Japanese Nintendo Switch Software Sales: Fantasy Life i Dominates Weekly Chart

Japan’s latest weekly software sales chart once again highlights the dominant presence of the Nintendo Switch, as reported by Famitsu.

Notably, Level-5’s "Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time" made a commanding debut this week, demonstrating the enduring appeal of original role-playing titles developed for Nintendo’s hybrid console. "Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time" launched to impressive numbers, selling 82,968 copies on the Nintendo Switch in its first week, making it the clear bestseller for this reporting period.

This launch underscores Level-5’s track record for crafting beloved RPG experiences, and marks a successful return to the franchise after a significant hiatus.

The PlayStation 5 version also charted, debuting at number three with 10,730 units sold, reflecting cross-platform interest. Another notable new entry, "Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Battle Destiny Remastered," secured the second spot with 26,130 units sold on Switch.

This remaster taps into the enduring popularity of the Gundam franchise, further demonstrating Switch players' appetite for high-profile anime tie-in releases. The Nintendo Switch continues to command overwhelming market share in Japan, with its exclusive and legacy titles consistently populating the upper tier of the sales chart.

"Minecraft" remains a staple, adding 5,911 units to its staggering lifetime total of 3,895,674 copies sold on the Switch platform.

Sports and party games also performed strongly, with "Nintendo Switch Sports" and "Super Mario Party Jamboree" reporting cumulative sales of 1,590,124 and 1,304,912 copies, respectively.

Evergreen titles such as "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" (over 6.3 million units), "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" (surpassing 8.1 million), and "Super Smash Bros.

Ultimate" (exceeding 5.7 million) continue to exhibit tremendous staying power on the Japanese market. Among other debuts, "Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana" (Switch, 5,596 copies) illustrates ongoing demand for classic action RPG content, while Capcom’s "Fighting Collection 2" and Konami’s "Tokimeki Memorial: Forever With You Emotional" showcase fan engagement with both fighting and romance simulation genres. A representative from Level-5 emphasized the significance of Fantasy Life's return, stating that the development team is "grateful for the continued enthusiasm from fans, which has reinvigorated our efforts to create vibrant, imaginative game worlds." Elsewhere in the chart, PlayStation 5 titles including "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" and "Monster Hunter Wilds" demonstrated consistent, if smaller, performances relative to Nintendo’s juggernaut platform. The data affirms Nintendo Switch’s continued dominance of the Japanese console software market, with new releases and enduring favorites driving both hardware and eShop engagement.

As the platform approaches new software milestones, all eyes remain on how Nintendo and its third-party partners will sustain this momentum in the months to come. (Software sales data sourced from Famitsu.

For further chart history and comprehensive breakdowns, visit Famitsu’s official website.)

Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch Fantasy Life i Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Fantasy Life The Girl Who Steals Time Famitsu Level-5 Sony Interactive Entertainment Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Battle Destiny Remastered Minecraft Animal Crossing: New Horizons Super Mario Party Jamboree Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Pokemon Scarlet Pokemon Violet Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Capcom Monster Hunter Wilds Kirby and the Forgotten Land Pikmin 4 Splatoon 3 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival