Nintendo’s Super Mario Galaxy 2 has debuted at number 1 on the Japanese Software Chart. Mario’s new intergalactic adventure is one of the most anticipated titles among Wii gamers for this year so it’s hardly surprising that the latest Media Create figures show that it sold a whopping 340 000 copies for the week ending the 30th of May. Bear in mind that the game launched across Japan on the 27th of May so these sales account for only three days. You may be interested to learn that Super Mario Galaxy 2 performed better in its opening week than the original which sold 250 585 copies in its opening week.

Super Robot Wars OG Saga for the DS is also new at number 2, although it sells considerably less with 81 000 copies, while Let’s Make a Pro Soccer Club for the DS enters the chart at number 3 with 50 000 copies and Medarot DS debuts at number 4 with 50 000 copies.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 for the DS drops three places to number 5 with 34 000 copies. Meanwhile Lost Planet 2 for the PS3 loses five spots, finishing at number 6 with 34 000 copies after debuting in the top spot last week with 85 000 copies. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker for the PSP drops three places to seventh with 25 000 copies while World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 for the PS3 moves down to eighth after debuting with 57 000 copies at number 3 last week.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii remains popular, only dropping one place to number 9 with 16 000 copies while DeathSmiles IIX gives the Xbox 360 a rare appearance in the Top 10, debuting at number 10 with 16 000 copies. Alan Wake, another Xbox 360 title, just misses a Top 10 spot, entering the chart at number 11.

Friend Collection, World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 for the PSP and PS2 lose their spots in the Top 10 this week. Lost Planet 2 for the Xbox 360 plummets from quite a strong debut at number 5 last week to number 19, while Fullmetal Alchemist: To the Promised Day for the PSP drops to number 21 after debuting at number 7. Wii Fit Plus, Mario Kart Wii and Wii Sports Resort climb slowly back up the chart, interest in the popular Nintendo evergreens no doubt fuelled by the release of Super Mario Galaxy 2.

It will be interesting to see what effect the release of Super Mario Galaxy 2 has on hardware sales for the Wii. Hardware sales have been slumping in Japan over the past few weeks – will the opening sales of this new Wii title be enough to inject some life into the Wii sales and boost it past the PSP, which has been hogging the spotlight on the hardware chart for a couple of months now.

Software Chart

• 1.) Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo) - Wii - 340 000 (New)
• 2.) Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Masou Kishin - The Lord of Elemental (Bandai Namco) - NDS - 81 000 (New)
• 3.) Let’s Make a Pro Soccer Club! DS World Challenge 2010 (Sega) - NDS - 50 000 (New)
• 4.) Medarot DS: Kabuto / Kuwagata (Rocket Company) - NDS - 50 000 (New)
• 5.) Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 (Square Enix) - NDS - 34 000
• 6.) Lost Planet 2 (Capcom) - PS3 - 34 000
• 7.) Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (Konami) - PSP - 25 000
• 8.) World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010: Blue Samurai Challenge (Konami) - PS3 - 22 000
• 9.) New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo) - Wii - 16 000
• 10.) DeathSmiles IIX (Cave) - Xbox 360 - 16 000 (New)

Source: Media Create