Games

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Shatters 28-Year Series Record

Published

33 seconds ago

November 19, 2024

Christoph Rediske

Key Takeaways

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet surpassed Pokemon Red and Green as the best-selling game in the franchise in Japan, with 8.3 million copies sold in Japan.
Despite technical issues at launch, players praised the open-world exploration in Scarlet and Violet.
The impact of the success of Scarlet and Violet highlights the popularity of the Nintendo Switch console and the potential for continued sales.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has done something that no entry to the game series prior could: it’s dethroned Pokemon Red and Green as the best-selling game of the entire franchise in Japan. After nearly thirty years of Pokemon, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have come out on top.

Despite the technical difficulties that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet had at launch, the pair of games are nonetheless extremely popular. Although the game was riddled with visual glitches, bugs, and other problems, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet gave players an open world to explore, letting them engage in their Pokemon journey however they liked. While the Pokemon series has maintained extreme popularity since the very beginning, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have now gone even further.

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According to Famitsu, a Japanese publication, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have passed the original Pokemon Red and Green for most copies sold in Japan. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have officially sold 8.3 million copies in Japan. This makes Pokemon Scarlet and Violet the best-selling games of the entire franchise in its home country. It’s a remarkable achievement, and also speaks to the success of the Nintendo Switch, as Pokemon couldn’t have reached these numbers unless the console had been so widely accepted by hardcore and casual gamers alike.

What’s Next for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

While the sales of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have surely slowed since its release two years ago, there’s still a good chance for it to continue selling well for years to come. Now that news has come to light that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be backward compatible, players will be able to continue enjoying this title for many more years.

Worldwide, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are sitting at just under 26 million copies sold, with Pokemon Sword and Shield just over that number. It’s likely that Scarlet and Violet will surpass Sword and Shield soon. With that said, though, Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow are still holding onto at least one record. The trio of games have moved over 31 million copies worldwide, putting a considerable buffer between them and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Of course, they also have the advantage of Yellow, which provided a similar-but-different experience revolving around choosing Pikachu as a starter rather than Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. Many fans who had already enjoyed Pokemon Red and Blue (or Red and Green) ended up buying new copies of Pokemon Yellow, too, further boosting their sales record.

Without the help of a third game, it remains to be seen if Scarlet and Violet – or any future Pokemon mainline games – are able to pass the worldwide record of the originals.

The school that you’ve enrolled in as you play Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet hosts a special independent study project. The theme of this assignment is “A Treasure Hunt.” Explore the world and seek out your very own treasure!

Three stories will be woven into your adventure while traversing the sprawling Paldea region. Along Victory Road, you will go to Gyms in different locations in order to to achieve Champion Rank. On the Path of Legends, you can join Arven in search of rare ingredients. And in ★ Starfall Street ★, you’ll challenge Team Star, a group of delinquents causing trouble for the school.

These stories are set in an open world, so where you go is all up to you. A world teeming with Pokémon and people to meet is waiting for you—traverse the Paldea region wherever you heart desires.

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