The figures from Media Create, a Japanese market research firm, on the Nintendo DS's launch performance are in, and roughly half of the 500,000 units shipped were sold through on the first day. Early Japanese adopters picked up 230,000 units of the system, along with 60,000 copies of
Mario 64 DS and very nearly as many of
Sawaru! Made in Wario.
Other games fared less well, but still vaguely respectably for launch titles.
Kimi no Tame Nara Shineru (
Feel the Magic XX/XY) was in third place with 20,000 copies sold, and
Band Brothers and
Pokémon Dash racked up 15,000 sales apiece. All other games placed at under 10,000 units sold.
It's worth noting that Japanese policies on returnability differ from American ones -- namely, you can't return games in Japan -- so, no matter what the eventual sell-through is on the DS's launch lineup in the coming weeks, it'll go down as a win in Nintendo's column this holiday season.
