Despite being written off as a fad upon its debut in the mid-90s, Pokemon has managed to showcase record-setting staying power as a global brand. Most recently, the series saw the release of Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee and Pikachu, and those Pokemon games were met with favorable reviews. Given the fan reaction and excitement behind the games, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that they have since broken a very important sales record for the Nintendo Switch.
It was officially announced today that Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee and Pikachu have cumulatively sold three million copies worldwide in the span of just one week. This is an impressive feat in and of itself, but it also makes the collective pair the fastest-selling Nintendo Switch game since the console launched in March 2017.
Related: Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee and Pikachu Guide: How to Catch Meltan
This sales news arrived straight from The Pokemon Company, as it was quick to tout its success. The games can likely attribute their immediate popularity to a number of things, but the fact that it links up and ties in with Pokemon GO certainly can’t be overlooked. Fans are actually able to transfer creatures to Let’s Go from Pokemon GO, which is the first time a major console release within the franchise has ever incorporated the mobile app.
While setting a Nintendo Switch sales record is no easy feat, it’s important to note that this goal was achieved with two titles instead of one – although a dual release is far from a new concept for the Pokemon series. Additionally, this number is still a far cry away from the 14.64 million units that Pokemon Yellow Version sold through during its run on Game Boy.
There’s still a lot of time for Let’s Go Eevee and Pikachu to catch up to the sales numbers set by the classic title that they are based on. Additionally, Pokemon Sun and Moon sold 3.7 million in its first month in the Americas alone, although there’s still time for the games to catch up to those sales within the region. It’s important to note that the Game Boy and Nintendo 3DS both had and have significantly larger install bases when compared to the Switch though, so it’s hardly an apples to apples comparison.
Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee and Pikachu arrived exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on November 16, 2018.
