Monstrous Success for Pokemon in the US

After taking control of Japan, the franchise does likewise in America. NPD stats inside.

Nintendo's latest duo of Pokémon games came at a time when some were wondering whether the series still had the legs it once have. The data show it does.

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were released in the US on 22 April and promptly went on to sell 1.75 million copies before the month was out, according to the latest figures from research firm NPD Group. This adds to the more than 5 million copies of the games already sold in Japan.

The games' release also helped the DS enjoy another month of top of the hardware rankings, selling 471,000 units during April.

In a statement released after the numbers were announced, Nintendo said that the Pokémon games have "cemented their place alongside the most enduring intellectual properties of the book, music and movie industries".

Will Pokémon Diamond and Pearl get the same sort of rapturous welcome when they're released in Europe this summer? The success of Pokémon Ranger, a spin-off of the main series, suggests they will.

Below are the US hardware and software charts US for the month of April:

Software

1. Pokémon Diamond (DS) - 1,045,000
2. Pokémon Pearl (DS) - 712,000
3. Super Paper Mario (Wii) - 352,000
4. Wii Play with remote (Wii) - 249,000
5. Guitar Hero 2 with guitar (Xbox 360) - 197,000
6. Guitar Hero 2 with guitar (PS2) - 142,000
7. Spider-Man 3 (Xbox 360) - 117,000
8. Spider-Man 3 (PS2) - 105,000
9. God Of War II (PS2) - 101,000
10. MLB '07: The Show (PS2) - 79,000

Hardware

1. DS - 471,000
2. Wii - 360,000
3. PlayStation 2 - 194,000
4. PSP - 183,000
5. Xbox 360 - 174,000
6. Game Boy Advance - 84,000
7. PlayStation 3 - 82,000
8. GameCube - 13,000

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo