Japanese Video Game Chart: The Last Story Gets the Last Word

It’s out with the old and in with the new, as the Japanese video game chart does its Spring cleaning early this year (24th - 30th January 2011, courtesy Media Create). Hironobu Sakaguchi’s latest RPG, The Last Story, debuts at the top of the chart thanks to its pedigree and sales of a Wii hardware bundle pack.

1 The Last Story – Nintendo (Wii) – 114,722 / NEW
2 Valkyria Chronicles 3 – Sega (PSP) – 102,779 / NEW
3 My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute – Namco Bandai (PSP) – 88,493 / NEW
4 Kenka Bancho 5 – Spike (PSP) – 58,977 / NEW
5 A Certain Magical Index – ASCII (PSP) – 56,017 / NEW
6 Dragon Age Origins – Spike (PS3) – 42,854 / NEW
7 Monster Hunter Freedom 3 – Capcom (PSP) – 33,338
8 Dream Club Zero – D3 Publisher (Xbox 360) – 21,734 / NEW
9 Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix – Square Enix (PSP) – 20,528
10 Donkey Kong Country Returns – Nintendo (Wii) – 19,214

Sega’s Valkyria Chronicles 3 was also released this past week and entered at a strong #2 position, selling over 102,000 units. That’s besting the first-week sales of its previous PSP title of 94,000 units. Prominent school brawler Kenka Bancho hasn’t performed as well as it should have, hitting #4 with under 60,000 units sold.

The top 10 - and indeed, the Top 20 - is packed with new releases, including ASCII’s A Certain Magical Index, Spike’s localisation of Dragon Age Origins and D3’s Dream Club Zero representing the Xbox 360 there. Popular comedy manga adaptation My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute is probably the most concerning title, if you’ve never seen the anime. Or even if you have seen the anime, to be brutally honest.