Pikmin 2 Reenters Japanese Sales Charts In A Week Without New Games

Something very curious happened in Japan today. In a week without new games and where most titles stayed where they are (and Disney Magic Castle: My Happy Life staying well on top with 41,764 units sold), Pikmin 3 has become so popular that it has raised interest in the previous game, and now New Play Control! Pikmin 2 for the Wii has returned to the Famitsu charts.

Pikmin 3 charts this week at number 8 with 11,505 units sold, with a total of 181,190 units comprising 80 to 90 % of the game's total stock. New Play Control! Pikmin 2 managed to sell 4,676 units, bringing its lifetime sales to 164,505 units. Pikmin is simultaneously regarded as one of the least popular of Miyamoto's franchises, and one of his last noteworthy original IPs. In these games, you play space explorers stranded in an Earth-like planet, taking command of the plant-like Pikmin as your personal army to fight garden monsters and collect fruit and resources. Obviously, least popular for a Miyamoto game is still pretty good.

Admittedly, Pikmin 2 showing up in the charts again is also a sign of a relatively quiet week for Japanese gaming, as well as the continued presence of games one, two years old, but Nintendo's domination simply can't be denied. In total, 25 of the 30 games on the charts are on Nintendo platforms. The 3DS itself enjoys sales of 71,731 units, while the Wii U posts better than average numbers of 10,951 units.

Famitsu Sales: Week 33, 2013 (Aug 12 – Aug 18)

01./01. [3DS] Disney Magic Castle: My Happy Life (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.08.01} (¥5.480) – 41.764 / 193.644 <60-80%> (-11%)
02./02. [3DS] Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (Nintendo) {2013.07.18} (¥4.800) – 37.090 / 253.573 <60-80%> (+34%)
03./04. [3DS] Friend Collection: New Life  (Nintendo) {2013.04.18} (¥4.800) – 25.742 / 1.375.630 <80-100%> (+22%)
04./07. [3DS] Animal Crossing: New Leaf  (Nintendo) {2012.11.08} (¥4.800) – 18.909 / 3.766.883 <80-100%> (+27%)
05./03. [3DS] One Piece: Romance Dawn – Bouken no Yoake  (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.08.08} (¥5.980) – 16.859 / 43.610 <60-80%> (-37%)
06./08. [3DS] Youkai Watch (Level 5) {2013.07.11} (¥4.800) – 15.867 / 146.692 <80-100%> (+12%)
07./05. [3DS] Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies  (Capcom) {2013.07.25} (¥5.990) – 14.864 / 323.581 <80-100%> (-28%)
08./10. [WIU] Pikmin 3 (Nintendo) {2013.07.13} (¥5.985) – 11.505 / 181.190 <80-100%> (+21%)
09./13. [3DS] Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon  (Nintendo) {2013.03.20} (¥4.800) – 10.676 / 886.695 <80-100%> (+30%)
10./15. [3DS] Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D  (Nintendo) {2013.06.13} (¥4.800) – 10.196 / 220.019 <80-100%> (+39%)
11./09. [PS3] Dragon's Crown  (Atlus) {2013.07.25} (¥8.190) – 9.946 / 138.525 <80-100%> (-16%)
12./11. [3DS] Fantasy Life: Link!  (Level 5) {2013.07.25} (¥4.980) – 8.731 / 50.758 <60-80%> (-5%)
13./06. [3DS] Pokemon Tretta Lab for Nintendo 3DS (Takara Tomy) {2013.08.10} (¥3.800) – 8.391 / 27.258 <40-60%> (-56%)
14./23. [WII] Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Super Deluxe Edition #  (Bandai Namco Games) {2012.11.29} (¥5.040) – 7.702 / 549.195 <80-100%> (+43%)
15./27. [3DS] New Super Mario Bros. 2 # (Nintendo) {2012.07.28} (¥4.800) – 7.397 / 2.093.835 <80-100%> (+49%)
16./21. [3DS] Hoppechan: Tsukutte! Asonde! Punipuni Town!!  (Nippon Columbia) {2013.07.25} (¥5.040) – 7.159 / 27.265 <60-80%> (+20%)
17./24. [WIU] New Super Luigi U  (Nintendo) {2013.07.13} (¥3.885) – 6.898 / 66.897 <60-80%> (+31%)
18./20. [3DS] Little Battlers eXperience W: Ultra Custom  (Level 5) {2013.07.18} (¥4.400) – 6.655 / 58.533 <60-80%> (+11%)
19./19. [PS3] Earth Defense Force 2025  (D3 Publisher) {2013.07.04} (¥6.980) – 6.085 / 221.190 <80-100%> (-3%)
20./16. [PSV] Dragon's Crown  (Atlus) {2013.07.25} (¥8.190) – 5.716 / 98.636 <80-100%> (-17%)
21./14. [3DS] Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger: Game de Kaburincho!!  (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.08.08} (¥4.980) – 5.258 / 13.157 <40-60%> (-33%)
22./00. [3DS] Mario Kart 7  (Nintendo) {2011.12.01} (¥4.800) – 5.236 / 2.068.214 <80-100%>
23./25. [WIU] LEGO City Undercover (Nintendo) {2013.07.25} (¥5.985) – 5.141 / 36.178 <60-80%> (-2%)
24./00. [3DS] Taiko no Tatsujin: Chibi Dragon to Fushigi na Orb  (Bandai Namco Games) {2012.07.12} (¥5.040) – 4.927 / 495.407 <80-100%>
25./00. [WII] New Play Control! Pikmin 2  (Nintendo) {2009.03.12} (¥3.800) – 4.676 / 164.505 <80-100%>
26./00. [NDS] Pokemon Black 2 / White 2  (Pokemon Co.) {2012.06.23} (¥4.800) – 4.528 / 2.984.464 <80-100%>
27./29. [3DS] Kuma-Tomo  (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.06.20} (¥4.980) – 4.515 / 44.133 <80-100%> (+9%)
28./22. [PS3] The Witch and the Hundred Knights #  (Nippon Ichi Software) {2013.07.25} (¥7.140) – 4.465 / 72.927 <80-100%> (-19%)
29./00. [3DS] Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission (Bandai Namco Games) {2013.02.28} (¥5.800) – 4.268 / 245.786 <80-100%>
30./30. [PSP] Dangan-Ronpa (PSP the Best) (Spike) {2011.11.23} (¥2.940) – 4.170 / 115.398 <80-100%> (+6%)

Hardware:

3DS     71.731 
PSV     21.482
PS3     14.319 
WII U   10.951 
PSP      6.987 
WII      1.897 
Xbox 360   216

Source: NeoGAF