New release second best-selling Nintendo Switch game of all time, only bested by the ever-popular Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
The mainline entries in the Pokémon series stayed on handheld Nintendo consoles for years, but the Switch's hybrid handheld/home console nature meant that developer Game Freak would eventually have to make a full Pokémon home console experience. The first mainline Switch games in the series, Pokémon Sword and Shield, came under fire for their graphics, which many believe were lacking. A lot has been said about the graphical quality of both the Pokémon: Let's Go games and Pokémon Sword and Shield, with many feeling that even the Nintendo 3DS Pokémon games have better graphics. Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a different beast, however, as its visuals and semi-open-world are far closer to the home console experience that fans are expecting, even if it's not quite on the same level as a Zelda: Breath of the Wild in of graphical quality.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus launched on Nintendo Switch last week and its initial sales data is now available. It should come as no surprise that it debuted as number one on the UK's GFK Entertainment Software Charts, but the more surprising information comes from Christopher Dring of GamesIndustry.biz. According to Dring, Pokémon Legend: Arceus sold more in its debut week than Animal Crossing: New Horizons did, at least in the UK. Pokémon Legends: Arceus also had the fifth-biggest boxed retail Nintendo Switch UK launch (in of physical sales) from the past two years.
Beating Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a huge achievement, considering the perfect storm of circumstances that led to the game's success. The latest Animal Crossing beat sales records when it launched at the start of the pandemic, coming at a time when people were desperately looking for entertainment throughout lockdown, as well as ways to connect with friends and family online. The incredible social media buzz surrounding the game led to it selling nearly 35 million units to date.
The real question is whether Pokemon Legends: Arceus can maintain the same level of momentum that Animal Crossing: New Horizons kept over time. By its very nature, ACNH is a game with near limitless playtime, but it was arguably the social media interest that helped keep the game in the public eye, along with a steady drip-feed of new content to attract new players, such as the paid DLC. Pokémon Legends: Arceus might offer a new take on the established Pokémon formula, but that might not be enough to challenge the success of either Animal Crossing: New Horizons or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in the long run.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is available now for Nintendo Switch.
Source: Chris Dring/Twitter
