Last year was unusual for the video game industry in more ways than one. TheCOVID-19 pandemicled to many games being delayed, but other games received more attention than they would have otherwise. It has also led to certain platforms growing in popularity, and there’s perhaps no better example than in Japan. A recently released list of Japan’s top-selling 100 games for 2020 provides insight into one of the most interesting years for video games yet.
Embodying this list and the year of 2020 was the top-seller of the year in Japan:Animal Crossing: New Horizonsfor the Nintendo Switch. It sold nearly 6.4 million units in 2020, according to Famitsu, which is almost 5 million more than the runner-up. It’s a casual, relaxing game, perfectly suited for the stresses of the pandemic, and the Switch allows users to play on the go or from bed. Add in thatAnimal Crossing: New Horizonslaunched as the pandemic really began to spread and it’s easy to see why it succeeded.
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Number two on the list is also appropriate as symbolic of the times, that beingRing Fit Adventure. It was under such high demand thatRing Fit Adventurewas sold out for monthstoward the start of the pandemic. Many people were looking for an opportunity to exercise from home andRing Fit Adventuredelivered, but who can say whetherRing Fit Adventurewould be as successful without the pandemic.
The remaining top 10 hosts a mix of experiences that reveal the diversity of the video game community. The titles includeMomotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban!, a casual railway sim,Final Fantasy 7 Remake,Pokemon SwordandShield,Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,Minecraft,Clubhouse Games, andSuper Mario 3D All-Stars. Every game except forFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeis available on the Nintendo Switch.
Further down the list, there are few shifts away from the trends of the top 10. There are a lot of Nintendo Switch games, as well as PS4 games, and almost nothing else. One 3DS game did make the list, which wasAnimal Crossing: New Leaf. Most every game is a bigger release, but with a larger trend toward casual and all-ages games than in the west.
Even without the pandemic, the Japanese video game market has trended toward the style of games seen in 2020’s top-selling list, as well asNintendo and Sony platforms. The pandemic, at the very least, led many of these games to larger overall support, withAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsespecially standing out.
Here is the full list of the top-selling games in Japan for 2020, according to Famitsu:
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