eShop Rating-Sales: August 2011

The Nintendo eShop is Nintendo's online shop through the 3DS where people can download games from old Nintendo hardware, DSiWare games, and new download software specific for the 3DS. Because Nintendo does not disclose sales numbers, and developers are most likely barred from revealing them, we do not know how games are doing on the service.

But we might have at least a small hint.

After playing a game on the 3DS for over a hour, players are capable of rating these games via the eShop, and the totals are shown on each game page, showing up to five stars based on what the population thinks. At the very least, we now have minimum sales figures for the games, but with a very large disclaimer: these numbers represent the users who have done the following:

1) Purchased the game
2) Played the game for over an hour on the 3DS, and
3) Chose to rate the game on the eShop.

People who play the games on their DSi systems cannot rate games, nor can people who have not played the games for less than one hour. Since rating cannot be done outside of the eShop, some might have forgotten to or chosen not to rate said games. Also note that a rating does not necessarily correspond with a sale in the month in which it appears, only emphasizing the number of additional people who completed the above steps.

With that disclaimer in mind, let us take a look at how the games performed.

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Free Apps

1. Nintendo Video	8847	12048
2. Pokedex 3D	6874	26093
3. Netflix	5274	10816

As we can see, the most-rated product on the eShop is clearly Pokedex 3D, which has just over 26,000 ratings. I figure that will remain the most-rated product on the eShop for the foreseeable future. As Nintendo Video appeared late July, this outcome does not appear surprising to me, but it seems that, even though Netflix is highly rated, it is growing slower than the other two.


Pre-eShop DSiWare*

1. Plants vs. Zombies	790	2976
2. Photo Dojo	682	2147
3. Cave Story	637	2367
5. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!	602	1983
6. Inchworm Animation	505	1288
7. Shantae: Risky's Revenge	440	1630
8. Anonymous Notes Chapter 1 - From the Abyss	368	1038
9. Bomberman Blitz	311	880
10. GO Series: 10 Second Run	311	636
11. Zenonia	310	829
12. Tetris Party Live	279	805
13. Mario Clock	263	763
14. Pop Island - Paperfield	210	620
15. Soul of Darkness	198	473
16. Army Defender	176	452
17. Dark Void Zero	170	503
18. Dr. Mario Express	150	484
19. Extreme Hangman	95	365
20. Anonymous Notes Chapter 2 - From the Abyss	89	315
21. GO Series: Defense Wars	51	103
22. WarioWare: Snapped!	40	149

*These select games have made appearances on the eShop recent releases charts. This chart might be missing other DSiWare games with greater ratings and rating totals.

Something tells me the top five will be close to unchanging as the eShop continues. This month, two more games appeared to my knowledge on the eShop DSiWare charts:

JellyCar 2 (477 Ratings Total)
Arcade Bowling (211 Ratings Total)

We will be adding more games from the older DSiWare selection as time progresses.


Post-eShop DSiWare

1. Afterzoom	166	296
2. Extreme Hangman 2	98	157
3. The Lost Town: The Dust	61	122
4. Antipole	57	91
5. Go! Go! Kokopolo	45	45
6. My Australian Farm	39	44
7. Moto eXtreme	35	74
8. Stratego: Next Edition	32	75
9. Make-Up & Style	32	65
10. GO Series: Portable Shrine Wars	30	32
11. Jewel Keepers: Easter Island	24	37
12. Pro Jumper! Guilty Gear Tangent!?	19	54
13. My Asian Farm	17	17
14. Farm Frenzy	16	25
15. Heart Spaces Euchre	13	24
16. Let's Create! Pottery	13	13
17. Puzzle Fever	12	21
18. Magical Whip	11	11
19. Kung Fu Dragon	9	11
20. Build-a-lot	9	9
21. Beach Party Craze	8	18
22. Trollboarder	7	10
23. Blockado - Puzzle Island	7	7
24. Delbo	6	22
25. Roller Angels	6	19
26. Crazy Hamster	6	6
27. Zimo: Mahjong Fanatic	5	13
28. Hidden Photo	5	15
29. Oscar's World Tour	5	5
30. Play & Learn Spanish	5	5
31. Zoonies - Escape from Makatu	4	4
32. Calculator	3	3
33. Gold Fever	2	15
34. Boardwalk Ball Toss	2	11
35. Just SING! 80s Collection	2	2
36. Go Fetch! 2	2	2
37. B-Team - Episode 2: Ice & Venom	1	1

To think, nearly 40 DSiWare games came out over the summer months! That's a lot of games, but it seems that not too many have been getting a ton of reception compared to the more well-known DSiWare games. Afterzoom has been getting the most reception, but even so, the game would barely chart on the older DSiWare game chart above. Hopefully the actual sales for these games are not as low as they appear here.

