Pokémon Legends: Z-A Breaks Retail Records (With a Little Help from Luck)
In a surprising twist that no one saw coming—except, perhaps, the entire gaming community—Pokémon Legends: Z-A kicked off its US retail launch week with a bang that hasn’t been felt in two and a half years. Yes, that’s right. Somewhere in the realm of virtual monsters, the excitement is palpable!
Retail Sales like a Boss
Mat Piscatella, a senior director at a certain market research company named Circana (yes, folks, that’s right, research is a thing), broke the news on Bluesky that Pokémon Legends: Z-A is riding a wave of success. “A massive US launch,” he declared, probably whilst wearing sunglasses indoors.
What does this mean for the average human trudging through daily life? Well, according to the esteemed numerologists at Circana, within the first week of release, the physical sales numbers sent shockwaves that made even the mighty The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom look up in awe—those were the best numbers recorded since May 2023. The nerds rejoice!
But Wait, There’s More!
Hold onto those Poké Balls! Circana data covers only physical sales since Nintendo has decided sharing is not caring when it comes to digital sales data. So, while the numbers may look dazzling, it’s possible a rival game threw a surprise launch party that’s still outshining Pokémon Legends: Z-A when the digital numbers are counted. But for good old-fashioned boxed copies? This launch is soaring above the rest.
The Mystery Console Bundle
In a plot twist fit for a soap opera, Piscatella added that the newly minted Switch 2 console bundle—which conveniently comes with a copy of this Pokémon gem—wasn’t counted in the sales figures. Apparently, it’s because that lovely bundle includes a download code rather than a physical game. Guess that means no free ride on the sales leaderboard!
Did Someone Say 5.8 Million?
Last week, the Pokémon Company blared a headline that would make any game lover faint: a staggering 5.8 million copies sold globally in the first week. That includes both physical and digital sales, so let’s not forget about that shiny half that’s been played on the Switch 2 console. The sheer numbers are enough to make any statistician tremble with excitement.
Ranking Among Giants
As if the numbers weren’t dizzying enough, this milestone makes Pokémon Legends: Z-A the fifth-best-performing game in the entire Pokémon series for first-week sales. How does it stack up, you ask? Look no further:
- Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: 10 million in 3 days (Excuse me while I gasp!)
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus: 6.5 million in 3 days
- Pokémon Sword & Shield: 6 million in 3 days
- Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl: 6 million in 3 days
A Love Letter from Game Freak?
In a love letter to nostalgia (and possibly the whole franchise), Pokémon Legends: Z-A has a review that lovingly describes it as a “grand adventure” that better captures the spirit of earlier Pokémon games than its predecessor. Who knew a game could be so sentimental? Someone alert Hallmark!
The new battle system has seen some raving endorsements—if bombast were a currency, it’d be richer than Mewtwo. It is noted, however, that despite its flashy moves, leveling up can reduce difficulty to the point where players might as well be throwing Poke Balls at sleeping Snorlax. One can only hope that the Legends series sticks around to serve more caffeinated excitement!
