Nintendo Causes UK Storm with Pokémon

Pokémon Black and White have become Nintendo's third biggest selling games in the UK this week, with Pokémon White Version alone becoming the second fastest selling DS in the UK. Cubed3 recently rated Pokémon Black / White 9/10, stating that this Fifth Generation release is likely the best in the 15 year old series. Additionally, the team was in attendance of the launch event last week where developer Game Freak was present, along with some special celebrity appearances. Have you already picked up your copy of the game, and if so, which colour edition did you go for?

Below is the official Chart-Track blurb related to the Entertainment Software (All Prices) chart:

Nintendo storms to the top of the charts this week in what is by far the biggest ever launch of Pokémon games across one weekend in the UK. Pokémon White Version becomes the 2nd fastest selling DS game ever (behind Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box), debuting at No.1, 13,000 sales ahead of sister title Pokémon Black Version, which enters at No.2. If you combine their sales together they become Nintendo’s third biggest ever UK launch (behind Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii). Last week’s No.1 Killzone 3 (-58%) falls down to No.5, making way for both Pokémon titles, as well as EA’s latest boxing title Fight Night Champion, new at No.3, ahead of EA’s Bulletstorm (-46%), which slips from No.2 to No.4. In the wake of half-term week, sales across all games in the Top 20 are down with Black Ops (-54%) falling from No.3 to No.6 (its lowest ever chart position), while Just Dance 2 only falls 2 places to No.7 with a respectable 20% drop in sales. EA and Nintendo occupy the remaining positions in the Top 10 with FIFA 11 (-40%) and Dead Space 2 (-59%) at No.8 and No.9 and Wii Party (-43%) at No.10. There are not only new entries in the Top 10; two new PC titles also make the cut with THQ’s Dawn of War II: Retribution launching at No.17 and the MMORPG Rift from newcomer Trion Worlds debuting at No.19.

Below are a selection of other charts from the Chart-Track UK website:

TOP 20 ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE - INDIVIDUAL FORMATS (UNITS), WEEK ENDING 5 March 2011
(NEW) 1.) POKEMON WHITE VERSION (DS, NINTENDO)
(NEW) 2.) POKEMON BLACK VERSION (DS, NINTENDO)
(NEW) 3.) FIGHT NIGHT CHAMPION (XB360, ELECTRONIC ARTS)
(1) 4.) KILLZONE 3 (PS3, SONY COMPUTER ENT.)
(NEW) 5.) FIGHT NIGHT CHAMPION (PS3, ELECTRONIC ARTS)
(2) 6.) BULLETSTORM (XB360, ELECTRONIC ARTS)
(3) 7.) JUST DANCE 2 (WII, UBISOFT)
(4) 8.) CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS (XB360, ACTIVISION BLIZZARD)
(6) 9.) FIFA 11 (XB360, ELECTRONIC ARTS)
(5) 10.) CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS (PS3, ACTIVISION BLIZZARD)
(8) 11.) WII PARTY (WII, NINTENDO)
(12) 12.) JUST DANCE (WII, UBISOFT)
(10) 13.) FIFA 11 (PS3, ELECTRONIC ARTS)
(7) 14.) DEAD SPACE 2 (XB360, ELECTRONIC ARTS)
(13) 15.) DANCE JUNIORS (WII, UBISOFT)
(14) 16.) BULLETSTORM (PS3, ELECTRONIC ARTS)
(16) 17.) WII SPORTS RESORT (WII, NINTENDO)
(NEW) 18.) DAWN OF WAR II: RETRIBUTION (PC, THQ)
(NEW) 19.) RIFT (PC, TRION WORLDS)
(18) 20.) WII FIT PLUS (WII, NINTENDO)

Outside of the Top 20, in its second week of release, following a bout of TV advertising Kirby's Epic Yarn manages to rise up, landing in the Individual Formats list at No.34.

TOP 20 NINTENDO DS (FULL PRICE), WEEK ENDING 5 March 2011
(NEW) 1.) POKEMON WHITE VERSION (NINTENDO)
(NEW) 2.) POKEMON BLACK VERSION (NINTENDO)
(1) 3.) ART ACADEMY (NINTENDO)
(2) 4.) NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. (NINTENDO)
(3) 5.) MARIO VS DONKEY KONG: MINI-LAND MAYHEM! (NINTENDO)
(4) 6.) MARIO KART DS (NINTENDO)
(6) 7.) TOY STORY 3 (DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS)
(12) 8.) JEWEL LINK CHRONICLES: LEGEND OF ATHENA (GSP/AVANQUEST)
(7) 9.) PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE LOST FUTURE (NINTENDO)
(5) 10.) SONIC COLOURS (SEGA)
(8) 11.) TANGLED (DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS)
(15) 12.) TOUCHMASTER 4: CONNECT (WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE)
(14) 13.) LEGO HARRY POTTER: YEARS 1-4 (WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE)
(11) 14.) HAPPY PARTY WITH HELLO KITTY & FRIENDS! (GAMEBRIDGE)
(9) 15.) FIFA 11 (ELECTRONIC ARTS)
(16) 16.) SONIC CLASSIC COLLECTION (SEGA)
(13) 17.) SUPER MARIO 64 DS (NINTENDO)
(10) 18.) THE SIMS 3 (ELECTRONIC ARTS)
(22) 19.) JEWEL QUEST MYSTERIES: THE EMERALD TEAR (GSP/AVANQUEST)
(17) 20.) PROFESSOR LAYTON AND PANDORA'S BOX (NINTENDO)

Sitting at No.21 this week is the enjoyable Hidden Object mystery adventure, Mysterious Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, which jumps from No.33.

TOP 20 NINTENDO WII (FULL PRICE), WEEK ENDING 5 March 2011
(1) 1.) JUST DANCE 2 UBISOFT
(2) 2.) WII PARTY NINTENDO
(3) 3.) DANCE JUNIORS UBISOFT
(5) 4.) MARIO KART WII NINTENDO
(9) 5.) KIRBY'S EPIC YARN NINTENDO
(4) 6.) MARIO SPORTS MIX NINTENDO
(7) 7.) NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII NINTENDO
(6) 8.) MICHAEL JACKSON: THE EXPERIENCE UBISOFT
(8) 9.) DONKEY KONG COUNTRY RETURNS NINTENDO
(10) 10.) DISNEY EPIC MICKEY DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS
(NEW) 11.) UDRAW STUDIO THQ
(11) 12.) SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 NINTENDO
(12) 13.) BEN 10 ULTIMATE ALIEN COSMIC DESTRUCTION NAMCO BANDAI GAMES
(13) 14.) FIFA 11 ELECTRONIC ARTS
(14) 15.) SONIC COLOURS SEGA
(15) 16.) CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
(16) 17.) GOLDENEYE 007 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
(17) 18.) TANGLED DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS
(20) 19.) MARIO & SONIC AT OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES SEGA
(18) 20.) NEED FOR SPEED: HOT PURSUIT ELECTRONIC ARTS

Further down this list, Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary continues to surprisingly underperform here in the UK, dropping one place to No.30, whilst PDC World Championship Darts: Pro Tour jumps seven to No.32 and last week's shock low entry, de Blob 2 fails to improve in its second week, falling two to No.33. On the Wii Budget Top 40, My Fitness Coach: Get in Shape sees a big resurgence, up from No.28 to No.12, whilst there are re-entries for Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll at No.23 and The Conduit at No.32, whilst the only game out of the duo of uDraw releases to feature in the list is uDraw Pictionary, entering at a lowly No.24, with no sign of Dood's Big Adventure anywhere, despite the uDraw package itself doing so well in the Full Price chart.