industry news
Rhythm Tengoku Has Its Revenge On Phantasy Star
Posted by Michael McWhertor at 11:20 AM on August 23, 2008
Nintendo has snagged the top spot for another week, with Rhythm Tengoku Gold — Rhythm Heaven in my neck of the woods — beating out a host of back catalog releases, including Sega's unsurprisingly popular Phantasy Star Portable. It debuted at #2, dropped to #3, then leapfrogged to #1. That's Nintendo software for you. Older titles creep higher up the charts in this slow week, as Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G threatens to return to the top ten.
Not much in the way of new Japanese software releases for the week of August 11 to 17. Hit the snooze button and save your excitement for next week.
01. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS) - 137,000 / 480,000
02. Phantasy Star Portable (PSP) - 74,000 / 564,000
03. Dragon Quest V (DS) - 74,000 / 1,092,000
04. Wii Fit (Wii) - 47,000 / 2,516,000
05. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 36,000 / 1,692,000
06. Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken (DS) - 35,000 / 180,000
07. Band Brothers DX (DS) - 24,000 / 280,000
08. Meccha! Taiko Drum Master DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken (DS) - 20,000 / 282,000
09. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 15 (PS2) - 19,000 / 161,000
10. Wario Land Shake It! (Wii) - 18,000 / 76,000
11. Tales of Vesperia (360)
12. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP)
13. Wii Sports (Wii)
14. Soulcalibur IV (PS3)
15. Powerful Pro Baseball Portable 3 (PSP)
16. Mario Kart DS (DS)
17. Densetsu no Stafi: Taiketsu! Dire Kaizokudan (DS)
18. Gundam Battle Universe (PSP)
19. Bimoji Training DS (DS)
20. Fatal Frame IV (Wii)
21. Bokura wa Kaseki Holder (DS)
22. Wii Play (Wii)
23. Mario Super Sluggers (Wii)
24. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
25. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 15 (Wii)
26. Sangokushi Taisen Ten (DS)
27. Akane Iro ni Somaru Saka: Parareru (PS2)
28. Mame Goma 2: Uchi no Ko ga Ichiban! (DS)
29. Crazy Taxi: Double Punch (PSP)
30. Persona 4 (PS2)

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Struct09
Posted 11:51 AM 23/8/08
@sandal-hat17: Announced around E3. I got to play the E3 build (US version, had English text) and it was a lot of fun.
Struct09
Struct09
Posted 11:50 AM 23/8/08
@Narsil: Won't take any convincing, Rhythm Heaven comes out in November for the US. One of my most anticipated titles this year :D
Struct09
sandal-hat17
Posted 11:49 AM 23/8/08
@CaptLtrl: Really!? Since when? See now you got me way too excited.
sandal-hat17
CaptLtrl
Posted 11:43 AM 23/8/08
@Narsil:
Uh, it IS coming out over here.
CaptLtrl
Sheetman
Posted 11:40 AM 23/8/08
Mario Kart Ds and New Super Mario Bros still in the top 30? Jesus, these two wont die!
Good to see Wario showing some legs. At first, it looked like a flop. Hope this inspires some more 2d console platformers from Nintendo.
Sheetman
enewtabie(wants a job at Insomniac Games in NC)
Posted 11:30 AM 23/8/08
@dadeisvenm: That's quite a drop from 1 to 11th and the 360 went back to sub 10k sales.Maybe it was a blip or maybe with the other RPGs they'll get something going.
enewtabie(wants a job at Insomniac Games in NC)
Ad-hominem
Posted 11:28 AM 23/8/08
Ahhh! All the game names are in Japanese. I have no clue what people in Japan are buying, other than minor clues.
Though I do find it funny that Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu on the Ps2 far outsold the Wii version.
Ad-hominem
dadeisvenm
Posted 11:27 AM 23/8/08
360 in the top 20 two weeks in a row? Prophecy has been fulfilled and the Prince of the netherworld will take his throne soon!
dadeisvenm
Narsil
Posted 11:25 AM 23/8/08
So, what will it take to convince Nintendo of America that Tengoku might be a good idea for the States?
Narsil
VakeroRokero
Posted 11:25 AM 23/8/08
Looking at #11 and #14, it seems japanese aren't into HD gaming as americans.
