let the reader figure out what it means.

@gunstarhero234,

Thank you good sir! As my suikoden 2 is borrowed, you wouldn't happen to have 1 for sale, would you? (Am i allowed to ask that here? sorry if not)

@GunstarHero234 I didn't expect it to do well. It's not a big title for Japan, and not a mind-blowing experience. It's going up against games and genres much more favored by Japanese gamers, in an off month. It's not a bad showing, for what it is.

Well, physical copies. We don't know how many was downloaded.

@LetsGoRetro Sadly no but if I had it I would but I do have Xenogears, FF7, FF8, and Parasite Eve series, FF9 got stolen a decade ago lol and lot more but i'm happy that you open up to PSX classic titles they are a beast among beasts man greatest RPG's ever spawned on a console after SNES.

@8bitforever - "Even my kids have quit playing the WiiU."

My kids got SM3DW, Lego Marvel and Skylanders Swaporce for Christmas all on the Wii U. They played them all and enjoyed them all. About a week ago my kid bought Minecraft on the PS3. Addiction is an understatement. That "game", and I hesitate to even call it a "game", is so ugly and boring and repetitive. But it's crack. They are even addicted to some Brit guy who does videos on Youtube. I dont know if the Wii U can be saved w/ an "open world" or "sandbox" game like that, but it couldn't hurt. We'll probably buy a PS4 for that Media Molecule marionette making Move game. Nintendo is great at Sims game like Animal Crossing and Fantasy Life, but they could expand a little. "Planet Pikmin" would be a great game place for a LBP meets Minecraft meets Monster Hunter type game.

i am ready for another 3d donkey king 64 like game

@Tsusasi Sadly I have to agree but just this title doesn't grasp people like the originals would and i'm one of those players that rather stick with the classics than this so they lost a customer.

Donkey Kong was never going to be the Wii U's savior. I've come to terms with Wii U being doomed to mediocrity as far as sales go and I'm fine with it. Mario Kart and Smash will be a BIG boost though.

@GunstarHero234 Thanks. Now if they had Discuss, it would make life a lot easier...

@rjejr I don't even know how I found his videos, but I know that he is child-friendly with his Minecraft videos. Is the Brit guy called Stampy? lol...I really don't know how I got there...

@Funny_Moblin - No, my kids don't like Stampy too much, a little too silly perhaps. They're huge fans of Dan the Diamond Mincecraft guy. He kinda looks like Justin Beiber so it figures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wBq2xD95IE

@rjejr Yeah, he does seem really silly...and his laugh...lol. Like is it even real? But I can see why your kids like this youtuber instead. The difference is that this Diamond Minecraft guy always shows need mods (fan made and downloadable modification made to the actual game with changed visuals ad mechanics).

But Stampy doesn't really show mods. He usually uploads his progression on his world, building in survival mode, downloadable adventure maps, and hunger games.

Donkey Kong isn't a system seller, and I wasn't expecting it to sell THAT good anyway. I dunno what the big fuss is all about.

Also, the game might do slightly better in US, but I'm not sure about Europe.

Dat HD fur!

At least we won't be hearing from this mediocracy of a gamr again in a Nintendo Direct.

@Gunstarhero234,

Yeah man, both snes and ps1 are where it's at for RPGs. So many classics on each. I'll be playing these games when I'm 70 and in my rocker chair haha. I do also need to pick up a new FF7 as you mention it as mine was also stolen ahaha.

Well in regards in the actual article: 35K isn't a great opening by any means for something this high profile but like many Nintendo titles it should be evergreen and eventually reach a solid sales number there. For all the fuss made about 3DW's opening, it's done more than quadrupled it's sales since.

I don't feel any negative undertones. The facts are that DK placed 2nd but that's like saying the Denver Broncos got 2nd in the NFL when they were blown away by the team that got 1st. DKC is a fun series but it's not the mid 90's anymore so it will not capture everyone's attention like it used to. It will sell over time thanks to the strength of the brand. And once more Nintendo is playing catch up after squandering the entire 1st year of the Wii U with mostly minor Wii updates, remakes, a 3rd tier franchise entry and a Mario entry that served it's purpose but did not dazzle like the Mario Galaxy games did.

@LetsGoRetro I know right lol and sorry for your loss but if you have a PS3 you can just buy FF7 for $15 off the PSN and it's worth it. I bought FF9 from there.

