100 best selling games of 1999
[01.27.00] » Famitsu publishes comprehensive breakdown of Japanese sales data for 1999
Japan's game bible, Weekly Famitsu, published their "Best Hit Soft 1999" list in their latest issue (that's issue No. 582, for those of you who are keeping track). Awkward names aside, the list contains, as you may have guessed, the 100 best-selling video games in Japan for the year of 1999. And also as you may have guessed, the list contains many RPGs and Adventure titles.
Although getting a late November 21 start and suffering many sellouts and shortages, Pokemon Gold/Silver grabbed the top spot with an incredible 3,628,624 copies sold. Nintendo's 3900 yen Game Boy Color RPG had ten years worth of Game Boy console sales to back it, not to mention the country's approxomitely 11.45 million avid Pokemon fans who snapped up 1.8 million copies in the month of November alone.
Even though it was twice as expensive as the Pokepair, Square's mega-RPG Final Fantasy VIII grabbed a close second, clocking in at 3,501,807 copies. Released in Japan on February 11th, the title managed almost 3 million copies in its first month, and steadily continued to sell throughout the year.
Sequels ruled the top three as Capcom's Biohazard 3: Last Escape (Resident Evil 3: Nemesis in North America) sold 1,339,022 copies to firmly plant itself in that position. The September 22 release date gave it plenty of time for sales to level out, although a million copies of the game moved in the first month alone.
Other relevant titles in the top 10 included a pair from Konami: the Playstation conversion of the Dance Dance Revolution arcade game sold just over one million copies, good for 6th place, while the popular Game Boy RPG Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 2 in the number 7 spot, selling 897,095 copies.
The rest of the list is spotted with many recognisable titles, including other hits from Nintendo, Square, Capcom, and Konami, amongst others. Here's the GIA's summation of the hit RPGs, Adventure, and Puzzle games from the list:
| # |
Title |
Publisher |
Platform |
# Sold |
| 1. |
Pocket Monsters Gold/Silver |
Nintendo |
GB |
3,628,624 |
| 2. |
Final Fantasy VIII |
Square |
PSX |
3,501,807 |
| 3. |
Biohazard 3: Last Escape |
Capcom |
PSX |
1,339,022 |
| 4. |
Nintendo All-Star! Super Smash Brothers |
Nintendo |
N64 |
1,308,124 |
| 5. |
Gran Turismo 2 |
SCEI |
PSX |
1,145,514 |
| 6. |
Dance Dance Revolution |
Konami |
PSX |
1,005,441 |
| 7. |
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 2 |
Konami |
GB |
897,095 |
| 8. |
Derby Stallion '99 |
ASCII |
PSX |
798,944 |
| 9. |
Minna No Golf 2 |
SCEI |
PSX |
782,874 |
| 10. |
Pokemon Pinball |
Nintendo |
GB |
765,263 |
| 12. |
Seiken Densetsu: Legend of Mana |
Square |
PSX |
706,342 |
| 13. |
Dino Crisis |
Capcom |
PSX |
676,703 |
| 14. |
SaGa Frontier II |
Square |
PSX |
675,446 |
| 15. |
Dragon Quest Monsters |
Enix |
GB |
671,827 |
| 16. |
Pokemon Stadium 2 |
Nintendo |
N64 |
668,598 |
| 17. |
Monster Farm (Rancher) 2 |
Tecmo |
PSX |
640,246 |
| 21. |
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters |
Konami |
GB |
585,442 |
| 22. |
Dance Dance Revolution 2nd ReMIX |
Konami |
PSX |
583,669 |
| 23. |
Dragon Quest Characters 2 |
Enix |
PSX |
578,227 |
| 24. |
Game Boy Dragon Quest I.II |
Enix |
GB |
567,782 |
| 25. |
Chrono Cross |
Square |
PSX |
565,489 |
| 27. |
Pokemon Snap |
Nintendo |
N64 |
497,966 |
| 31. |
Final Fantasy Collection |
Square |
PSX |
412,366 |
| 32. |
Um Jammer Lammy |
SCEI |
PSX |
406,449 |
| 35. |
Pokemon Pikachu |
Nintendo |
GB |
392,131 |
| 36. |
Beatmania |
Konami |
PSX |
390,193 |
| 42. |
Arc the Lad III |
SCEI |
PSX |
341,175 |
| 44. |
Pokemon (Blue/Red/Green) |
Nintendo |
GB |
334,949 |
| 46. |
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
Nintendo |
N64 |
318,616 |
| 47. |
Valkyrie Profile |
Enix |
PSX |
311,630 |
| 49. |
Shenmue Chapter 1: Yokosuka |
Sega |
DC |
303,994 |
| 51. |
Front Mission 3 |
Square |
PSX |
298,342 |
| 52. |
Beatmania Append Gottamix |
Konami |
PSX |
298,122 |
| 53. |
Beatmania Append 3rd Mix |
Konami |
PSX |
297,854 |
| 56. |
Silent Hill |
Konami |
PSX |
293,494 |
| 58. |
Chocobo Racing |
Square |
PSX |
291,098 |
| 60. |
Tales of Phantasia |
Namco |
PSX |
282,855 |
| 61. |
Legend of Dragoon |
SCEI |
PSX |
282,141 |
| 62. |
Wild Arms 2nd Ignition |
SCEI |
PSX |
280,038 |
| 63. |
Persona 2: Innocent Sin |
Atlus |
PSX |
275,004 |
| 68. |
Pikachu Genki De Chu |
Nintendo |
N64 |
253,453 |
| 76. |
Beatmania Append 4th Mix |
Konami |
PSX |
230,438 |
| 77. |
Parasite Eve 2 |
Square |
PSX |
222,883 |
| 82. |
Ogre Battle 64 |
Nintendo |
N64 |
200,770 |
| 83. |
Chrono Trigger |
Square |
PSX |
199,969 |
| 91. |
Legend of Zelda DX: Link's Awakening |
Nintendo |
GB |
181,368 |
| 92. |
Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon |
Square |
WS |
175,987 |
| 93. |
Bust a Move 2: Dance Tengoku Mix |
Enix |
PSX |
175,921 |
| 98. |
Genso Suikoden II |
Konami |
PSX |
159,908 |
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