'Monster Hunter Portable' challenges 'Pokémon' for Japanese year crown

(All rights reserved - Capcom)

Software giant Capcom announced that it had delivered a phenomenal 4 million copies of the PSP hit Monster Hunter Portable 3rd to Japanese stores in the month following its December 1 launch, and there were enough copies bought to make it Japan's second best-selling game of 2010 behind Pokémon Black & White.

While Capcom's shipment annoucement came ahead of a year-end report from Media Create, competing analysts Enterbrain took the opportunity to publish their own annual figures.

The top ten showed Pokémon Black & White accrued 4.9 million unit sales since its mid-September release,  ahead of MHP3's one-month trump of 3.5 million.

North American and European fans of both series await localized releases in 2011, with Pokémon Black & White confirmed for the US on March 6, and Monster Hunter Freedom 3 (as it would be known) pending announcement.

Japanese sales of the Nintendo DS, home to Pokémon Black & White, reached a year's total of 2.96m, edging out the 2.89m of Sony's PSP, host to the Monster Hunter Portable series.

The rest of Enterbrain's software top ten was split between Wii and DS titles, with New Super Mario Bros Wii in third, Wii Party in fourth, and Dragon Quest VI on the DS in fifth.

Enterbrain's video game sales chart at Famitsu: http://www.famitsu.com/news/201101/05037551.html