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It seems Nintendo are starting as they mean to go along this year. There's the promise of many of Nintendos biggest franchises, and Mr. Miyamoto is working many hours of overtime to bring us more games than he did on the Nintendo 64, in just one year!
But what actually is setting the year off to a good start is the Japanese charts. Although they may seem insignificant to you right now, Japan is Nintendo's key point of interest, where more money is spent on their games than anywhere else in the world, and so, if sales are good in Japan, then sales are good for Nintendo.
Here's the top ten for the first week in January (copied from the official ELSPA website):
1 GBA Pokemon Ruby
2 GBA Pokemon Sapphire
3 GC Mario Party 4
4 GBA Mega Man EXE 3
5 PS2 Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix (incl. Limited Edition)
6 GC The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
7 GBA Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
8 PS2 Momotaro Railway 11: Black Bombee Arrives
9 PS2 Unlimited Saga (incl. Limited Edition)
10 GBA Sonic Advance 2
Now do you see why the new year has started well for Nintendo? Nintendo have the top 40% of best selling titles for the first week of January on their systems, and overall have 70% of the charts to themselves! And, what's even better for Nintendo is that Microsoft don't have a single game in the top twenty!
Unsuprisingly, it is the two new Pokémon games that have taken the top spot in Japan, and again, it's not suprising that it is the red (or Ruby) version that has beaten the blue (or Sapphire) - again. But even so, two games that are similar in so many ways, reaching first and second, can only be good for Nintendo!
What is a suprise is that Nintendo's stocking filler title, Mario Party 4, has taken third place in Japan! Although it is a Mario title, it does seem like it is more for the younger audiences than the harder third person platformers Mario has starred in. But, if simple but addictive multiplayer madness is what the Japanese are into, then I say to them, go for it!
Nintendo still can't boast six-million consoles being sold worldwide in December, but Nintendo claim their plan is not to compete with Sony at the moment. Ofcourse, we know it is utter tripe - ofcourse they're competing (why else would they be even keener to get new Final Fantasy and Resident Evil exclusives?). But if you consider that Nintendo are still making many Yen, Dollars and Pounds Sterling from gamers of the world, they're doing pretty darn good!
Curiously, what I would consider to be one of Nintendo's biggest games of 2003, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, is merely sixth place, beaten by Kingdom Hearts! Although I can't see Kingdom Hearts ever beating sales of The Wind Waker in our nation, it is still a shock. Could it be the Japanese weren't too keen on the cartoon-style graphics either?
So what have Nintendo got planned for us in the next eleven and a half months?
There's Metroid Prime, The Wind Waker, The Game Boy Advance SP, Pikmin 2, The Game Boy Game Player (for GameCube), Super Mario 128 and many more titles by third parties, such as Resident Evils 0,2 and 3, Super Monkey Ball 2 and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles! It seems Nintendo are giving it their all this year!
So I say Happy New Year to Nintendo as I wait for people to put a downer on Nintendo and treat this as a console wars topic.
Happy New Year.
But what actually is setting the year off to a good start is the Japanese charts. Although they may seem insignificant to you right now, Japan is Nintendo's key point of interest, where more money is spent on their games than anywhere else in the world, and so, if sales are good in Japan, then sales are good for Nintendo.
Here's the top ten for the first week in January (copied from the official ELSPA website):
1 GBA Pokemon Ruby
2 GBA Pokemon Sapphire
3 GC Mario Party 4
4 GBA Mega Man EXE 3
5 PS2 Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix (incl. Limited Edition)
6 GC The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
7 GBA Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
8 PS2 Momotaro Railway 11: Black Bombee Arrives
9 PS2 Unlimited Saga (incl. Limited Edition)
10 GBA Sonic Advance 2
Now do you see why the new year has started well for Nintendo? Nintendo have the top 40% of best selling titles for the first week of January on their systems, and overall have 70% of the charts to themselves! And, what's even better for Nintendo is that Microsoft don't have a single game in the top twenty!