Actually doesn't surprise me because Japan isn't exactly DK country, sorry for the pun. But it's consistently twice as successful in numbers as a franchise in NA then Japan. Why wasn't this mentioned in your article, pretty important fact to just leave out. An example of this DK returns sales to date; NA 3.02m, Eur 1.62m, Japan 1.03m, Other regions 0.43m.

I'm guessing the Wii U will have a cut short life span. I don't see how it can recover. The only hope this console has is Mario Kart 8 and Smash. If they don't do too well, then...

If they had just found a way to put the word "monster" in the title this would have shattered Japan software sell records

@rumple88 Actually the USA has 317 million people. Japan 127 million people. (I thought the USA had loads more) but either way it should be compared with the population size taken into account as well. (Plus there is the rest of the NTSCU region).

@LetsGoRetro you're my new favorite person here. Bravo on comment #200

Love how some people here are blaming everyone BUT Nintendo for all the bad sales. If it's not lazy developers it's biased journalism.

There are other factors to take into consideration but without a doubt Nintendo takes most of the blame. If they'd actually advertised the thing at launch it might have helped, atleast Sony and Microsft got that right. During the Christmas period it was choc-a-bloc with PS4 and Xbox one, and the only Nintendo adverts I saw was for Pokemon and ONE (I can actually count how many times I saw it) for Mario world.

But no, good job Nintendo you've done nothing wrong at all that's why your system is selling like hot cakes and you have LOADS of third party support, these "journalist" at Nintendolife should be ashamed for reporting facts!

@LetsGoRetro

I think I love you, never stop.

It's all about spin from PR firms it didn't matter as much 15 years ago because there weren't as many companies and platforms in the gaming world. The console business is still a shrinking piece of the pie. I just hope the dirty PR MS and Sony are deploying gets nintendo to play dirty and take the gloves off. Slow and steady wins the race but Nintendo needs to bust out the (snes) rocket launchers.

Seeing how hard Nintendo is hyping and advertising DKTF, these numbers really is alarming....for Nintendo anyways. I'm still waiting for X...

Hey guys, I'm asking now that the insults (and occasional profanity) end. Keep your comments focused on the article at hand, and not on each other. Further name-calling and nastiness will wind up with temp-bans for those choosing to participate. This is your warning: Play nice.

@SockoMario Exactly

Disappointing, but I think I am still gonna keep giving the Wii U a chance this generation. I loved the 3DS remake of the first Returns...just not sure I need another 2D platformer ATM on my U. Hrm and still don't have Zelda either. What to do what to do????

I forgot to note that first party Wii U titles so far don't sell well at the start in Japan, but they either become million hitter, of at least under a million in a long-term.

@Locke_Highwind That sounds pretty low actually. Though I wouldn't be too surprised if DK is a series like Metroid, which sells poorly in the East but sells much better in the West.

@brucelebnd Um where are you getting the figures for your "opinion"? The console is already selling at a loss (there is actual data supporting this) due to the controller tech (purchasing one game makes up for it however). Selling it at a further loss would be counterproductive. They'd be better off implementing more bundles rather than dropping the price.

It's been proven time and time again that a price drop on its own will NEVER sell that many units without the software to support it. Unfortunately, as we can all probably see at this point, the library is "a bit" barren at the moment in terms of variety (quality isn't really the issue here). Nintendo can keep pushing out platformers that get consistent 8+ scores out of 10 but it will only draw out a specific part of the market. Rather than producing "must haves" towards one portion of the market, they really need to diversify.

If Nintendo can produce something with "universal acclaim" on the level of Super Mario 3D World AND get the hype to similar levels (could be difficult as they are generally pretty secretive), but for a completely different genre (this goes back to the variety problem again), then they might have a chance to climb out of their rut. At that point, a price cut could be considered perfectly reasonable but not before that occurs.

However, the most we can do now is "wait and see." If they don't have anything major to show us around E3 time (or before that), I'd say it'd be a safe bet to write off the Wii U at that point, if only because they would have had almost 2 years at that point AND it could be extremely crippling to have nothing to reveal during one of the most watched gaming events of the year.

@LetsGoRetro No problem. We're talking about video games here, so no worries.

