Sales numbers for the week ending September 18th. Japan in a portable renaissance, with an eminently pocketable new Micro leading the way...

Courtesy of Media-Create, we have the most recent sales figures from Japan.

Wow, what a week. The portable market truly surged in Japan last week accounting for over 70% of all new hardware sold. In fact, in a bit of a change, this edition of the charts will lead off on the hardware front as the period was punctuated with several interesting performances.

Sony may have been happy to see its PSP finally revitalized after months in comparative doldrums. The PSP tripled its sales behind the strength of a new "ceramic white" color, a portable edition of Konami's Winning Eleven (the most popular sports series in Japan) and the release of Square's anticipated Advent Children movie (released for UMD as well as standard DVD.) Still, even those major releases could not bring the PSP to topple the market dervish that is the DS. The DS edged out Sony's offering again, drawing from phenomenal first-week sales of Tamagotchi (more on this later), brisk sales of Capcom's popular lawyer-sim series Gyakuten Saiban (to be renamed Phoenix Wright in the West) and continued solid sales of the amazing DS non-games. Yet, as impressively as both of the new-age portables performed, they nevertheless fell by the wayside to the fashion statement that is the GBA Micro.

The Micro, in its first week (5 days of sales accounted for in this week's charts), alone accounted for nearly 50 percent of all hardware sold. Numerous reports out of Japan retail sectors reflected a hardware shortage as demand for the tiny new customizable Gameboy mounted in many areas, particularly for the limited edition Famicom version. Surprisingly, all of this did not shake up the GBA SP market as the popular model returned to its normal 2005 sales levels despite slow recent weeks and the release of its sexier new sibling. Take a look at the madness below:

Moving on to the software charts, again the handheld domination is staggering. Though a PS2 title took the top slot (the latest in Koei's truly prolific Dynasty Warriors series), that was it for the PS2 in the top 10. Close behind at number 2 was a familiar friend in a very familiar adventure: the original Super Mario Bros. (Famicom Mini 20th Anniversary Edition) shocked the charts as an unbelievable number of nostalgia-driven Japanese gamers descended to snap up the re-rerelease, likely as a fitting companion to their brand new Limited Famicom Edition Gameboy Micro. The GBA platform itself would continue its march over the charts (again, fittingly led by Mario) with 3 additional new titles including the Dr. Mario & Panel de Pon compilation and Mario Tennis Advance.

In DS software sales, brace yourselves...non-gamer hit Brain Training has finally been pushed down the charts (though it still pulled in its mind-bendingly consistent number of sales here in its ump-teenth week) by a pair of new DS stars. Capcom released it's Gyakuten Saiban lawyer-sim remake to solid overall opening sales (keep an eye on this game DS fans...its writing is said to be second to none). Meanwhile, Bandai's new Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop! kept itself busy by selling over 150k units and amazingly holding off the PSP's highest-profile release to date, Winning Eleven: Ubiquitous Evolution, with ease.

Thats right, a Tamagotchi game (the original virtual pet series) beat the exceedingly popular and highly regarded Winning Eleven. In truth, this particular Tamagotchi is no slouch or aberration. Created likely with the intent of appealing to females, especially younger ones, the game was developed by the same creative team that brought the PSOne's famous Parappa the Rapper to life. And if nothing else, the phenomenal sales again validate the amazing variety of owners in the DS userbase. It will be interesting to see if either of these new DS titles will prove to have any legs...

Anyhow, the combined effect of the week's sales saw a full 360 degree turnaround from the slump the market found itself mired in for the past few weeks. New titles clearly led the way...even if at least one of those new titles was really a rather old, trusty one.