eShop Rating-Sales: September 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

1/1 Nintendo Video	7158	19206
2/2 Pokedex 3D	5371	31464
3/3 Netflix	3331	14147

Unmoved from last month, Nintendo Video remains the most-rated product in Nintendo's applications, but Pokedex 3D is still the most-rated download software on the eShop to date. At the very least, roughly 30 to 40 thousand people have accessed the eShop at some point, but I imagine the number to be greater overall.


Pre-eShop DSiWare*

1/1 Plants vs. Zombies	647	3623
2/2 Photo Dojo	496	2643
3/3 Cave Story	424	2791
4/5 Inchworm Animation	419	1707
5/4 Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!	404	2387
6/7 Anonymous Notes Chapter 1 - From the Abyss	304	1342
7/10 Zenonia	299	1128
8/6 Shantae: Risky's Revenge	281	1911
9/8 Bomberman Blitz	211	1091
10/12 Mario Clock	209	972
11/9 GO Series: 10 Second Run	203	839
12/11 Tetris Party Live	194	999
13/13 Pop Island - Paperfield	168	788
14/15 Army Defender	162	614
15/14 Soul of Darkness	122	595
16/16 Dark Void Zero	119	622
17/00 JellyCar 2	108	585
18/17 Dr. Mario Express	96	580
19/19 Anonymous Notes Chapter 2 - From the Abyss	71	386
20/18 Extreme Hangman	59	424
21/00 Arcade Bowling	56	267
22/20 GO Series: Defense Wars	33	136
23/21 WarioWare: Snapped!	31	180

*The list might not include games with higher rating counts, as it omits a large portion of prior DSiWare releases.

More or less the top 6 games remained as such, although there are some movements lower down the list. There does not appear to be any surprise in the current listing of old DSiWare games, at least not yet. Meanwhile, Nintendo this past month posted a "Biggest Movers" category in the eShop, and including newly charted games, represent the added chunk of games to the list for next month.

Crystal Monsters	638
Nintendo Countdown Calender	353
Pop Island	332
Touch Solitaire	317
My Farm	279
Paper Airplane Chase	227
Blazybloo: Super Melee Action Battle Royale	217
Mario Calculator	193
5 in 1 Solitaire	180
My Exotic Farm	175
Castle Conqueror	168
Gangster 2: Kings of L.A.	160
Earthworm Jim	149
AiRace	144
A Topsy Turvy Life: The Turvys Strike Back	63
Petz Dogz Family	51
Petz Kittens	38

Yes, Nintendo listed two Petz games in the "Biggest Movers" section. I have my doubts, but we will see next time if the category meant much.


Post-eShop DSiWare

1/00 The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition**	1679	1679
2/16 Let's Create! Pottery	99	112
3/01 Afterzoom	80	376
4/00 GO Series: Fishing Resort	61	61
5/02 Extreme Hangman 2	56	213
6/05 Go! Go! Kokopolo	51	96
7/18 Magical Whip	47	58
8/03 The Lost Town: The Dust	46	168
9/20 Build-a-lot	29	38
10/32 Calculator	29	32
11/06 My Australian Farm	27	71
12/13 My Asian Farm	25	42
13/07 Moto eXtreme	22	96
14/04 Antipole	22	113
15/31 Zoonies - Escape from Makatu	19	23
16/09 Make-Up & Style	17	82
17/00 House M.D. - Blue Meanie	17	17
18/12 Pro Jumper! Guilty Gear Tangent!?	16	70
19/00 Defense of the Middle Kingdom	16	16
20/19 Kung Fu Dragon	14	25
21/26 Crazy Hamster	14	20
22/10 GO Series: Portable Shrine Wars	13	45
23/23 Blockado - Puzzle Island	13	20
24/00 Break Tactics	13	13
25/08 Stratego: Next Edition	12	87
26/14 Farm Frenzy	10	35
27/15 Heart Spaces Euchre	8	32
28/17 Puzzle Fever	8	29
29/25 Roller Angels	7	26
30/11 Jewel Keepers: Easter Island	7	44
31/22 Trollboarder	7	17
32/27 Zimo: Mahjong Fanatic	6	19
33/24 Delbo	6	28
34/00 DotMan	6	6
35/28 Hidden Photo	5	20
36/00 Puzzle Rocks	5	5
37/00 Escape Trick: Ninja Castle	5	5
38/34 Boardwalk Ball Toss	4	15
39/36 Go Fetch! 2	4	6
40/33 Gold Fever	3	18
41/21 Beach Party Craze	2	20
42/29 Oscar's World Tour	2	7
43/30 Play & Learn Spanish	2	7
44/00 Bridge	2	2
45/35 Just SING! 80s Collection	1	3
46/37 B-Team - Episode 2: Ice & Venom	1	2
47/00 Bugs 'N' Balls	0	0
48/00 Crystal Caves of Amen-Ra	0	0

**This game is free and will be available for free until February 20th, 2012.

Even a couple of days after its debut, Four Swords Anniversary Edition happens to become the most-rated game from new DSiWare titles, although that is to be expected. The game is and will remain free for months, so I suspect it will stay at Number 1 until then. Outside of that large outlier, the highest new release goes to GO Series: Fishing Resort with 61 ratings. Last month's biggest rated title, Go! Go! Kokopolo, only debuted with 45, although it has since more than doubled in ratings, a good sign for a good game. However, the biggest mover from last month's releases was not Kokopolo but Let's Create! Pottery, with 99 ratings this past month.