@Anguspuss It has felt like Japan and even some of it's developers having been falling out of love with consoles for a few years now. And in many cases, the Japanese gamer hasn't helped. A lot of great titles haven't done anywhere near what they were expected to... not just on the Wii U either. Even more criminal is that the arcade scene there is quietly becoming homogenized and the smaller mom and pop places that once thrived are closing. It's not gaming armageddon yet, but there has been a shift. Sad news all around.

So is it weird that this was on the shelf in Target today or does Target normally break street dates?

@LetsGoRetro If you consider DKC:TF a "turd", then you are probably out of your mind.

This article is just stating the facts.Out of all the sites dedicated to gaming Nintendolife and gameinformer are the best.Did anyone expect this game or Mario 3d world to push major numbers for the wii u?Nsmbu,3dworld,and dkctf didn't have enough demand to bring new users into the fold.I enjoyed two of the three and will own tf soon,but I don't think the demand for platform style games (even with nintendos ip's)pulls in the crowds like it once did.

@Tsusasi

So if you don't consider DKC a "AAA" title, then would you not have to agree that it means the actual Wii-U "drought" between AAA games is now the gap between SM3DW and MK8? 6-7 months?

Sounds great!!!

I thought second in software sales would be a good thing. The number is low but so are the rest of the games on the list. Slow season. Anyways, I've been tracking the games sales on Amazon U.S. and it's currently at 11. It's been creeping up for a couple of weeks. Seems positive to me.

@Superryanworld Well actually, 3D World did bring in a lot of Wii U owners (especially in Japan). The problem was it could not sustain the increased sales for very long. It's one game and frankly Nintendo needs more than 1 if they want the sales to remain strong.

Nintendo is so doomed. Can't they just make a new console? Or maybe just go third party?

@shigulicious

"Slow season" shouldn't affect a major franchise release on the Wii-U, as there hasn't really been a lot of games coming out on it lately. If it opened at only 35,000 copies sold (+ unknown # of digital) its highly unlikely it will go on to see any higher than that number in the following weeks. Thats awful.

I can't wait to see all the people claiming NL only posts negative news when the articles about how this game sold like crap in NA and EU go up.

@Funny_Moblin : actually I just finished resident evil 4 in a game time of 23 hours....and in real time of 3 months. I truly believe most of the people complaining here probably have a list of forums that they keep hitting up to troll. Gaming is strictly a hobby for me. To get too enveloped in this is actually sort of embarrassing. It's a nice way to unwind, but it's unfortunate that too many people are sheep these days. They will consume anything and everything. There's no appreciation. I don't know who in the blue hell has the time or money for this stuff, but usually they are of teenage intellect, and seriously do live in a basement.

Its mario 3d world and wind waker all over again. some people have short memories.

_{That's not necessary. Please stop — TBD}

@Thats-what-she,

That isn't even close to what I said.

Polising turds = Making the constant negative news of the wii u's sales sound better in headline titles. Game quality was never mentioned once, by either one of us

@thats-what-she,

I'm sure anyone who was hotly anticipating a 2d platformer in 2014 was very satisfied with playing as Cranky kong, the shimmering fur, and the other features the title highlights.

@Ernest_The_Crab I can agree with that.Glad 3d world did make a dent.

@Cyberbotv2 You did take the time to post a comment.....

@LetsGoRetro It's actually pretty close to what you said. You mentioned "big titles" before adding the polished-turd comment. Not to mention that, in video games, polishing a turd generally refers to a game and not a news story.

I hope you can see how that could easily be misconstrued.

It was to be expected! At this point the Wii u is a lost cause, I don't expect Mariokart and Super smash brothers to sell much either!

A well, I just buy the game and enjoy it!

@Locke_Highwind Metroid was sell even worse.

@Cyberbotv2

"Gaming is strictly a hobby for me. To get too enveloped in this is actually sort of embarrassing"

I hate to break it to you, but if you are on an online forum sharing your opinion on "vidya games", especially in a pompous and condecending manner, you are clearly "enveloped" in it and it's no longer a hobby.

We welcome you. Step forward into the darkness....

Japanese have never been too fond of western games. It's as simple as that. Just look at Mario Kart 8, it already outsold (well, at least momentarily) PS4 in Amazon Japan.

http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Mario-Kart-8-Outselling-PS4-Amazon-Japan-62304.html

I'd expect DKCTR to sell at least decently in west though.

