Nintendo has shared lists of the best-selling eShop games of 2018 in Japan, providing us with a good look at which games were the most popular in the gaming giant's homeland.
Each of the two lists below shows the top 30 most-downloaded games from the eShop during the year 2018. The first list shows exclusively download-only software, while the second is made up of digital sales of games which were also released at retail. You can also see the publisher and original Japanese release date for each game.
Download-Only Software - Top 30
- Human: Fall Flat (Teyon Japan) [28.12.2017]
- Stardew Valley (Chucklefish) [11.1.2018]
- Puyo Puyo eSports (SEGA) [25.10.2018]
- Overcooked! Special Edition (Team17) [12.10.2017]
- Hollow Knight (Team Cherry) [13.6.2018]
- Futari de! Nyanko Dai Sensou (Ponos) [20.12.2018]
- Arcade Archives VS. Super Mario Bros. (Hamster) [22.12.2017]
- Dragon Quest X All-In-One Package (Square-Enix) [21.9.2017]
- Minna de Kuuki Yomi (G-Mode) [30.8.2018]
- Wizard of Legend (Humble Bundle) [15.5.2018]
- Dead Cells (Motion Twin) [07.8.2018]
- ICEY (X.D. Network) [31.5.2018]
- Resident Evil Revelations 2 (Capcom) [30.11.2017]
- Snipperclips: Cut it out, together (Nintendo) [03.3.2017]
- Mom Hid My Game! (hap) [21.12.2017]
- Golf Story (Flyhigh Works) [09.3.2018]
- NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 3 Full Burst HD (Bandai-Namco) [26.4.2018]
- Detention (PLAYISM) [01.3.2018]
- Senran Kagura Reflexions (Marvelous) [24.11.2017]
- Gorogoa (Annapurna Interactive) [21.12.2017]
- Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Inti Creates) [24.5.2018]
- Ultimate Chicken Horse (Clever Endeavour Games) [25.9.2018]
- Guns, Gore & Cannoli (Flyhigh Works) [01.2.2018]
- Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 (Capcom) [24.5.2018]
- Nine Parchments (Frozenbyte) [07.12.2017]
- EARTH WARS (oneoreight) [25.1.2018]
- Valkyria Chronicles (SEGA) [27.9.2018]
- The Escapists 2 (Team17) [09.8.2018]
- Ikaruga (Pikii) [30.5.2018]
- Voxel Shot (SAT-BOX) [19.4.2018]
Retail Releases - Digital Sales Top 30
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Nintendo) [07.12.2018]
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo) [28.4.2017]
- Overcooked! 2 (Team17) [07.8.2018]
- Splatoon 2 (Nintendo) [21.7.2017]
- Super Mario Party (Nintendo) [05.10.2018]
- Octopath Traveler (Square-Enix) [13.7.2018]
- Kirby Star Allies (Nintendo) [16.3.2018]
- Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! (The Pokémon Company) [17.11.2018]
- Minecraft (Microsoft Japan) [21.6.2018]
- Mario Tennis Aces (Nintendo) [22.6.2018]
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild [03.3.2017]
- Undertale (8-4) [15.9.2018]
- Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! (The Pokémon Company) [17.11.2018]
- Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! (Bandai-Namco) [19.7.2018]
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo) [27.10.2017]
- FIFA 18 (Electronic Arts) [29.9.2017]
- 1-2-Switch (Nintendo) [03.3.2017]
- Bayonetta (Nintendo) [17.2.2018]
- Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 (Capcom) [26.7.2018]
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Nintendo) [01.12.2017]
- Dragon Quest Builders 2 (Square-Enix) [20.12.2018]
- Dragon Quest Builders (Square-Enix) [01.3.2018]
- Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo) [03.5.2018]
- Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Capcom) [25.8.2017]
- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo) [13.7.2018]
- Super Bomberman R (Konami) [03.3.2017]
- Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Nintendo) [18.1.2018]
- Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle (Capcom) [20.9.2018]
- DEEMO (Flyhigh Works) [21.9.2017]
- ARMS (Nintendo) [16.6.2017]
It was also recently revealed that Nintendo Switch exclusives made up the vast majority of Japan's best selling physical games.
