Kirby Air Riders Secures Top Spot in Japanese Physical Game Sales, Propelling Nintendo Switch 2
Japan’s robust game market continues to showcase Nintendo’s dominance, with the latest Famitsu physical software sales chart highlighting another impressive win for the beloved Kirby franchise.
Nintendo's newly launched Kirby Air Riders for the Switch 2 has soared to the top of the charts, recording first-week sales of 195,594 units—a testament to both the enduring popularity of the franchise and the momentum behind Nintendo’s latest hardware iteration. While this debut doesn’t quite match the stunning 380,000-unit launch achieved by Kirby and the Forgotten Land in 2022, it’s a remarkable result for a title like Air Riders, which is considered more niche within Kirby’s game library.
This latest entry not only reinforces Kirby’s wide appeal in Japan but also plays a pivotal role in driving hardware sales for its platform. Reflecting on the broader sales chart for the week of November 17th to 23rd, 2024, Mario Kart World for Switch 2 secured the second position with 67,068 units sold (cumulative sales reaching over 2.2 million units), while Pokémon Legends: Z-A claimed third with 28,480 units on the original Switch and 22,060 units on Switch 2.
Notable performance from Konami’s Momotaro Dentetsu 2—last week’s leader—places it at fourth and sixth across both Switch platforms, demonstrating the enduring appeal of the popular board game adaptation.
Meanwhile, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment has impressively surpassed 100,000 lifetime copies on Switch 2, cementing its place as a fan favorite. Here are the top movers in the Japanese physical software sales chart for the week: 1.
Kirby Air Riders (Switch 2) – 195,594 (NEW) 2.
Mario Kart World (Switch 2) – 67,068 (Total: 2,202,125) 3.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Switch) – 28,480 (Total: 1,271,576) 4.
Momotaro Dentetsu 2 (Switch) – 28,074 (Total: 118,780) 5.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Switch 2) – 22,060 (Total: 798,015) 6.
Momotaro Dentetsu 2 (Switch 2 Edition) – 20,751 (Total: 77,558) 7.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (Switch 2) – 9,129 (Total: 100,121) 8.
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake (Switch) – 8,302 (Total: 286,589) 9.
Minecraft (Switch) – 4,909 (Total: 4,051,401) 10.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch) – 4,908 (Total: 8,258,611) The successful launch of Kirby Air Riders also delivered a significant boost to Switch 2 hardware sales, with the console achieving 126,953 units sold during the same period.
For context, this strong figure put Switch 2 at the top of the week’s hardware chart, contributing to a cumulative total of 2,870,758 units since release.
The positive trend was reflected in the performance of legacy Switch models as well, with both the OLED and Lite editions maintaining strong showings. Sony’s PlayStation 5 line also performed well, particularly with the Digital Edition recording 23,381 units and the PS5 Pro reaching 11,367 units sold, even outpacing the Switch Lite and standard Switch in hardware sales.
In total, PlayStation 5 hardware across all SKUs reached 36,920 units combined, while all Switch models tallied 29,370 units together for the week. This week’s hardware chart standings were as follows: 1.
Switch 2 – 126,953 (Lifetime: 2,870,758) 2.
PS5 Digital Edition – 23,381 (Lifetime: 1,048,176) 3.
Switch OLED – 12,486 (Lifetime: 9,314,908) 4.
PS5 Pro – 11,367 (Lifetime: 280,176) 5.
Switch Lite – 10,908 (Lifetime: 6,737,073) 6.
Switch – 5,976 (Lifetime: 20,175,216) 7.
PS5 Standard – 2,235 (Lifetime: 5,851,381) In summary, the combination of Kirby Air Riders’ successful launch and the enduring appeal of Nintendo’s wide-ranging software portfolio has continued to fuel Switch 2’s momentum in Japan.
Industry analysts can look to this synergy between hardware launches and exclusive software as a clear driver of success in the competitive Japanese market.
Nintendo's newly launched Kirby Air Riders for the Switch 2 has soared to the top of the charts, recording first-week sales of 195,594 units—a testament to both the enduring popularity of the franchise and the momentum behind Nintendo’s latest hardware iteration. While this debut doesn’t quite match the stunning 380,000-unit launch achieved by Kirby and the Forgotten Land in 2022, it’s a remarkable result for a title like Air Riders, which is considered more niche within Kirby’s game library.
This latest entry not only reinforces Kirby’s wide appeal in Japan but also plays a pivotal role in driving hardware sales for its platform. Reflecting on the broader sales chart for the week of November 17th to 23rd, 2024, Mario Kart World for Switch 2 secured the second position with 67,068 units sold (cumulative sales reaching over 2.2 million units), while Pokémon Legends: Z-A claimed third with 28,480 units on the original Switch and 22,060 units on Switch 2.
Notable performance from Konami’s Momotaro Dentetsu 2—last week’s leader—places it at fourth and sixth across both Switch platforms, demonstrating the enduring appeal of the popular board game adaptation.
Meanwhile, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment has impressively surpassed 100,000 lifetime copies on Switch 2, cementing its place as a fan favorite. Here are the top movers in the Japanese physical software sales chart for the week: 1.
Kirby Air Riders (Switch 2) – 195,594 (NEW) 2.
Mario Kart World (Switch 2) – 67,068 (Total: 2,202,125) 3.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Switch) – 28,480 (Total: 1,271,576) 4.
Momotaro Dentetsu 2 (Switch) – 28,074 (Total: 118,780) 5.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Switch 2) – 22,060 (Total: 798,015) 6.
Momotaro Dentetsu 2 (Switch 2 Edition) – 20,751 (Total: 77,558) 7.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (Switch 2) – 9,129 (Total: 100,121) 8.
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake (Switch) – 8,302 (Total: 286,589) 9.
Minecraft (Switch) – 4,909 (Total: 4,051,401) 10.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch) – 4,908 (Total: 8,258,611) The successful launch of Kirby Air Riders also delivered a significant boost to Switch 2 hardware sales, with the console achieving 126,953 units sold during the same period.
For context, this strong figure put Switch 2 at the top of the week’s hardware chart, contributing to a cumulative total of 2,870,758 units since release.
The positive trend was reflected in the performance of legacy Switch models as well, with both the OLED and Lite editions maintaining strong showings. Sony’s PlayStation 5 line also performed well, particularly with the Digital Edition recording 23,381 units and the PS5 Pro reaching 11,367 units sold, even outpacing the Switch Lite and standard Switch in hardware sales.
In total, PlayStation 5 hardware across all SKUs reached 36,920 units combined, while all Switch models tallied 29,370 units together for the week. This week’s hardware chart standings were as follows: 1.
Switch 2 – 126,953 (Lifetime: 2,870,758) 2.
PS5 Digital Edition – 23,381 (Lifetime: 1,048,176) 3.
Switch OLED – 12,486 (Lifetime: 9,314,908) 4.
PS5 Pro – 11,367 (Lifetime: 280,176) 5.
Switch Lite – 10,908 (Lifetime: 6,737,073) 6.
Switch – 5,976 (Lifetime: 20,175,216) 7.
PS5 Standard – 2,235 (Lifetime: 5,851,381) In summary, the combination of Kirby Air Riders’ successful launch and the enduring appeal of Nintendo’s wide-ranging software portfolio has continued to fuel Switch 2’s momentum in Japan.
Industry analysts can look to this synergy between hardware launches and exclusive software as a clear driver of success in the competitive Japanese market.
