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Big in Japan Dec. 5-11: Monster Hunter 3G

3DS version of Capcom's multiplayer action RPG beats out Mario titles and Skyrim in latest Japanese chart update; Nintendo's 3D handheld dominates hardware sales.

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The Monster Hunter series is huge in Japan, so much so that even a port of a three-year-old PC installment of the franchise for the largely marginalized Xbox 360 was an instant best-seller in the country. Monster Hunter 3G for the 3DS is proving no exception to that popularity, as the game debuted at number one with 521,959 units sold on the Media Create's sales chart update for the week of December 5 through December 11.

Why so angry, Bracchidios? Your game is number one on the charts.
Why so angry, Bracchidios? Your game is number one on the charts.

The game is a follow-up to the Wii title Monster Hunter 3, and features different control schemes for underwater segments, reworked camera controls, 3DS StreetPass functionality, and local wireless play. New monsters in this version include Bracchidios (featured on the game's cover) and Guran-Miraosu, while returning monsters like the Gigginox and Uragaan have new attacks so that players are forced to revamp their hunting strategies. On a related note, the Slide Pad extension made its debut in Japan on the game's release; the attachment adds a second analog circle pad to the 3DS, along with another pair of shoulder buttons.

Coming in second and third for the week were Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land, with 183,834 and 89,743 units sold, respectively. The PlayStation 3 version of Skyrim finished in fourth place with 75,865 units sold, while the Xbox 360 version was at ninth place with 37,037 units sold.

On the hardware front, the 3DS dominated the sales chart as Nintendo sold 350,321 units, likely due to the combination of Monster Hunter, the two Mario titles, and the Slide Expansion bundles offered in Japanese retailers. The PSP, Wii, and PS3 also experienced small leaps in sales. Sony sold 51,191 and 44,661 units of the PSP and PS3, respectively, while Nintendo sold 46,018 units of the Wii.

JAPAN GAMES SALES: WEEK OF DECEMBER 5 - 11

Software
Rank/Title/Publisher/Platform/Unit sales
1. Monster Hunter 3G / Capcom / 3DS / 521,959
2. Mario Kart 7 / Nintendo / 3DS / 183,834
3. Super Mario 3D Land / Nintendo / 3DS / 89,743
4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim / Bethesda / PS3 / 75,865
5. Kidou Senshi Gundam: Extreme VS / Namco Bandai / PS3 / 56,584
6. Magician's Quest: The Merchant's Store of Sorcery / Konami / DS / 46,042
7. Dragon Ball: Ultimate Blast / Namco Bandai / PS3 / 44,593
8. Kirby's Return to Dreamland / Nintendo / Wii / 44,570
9. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim / Bethesda / Xbox 360 / 37,037
10. Just Dance Wii / Nintendo / Wii / 30,935

Hardware
3DS – 350,321
PSP – 51,191
Wii – 46,018
PS3 – 44,661
DSi XL – 4,007
Xbox 360 – 3,211
DSi – 2,609
PS2 – 1,268
DS Lite - 14

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