With 2022 now behind us, the question has begun to find the best-selling games in each region for the entire year. Japan has released their numbers for 2022 and it shouldn’t be surprising that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet topped the list with Splatoon 3 right behind it. In fact, both games tower over the rest of the field. Given the hype behind their launches and the love that Japan has for both of these franchises, it makes sense that they took the top spot.
What might be a surprise to some is how dominating Nintendo was compared to the rest of the field in 2022. The only game that isn’t Nintendo releated (NSW = Nintendo Switch if not obvious) on the list is Elden Ring! Oh, and the Nintendo Switch dominated the hardware market with over 4.8 million sales during the year. You can check out the full list and its stats below, and be sure to read our Pokemon Scarlet and Violet review!
1. [NSW] Pokemon Scarlet / Violet – 4,338,931 /
2. [NSW] Splatoon 3 – 3,687,814 / NEW
3. [NSW] Pokemon Legends: Arceus – 2,314,806 /
4. [NSW] Kirby and the Forgotten Land – 969,047 /
5. [NSW] Nintendo Switch Sports – 887,722 /
6. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 742,018 / 5,014,375
7. [NSW] Minecraft – 548,415 / 2,960,006
8. [NSW] Mario Party Superstars – 485,594 / 1,114,132
9. [NSW] Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – 441,053 / 5,065,191
10. [PS4] Elden Ring – 356,711 /