Did any of the titles listed above surprise you? Anything missing that you thought might be featured? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
[source nintendo.co.jp]
Comments 33
What a strange looking list for the eShop exlusives. Is Human: Fall Flat super popular in Japan or has it just been on sale really cheap or something?
Human Fall Flat? Why, Japan, why? But that's two solid lists of games, otherwise.
Also, I still think it's impressive that Smash tops the retail list, despite only being released in the final three weeks or so of the year.
Wow Overcooked 2 did well in Japan. Meanwhile no sign of Hyrule Warriors.
Human Fall Flat at first place is very interesting
But it's a great game so yea, nice list
Good to see little to no Wii U ports here, Switch deserves its own games' library.
Dragon quest X to the west...?
Mom Hid My Game??? They lose all credibility! 😛
That's a heck of a nice list of games the Switch doesn't have.
I mean, that's the kind of thing I still hear people saying.
@Pirlo_ze_sniper doubt it, X is online only
@Heavyarms55 Yeah, it's almost 4 games a month, but that would be impossible. Switch doesn't have games.
I'm pleased with the amount of third party releases on the retail chart. They damn well deserve them at that.
@Heavyarms55 When people say that, they are either being idiots or they are speaking about 3rd parties. No Assassin's Creed, Kingdom Hearts, Soul Calibur, etc are a big deal for me on Switch. It will always prevent it from being my main console. But that doesn't mean it isn't a great secondary console with a great lineup (particularly once Nintendo starts releasing games I want on it in 2019. 2018 was a pretty bad showing from them)
I'm so happy Senran Kagura made the list!
Very few showelwares here...
In my honest opinion, those two lists show that those who use the Japanese eshop, on the whole, have good taste.
@oji I see Captain Toad, Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta, and DK Tropical Freeze. Isn’t that most of the Wii U ports of 2018 right there?
@imgrowinglegs
That’s nearly all the Wii U ports Nintendo have put out. 2017s Pokken and last years Hyrule Warriors are the only ones missing.
Good heavens, I have bought a grand total of 5 games on that "retail" list. And they were all in 2017 🙃
Splatoon 2 (Nintendo) [21.7.2017]
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild [03.3.2017]
Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo) [27.10.2017]
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Nintendo) [01.12.2017]
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Nintendo) [18.1.2018]
Edit: moving that chart to the Japan Best seller article.
The physicals are no suprise at all...
But the digitals!? Thats awesome! Glad to see ultimate chicken horse, escapists 2, and mom hid my game doing well! Those are all great games (except MHMG, but its still really fun witha friend). However, the real surpise is human fall flat. I LOVE that game! Probobly one of the best co-op games I ever played.
@InklingLegend
Good times were had the last we played together for sure.
Hi, im new in the site, really likes the comments of people here.(English not my language but ill' do my best)
Very surprised about some of these results, but of course, the eShop list has excluded all games that also have a physical release.
So most likely, certain titles have sold A LOT more than Human Fall Flat.
@electrolite77 Hyrule Warriors isn't that great of a game, no surprise here.
Nice seeing Octopath Traveler in the Top 10, this certainly gives hope that Square Enid will hopefully do more with that franchise!
Please bring DQ X to the west! FFXI was the only MMO (at the time) in the other big SE RPG franchise and it turned out to be one of my favorite games of all time. Played it on and off for over a decade.
Where is Celeste?
@imgrowinglegs, you forgot some 3rd party retail titles (Bayonetta 2, LEGO City Undercover to name a few), and tons of eShop which ported too. Also, this post review sales, not releases of the year, MK8 & LOTZ are out in 2017.
Deemo sold more than VOEZ? Damn
Another pointless article. Next............
Just gonna put this here as my 2019 predictions:
https://youtu.be/h4jLy7gzUP4?t=620
Just remembered I wanted to buy ICEY and this list had reminded me.
Good to see Xenoblade Chronicles 2 on the list, Reyn Time... Oh no...
If you all haven't played Donut County yet, I can't recommend it highly enough.
Tap here to load 33 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...