Nintendo has turned out to be the market leader in terms of top selling games of 2023 in Japan, based on the latest information.
Famitsu has shared the top selling games released in 2023, and it turns out that Nintendo Switch titles dominated the market throughout the year. This is not unexpected, as the Switch is by far the most popular console in the Japanese market, selling an estimated total of 4,062,609 units in the year.
Top 10 Best Selling 2023 Games In Japan
The list of top 10 best selling titles for the year 2023 in the Japanese market can be seen below.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Hardware: Switch
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Release date: 2023/5/12
- Estimated annual sales: 1,929,603 units
- Estimated cumulative sales: 1,929,603 units
2. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Hardware: Switch
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Release date: 2023/10/20
- Estimated annual sales: 1,549,401 units
- Estimated cumulative sales: 1,549,401 units
3. Pikmin 4
- Hardware: Switch
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Release date: 2023/7/21
- Estimated annual sales: 1,119,027 units
- Estimated cumulative sales: 1,119,027 units
4. Pokemon Scarlet Violet
- Hardware: Switch
- Publisher: Pokemon
- Release date: 2022/11/18
- Estimated annual sales: 907,432 units
- Estimated cumulative sales: 5,246,363 units
5. Momotaro Dentetsu World ~ The earth revolves around hope!
- Hardware: Switch
- Publisher: KONAMI
- Release date: 2023/11/16
- Estimated annual sales: 795,681 units
- Estimated cumulative sales: 795,681 units
6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Hardware: Switch
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Release date: 2017/4/28
- Estimated annual sales: 617,223 units
- Estimated cumulative sales: 5,631,598 units
7. Kirby of the Stars Wii Deluxe
- Hardware: Switch
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Release date: 2023/2/24
- Estimated annual sales: 514,581 units
- Estimated cumulative sales: 514,581 units
8. Dragon Quest Monsters 3: Journey of the Demon Prince and the Elf
- Hardware: Switch
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Release date: 2023/12/1
- Estimated annual sales: 510,477 units
- Estimated cumulative sales: 510,477 units
9. Splatoon 3
- Hardware: Switch
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Release date: 2022/9/9
- Estimated annual sales: 503,312 units
- Estimated cumulative sales: 4,191,126 units
10. Super Mario RPG
- Hardware: Switch
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Release date: 2023/11/17
- Estimated annual sales: 447,687 units
- Estimated cumulative sales: 447,687 units
The top selling game of 2023 in Japan, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, serves as a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild from 2017, maintaining elements such as the open-world setting of Hyrule, now expanded to enable more vertical exploration. The game’s narrative revolves around Link’s quest to locate Princess Zelda and thwart the Demon King’s world-threatening ambitions. Nintendo has no plans to release DLC for the game.
