Splatoon 3 has smashed Switch launch records in Japan

Splatoon 3 has smashed Nintendo Switch software launch records in Japan, the company has announced.

And according to the Game Data Library, a site that collates Japanese sales data, Splatoon 3 could be the biggest Japanese game launch ever, on any platform.

According to Nintendo’s data, the Switch sequel is now comfortably Japan’s biggest ever game launch on the platform, in terms of both physical and digital copies, with some 3.45 million copies sold during its first three days on sale.

That’s nearly 600,000 units more than Switch’s previous biggest Japan launch, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, managed in its first week on sale.

Splatoon 3 guides:

Splatoon 3 Splatfest | Splatoon 3 tier list

Pokémon Legends: Arceus achieved second place earlier this year when it sold 1.425m units in Japan during its launch week. Last year’s Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl sold 1.396m at launch in Japan.

The Splatoon series has enjoyed continued popularity in Japan. According to Famitsu, Splatoon 2 was the fifth best selling Switch game overall in the country, as of March 2022.

However, with 4.03m copies sold as of that month, it’s likely the latest entry will overtake its predecessor in just a few weeks.

Further reading

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Review: Splatoon 3 gives Nintendo’s weirdest world its safest sequel

How do you expect to defeat aquatic enemies without an obvious hook?

In VGC’s Splatoon 3 review, critic Matthew Castle called the game “Nintendo’s safest sequel”.

“Its back-of-the-box features read more like (generous) patch notes than a bold invitation to a world of ink-flinging revolution. But if it provides solid fun within those baby steps, does it truly matter? In a game where point one of a percent can result in its biggest thrills, a major splash of paint isn’t always required.”