Nintendo has shared a list of the best-selling games from the Switch eShop in Japan throughout 2019.
You can see the full list below, and while it contains some of the big names that you'd expect to see, the best-selling game of the year is one that plenty of western fans may not have heard of. Nyanko Daisensou - or The Battle Cats - is a hugely successful series in Japan. It's essentially a tower defence game which sees you send in an army of quirky cats to successfully defeat your enemies, but it also has a Pokémon-like twist as your cats can evolve when they reach a certain level.
Here are the top 30 best-selling download-only Nintendo Switch games in Japan for 2019:
- Futari de! Nyanko Daisensou (PONOS)
- Human: Fall Flat (Teyon Japan)
- Cuphead (StudioMDHR)
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution (KONAMI)
- Stardew Valley (ConcernedApe)
- Goonya Fighter (MUTAN)
- moon (Onion Games)
- FINAL FANTASY IX (Square-Enix)
- Dragon Quest X: All In One Package (Square-Enix)
- Romancing SaGa 3 (Square-Enix)
- Ultimate Chicken Horse (Clever Endeavor Games)
- Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda (Spike Chunsoft)
- FINAL FANTASY VII (Square-Enix)
- Minna de Kuuki Yomi (G-mode)
- Overcooked! Special Edition (Team17)
- FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered (Square-Enix)
- DRAGON QUEST III: The Seeds of Salvation (Square-Enix)
- Dead Cells (Motion Twin)
- Minna de Kuuki Yomi 2 ～Reiwa～ (G-mode)
- Untitled Goose Game (Panic)
- Timberman VS Edition (Forever Entertainment)
- BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! (Nintendo)
- Moonlighter (Teyon Japan)
- Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland RETRO (Square-Enix)
- NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 2 (Bandai Namco Entertainment)
- Resident Evil 6 (Capcom)
- Resident Evil Revelations 2 (Capcom)
- DRAGON QUEST (Square-Enix)
- Slay the Spire (Humble Bundle)
- Othello (Arc System Works)
Have you played many of these games? Are you tempted to set up a Japanese Switch account to check out some of these region-exclusives? Tell us below.
[source nintendo.co.jp, via japanesenintendo.com]
Comments 31
Could Cuphead end up doing better on Switch than on Xbox? It's always in the eshop charts....
I'm a little surprised to see the Goose only at number 20... I thought that game would have appealed to the market. Although I'm not sure exactly when it released in Japan.
Wasn't Battle Cats on 3DS?
I could swear I played that one sometimes.
The Battle Cats game on 3DS is the best-selling 3DS eShop game ever in Japan, so it's no surprise to see its success continue on Switch.
@WiltonRoots Probably. Seems more up the alley of your typical Switch player to your typical Xbox player.
@BenAV That's what I was thinking as soon as it came out, it's on the wrong console - they got a presence in Smash out of it, I can imagine more coming from them in the future.
@WiltonRoots although Cuphead sold amazingly on Xbox (above a million), when it was announced the first thing I thought was that it will break the sales of the Xbox
Final Fantasy IX Switch SHOULD have physical release ASAP.
I will gonna buy it once released in physical.
I assume this chart is for digital only games @ryancraddock @nintendolife?
@SquareOneMJ That's correct. I've edited the wording in the article to make it a little more clear 🙂
Wooooh Slay the Spire is on it!
@ryancraddock cool thank you for the reply!
Wow, Moon performed far better than I figured a niche title would. Great little game.
I’ve not heard of number one, but I know this: I want it!
I feel like it took a little longer for Stardew Valley to catch on in Japan, but it is catching on.
I love Battle Cats! I played hours of the 3DS version and I've been waiting for a while for the Switch version to come to America!
@Ooyah bruh just because something is weird and quirky doesnt mean it automatically appeals to japan.
Ultimate chicken horse is such a great party game. So much fun with friends. I wish monster rancher would've been on the charts. I made a Japanese account and bought Japanese eshop codes to get it.
Battle Cats was so good on 3DS, it struck a good balance of strange/cute and actual great gameplay.
Hopefully, we won't have to wait much longer for the western release of Moon.
Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland RETRO (Square-Enix)
I WANT THIS SO BAD
I guess the Switch have a lot of great games if Enter The Gungeon didn't make the list. Or maybe it's just a Japanese dislike for guns.
....and still no localization of Battle Cats... :/
Played the battle cats on mobile. Recommend playing. Worth all time
I am waiting for this version of Battle Cats pop be released here around more of a year.
When's the list for physical sales coming out? Or have I not found it yet?
That Nyanko Battle game looks like a riot. Gotta get me some Japan eshop credit!
The mobile version of battle cats went through a popularity phase at my sons school a few months back.
It’s actually quite a fun little game. They even did a Street Fighter x Battle Cats event where you could get a Ryu cat and other characters to add to your army. After Christmas and Pokemon though, the fad changed.
Pretty interesting how crazy the Japanese have grown over western indie games. Lots of good representation.
You guys still haven't posted the list for the hardware sales yet? Nintendo posted it alongside their digital sales list awhile ago.
26. Resident Evil 6
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