It’s the second number one debut in a row for LucasArts in the UK this week, with Mercenaries knocking Knights of the Old Republic II off the top spot, following mostly positive reviews, and some obviously helpful comparisons to the Grand Theft Auto series. Published in the UK by Activision, this is the greatest impact LucasArts-related titles have had on the UK charts for a long time, although unlike the U.S., it is the PlayStation 2 version that has outsold the Xbox, with a 56 percent share of sales. This is no doubt due to the smaller Xbox user base in the UK, and competition from the Xbox-exclusive Knights of the Old Republic II. The half-term school break accounts for the sudden rise in popularity of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, while Sonic Mega Collection Plus is showing real stamina – only falling two places in the face of stiff competition. The next highest entry, after Mercenaries, is a creditable twelfth place entry for flight sim Ace Combat: Squadron Leader (aka Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War), while Xbox exclusive Dead or Alive Ultimate has fared far less well – entering only at number nineteen. However, the highly acclaimed Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat has failed to penetrate the top forty at all.

Official UK Leisure Software Charts (c) ELSPA compiled by Chart-Track