Japan game charts: August 28-September 3

By Walt Wyman, GameSpotPosted Sep 8, 2006 4:42 pm PT

Phantasy Star Universe kicks off with a big bang, dethroning the almighty DS.

It has been about a month since a non-Nintendo DS game grabbed the top spot in Japan. Sega's Phantasy Star Universe was plagued by technical problems with its online mode during its first week, leading to server shutdowns and the deletion of character data. Even so, this latest title in Sega's space role-playing series managed to rack up more than 120,000 sales in just a few days, placing it in the number one spot according to the digital entertainment analysts at Media Create.

Rhythm Tengoku, a music-based Game Boy Advance game, was the only other non-DS game to crack the top 10. The rest of the chart looks pretty familiar, with the exception of one, green-tight-clad newcomer. Nintendo's Mogitate Tingle no Barairo Rupee Land pits Tingle (pictured), the hyperactive and sexually ambiguous sprite from The Legend of Zelda series, against the cruel forces of economics as he strives to amass untold wealth. This premise or maybe the appeal of playing as Tingle earned the game the number five spot.

Some new games that made the top 100 were Marvelous Interactive's Play Station Portable role-player Valhalla Knights at number 12, a thievery-driven action game for the PlayStation 2 from Acquire called Kamiwaza at number 16, and Konami's Guitar Freaks & Drum Mania Masterpiece Silver, also for the PS2, at number 19.

Of course the DS also saw some new games other than Mogitatate Tingle this week. Nintendo/Sandlot's Chousoujuu Meka MG, a DS action game that recalls the giant robot-themed anime of the '70s and '80s, placed 18th in the ranks.

Media Create notes that the end of summer vacation is usually a bad time for game sales. However, 2006 has seen year-on-year growth of 188 percent in games. Looking at roughly the same period last year confirms this--total top 100 title sales for August 29 to September 4, 2005, were 493,733, while this week's sales reached 928,630 units. Media Create attributes this growth to this year's crop of new, high-profile titles and, of course, the strong DS sales.

118 Comments

  • Kcube

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 10:33 am PT

    Hopefully PSU lives up to the hype as I am a massive fan of all things phantasy star.Its good to see it in the 1# slot.

    On a side note,do fanboys ever read or do they just talk alot?

  • rl_41

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 2:39 pm PT

    How can new super mario bros be near the top for so long!? do poeple in Japan buy their games like 5 times!?

  • Zacek1000

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 1:09 pm PT

    December 31? It's a long way... I can't wait more for PSU!

  • Dantes_Monkey

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 9:08 am PT

    even getting a non DS in the charts in Japan = major points

  • gamingfreak47

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 7:42 am PT

    Alltogether though DS still fills up the other 9 slots, after about probably a week another brain age game will be released and it will sky rocket above phantasy star.

  • nsoufiani

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 4:47 am PT

    I swear I read someone saying ds got owned and that sony are number 1...clearly they havnt looked at the other 9 spots and clearly they dont know its sega tahts number 1, not sony

  • quain-chi

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 4:09 am PT

    enoslives7
    ha ha....Sony owns nintendo as usual !!!!!!!!!!!!!! It maybe on the ps2 but its a Sega game. idiot.

  • wuzgar

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 3:24 am PT

    Heh, crazy people those Japanese

  • anamnawshad

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 2:09 am PT

    DS pwnage as usual..........

  • d-suhiti

    Posted Sep 10, 2006 11:26 pm PT

    Although Nintendo is in 9 spots out of 10 : !

  • enoslives7

    Posted Sep 10, 2006 9:04 pm PT

    ha ha....Sony owns nintendo as usual !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • dounowhatiam

    Posted Sep 10, 2006 8:17 pm PT

    tingle ftw!!!

  • CrapfullyCrap

    Posted Sep 10, 2006 7:00 pm PT

    By god ... DS pwnage across the board.

  • atrimus

    Posted Sep 10, 2006 6:19 pm PT

    Lord_Regnier, that's as may be, but in Japan the PS2 is about the only option for home-console online gaming, considering the XBox systems have combined to sell oh about 150,000 units.

  • Lord_Regnier

    Posted Sep 10, 2006 2:36 pm PT

    How could the PS2 version of PSU sell? sony's online service is s**t

  • flatline711

    Posted Sep 10, 2006 1:45 pm PT

    man im really looking forward to PSU, i just hope everything is up and running the way it should by launch

  • rokkuman09

    Posted Sep 10, 2006 10:12 am PT

    Man I can't wait till Phantasy Star Universe is fixed up...i've been really looking forward to it..

  • juanfraino

    Posted Sep 10, 2006 8:43 am PT

    And you know whats the sad thing is... the on-line of Phantasy Star Universe is broken.. so broken that the servers are gonna be dead for a month or so. So all the people who got the game got totally burned.

  • Sil3n7Knight

    Posted Sep 10, 2006 7:49 am PT

    The only reason FF3 didnt Completely destroy psu is because of the major shortages from last week...remember it sold over 500,000

    I love my Ds ------- Ds>Psp

  • ironbearxl

    Posted Sep 10, 2006 7:29 am PT

    A win for Sega this month!

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