Top 30 Japanese Video Games 12/08/02

by Fennec Fox
December 18, 2002 00:00 AM PT

Our weekly rundown of what's hot in Japan for the week ending December 8, courtesy of Famitsu magazine.

Here are the top 30 best selling games in Japan for the week ending December 8, courtesy of the editors and marketing research types at Famitsu magazine.

Despite the nearly obscene amount of competition it faced (a total of 38 new releases this week, counting budget reprints), Pok�mon Ruby/Sapphire still reigned utterly supreme in Japan, selling over three times its nearest competitor. If you count the two versions as a single title, then the new Pok�mon has now broken the two million mark, a figure that hasn't been seen in Japan since Final Fantasy X two summers ago. (The last portable double-million seller was Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 4 from Konami, released two years ago in Japan.)

Thanks to the support of millions of Japanese Pok�mon fans, Ruby/Sapphire is now selling at pretty much the same pace Gold/Silver managed in 1999 (those two games also broke the two million mark in three weeks). Gold/Silver sold over 3.6 million copies before the end of the year�if Ruby/Sapphire can keep the freight train going, that goal shouldn't be much trouble at all to reach.

Pok�mon Ruby/Sapphire (Nintendo, GC) [321,408 / 2,037,949]
Mega Man Battle Network 3 (Capcom, GBA) [91,351 / NEW]
Shinobi (Sega, PS2) [71,745 / NEW]
Momotaro Dentetsu 11 (Hudson, PS2) [64,553 / NEW]
Tales of Destiny 2 (Namco, PS2) [63,659 / 561,801]
SD Gundam G-Generation Neo (Bandai, PS2) [61,511 / 406,555]
Ratchet & Clank (Sony, PS2) [49,733 / NEW]
Derby Stallion Advance (Enterbrain, GBA) [45,184 / NEW]
Dark Chronicle (Sony, PS2) [35,407 / 133,697]
Mario Party 4 (Nintendo, GC) [33,286 / 364,328]
Lupin III: Majutsu-oh no Isan (Banpresto, PS2) [29,275 / 146,612]
Shin Megami Tensei NINE (Atlus, Xbox) [28,462 / NEW]
Rygar (Tecmo, PS2) [28,107 / NEW]
Taiko no Tatsujin (Namco, PS2) [24,397 / 169,214]
Resident Evil 0 (Capcom, GC) [20,435 / 252,381]
Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland (Nintendo, GBA) [18,952 / 365,195]
Inuyasha: Sengoku Otogigassen (Bandai, PS) [15,250 / NEW]
Yu-Gi-Oh: Falsebound Kingdom (Konami, GC) [13,312 / NEW]
Kamen Rider Ryuki (Bandai, PS) [13,173 / 50,437]
Momotaro Dentetsu 11 (Hudson, GC) [10,787 / NEW]
FIFA 2003 European Soccer (EA Square, PS2) [10,035 / NEW]
K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 (Konami, PS2) [10,009 / 36,438]
Super Mario Advance 3 (Nintendo, GBA) [8423 / 286,564]
Kururin Paradise (Nintendo, GBA) [7801 / NEW]
Of special note, this one�it's the sequel to Kuru Kuru Kururin, an aggravating (but addictive) puzzle game that was a launch title for the GBA in Japan and Europe. I still wish it'd come out here...
Densetsu no Stafy (Nintendo, GBA) [7754 / 243,199]
Kinnikuman II (Bandai, GC) [7399 / 36,442]
Bakuten Shoot Beyblade 2002 (Broccoli, GBA) [7300 / NEW]
One Piece: Nanatsu-to no Daihihou (Bandai, GBA) [7275 / 54,643]
Super Robot Taisen Original Generation (Banpresto, GBA) [7177 / 149,337]
Medal of Honor Frontline (EA Square, PS2) [6987 / 112,959]