Pokemon Legends: Z-A Tops Latest Japanese Software Sales, Mario Kart World and Katamari Debuts Shine

Japan’s highly competitive video game market continues to deliver compelling results, with this week’s software sales rankings revealing a strong performance for Nintendo’s flagship titles.

According to the latest data from Famitsu, 'Pokemon Legends: Z-A' remains the best-selling title, dominating the charts across both the Nintendo Switch and the next-generation Nintendo Switch 2 platforms. Leading the rankings, 'Pokemon Legends: Z-A' for Nintendo Switch secured an impressive 195,849 units for the week, accumulating a remarkable 1,068,401 units sold to date on the platform.

Its Nintendo Switch 2 counterpart also posted robust figures, selling 71,991 units weekly for a total of 684,896 units.

These figures underscore the enduring appeal and commercial strength of the Pokémon franchise in Japan.

The continued momentum of 'Pokemon Legends: Z-A' reflects not just strong initial interest but sustained demand among Switch users and early adopters of Nintendo Switch 2. Close on its heels, 'Mario Kart World' for Nintendo Switch 2 maintained significant traction, selling 35,176 copies in the most recent reporting period.

This brings its cumulative sales to an extraordinary 1,966,569 units, further cementing the Mario Kart franchise as one of gaming’s crown jewels.

Fresh additions to the chart also garnered attention, particularly 'Once Upon a Katamari.' The Nintendo Switch version made its debut with 17,289 units, indicating robust enthusiasm for Bandai Namco's quirky puzzle-action title.

Meanwhile, the PlayStation 5 edition also entered the top ten with 4,596 sales—a promising start for this installment in the long-running Katamari series. Other notable entries include 'Persona 3 Reload' on Nintendo Switch 2 and 'Ninja Gaiden 4' on PlayStation 5, which debuted with 6,778 and 11,973 units sold respectively.

'Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2' for Nintendo Switch sold 6,232 copies this week, bringing its total sales to over 85,000—a testament to the enduring popularity of classic Mario titles on modern hardware. Recurring chart-toppers such as 'Minecraft' (4,084 weekly/4,032,180 total), 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' (3,333/8,239,060), and 'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' (3,035/6,462,505) continue to show consistent, long-term appeal on Nintendo Switch.

These bestsellers underscore the importance of evergreen titles in sustaining Nintendo’s presence at the top of Japan’s game sales rankings. The latest Famitsu report once again highlights the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 as dominant platforms in the Japanese marketplace, with first-party and third-party hits routinely outperforming the competition.

Developers like Game Freak, Bandai Namco, and Nintendo EPD continue to set new sales benchmarks, reflecting a vibrant and highly engaged local gaming community. For more comprehensive charts and sales history, readers are encouraged to consult Famitsu’s archives.

The ongoing success of franchises like Pokémon and Mario affirms the continuing vitality of console gaming in Japan and showcases the strategic strengths of Nintendo’s hardware and software portfolio.

Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart Pokémon Nintendo Switch Mario Kart World Nintendo Mario Switch 2 Switch Once Upon a Katamari Kart Pokemon Pokemon Legends: Z-A Z Legends: Z-A Pokemon Legends Z-A Famitsu PS5 Super Mario Galaxy Animal Crossing New Horizons Little Nightmares 3 Persona 3 Reload Donkey Kong Bananza