Big in Japan Apr. 13-19: PS3 sales spike on FFXIII demo

For the week of April 13-April 19, the best-selling PlayStation 3 game according to Japanese sales tracker Media Create was Koei's Musou Orochi Z, which placed eighth with 10,000 units. It stands to reason, then, that Sony's PS3 absolutely crushed its console competition in Japan during the week on the strength of a newly released playable demo for Square Enix's heavily anticipated Final Fantasy XIII. For more on that advance sampler, check out GameSpot's own hands-on from earlier this week.

On the week, Media Create pegs PS3 sales at 62,500, well above the Wii's 13,200 units and the Xbox 360's 8,700 systems. Sony's handheld scored a similar coup over its Nintendo rival, with the PSP selling 40,100 units to the DSi's 38,300. However, add in the DS Lite's 6,400 units, and Nintendo's cumulative count slightly edges out the PSP.

Nintendo's Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon (aka Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky) for the DS debuted at the top of Media Create's charts, selling 142,000 in its first week. The difference between first and second was substantial, with Capcom's BASARA Battle Heroes finishing the week behind Pokemon with 28,000 units sold. Mario & Luigi RPG 3!!! sold an additional 19,000 units, while Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on the PSP turned in a fourth-place finish with 18,000 copies sold.

Two new releases from Takara Tomy slotted in at fifth and sixth, as Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! DS Fate of Heat II - Unmei no Futari for the DS sold 17,000 units and Fantasy Golf Pangya Portable mustered 13,000 copies. Konami's Pro Yakyuu Famista DS 2009 scored a slight edge on the aforementioned Musou Orochi Z, selling 11,000 units to 10,000. Mobile Suit Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna Portable on the PSP finished with 9,000 units, and Hudson's Deca Sports 2 rounded out the chart, launching to apathetic interest with 9,000 units sold.

Week of April 13-April 19, 2009
Software:
1) Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon (DS) - 142,000
2) BASARA Battle Heroes (PSP) - 28,000
3) Mario & Luigi RPG 3 (DS) - 19,000
4) Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (PSP) - 18,000
5) Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! DS Fate of Heat II - Unmei no Futari (DS) - 17,000
6) Fantasy Golf Pangya Portable (PSP) - 13,000
7) Pro Yakyuu Famista DS 2009 (DS) - 11,000
8) Musou Orochi Z (PS3) - 10,000
9) Mobile Suit Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna Portable (PSP) - 9,000
10) Deca Sports 2 (Wii) - 9,000

Hardware:
PS3 62,500
PSP 40,100
DSi 38,300
Wii 13,200
Xbox 360 8,700
DS Lite 6,400
PS2 4,200