What the Japanese Like

Oh, the lists just keep on coming. Now the numbers are in on Japanese game sales, and it's interesting to note the divergent tastes between west and east.

We all know that our friends in the land of the rising sun love them some soy-based beverages, shark fin soups, and seizure-inducing cartoons. But apparently, they also really, really love the Nintendo DS. Like, a lot. More than their ancestors, even.

Of the 100 best selling games in Japan for 2008, nearly half are DS games. Pokemon Platinum landed the top slot for portable Nintendo games. However, it only came in second place in the totals. The top selling game of any console was the PSP's Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G. It seems the Japanese love nothing more than to catch virtual creatures while riding their bullet rickshaws or whatever the heck they ride over there.

Also worth noting is the sad fact that only one Xbox 360 game cracked the top 100. Tales of Vesperia was nothing short of a system seller for Microsoft's big beige box. And until an exclusive like Fable: Catch Them Monsters and/or Gears of Monster Grabbin' hits the system, it looks like the 360 has an uphill battle across the Pacific.

Source: Kotaku