Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is Now Japan's Second Best-Selling Game Ever

And that in only a couple of months.

I'm just amazed that the original Super Mario Land is on this. I mean think about it, thirty years of games and consoles have launched since then and somehow that lame Game Boy launch game has managed to stay in the top twenty.

@SwitchVogel I’m just amazed you call it lame.

@SwitchVogel Hmmm, find a better word to describe something you don’t like.

But it is surprising. The whole list is.

I think it's safe to assume it'll pass the 10.2 million set by Pokémon R/G/B before the end of the Switch's life.30 million+ worldwide is likely too. That's really impressive! I wonder how different it's sales would have been without the virus?

I think he's just using hyperbole to exaggerate the chances that a relatively lo-fi piece of software from a much less sophisticated era, could still be in contention in this cross sectional hall of fame.

@SwitchVogel

Holy cow, that's insane. 😮

I also love how the top 20 is mostly dominated by Nintendo titles. 👍

My reaction.

@SwitchVogel You're lame!

Just kidding.

But I actually love SML. Sure, much of my love is fueled by nostalgia, but it's actually still very fun to this day. Glad to see it on the list.

All I'm seeing is that Japan is Nintendo country. Nintendo games and Nintendo consoles. The only games on that list that are not on Nintendo consoles are not first-party PSP games and there are only two games that are on Nintendo consoles that are not first-party. Go Nintendo! 👍

I’m amazed that there’s not a single PS2 game in that list. I know Japan loves handhelds but I thought the PS2 was a beast in Japan.

@beazlen1 Might have something to do with more people having bought the PS2 as a multimedia device rather than (just) a gaming console.

@beazlen1 The PS2 was a disappointing console softwares wise in Japan. Sure there were the Metal Gear and the PES games that were very popular but the quality of Square games really dropped compared to the PS1 and many high profile japanese games flopped hard or didn't have a large appeal like Maximo, Okami, Godhand, Silent Hill or Shadow of the Colossus.

@Ooyah No doubt about that, I'm sure it was incredible to be playing any form of SMB on the go back in those days. I just think it's a fascinating view into the interests of the Japanese market, especially considering that this whole list consists of only a few franchises.

Should reach 9-10 million copies sold by the end of the year. Calling this an "insane" success isn't being hyperbolic enough.

@SwitchVogel was it a pack in?

Kind of funny how the only two games on here not from Nintendo are Monster Hunter games for the PSP. Nothing could be more specific than that

That report only counted sales up until 30th of June, correct?
So that means Animal Forest(the proper translation) is at 8 million in Japan already.

if Harv's island is right there, why do we take a plane there?? just swim to it!

@SwitchVogel
Even the Nintendolife staff are now trolling the comments. 😅

>Animal Crossing is the best selling game of all time in Japan.
>Pokemon has sold more than Animal Crossing
Please choose one...

@SDP don’t worry I will never take him seriously now. He should be sacked really.

You only need to Google it to see that use or the word lame to describe something as bad is a point of contention for those sensitive to the topic of disability. It’s use in high school playgrounds as meaning “bad” is similar to the way use of the term “gay” drifted to that way, only it happened much earlier in time so it didn’t really get the same reaction.

I just think a professional journalist should have an awareness of such things.

Pokemon wasn't just a game back in the day. It was a phenomenon. Movies, anime, cards, plushies, toys. It pushed Gameboy sales like only Tetris ever did. Also Pokemon Yellow (basically the same game) sold another 14,640,000 units worldwide.

Absolute insanity.

@SwitchVogel Agree that this whole list is really interesting. Yes, the more niche entries are surprising, but it also makes me wonder about the games with broad appeal that are not on the list. I would have thought Wii Sports and Mario Kart 8 might be on here, for example.

Officially phenom status

Only 3 non-Nintendo games on that list. I guess they are really that popular.

@echoplex quite. I thought that was an interesting insight in gamer’s minds too. Look at FIFA and CoD etc too.

Also, no Mario Kart?!

....and 90% are on handheld devices.

I've never agreed with counting pokemon titles together by generation. Each game has its own SKU. And not everyone buys them all. Congrats to animal crossing!

Truly AC is a phenomenon. Combine pent-up demand (no home console release since the Wii) with nostalgia and a pandemic lockdown...here we are.

These comments just keep reminding me of the "What if Super Mario Land had lyrics?" video.

I am surprised there isn't more Dragon Quest and Monster Hunter isn't on there, but both titles that are on the list were on popular portables so eh.

It’s a outstanding number.
I think, Animal Crossing franchise is already the fifth in overall sales on the Nintendo universe.
Mario, Pokémon, Wii series, Zelda and Animal Crossing.
Maybe. I’m not sure if that surpasses the Donkey Kong yet.

@SPL64
Well Animal Crossing New Horizons has outsold Donkey Kong Country 1, 2, and 3 combined in its first 3.5 months on the market, so Animal Crossing is much bigger than Donkey Kong.

I'm slightly surprised there's not more Mario on this list. Mario 3, Galaxy, and/or Odyssey.

Looking at the other numbers, it kind of makes me wish Dragon Quest IX had a bigger impact in North America. I loved that game!

@Anti-Matter,

Never get shocked at the power of Animal crossing new horizons, the game is printing money.

Shocking that mario kart isnt on that list or really any wii games but new super mario bros of all things

@westman98
I referred to the franchise as a whole. Obviously, there are many more Donkey Kong titles. Which makes the Animal Crossing brand very impressive.

that impressive that Animal Crossing New Horizons managed to sell well in only 3/4 months, i wound't be suprised if in the beginning/first half of 2021 Animal Crossing surpass Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and become the highest/best selling Switch game.