@Doma it won't be ported to 3ds, that much is guaranteed. The dynamic camera would choke the 3ds. The 3ds barely ran DKCR as it was. 30fps with frame rate stutters. I have it on 3ds, it's a fun game but the 3ds's poor performance (ie: no 60fps) makes playing it a bit jarring.

@Faron Truth.

@JohnRedcorn I don't need a PR machine or hype to dictate which games are of a caliber that I should purchase them, or the stature of a game to dictate when if ever there is a drought or not. I will never experience a drought because I am not needy and entitled. That having been said, the point was that this wasn't a 'AAA' in JAPAN. It may very well be far more anticipated here in the states or in Europe. It just never was in Japan. Period. I see how you're trying to wrap everything up in a nice, condescending, misguided bow, but you're not on point or clever and my point stands: This was never meant to be a system mover or even a huge seller in Japan. Therefore it's sales... in February... with a small user base... aren't bad. Not great, but not bad... and certainly not DOOOM DOOOM DOOOOOOM...

The lack of sales will not take away from the fun I will have with the game, but still is disappointing to see. The game still looks amazing & I'm highly looking forward to it. Perhaps the PS4 impending release took away some of the demand?

Im far from shocked. I didnt buy returns on wii and wont be buying this on wii u. Sure I played and beat returns but I wouldn't have spent money on the game. Ill rent this from the library like I did return. The only donkey kong game I had was donkey kong country. I was over spending money on the series after that. Its not that donkey kong is a bad game but im just not a huge platformer. The only platformer I personally spend money on is mario titles.

@ThomasBW84
You guys are fine. I actually go to this site more than others, as I find you are less negative & present the good along with the bad. IMO, you are by far the best Nintendo site around. New stuff, retro gaming section, nice & deep analysis...there's really not much more that needs to be covered at N Life. Fans are just angry at the sales & you get the brunt. What's that old saying about not shooting the messenger??

This shouldn't surprise anyone. Who actually thought this game would move consoles? It's a great game, I'm sure but I always thought it wasn't a major game.

maybe it sold better on the eshop?

I kinda expected this. DKC is a game for Nintendo fans that already have the system, not for people looking to buy a system. Mario Kart 8 is the game that will drive Wii U sales, no pun intended. The downside is that it's to be released at the start of Summer vacation, which is a ways away.

MAN! DK has 2 games in over nearly a decade and people are already tired of it? What did DK do to derserve this? DK is better than most 2D platformers so I don't know where the complaints are coming from other than the people who say ''It isn't Metroid''. Some of you call yourself Nintendo fans and you want this to fail? JEEZUS!

Also note that this doesn't count as a whole week. 3 days worth of total sales.

''Its not metroid''
''I want DK to fail because it will teach Nintendo a lesson''
''DK is just another Platformer''
''DK is not what the Wii U needs''
''No Innovation''

Its as if the Web had one brain and shared the same thoughts. Please enough with these generic opinions! When did Nintendo fans become robots? geez

Not really sure why so many agreeing with each other makes them "generic". Are you suggesting noncomformity for the sake of it?

Boooomb after booomb after boooomb... this are just grim all-around! I'm beginning to doubt that Nintendo will be able to turn the Wii U around anymore. They did it with the 3DS (and I love my 3DS), but the Wii U is something different. I wish they didn't have this failure in their hands.

But honestly, if I had the money for a Wii U right now, I wouldn't buy one either. What would I play? The few Virtual Console games that I can already buy on the Wii and 3DS? The OTHER first-party titles that I've already played before (Super Mario Bros U, 3D World, Tropical Freeze)?

And then Wii U gets Mario Kart 8 and Zelda later on. They're all great games, but they're also tricks we've all seen before. I'm no industry business expert, but I'm pretty sure that some new franchises would at LEAST get them some momentum.

And that's just one of the problems Nintendo has, but I'm not saying anything that isn't completely obvious. I want Nintendo to succeed, I really do, but it just seems like they're sitting on their a--es with their arms crossed.

I hope Iwata's "strategies" bear fruit. As a lifetime-long Nintendo fan and supporter, I'm really starting to get tired of all of these negative stories.

- End Rant -

Have you seen Ghost in the Shell? If you have then you know what I fear. The web is very influential to the point where people lose their sense of self. Sure you have your own opinions, but did you decide that for yourself?

