Pokémon Diamond and Pearl remakes are the second biggest Switch physical launch in Japan
Shining success.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are off to a great start in Japan, with the second biggest Switch physical game launch ever.
Between the two versions, 1.39m copies were sold in the first three days, according to Famitsu. This includes retail versions, the double pack and download card purchases; it doesn't include digital downloads from the eShop.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons still holds the record for the biggest physical launch in Japan, with 1.88m physical copies sold in its first three days.
But the Diamond and Pearl remakes have outsold Sword and Shield, which sold 1.36m units in the equivalent time.
For further reference, the original DS games sold 1.586m in four days.
Considering Sword and Shield are on track to become the second biggest selling Pokémon titles of all time, the success of these remakes is significant, though it remains to be seen if this can be sustained.
It's also worth noting the increased playerbase of the Switch in Japan compared with the release of Sword and Shield back in 2019.
It's clear, though, that there's a huge appetite for a nostalgia hit of Pokémon, and just before the release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus next year.
Serebii.net owner Joe Merrick shared the physical launch sales for all the games in Japan, further highlighting the success of the remakes.
Worldwide sales are yet to be released.
In the UK at least, the remakes are 2021's second-biggest boxed game launch, just behind FIFA.