Nintendo Japan has announced its Annual Download Ranking, revealing which Nintendo Switch titles were the most downloaded in 2022. Third-person shooterSplatoon 3is the top-selling eShop game, followed by Game Freak’sPokemon Legends: ArceusandPokemon Violet.Splatoon 3 launched worldwide in September and quickly became thefastest-selling Nintendo Switch game in Japan. In its first three days, Splatoon 3 reached more than 3 million domestic sales. The third entry in the Splatoon franchise vastly outperformed the sales of its predecessor,Splatoon 2, which sold less than one million units in its launch period.RELATED:Splatoon 3 Season 2: 8 New Features In The Chill SeasonThe 2022 Annual Download Ranking was published on theNintendo official websitein Japanese. The ranking lists the top 30 best-selling eShop titles, featuring some 2022 releases likeNintendo Switch SportsandKirby and the Forgotten Land. Several older releases also find a place in the rankings, includingAmong UsandUndertale. Below is the full ranking:
Some games were also featured in Nintendo’s 2021 Annual Download Ranking. Last year, Capcom’sMonster Hunter Risehad the most digital downloads in Japan. The action role-playing game beat outPokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl, the remakes of the 2006 titles Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. Splatoon 2 only reached 17th in the rankings.
This month, Nintendo released the first content update for Splatoon 3:Chill Season. The update added new clothes, weapons, stages, and kits. One of the new weapons is the Splattershot Nova, which boasts a high fire rate but inflicts low damage. Another notable weapon added by the update is the Inkbrush Nouveau, a melee weapon that can place Ink Mines.
Like Splatoon 2, Splatoon 3 includes a single-player story mode. Fans of the Splatoon franchise are speculating the identity or existence of mysterious agents, likeAgent 5. In Splatoon 3, there are no Agents 4 to 7, but the roster of agents may expand in future installments of the Splatoon franchise.