And like I said 3 days in total sales, not a whole week. Yet people scream ''bomb'' because of ignorance. It hasn't been released in the U.S. or U.K. so give it time.

@knowledgewhatup Long time no see, TruthTeller. I think you might be delighted to hear that Wii U Daily's regular users have gotten fairly negative about Wii U lately.

@ThomasBW84 While I appreciate that you don't sugarcoat the facts, there are times where I have seen articles on NintendoLife that have a negative spin on them that should have been neutral. Putting a negative spin on what should have been an otherwise neutral article (not this article) is rather unnecessary in my opinion. Post negative news when negative news is due, otherwise it should remain neutral. That being said, NintendoLife isn't the only one guilty of this as of late. WiiUDaily and IGN are just as bad about it.
Edit: Also, the title for this article is unnecessary. You could have just stated "Weekly Japanese Sales From Media Create," or something like that. The title you have is clickbait - I'm not going to sugarcoat the facts about anything either. Wii U Daily at the very least had a neutral title.

Now, as for the rest of you lot. I feel like you guys and the rest of Nintendo's fanbase have blown the negative news out of proportions, even more so than other gamers. Want proof? The Cranky Kong reveal at the VGXs. Cranky Kong's reveal was the highlight of the show, and other gamers - even Microsoft/Sony fanboys - were perfectly fine with it. Cranky Kong even trended on Twitter. Then there's you lot and the rest of the fanbase, who whined and complained, making a huge deal out of it, Nintendoom and gloom and all. That should speak volumes about you guys and the rest of the fanbase. You guys are adding to the problem and will be the eventual downfall of Nintendo.

Now I'm wondering how will the comments will fire up next week.
Part of me can't wait for it though, will ps4 affect wii u or it will still in 7000-8000 weekly?

@JuanitoShet The entire industry is mostly old IPs. I'm not sure how a new franchise will help the Wii U

@Blackspy: Huh?

@IceClimbers Yes, shame on all of us that bought wii u and 3ds.The only thing that will result in the downfall of Nintendo is the choices the company makes going forward.

@Aluwolf Still, regardless of the sales, I will enjoy this game. Whether it sells well or not, it's still gonna be fun!

@Superryanworld All right, I suppose my last sentence wasn't needed. The rest of my previous comment still stands.

Ok, so here are my thoughts on this...

I wish the game would have sold better it's first week in Japan. I do think the game is one of the best games we'll see in a long time, and I do think it deserved to sell every bit as much as Super Mario 3D World. But, it didn't. Oh well. Doesn't mean it won't sell well in the west, and it doesn't mean it won't have long legs. In fact, I would be AMAZED if this game doesn't break a million sold at some point down the line, if not several million. But, the thing people need to remember is, the number of copies this game sells has NOTHING to do with your ability to enjoy it.

And that's the end of that. I have never, in my life, seen so many "gamers" obsessed with how well a game sells. It's the very definition of irrelevant vanity. The ONLY reason people care about sales is A) to use as justification that a game is good, or that Nintendo is going to succeed, or B) to use as justification that a game is bad, or that Nintendo is doomed, depending on which side of the fanboy fence you sit.

The only way this game's poor sales affects you, is by a blow to your pride. That's it. Most fans pride themselves on how well their favorite games and consoles SELL, rather than basing their pride on how well they ENJOY them. Fans let low Wii U sales serve as a blow to their personal pride, because sales numbers are real, tangible evidence of popularity and acceptance. With low sales numbers, fans can no longer use them as a means to justify their passion for Nintendo. But here's the thing. I don't need SALES to justify my passion for Nintendo, or the Wii U, or DKC Tropical Freeze. My pride is based upon MY OWN PERSONAL ENJOYMENT, and there isn't a sales chart in the world that can take that from me, or change my mind about Nintendo, their consoles, or their games.

@JaxonH Thank you. It seems like people here have forgotten how to actually enjoy video games.

@IceClimbers

The golden era of gaming is over. People have turned gaming into politics, and we're the minority party right now.

Go Apathy Party! WOO!!

