2025 was a weird year for Nintendo. While it released a brand-new console, the Nintendo Switch 2, a sub-par launch line-up made a year that should have been special feel flat. Only one new Switch 2 exclusive made Metacritic's top 25 games of the year, Donkey Kong Bananza, which epitomized the console's first six months.
However, while it wasn't the barnstorming year that Nintendo fans had hoped for, it didn't stop them from buying, especially in Japan. A new report has revealed that seven of the ten best-selling physical games in the country last year came from arguably its most recognizable brand, Nintendo.
Japanese gamers have a particular penchant for Nintendo and its games. The company was, of course, founded there in the 1800s, and it's played a huge part in Japanese culture ever since. That is, and often has been reflected in the country's yearly sales charts.
Another tally in the win column for Clair Obscur.
According to Famitsu's yearly sales recap, Nintendo titles account for 70 percent of the top 10 best-selling physical games in all of 2025. You can see the data below:
There's a lot to dissect from this.
As...
