Chart Double for EA's World Cup Game

And Brain Training manages to climb up the charts in its second week.

England plays its final game in the group stage of the World Cup on Tuesday night. The football madness is hanging thick in the air, and some of its ripeness has spread into game stores, keeping FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 game at the top of the chart for a second week in a row and its sixth overall.

Animal Crossing is still holding strong

Things look familiar below EA's football game, but there are encouraging signs that Nintendo's outreach might be working. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain debuted at No. 6 last week and it moved up a couple places this week.

The DS may not be doing as well here as it is in Japan, where the handheld regularly dominates the charts, but there are three exclusive games for the system in the Top 20, the other two being Animal Crossing: Wild World (8) and Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends (12).

The real news, though, is not on the charts themselves. Publishers suffer thanks to a brutal trifecta of distractions that is keeping people out of game stores - sun, football, and the traditional summer slowdown.

Below are the top 10 games in the UK for the week ending 17 June, as determined by Chart Track:

1. FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 (EA)
2. Hitman: Blood Money (Eidos)
3. Tomb Raider: Legend (Eidos)
4. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? (Nintendo)
5. Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (Konami)
6. Sensible Soccer 2006 (Codemasters)
7. Moto GP '06 (THQ)
8. Animal Crossing: Wild World (Nintendo)
9. Championship Manager 2006 (Eidos)
10. Football Manager 2006 (Sega)

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games