Pokémon Sun and Moon sold nearly 2m copies in three days, just in Japan

Pokémon Sun and Moon shifted an astonishing 1,905,107 units during the game's opening weekend in Japan.

To put that into perspective - well, that's huge. It's the second biggest 3DS launch ever, behind only Pokémon X and Y (which sold 2.09m).

eShop digital sales are not counted in either figure - and the rising number of people who choose to buy this way may actually put Sun and Moon ahead.

Nintendo has yet to release its own worldwide sales figures for Sun and Moon, which also launched in North America last Friday, as the duo are still to release in Europe (a fact I am sure you are well aware of, dear reader).

Sun and Moon launch in the UK and across the continent as of midnight tonight.

Nintendo has high hopes for the games - and it has already trumpeted word of it shipping 10m copies to retailers.

1.9m units in Japan is a good sign, however. It's way higher than the last games - remakes Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (1.5m launch).

In fact, this places Sun and Moon as the third-largest launch in the history of the series, behind X/Y and the DS' Black/White, launched at the tail end of that handheld's life when it had an enormous player base.

Last week, Eurogamer broke the news that Sun and Moon will be followed by a new incarnation of the games due later next year on Nintendo Switch. It's currently code-named Pokémon Stars, will featured updated visuals, and allow you to transfer your creatures over from Sun or Moon via the Pokémon Bank app.