Super Robots overthrow animals as Animal Crossing slips to second place in the Japanese charts

A menagerie of robots, animals, ghosts and squid battled it out at the top of the Japanese games charts last week.

Bandai Namco’s next instalment in its long-running Super Robot Taisen turn-based strategy series blasted to the number one spot in the software rankings, knocking Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer down to second place after three weeks on top.

The latter zoological casual title for 3DS saw its sales slip by almost two thirds, down to 65,731 from 172,898 the week prior. Its predecessor, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, returned to the Top Ten in tenth place.

Meanwhile, spectral kids 3DS title Yo-Kai Watch Busters and cephalopodan shooter Splatoon for the Wii U were pushed down to third and fourth position, respectively.

The only other new title to crack the Top Ten last week was Idea Factory’s Reine des Fleurs for the PlayStation Vita, dropping in at number six between 3DS effort Rhythm Heaven: The Best+ and fellow Vita release Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition.

Otherwise, the software rankings remained rather similar to the previous week.

Over in the hardware charts, Wii U slipped below Sony’s PS4, with the latter machine climbing up to number two.

Propelled as ever by the continued popularity of its handheld offerings, Nintendo’s New 3DS XL remained at the top of the pile, although unit sales fell by a third as Animal Crossing hype appeared to wear off.

Here is the software Top Ten for the week ending August 23rd, according to the latest data from Famitsu:

1. Super Robot Taisen BX (Bandai Namco) 3DS – 98,184 (New)
2. Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (Nintendo) 3DS – 65,731
3. Yo-Kai Watch Busters: Akaneko-dan / Shiroinu-tai (Level 5) 3DS – 40,544
4. Splatoon (Nintendo) Wii U – 21,797
5. Rhythm Heaven: The Best+ (Nintendo) 3DS – 11,545
6. Reine des Fleurs (Idea Factory) Vita – 9,960 (New)
7. Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition (Sony) Vita – 7,459
8. Mario Kart 8 (Nintendo) Wii U – 6,612
9. Pocket Monster Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire (Pokmon) 3DS – 4,675
10. Tobidase Dobutsu no Mori (Animal Crossing: New Leaf) (Nintendo) 3DS – 4,132

And here are the weekly hardware rankings:

1. New Nintendo 3DS XL – 22,452
2. PS4 – 13,525
3. Wii U – 11,632
4. PS Vita – 10,536
5. New Nintendo 3DS – 4,562
6. PS3 – 2,190
7. Nintendo 3DS – 1,245
8. Nintendo 3DS XL – 764
9. PS Vita TV – 398
10. Xbox One – 140