Go! Go! Kokopolo from indie group Tanukii Studios and Room 4 Games was the new release this past month with the most response. Even with a modest 45 ratings, it sits in the top 5. Total-wise it has a little ways to go, but it is doing well from the looks of it. Meanwhile, The Lost Town and Antipole appear to be doing well for themselves a month after their releases, which tells me good things about their ratings for the future. A big sad-face for B-Team Episode 2 and Go Fetch! 2, both sequels and both having done poorly for ratings. At least they got ratings in their release month: both Oscar's World Tour and Just SING! 80s Collection had no ratings when they came out and only just got their first ratings in August.

Virtual Console

1. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX	2469	12759
2. Super Mario Land	1653	7458
3. Donkey Kong	807	2856
4. Kirby's Dream Land	798	1977
5. Mario's Picross	568	568
6. Game & Watch Gallery	326	617
7. Gargoyle's Quest	125	125
8. Alleyway	107	521
9. Avenging Spirit	71	71
10. Qix	60	140
11. Baseball	49	99
12. Radar Mission	41	180
13. Fortified Zone	32	76
14. Tennis	30	121

While there have been a few great games released on the Virtual Console thus far, you would think more than three games would be released in August before the big Fall season. Mario's Picross released at the beginning of the month, and its ratings show that quite well. Gargoyle's Quest, the first Capcom title for the Virtual Console, was only out for a week when the month ended, but it seems to have gotten quite a number of ratings thus far, and quite a few of them are positive! Avenging Spirit currently sits with the least ratings of all Virtual Console games (behind another Jaleco game, Fortified Zone), but it will most likely climb in number as time progresses.

It should be noted that the top four has remained that way consistently in both sales and ratings charts. Link's Awakening DX is, to date, the most-rated and probably highest-selling game on the Nintendo eShop that has never been free.


3DS Download Software

1. 3D Classics: Excitebike*	2807	16091
2. Let's Golf! 3D	759	895
3. 3D Classics: Xevious	417	660
4. 3D Classics: Urban Champion	191	191

*This game was available for free in June. Most ratings are most likely not purchases.

It is a shame to see so few unique 3DS software being sold on the eShop months into its existence. Nintendo will most likely be releasing three more 3D Classics over the rest of the year, but I imagine more 3DS games in general must be coming, especially when you look at Japan's output of 3DS software already.

Excitebike will most likely be the most-rated game for a long while. 3D Classics: Urban Champion, which released in the second half of the month, is the only 3DS download game to debut in August, and it looks like it will be moving slowly, as general thoughts are negative on its inclusion. From last month, 3D Classics: Xevious is doing pretty well, and Lets Golf! 3D is looking to accelerate without any competition. Looking at the Coming Soon section, I don't think it will have much for a bit longer yet!


Overall

1. 3D Classics: Excitebike*	2807	16091
2. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX	2469	12759
3. Super Mario Land	1653	7458
4. Donkey Kong	807	2856
5. Kirby's Dream Land	798	1977
6. Plants vs. Zombies	790	2976
7. Let's Golf! 3D	759	895
8. Photo Dojo	682	2147
9. Cave Story	637	2367
10. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!	602	1983

*This game was available for free in June. Most ratings are most likely not purchases.

And so ends what appears to be a pretty quiet month for the eShop. Mario's Picross was number 11, just shy of the list (if you include Excitebike), and the the second and third-highest debuts are 3D Classics: Urban Champion at 24 and Gargoyle's Quest at 29. Go! Go! Kokopolo sat at 40, showing that new DSiWare seems to be getting the short end of the stick, while the older popular DSiWare continue to sell.

What's up for this month? Well, the Ambassador program started last week, so I somehow picture those games appearing in its own section for the time being. Meanwhile, Four Swords is expected to appear for DSiWare, although the game is supposedly free and will be treated as such here.

Hope anyone out there enjoys my number obsession.