VakeroRokero
dArk_stAr
Posted 12:24 PM 23/8/08
Why don't I own Taiko Drum Master DS????
dArk_stAr
TMFAN
Posted 12:08 PM 23/8/08
Only in Japan. I mean, I've played on the US PC servers for a year, and there's barerly a couple hundred people playing these days while the Japanese people have a few thousand people playing. Some games just appeal to a certain market I guess. If PSP (the game) ever comes out in the US, it's gonna hit the bargain bin within a couple months.
TMFAN
zetopazio
Posted 12:53 PM 23/8/08
24. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
Jesus Christ will this game ever stop selling?
zetopazio
Bokusatsu_Tenshi
Posted 12:27 PM 23/8/08
Very yes... because Rhythm Tengoku is awesome!
[xspblog.com]
Bokusatsu_Tenshi
Narsil
Posted 1:11 PM 23/8/08
@CaptLtrl: Oh. Well, hot damn then.
Narsil
TheNexusRebound
Posted 1:03 PM 23/8/08
@dadeisvenm: It has happened before just not often by next week it will be gone replaced with DS, Wii and PSP games.
TheNexusRebound
maraxusofk
Posted 2:09 PM 23/8/08
tales probably dropped cuz almost everyone in japan wit 360 (yup all 200k of them) has tales by now and 360's completely sold out.
maraxusofk
maraxusofk
Posted 2:02 PM 23/8/08
tengoku gold is a great game. its also harder than the gba version too. hope u enjoy fun but difficult games.
maraxusofk
yomachaser
Posted 1:54 PM 23/8/08
@Sheetman:
Every nintendo game grows steel legs though so why the surprise?
yomachaser
suya123
Posted 2:16 PM 23/8/08
My condolences to Tales of Vesperia, ~115k in two weeks.
To make up for the low sales they are definitely going to need a big bump from the US. Which I don't think will be possible. Frankly, I'm the only one in my group of friends that even knows this game exists.
suya123
physalis925
Posted 2:15 PM 23/8/08
it is alot harder to keep the beat by tapping and sliding the screen, than pressing a button
physalis925
push eject
Posted 2:59 PM 23/8/08
rhythm tengoku gold is nowehre near as good as the original gba game. :(
the stylus actions are just not precise enough
push eject
RuneX21
Posted 4:11 PM 23/8/08
@suya123: Those sales are not really low you know, rather, its on a nice pace to hit 200k+ here in japan. With thier goal of 500k units(which puts it on par with the better selling tales titles) easily within reach once it hits the US.
Its a great game and follows symphonia and abyss in nearly every way. Hopefully it can match their sales as well, but in the US I would say that probably depends on the reviews it gets.(which to be honest, should be around the 8.5 area, but thats just my guess based on previous quality jrpgs)
Anyway, these sales figures are always like this, lots of portable crap, no HD console games except the first week or two, etc... So basically its just the same old thing.
RuneX21
okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under)
Posted 5:09 PM 23/8/08
The 360 is like the one-pump-chump of the Japanese console market. One awesome money-shot week and then it goes limp :(
okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under)
Reetesh
Posted 6:38 PM 23/8/08
Yes! Rhythm Tengoku on Top! Me feel happies :D
Reetesh
Gunloc
Posted 6:53 PM 23/8/08
Hell yeah Crazy Taxi! Bring that game to XBLA/PSN
Gunloc
beril
Posted 7:05 PM 23/8/08
Nice to see both Band Brothers and Wario Land returning to the top 10. 76k is a pretty good number for a 2d platformer that's not on the DS.
beril
Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.
Posted 10:37 PM 23/8/08
Mario Kart DS is STILL in the top 30? What the hell?
Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.
raiseplease
Posted 4:52 AM 24/8/08
Not very encouraging for next-gen gaming.
raiseplease
Alex_Mexico
Posted 7:34 AM 24/8/08
geez, Japan sure is licking its non-HD/non-real-gaming games.
#11 and #14 says it.
Alex_Mexico
PRguitarman
Posted 2:40 PM 24/8/08
Tengoku Gold is so much fun. I'm glad it's destroying the competition in Japan :D
PRguitarman
MysidianMan
Posted 8:14 AM 30/8/08
Just knowing there's another Rhythm Tengoku game was enough, but this chart has me beaming.
MysidianMan