@JaxonH Man, I don't know about you, but I can see a movie becoming of this. TRAILER: "Dear gamers..." (black screen) DUN DUN "the golden era," (shows bad quality footage of kids and adults laughing and having fun while playing Super Mario Bros. and DKC gameplay) "has come..." (more footage) "to an end..." DUN DUN (shows formus exploding, console battles, sales all on the internet) "We have already taken it too far on the internet...but what will become of this? DUN DUN (shows people fighting on the streets over games and consoles, sales, etc. "The innocence of gaming..." DUN DUN "Is gone" BOOM

Coming to theatres near you.

This is actually good news. Nintendo did DOMINATE that chart. For God's sake people, this isn't bad. Also, it's only Japan right now. And oh, one more thing, It's NUMBER 2 on the list after a game that is EXTREMELY popular in Japan and won't be beat by this even if it was amazing in launch sales. Tsusasi is right, it has always had a more Western touch.
I'm really getting pissed off at people who can't shut their traps about "NINTENDOOMED!!!". Yea, people, everyone was saying the same crappy things about 3DS a couple years ago, just wait and watch as the good games hit and people who were crying "nintendoomed" will be sitting their with their jaws dropped in awe and embarrassment. People aren't giving Wii U as much credit as it deserves considering the loss of respect for the Wii in it's later years, and bad 3rd party support for the U as well as a small user community.

@Cyberbotv2 I agree. I am a late teenager, and from experience, console gaming is good if you know your limits. But for years, I used to play an MMORPG, more specifically, MapleStory. It completely interfered with school, and my social life. I failed a subject back then. Gladly, I've quit, but those become your second home if you become addicted.

For me, there is a reason I play these games, and it's more than entertainment. I also play it because I like art and I appreciate it. You can look at a moving painting when you play such games as those from Nintendo. I especially love games that let you be creative, such as Minecraft, and I'm definitely looking forward to Project Spark. It would work so well with the gamepad though. Oh well.

@Mascarpino

People say "Wii U is doomed" like it actually matters or something. As if the console's commercial fate and your ability to enjoy it as a gamer are somehow intertwined. Um let's see. Wii U sells 100 million consoles, makes greatest comeback in console history. You buy DKC Tropical Freeze, and play the greatest game of your life. Wii U utterly flops, sells under 20 million consoles, and completely fails to find traction in the market. You buy DKC Tropical Freeze, and play the greatest game of your life. Either way, the endgame for us, as gamers, doesn't change.

We shouldn't be arguing that the Wii U isn't doomed, we should be arguing that it won't matter for us even if it is.

@JaxonH true, your point is so much true
We don't really need big seller for justifications buying a Console

I and my vita feel the same thing. At this rate wii u doesn't really need to become smash hit. Just become something enjoyable is enough, because it's what the game is use for right. To have fun

I'm sure it will sell me in the US. I for one am excited about this game and have been since it was announced. It looks beautiful and I'm sure the experience will be smooth and incredibly fun.

@LetsGoRetro While I 100% agree,i love the irony of disliking all these retro 2d platformers being released along with your username of wanting to go retro! Lol

I never judge the game from the sales chart. I judge the game when I play it.

@JaxonH Just want to say I myself looked at the sales of this game as disappointing as I am hoping for a sequel to end of the new trilogy and I do think others are looking at these sales for the exact same reason.

Nobody buys the crappy disc versions anymore

I would like a sequel too, but in saying that, now that most of the hard work is done with creating the game, perhaps another team could handle making the game.

Also, I think I am going to be very tired of 2D platformers very soon. Id like to see some more variety from Nintendo first party games. We have been saturated in Mario games, and now 2D platformers are starting to outstay their welcome. These games are what Nintendo does best, and the quality shines in all of them, but i think it's time the great Nintendo play it more risky, and try some new genres and create new franchises that can be grown and nurtured alongside Mario, Zelda, DK, Smash Bros and Mario Kart, oh and Kirby, can't forget Kirby.

Just you wait till game's out in the west. it'll sell another 10K copies easily. LOL

Nintendo hasn't released that many 2D platformers lately though

@JaxonH What do you think developer support will be like for a console that 'utterly flops'? Do you believe even Nintendo will continue to support it with big releases once that happens?

You really need to think through your posts sometimes... of course it will/should matter to gamers.

A snowstorm blew across Japan, DKCR was released around christmas, and Wii U install base isn't great not to mention only 3 days worth of sales not a week. The sales are pretty good for a game in that type of position.