Animal Crossing New Horizons is becoming closer to surpass Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and become the highest/best selling Switch game, the question is when this gonna happen? end of seteptembre? end of the Holiday season? beginning of 2021? first half of 2021?is quite obvious that Animal Crossing New Horizons is gonna destrone Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, is just a matter of time.

now with Animal Crossing New Horizons become the second best selling Japan and soon the best selling Japan game, now Animal Crossing New Horizons, Animal Crossing in general can be considered a big/grand Nintendo Franchise just like Mario, Legend of Zelda and Pokémon.

@westman98 at the end of 2020 beginning of 2021, Animal Crossing New Horizons is gonna have 15 milions or more sold in Japan, and 35 milions or more sold total worldwide that insane to think, that a franchise that was considered niche can reach this sales numbers and surpass Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

i'm find very curios desite the best selling game of Japan be almost dominated by Nintendo games, where is the mainline Mario game both 2D and 3D? where is Super Mario Galaxy 2? did it floped in Japan? did New Super Mario Bros DS/Wii floped in Japan? did most Legend of Zelda games floped in Japan?

@Giancarlothomaz
I dont think Animal Crossing will sell that much in Japan - that means sales of the game need to double by the end if the year.

No 3D Mario game has sold more than 3 million in Japan (though Mario Odyssey is close), and no Zelda game has sold more than 2 million in Japan (though Breath of the Wild is close).

@Giancarlothomaz "did New Super Mario Bros DS/Wii floped in Japan?"

Both of those games are on the list. DS is #5 and Wii is #14.

@SoManyHaveDied because Harv is a creepy dude, feeling the love of the universe or not.

Aren't we supposed to hate the game now, because it's popular and has sold well?

@sandman89 Yeah. Tetris and Super Mario Land were killer titles on Gameboy. Millenium kids never experienced the best period of gaming in 1980's and 1990's except for a few that actually love to play these old games today, but weren't born when they released.

Is this exclusive list only for Nintendo games?

@Heavyarms55 People like to hate most on Pokemon as it's milked to death. It's milked so hard that they released 2 Pokemon games same day at full price multiple times when both should have been on same cart. Pokemon Go didn't help the reputation.
Animal Crossing isn't even close.

Both Donkey Kong and Animal Crossing is nearby to 60 million copies each.
Counting all games in both franchises.

@Ventilator
There's two PSP Monster Hunter games on the list.

@SwitchVogel Ironically it's also the one everyone seems to complain about, with it being so short. I, on the other hand, love it to bits and cannot fathom how it managed to stay on the top 20 list till now. I mean we've had Mario Galaxy and Odyssey in that time frame!

I knew that Persona 5 wouldn't be on there (it wasn't a massive seller), but it still hurts to see Joker and the rest left out. Hey, at least there is smash 😁

@SwitchVogel
Lame. To each their own I suppose...but I feel the strong desire to change your heart.

@Chimera_Police think I would have screamed if Wii Sports was on here. Never got the hype around it...

@Ventilator yeah, I get the hate on that. I think the target audience is the people who played gen 1 and their kids (if they have them)

@Kanbolara sorry my vision was a bit fuzzy when i see this list.

@westman98 with the updates that add Brewster, the Roost, the Museum Shop, Gyriods, the Cooking/ Farming mechanic with the depth of the Crafting/DIY system, Animal Crossing New Horizons can reach this numbers problaby in this holiday season or in the beginning/first half of 2021.

Looking at that list again, I can't fathom how ACNH outsold ACNL (already!) in Japan given that 3DS hardware still outsold Switch. What on earth is fueling ACNH becoming such a "Wii Sports" level hit? ACNL was social media fueled, so I'm assuming this is just a sign of how much more entrenched socials are.....though I'd have thought Japan wouldn't be as influenced by socials as the West.

@Ventilator "wah wah wah" is all I hear when people hate on Pokémon anymore.

@MeowMeowKins I mean, I wasn’t saying it was amazing. But it kind of was the “killer app” for the Wii that everyone and their grandmother (literally) owned. Maybe pack-ins are excluded from this list though?

@ROBLOGNICK

I agree with him. SML was pretty lame.. especially compared to its sequel.

The graphics was pretty “meh” everything was done with super tiny sprites, jump physics felt weird and pretty bad for a Mario game.
I still enjoyed the game since it was Mario on the game boy.
(Although it had lost a lot of the Mario magic)

I can still enjoy it today for nostalgia...
but it’s still pretty lame...

@Chimera_Police that's true. I remember playing bowling and sucking at it...just like real life! Plus, Matt is a meme, which is a definite plus.

@Heavyarms55 let me be your guide to the not wah wahers.
It's a formula that hasn't changed in forever
It's a hand holder
It's too easy with no difficulty option in game
If you have Charizard, you win
Grass types exist

@MeowMeowKins Thanks for admitting you're one of them.

@Heavyarms55 oh, it was no problem, having my own opinion and sharing it. No, I was fine with that. And thanks for admitting that we can't have a friendly discussion bout it. Have a nice day.

@Giancarlothomaz
Updates will sustain Animal Crossing's strong sales, but selling another 7.5 million copies in Japan from now until the end of the year is impossible - that means it would need to sell an average of 350,000+ copies per week, which isn't happening.

As I said, expect the game to sell 9-10 million copies by the end of the year, which would already be an incredible landmark achievement within the Japanese gaming industry.