Splatoon propels Wii U to the top of the Japanese charts

Splatoon is easily the most fun I’ve had in an online multiplayer game since…well, probably since the first Gears of War. The quirky paint-filled splat fest that invites you to be a kid now and a squid now is Nintendo’s first foray in to the online shooter, and they’ve done a superlative job with it – save for a few issues with maps and modes that they’re actively trying to sort out. And it’s become such a hit in its native Japan that it’s managed to propel the Wii U to the top of Japan’s hardware charts.

According to the chart-tracking chaps at Media Create, Nintendo’s console has, thanks to the inky shooter, splatted to the top of Japan’s hardware charts. While that’s a nice boost for the Wii U, it really should be taken as a sign of swinging momentum for the troubled, but wonderful, console. Japan’s hardware charts have always been a little weird, with their gaming tastes not exactly matching those in the west. The number two system in Nippon is the Vita, a system that’s not doing particularly well anywhere else.

Splatoon and Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX have managed to usurp The Witcher 3’s hold on the software charts. Here they are showing weekly and lifetime sales, via Gematsu.

• [Wii U] Splatoon (Nintendo, 05/28/15) – 144,818 (New)
• [3DS] Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX (Sega, 05/28/15) – 41,442 (New)
• [PS4] The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Spike Chunsoft, 05/21/15) – 22,454 (89,839)
• [PSV] Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition (SCE, 03/19/15) – 12,449 (179,625)
• [Wii U] Mario Kart 8 (Nintendo, 05/29/14) – 11,654 (1,006,719)
• [PSV] Cross Ange: Rondo of Angels and Dragons tr. (Bandai Namco, 05/28/15) – 11,215 (New)
• [3DS] Downtown Nekketsu Jidaigeki (Arc System Works, 05/28/15) – 9,444 (New)
• [3DS] Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition (GungHo Online Entertainment, 04/30/15) – 8,920 (252,479)
• [3DS] Assassination Classroom: Grand Siege on Kurosensei (Bandai Namco, 03/12/15) – 6,620 (75,242)
• [PSV] Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence with Power-Up Kit (Koei Tecmo, 05/28/15) – 6,360 (New)
• [3DS] Girls Mode 3: Kira Kira Code (Nintendo, 04/16/15) – 6,282 (140,808)
• [XBO] Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness (5pb., 05/28/15) – 4,593 (New)
• [3DS] Pokemon Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire (Pokemon, 11/21/14) – 4,501 (2,631,071)
• [PSV] Possession Magenta (Idea Factory, 05/28/15) – 4,172 (New)
• [3DS] Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo, 09/13/14) – 3,507 (2,237,443)
• [PS4] Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD Remaster (Square Enix, 05/14/15) – 2,994 (24,498)
• [3DS] Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission 2 (Bandai Namco, 08/07/14) – 2,858 (207,938)
• [Wii U] Mario Party 10 (Nintendo, 03/12/15) – 2,607 (146,290)
• [PS4] Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair (D3 Publisher, 04/02/15) – 2,554 (45,143)
• [3DS] Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo, 11/08/12) – 2,526 (3,977,777)

And the hardware sales:

• Wii U – 17,313 (7,611)
• PlayStation Vita – 12,517 (11,352)
• PlayStation 4 – 12,272 (12,096)
• New 3DS LL – 11,170 (10,134)
• New 3DS – 4,129 (3,609)
• PlayStation 3 – 3,069 (2,627)
• 3DS – 1,418 (687)
• 3DS LL – 919 (827)
• PlayStation Vita TV – 529 (423)
• Xbox One – 522 (308)

Shame, poor Xbox One.

Last Updated: June 4, 2015