Japanese Variety Show Ranks Nation’s Favourite Games, Mario & Animal Crossing Miss Top Spot

A new survey conducted by Japanese variety show Ariyoshiiieeeee! – Oh yeah! Wanna play games at your place now? has revealed Japan’s favourite video games, both overall and by age rating, and while the likes of Mario, Splatoon, Pokémon, Zelda, Animal Crossing, and Dragon Quest all make frequent appearances, none of them made the top spot. (thanks, Automaton Media!)

Nope, Japan’s number one game — at least, according to a survey of 3,000 people conducted by the show — is none other than Minecraft. Super Mario Bros. landed at second overall, while Animal Crossing: New Horizons came in third. Everyone surveyed was asked to give their five favourite games, and then votes were tallied up to bring us the results.

Now, the above shouldn’t be too surprising, as Minecraft is absolutely massive worldwide, and the hosts of the show make a very good point — Minecraft is not just a game, but a platform.” And nowadays, as the announcer says, “it’s become very normal for young people to experience games not just for the gameplay, but as a means of communication.”

The top 100 includes many Nintendo, Dragon Quest, and Final Fantasy games, but here are a few stats that stood out to us. Fortnite takes the overall number 5 spot, with Apex Legends at 18. Pokémon Diamond & Pearl is the highest-ranked Pokémon game at 14, but Scarlet & Violet is right behind it. No Final Fantasy game makes the top ten, but Final Fantasy VII is the closest at 16th (with X right on its tail).

Other interesting games making an appearance include Yo-kai Watch 2 at 25, Undertale at 46, Street Fighter 6 at 60, and Xevious at 93. Xevious!

Here’s the overall top 10 — for the rest of the results, check out Automaton Media:

1. Minecraft
2. Super Mario Bros.
3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
4. Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation
5. Fortnite
6. Splatoon 3
7. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
8. Splatoon 2
9. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
10. Dragon Quest

Breaking things down by age group, the show split these into five categories — gamers in their teens (10-19), 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s.

For teens, Minecraft is unequivocally the number one game, with Fortnite and Splatoon 3 rounding out the top three. Mojang’s mammoth game also makes it into the top ten games for those in their 20s at number 8, where Diamond & Pearl sits up top ahead of Smash Ultimate and New Horizons.

For those of us in our 30s (like this author), Pokémon Red & Green is number one, with Final Fantasy X and Gold & Silver right behind it. Not surprised at the early-gen Pokémon love here. For the 40s and 50s crowd, Dragon Quest III and Super Mario Bros. are the one-two here (flipped for the older gamers), with another Dragon Quest game right behind them — V for the 40-year-olds, and the original NES game for the 50s.

We’re not massively surprised at any of these results, but it’s an interesting look at how trends in video games have shifted over time — and what people value in video games. And while the vast majority of games are from Japan, there are lots of Western titles making a dent in people’s hearts — and consoles. You can watch the episode right here.

Of course, it’s only a small sample of people (3,000 isn’t many!), but it’s still an interesting capsule of consumer interests, and it pairs nicely with Nikkei’s own survey, which shows gender splits and average ages for fans of particular series.

Are you surprised by any of the results here? Let us know in the comments below.