Unsuprisingly, it is the two new Pokémon games that have taken the top spot in Japan, and again, it's not suprising that it is the red (or Ruby) version that has beaten the blue (or Sapphire) - again. But even so, two games that are similar in so many ways, reaching first and second, can only be good for Nintendo!
What is a suprise is that Nintendo's stocking filler title, Mario Party 4, has taken third place in Japan! Although it is a Mario title, it does seem like it is more for the younger audiences than the harder third person platformers Mario has starred in. But, if simple but addictive multiplayer madness is what the Japanese are into, then I say to them, go for it!
Nintendo still can't boast six-million consoles being sold worldwide in December, but Nintendo claim their plan is not to compete with Sony at the moment. Ofcourse, we know it is utter tripe - ofcourse they're competing (why else would they be even keener to get new Final Fantasy and Resident Evil exclusives?). But if you consider that Nintendo are still making many Yen, Dollars and Pounds Sterling from gamers of the world, they're doing pretty darn good!
Curiously, what I would consider to be one of Nintendo's biggest games of 2003, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, is merely sixth place, beaten by Kingdom Hearts! Although I can't see Kingdom Hearts ever beating sales of The Wind Waker in our nation, it is still a shock. Could it be the Japanese weren't too keen on the cartoon-style graphics either?
So what have Nintendo got planned for us in the next eleven and a half months?
There's Metroid Prime, The Wind Waker, The Game Boy Advance SP, Pikmin 2, The Game Boy Game Player (for GameCube), Super Mario 128 and many more titles by third parties, such as Resident Evils 0,2 and 3, Super Monkey Ball 2 and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles! It seems Nintendo are giving it their all this year!
So I say Happy New Year to Nintendo as I wait for people to put a downer on Nintendo and treat this as a console wars topic.
Happy New Year.
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GnomeKiller wrote:
> Well Nintendo seem to be doing very well. They're competing with
> themselves for the top spot!
>
> I'm pretty suprised that zelda came sixth though....
coz the rest were stolen, probably, as so many people wanted it, but had little money. That MUST be it.. it MUST, really.
> Well Nintendo seem to be doing very well. They're competing with
> themselves for the top spot!
>
> I'm pretty suprised that zelda came sixth though....
coz the rest were stolen, probably, as so many people wanted it, but had little money. That MUST be it.. it MUST, really.
Edgy wrote:
> Luigi's Mansion may be the shorter one to complete - but it lasted me
> longer than Pikmin.
Not me... Pikmin is along side Mario as the greatest games Nintendo have made on the Cube.
> Luigi's Mansion may be the shorter one to complete - but it lasted me
> longer than Pikmin.
Not me... Pikmin is along side Mario as the greatest games Nintendo have made on the Cube.
Well Nintendo seem to be doing very well. They're competing with themselves for the top spot!
I'm pretty suprised that zelda came sixth though....
I'm pretty suprised that zelda came sixth though....
Luigi's Mansion may be the shorter one to complete - but it lasted me longer than Pikmin.
Dringo wrote:
> Noooo Luigi's Mansion is far shorter.
yeah, but i havent played it.
"Shortest game ive ever played".
> Noooo Luigi's Mansion is far shorter.
yeah, but i havent played it.
"Shortest game ive ever played".
Noooo Luigi's Mansion is far shorter.
pb wrote:
> Pikmin 2? I haven't even had time to complete the first one yet. I
> didn't want to rush it because it was so nice.
You havent had time to complete it? Its probably the shortest game ive ever played. Although, its still quite lovely.
> Pikmin 2? I haven't even had time to complete the first one yet. I
> didn't want to rush it because it was so nice.
You havent had time to complete it? Its probably the shortest game ive ever played. Although, its still quite lovely.
You're a fannit, innit?
A fannit.
But Mark, you are neither boy nor girl, so what does that make you?
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