The last two games, both without a single rating, were only out for a full day when I gathered data, so if they are good, expect them to shoot up the charts come next month.

After Zelda, the most-rated post-eShop DSiWare title remains to be Afterzoom.


Virtual Console

1/1 Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX	1693	14452
2/2 Super Mario Land	1006	8464
3/4 Kirby's Dream Land	595	2572
4/3 Donkey Kong	463	3319
5/00 Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge	275	275
6/5 Mario's Picross	238	806
7/7 Gargoyle's Quest	225	350
8/6 Game & Watch Gallery	185	802
9/00 Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins	81	81
10/8 Alleyway	64	585
11/9 Avenging Spirit	48	119
12/00 Pac-Man	47	47
13/10 Qix	30	170
14/11 Baseball	27	126
15/12 Radar Mission	23	203
16/14 Tennis	17	138
17/13 Fortified Zone	15	91
18/00 Golf	14	14

The top 4 games remained as expected, although Kirby outdid Donkey Kong this month. The most-rated new release was Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge with 275 ratings. The other Capcom release, Gargoyle's Quest, sits at the top of third-party VC releases. The worst-performing game of the bunch was Golf, which also debuted this week. Word of advice for Nintendo: do not release a GB Golf title within weeks of releasing an NES Golf game for the Ambassador Program. Also, Super Mario Land 2 was barely out when the month ended; expect it to do well next month.

Link's Awakening DX remains the highest-rated title on the eShop that was never available for free at any time. Outside of new releases, Fortified Zone remains the least-rated VC title, with only 91 ratings.


3DS Download Software

1/1 3D Classics: Excitebike*	1399	17490
2/2 Let's Golf! 3D	456	1351
3/3 3D Classics: Xevious	241	901
4/4 3D Classics: Urban Champion	210	401
5/0 3D Classics: Twinbee	67	67

*This game was available for free during the month of June 2011.

Like last month, the actual 3DS games from eShop went up in count by one, and it happened to be another 3D Classics title. Twinbee only had a week to perform, and it did poorly, with only 67 ratings. Urban Champion, despite being seen negatively upon release, still sits at a total of 401 ratings. Let's Golf! 3D surpassed 1000 ratings, and Xevious appears to be on the verge, as well.

As expected, 3D Classics: Excitebike remains the most-rated 3DS download software and, outside of Nintendo Video and Pokedex 3D, is the most-rated product on the eShop. I do not expect this fact to change into the near future.

Overall

1/2 Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX	1693	14452
2/00 The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition**	1679	1679
3/1 3D Classics: Excitebike*	1399	17490
4/3 Super Mario Land	1006	8464
5/6 Plants vs. Zombies	647	3623
6/5 Kirby's Dream Land	595	2572
7/8 Photo Dojo	496	2643
8/4 Donkey Kong	463	3319
9/7 Let's Golf! 3D	456	1351
10/9 Cave Story	424	2791
11/12 Inchworm Animation	419	1707
12/10 Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!	404	2387
13/15 Anonymous Notes Chapter 1 - From the Abyss	304	1342
14/19 Zenonia	299	1128
15/13 Shantae: Risky's Revenge	281	1911
16/00 Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge	275	275
17/14 3D Classics: Xevious	241	901
18/11 Mario's Picross	238	806
19/29 Gargoyle's Quest	225	350
20/17 Bomberman Blitz	211	1091

*This game was free for the month of June 2011
**This game is and will be free until February 2012

In a way, it is sad to see only two new games appear on the Top 20, but between free games, great handheld virtual console titles, and the 10-game Ambassador Program, I suspect the ratings to have dropped as a result. Link's Awakening DX remains at the top, but Four Swords Anniversary Edition almost surpassed it, followed by the other-once-free title on the eShop 3D Classics: Excitebike. The only paid-for debut in this now Top 20 is Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge. Meanwhile, the only August games on this list are Mario's Picross and Gargoyle's Quest.

What's in store for October? Well, there will almost certainly be a 3D Classics title, and Japan is getting a unique game developed by Intelligent Systems. As for other titles, Wayforward's newest title might appear in the next couple months, so keep a look out!