Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl launched last week, on November 19. Despite only a few days on sale, the games have claimed the top two spots on the UK’s sales charts for the week. Knocking Call of Duty: Vanguard off of the number one spot and down to number four.
The newest iterations of the remade Pokémon DS games have claimed the crown of the biggest Nintendo Switch game launch of 2021. The games have comfortably beaten Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, Nintendo’s previous biggest release for 2021. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond was actually able to surpass the sales numbers for Super Mario 3D World on its own. Pokémon Shining Pearl took the second spot on the charts and has run up the total. A double pack comprising both Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl also charted in the top 10, coming in at number nine.
Additionally, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl‘s combined sales make it the second-biggest physical game launch of 2021 in the UK on all consoles. The juggernaut franchise beat Call of Duty: Vanguard but came second behind the ever-dominant FIFA 22.
The newly released Pokémon games may be seeing success, but their combined launch sales are 26% below Pokémon Sword and Shield, the latest installment in the franchise which was released in 2019. It will be interesting to see how Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl fare as digital sales are counted and as lifetime sales come in. Sword and Shield were some of the worst received Pokémon games in recent years. An uptick in sales for the remade games could signal a rejection of the changes that Gamefreak made in the latest generation. Compared to the last remade Pokémon game, 2018’s Let’s Go Eevee and Pikachu which modernized Pokémon Yellow, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl sales are up 13%. That’s also impressive as the Let’s Go games marked the first time the series had a main game on the Nintendo Switch.
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are off to a stellar start sales-wise. Sales numbers from other countries should begin rolling in soon. Time will tell whether the games can topple Sword and Shield.