Nintendo shared a list of 2021’s most downloaded Switch games, and Monster Hunter Rise is at the top

Among Us is second

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Occasionally, sneaky Nintendo will provide some sort of financial results for their platform: even if raw numbers are mostly limited to investor reports. While we don’t have exact sales figures here, Nintendo did give us the goods with their “first half of 2021 download ranking” list, which showcases theĀ top 30 most downloaded games in Japan.

First up on the most downloaded games list? Monster Hunter Rise. It’s not really a surprise as the game was a hit worldwide, much less in Japan where folks can enjoy a portableĀ Monster Hunter. What is a bit surprising is seeing the reach ofĀ Among Us in other countries, as it took the number two spot. Third is the only Japan exclusive: Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban!, which is about simulating a railroad president. If you’re interested, you can import it!

Then we haveĀ Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, proving thatĀ Mario still sells in 2021.Ā Human fall flat takes the fifth most downloaded games list spot, followed by the ever-present Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which refuses to die, with newcomerĀ New Pokemon Snap in seventh place.

Smash Ultimate, another evergreen Switch title is eighth, followed byĀ Minecraft (so many evergreen games on this list!), thenĀ Story of Seasons Olive Town and the Land of Hope rounding out the chart at 10. If you root around you’ll find a few other first party games clinging to life, likeĀ Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 12th,Ā Animal Crossing: New Horizons in 13th, and Splatoon 2 in 15th.

Incredibly, the most downloaded games chart also highlights, at least in digital form, that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe andĀ Smash Ultimate have more long-term selling power thanĀ New Horizons: which is newer and dropped down the charts in the first half of 2021. This matters because all three of them are vying for the top three spots in Nintendo’s all-time Switch best-seller list. While it looked likeĀ New Horizons would overtake Mario Kart 8 in time,Ā the latter has a lot more staying power than some expected.

The most downloaded games list

Again, you can check out the most downloaded games list here for yourself, or browse through the top 11 below.

[Thanks John!]


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Chris Carter
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Managing Editor - Chris has been enjoying Destructoid avidly since 2008. He finally decided to take the next step in January of 2009 blogging on the site. Now, he's staff!