Animal Crossing: New Horizonshas dethroned the originalPokemongames as the best-selling games in Japan history. In 1996, Nintendo releasedPokemon Red, Green, and Bluein Japan, changing the entire face of the video game industry in the process. Not only did theoriginalPokemongamesgreatly expand the life of the original Game Boy handheld, but they also started a worldwide phenomenon that continues to go strong to this day.
Pokemonfever propelled the originalPokemongames to a staggering 10.23 million units sold in Japan alone, securing them as the best-selling games in the country’s history. For the longest time, the closest any games ever got to the originalPokemon Red, Green, and Bluewere the sequels,Pokemon Gold and Silver, but now the games have been picked off their top spot byAnimal Crossing: New Horizonson the Nintendo Switch.
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AfterNintendo shared its latest financial report, it was confirmed thatAnimal Crossing: New Horizonshas reached 10.45 million units sold in Japan, kickingPokemon Red, Green, and Bluefrom the top spot 26 years after their release. This is an incredible feat, to say the least, and it solidifiesAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsas one of the biggest Nintendo games ever made.
There are some interesting factors to take into account when it comes to these sales numbers. Something that worked inPokemon’s favor was the fact that it was selling three different versions of the game, meaning that consumers were more likely to double dip than with other games. After all,catching all 151 Pokemonrequired trading between the various versions, so that definitely helped inflate the total sales numbers.
As far asAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsgoes, it had the advantage of launching just as the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing. With the entire world on lockdown, people were looking for entertainment to keep them busy. Many turned to video games,withAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsproving especially popular. Nintendo capitalized onAnimal Crossing: New Horizons' unprecedented popularity with regular updates and eventually a paid DLC that added even more functionality to the acclaimed life sim game.
SincePokemonreigned supreme for such a long time, it’s unlikely thatAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsis going to be knocked off its top spot at ny point in the near future. TheupcomingPokemon Scarlet and Violetstand a slim chance, but it’s likely thatAnimal Crossing’s best competition will be the eventualNew Horizonssequel.
Animal Crossing: New Horizonsis available now, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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