Nintendo back on top of Japan sales

Nintendo is sitting pretty on top of the Japanese hardware chart once more, with DS leading and Wii close behind.

Sales dipped again this week, with former runner-up PSP losing a meaty 16,236 and sliding to third.

Further down there was virtually no change, according to Media Create data, with PS3 a distant fourth selling 38,117, followed by older sibling PS2 with 13,539.

Microsoft continued to struggle, flogging just 4,552 of its Xbox 360 consoles.

But a glance at the game sales shows why, with Monster Hunter Portable 2nd the only game not for a Nintendo console in the top ten.

Wii Fit headlined the list, followed by DS titles Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (8th on Wii) and Mario Party. Wii Sports was placed fourth, with the sole PSP title sliding in at fifth.

Professor Layton and Pandora's Box (DS) finished in sixth, Final Fantasy IV (DS) in seventh, Dragon Quest IV (DS) in ninth and Super Mario Galaxy rounded the chart off in tenth.

The continued success of the Wii was highlighted earlier this week, with Nintendo revealing it had sold 5 million units in Japan. Its popularity was highlighted by Wii Play and Wii Sports selling over two million each, as Wii Fit continued its rampant success and soared over one million.

Its European arm also boasted huge figures, pointing out that 6 million Wii consoles had been shifted.

Worldwide sales for the console are now over 20 million, while the DS continues to thunder its way skywards with 64.79 million shifted.