This article was originally written for TheNintendoVillage.com, a website I founded and ran from 2018 to 2021.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is undoubtedly a juggernaut, and we’ve now got even more evidence of that fact with the game becoming the second best selling game of all time in Japan.

To date, it has sold 7.5 million units, surpassing the 7.17 million shifted by Pokémon Gold and Silver. That also makes it the best selling game on a single SKU, surpassing Super Mario Bros.’ 30 year record. It’s pipped to the top spot by the Gen 1 Pokémon games, which combined have amassed 10.23 million sales in Japan.

There are two other Animal Crossing games in the top ten though - both New Leaf and Wild World feature - and with New Horizons only being 4 and a bit months old, it could well claim the top spot at some point in the future.

Here’s the top 20 selling games of all time in Japan:

1. Pokémon Red/Green/Blue (Game Boy) – 10,230,000
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch) – 7,500,000
3. Pokémon Gold/Silver (Game Boy Color) – 7,170,000
4. Super Mario Bros. (Famicom) – 6,810,000
5. New Super Mario Bros. (DS) – 6,490,000
6. Pokémon Diamond/Pearl (DS) – 5,850,000
7. Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS) – 5,800,000
8. Pokémon Black/White (DS) – 5,530,000
9. Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire (GBA) – 5,400,000
10. Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS) – 5,330,000
11. Brain Age 2 (DS) – 5,100,000
12. Monster Hunter Freedom 3 (PSP) – 4,850,000
13. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch) – 4,640,000
14. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) – 4,630,000
15. Pokémon X/Y (3DS) – 4,600,000
16. Pokémon Sword/Shield (Switch) – 4,520,000
17. Dragon Quest IX (DS) – 4,400,000
18. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (PSP) – 4,250,000
19. Tetris (Game Boy) – 4,240,000
20. Super Mario Land (Game Boy) – 4,190,000

Source: Twitter, via Nintendo Everything