Japanese Charts: 3DS software boosted by console price cut

It's amazing what a bit of rampant price slashing will do for a console and its software.

A reversal of fortunes

The Japanese charts for the week ending August 14 paint a picture of a console's fortunes transformed, in the short term at least.

Coming in the same week that the 3DS enjoyed its highest sales since launch following its recent price cut, five 3DS titles entered the top 20 all-format software chart - where in the previous week's chart there were none.

Of the five 3DS titles taking up places in the top 20, the smallest leap was made by Star Fox 64 3D and even that jumped 20 places from no. 38 to no. 18, but it was Pokemon Rumble Blast that made the biggest impact, debuting at no. 2.

The PSP put in a strong showing too, with two new entries in the top 5 - including Capcom's Monster Hunter Diary: Pokapoka Felyne G which claimed the top spot with 98,269 sales, 12,000 more than Pokemon in second place.

Just one PS3 title clung to a top 20 spot, Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2011 slipped from no. 12 to no. 20 with 8,601 units sold. Unsurprisingly, no 360 titles featured in the top 20.

Below is Media Create’s top 20 sales chart for the week ending August 14, 2011. Last week’s figures can be found here.

1. Monster Hunter Diary: Pokapoka Felyne G (PSP) - 98,269 (new)
2. Pokemon Rumble Blast (3DS) - 86,294 (new)
3. Rhythm Heaven (Wii) - 63,590
4. Kirby Mass Attack (DS) - 52,173
5. Uta no Prince-Sama: Repeat (PSP) - 32,180 (new)
6. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS) - 31,772
7. J-League Pro Soccer Club! 7: Euro + (PSP) - 30,291
8. Toriko: Gourmet Survival (PSP) - 28,147
9. Wii Sports Resort (Wii) - 20,524
10. Epic Mickey (Wii) - 15,536
11. All Kamen Rider: Rider Generation (DS) - 15,304
12. Nintendogs + Cats (3DS) - 15,221
13. Taiko Drum Master Portable DX (PSP) - 14,224
14. One Piece: Unlimited Cruise SP (3DS) - 12,355
15. Wii Play: Motion (Wii) - 12,128
16. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2011 (PSP) - 10,871
17. Inazuma Eleven Strikers (Wii) - 10,581
18. Star Fox 64 3D (3DS) - 10,579
19. Pokemon Black / White (DS) - 10,164
20. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2011 (PS3) - 8,601

Software top 20 chart offerings per system:

PSP - 6
3Ds - 5
Wii - 5
DS - 3
PS3 - 1
360 - 0
PS2 - 0

3DS on top

The 40 percent price cut that Nintendo bestowed upon its handheld 3D console helped it claim top spot in the hardware chart, selling around five times the number of PSPs which came in second with sales of just over 40,000.

Japanese hardware sales, August 8 – August 14, 2011 (separate SKUs)

• 3DS - 196,077
• PSP - 40,389
• PS3 - 20,239
• Wii - 19,607
• DSiLL - 4,213
• DSi - 3,531
• 360 - 1,576
• PS2 - 1,513
• DSL - 90
• PSPGo - 20

Thanks, GAF.