I absolutely loved Donkey Kong series on my SNES growing up, and still hold fond memories of the joy in finally overcoming its sheer difficulties. I am, however, not at all excited for this game and have never believed that it would be a big seller. I just can't see the reason why Wii U would need another platformer when it's already oversaturated with the genre. If I had known that my Wii U library would consist of nothing but Platformers and minigames, I probably would not have purchased one in the first place.

We've all seen the level of polish Nintendo can achieve with the amazing SM3DW, but where the hell is the innovation? Where's the variety? Where's the creative use of the hand-held-second-screen?

Mario Kart 8 and the new Smash Bros. will be great titles for sure, but Nintendo really needs to stop polishing and start innovating. Bring in more RPGs, Fighters, Actions, Strategies, Adventures, Shooters, and Simulations. Port or build or do both. I'm getting sick of weeks and weeks of same old disappointments.

Shooters are way more saturated on the other platforms and yet I rarely hear their fanbases complain. I would never thought I would hear the day when Nintendo fans actually complain about having too much platformers. There is only 4 I know of that are worth playing: Rayman Legends, NSMBU, SM3DW, and DKC TF. You guys really do take matters worse than it actually is. lol!

@GrimSh All of the above on retail or download please.

DK is getting way more hate than it deserves.

''We didn't ask for this game'' No one asks for alot of games but we still get them. Why is DK getting singled out as if its the worst thing to possibly come out.

@Marshi,

I was wondering when someone was going to point that out. Ha! truth is, from 13 on (1994) I've been a JRPG fanatic. LetsGoJRPRetro just didn't sound as good lol. I still do love me some 3d Action Platforming, though, but let's leave the 2d plats in the capable, and creative, hands of the indies soNintendo can get back to being the company that creates things that astound us, instead of the company we support because they scratch our retro itch and we hope 1 day they'll start astounding us again.

In reality, you all should be very happy about this. Is the greater majority not tired of the wii fit, play, sports, trend? I hate living in this nintendo world of "oh well let them take out a couple years to pump out that stuff cuz it sells, then they can get back to making the kind of stuff I like". That should be one in the same. If WII u succeeds, we're doomed for another cycle of that crap. Wii U failing is a blessing in disguise. No more of Miyamoto's attention on that crap. His swan song is going to be going back to whathe does best and innovating with deep, quality gameplay experiences to bring Nintendo back to the forfefront of the gaming industry. You watch.

@gatorboi352, @matthew94

Thanks guys! haha

@NathanVS #324
I think their issue is that there are too many platformers/mini-games, and not enough of anything else. It's clear to see that Nintendo rarely provide games outside of those genres (especially so, on the WiiU), so you can't really blame people for getting sick of it.

It wouldn't matter as much if they had 3rd party support.

I think what got to me was the fact that 2013-2014 just happened to be the period of renaissance for a lot of indie platformers. They have approached the genre with such fresh perspectives and twists, and I think many of us really appreciated the retro-ness that all these indie 2D platformers brought.. But since many successful titles on the Wii U eShop already happens to be these indie 2D platformers, Wii U's blockbuster titles should really try and do different things... at least that's how I felt.

Most of the bigger Wii U releases have so far have been platformers already: New Super Mario Bros U, Rayman Legends, SM3DW... and now DK? I just want Nintendo to be bolder in its releases (yes, sequals are great but how about some innovation?), be more active in porting a variety of past goodies, and more eagerly recruit 3rd party support. Why should Sony get all the good Japanese titles?

@Doma They don't give up at the first hurdle like e.g Ubisoft. (There are 3 Pikmin games for example. Ubisoft bailed on ZombU straight away). They are not making any new ones at all though and just going down the lists of the best selling Wii ones. (3rd parties wouldn't have done Pikmin even the second one or the wii ones).

@Bluezealand I sure hope so... but I think sometimes people put too much weight on Amazon.

@JaxonH Hey, I saw your review of this on Amazon. Nice review!

Crazy how much the 3DS dominates the Japanese software market.

Is anyone else impressed that 66% of the top 20 are 3DS games and that 75% are Nintendo games?

Funny because I liken myself more towards Japanese games (tired of the repetitive FPS genre from western developers). As long as Nintendo keeps pumping out games I'll be a happy camper.

Tropical Freeze looks like a huge upgrade from the original DKCR for those who have actually played the games. The amount of details in this new one are insane. Levels look so jam packed with content that the first DK Returns looks barren in comparison.