DS and GT4 Come Out on Top in the UK

Nintendo scores big with its new handheld while Sony's oft-delayed simulation racer proves it still has what it takes to bring in gamers.

It was a big week for games in the UK last week, with the release of one of the most eagerly awaited titles of the year in Gran Turismo 4 and also the introduction of Nintendo's new DS handheld.

Perhaps The Bear had something to do with the
excellent sales of the DS

Gran Turismo 4 got off to a flying start with the fourth-best first-week sales ever in the UK, behind the two most recent Grand Theft Auto games and Halo 2. In fact, the game did so well that it outpaced the combined first-week sales of the series' first three instalments combined.

But the real story was the release of the Nintendo DS in the UK. The launch kicked off at hundreds of stores around the country at midnight on Thursday and by the end of the weekend more than 87,000 had been sold.

This is the best start ever for a videogame machine in the UK, far outstripping the first weeks for all of Nintendo's other consoles and handhelds. The games sold well too, with Super Mario 64 DS unsurprisingly beating out the competition and coming in fourth for the week overall. Five other DS games, including Wario Ware Touched!, made it into the top 20 for the week.

Here are the top 10 games in the UK for the week ending 12 March as determined by Chart Track:

1. Gran Turismo 4 (Sony)
2. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Konami)
3. FIFA Street (EA)
4. Super Mario 64 DS (Nintendo)
5. The Sims 2: University (EA)
6. Wario Ware Touched! (Nintendo)
7. Mercenaries (LucasArts)
8. Star Wars: Republic Commando (LucasArts)
9. Sonic Mega Collection Plus (Sega)
10. Rayman DS (Ubisoft)

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games