As per copyright and credits information spotted on the upcoming action-adventure title’s recently updated Switch eShop page in the wake of pre-loading going live, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was developed by Grezzo in collaboration with Nintendo.

Grezzo previously developed 2019’s The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening remake, and also developed the Nintendo 3DS remasters of Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. Additionally, the studio was also responsible for The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is due out on September 26 for Nintendo Switch. Check out its recently released overview trailer through here for details on its world, abilities, dungeons, and more.

Japanese developer Grezzo isn’t a studio that works exclusively on The Legend of Zelda games, but most of their notable releases in recent years have been in Nintendo’s franchise, including remakes for Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, and most recently, the Switch exclusive Link’s Awakening. Now, they’re recruiting for their next project, and some of the job ads (spotted by Nintendo Everything) might have given us some clues of what to expect.

The job listings state that the game will be built using Unity, VisualStudio, git, redmine, and jenkins. Meanwhile, the game’s art design style is described as being “medieval” and “stylish”, and while it won’t feature photorealistic visuals, it will take elements from the real world and put its own twists on them.

While it’s hard to judge exactly what their next project is based on those details, it’s likely that they’ll be partnering with Nintendo again, which they have been doing on a regular basis since their debut title in 2010. Grezzo also developed the 3DS remake of Luigi’s Mansion, while also providing assistance for The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes, and also developed Ever Oasis, which was published by Nintendo. They have also worked with publisher FuRyu on titles such as The Alliance Alive and Legend of Legacy.

Along with its financial results for the quarter, Nintendo also updated its lifetime sales numbers for a number of Switch exclusives. The star of this selection is undoubtedly The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. It released on September 20th and has sold 3.13 million copies as of September 30th.

That’s no small feat but then again, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is a very good game (check out our review here). Among the other new titles was Super Mario Maker 2 which released in June 2019 and has sold 3.93 million copies till date. However, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still the best-selling Switch title ever though with 19.01 million units sold in its lifetime.

This is followed by Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at 15.71 million and Super Mario Odyssey at 15.38 million. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which launched with the console in March 2017, sits at 14.54 million units sold. You can check out the top ten best-selling Switch titles below. Stay tuned for other major Switch releases before the fiscal year is up, like Luigi’s Mansion 3 which launches today.

Top Selling Switch Titles (as of September 30th 2019)

1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 19.01 million
2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – 15.71 million
3. Super Mario Odyssey – 15.38 million
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 14.54 million
5. Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! / Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee! – 11.28 million
6. Splatoon 2 – 9.28 million
7. Super Mario Party – 7.59 million
8. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – 4.59 million
9. Super Mario Maker 2 – 3.93 million
10. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – 3.13 million

September was an extremely busy month, seeing the release of several major video game releases, and that’s been reflected in the NPD Group’s sales charts for the best-selling video games during September in the US (via GamesBeat).

NBA 2K20 tops the sales charts, and does so in impressive fashion, instantly becoming the best-selling game for the entirety of 2019 in the US (in terms of dollar sales). It’s also had highest ever launch month sales for any sports game ever, beating a record set by its own predecessor, NBA 2K19. Then there’s Borderlands 3, another major new release, which comes in at No. 2. It has instantly become the third-best selling game of the year, while also setting a launch month sales record for the Borderlands series.

Meanwhile, another new sports release in September was FIFA 20, and it comes in at No. 3, followed by fellow debutant The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening in fourth place. Those two are followed by Madden NFL 20, which topped the software charts last month.

Then there’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, which comes in at No. 6 in spite of only tracking for September’s data (which ran till October 5th) for one day. Other new releases in the charts include Gears 5 and Code Vein in seventh and eighth place respectively. With Gears 5, it’s important to note that it’s No. 7 debut doesn’t account for all those who played the game via Xbox Game Pass.

That said, in spite of all the new releases, software sales in September 2019 were still down by 4 per cent to  $732 million year-on-year. Even though the Switch and Xbox One saw an increase in software sales, the PS4 saw a decline. Year-to-date software dollar sales in 2019, however, are at the same level as 2018 by September, standing at $3.9 billion, with the Switch being the only console seeing an increase in this year, and the Xbox One and PS4 both seeing declines.

You can check out September 2019’s full top 20 below.

1. NBA 2K20
2. Borderlands 3
3. FIFA 20
4. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening*
5. Madden NFL 20
6. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
7. Gears 5^
8. Code Vein
9. NHL 20
10. Mario Kart 8*
11. Minecraft#
12. Grand Theft Auto V
13. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
14. Spyro Reignited Trilogy
15. Red Dead Redemption II
16. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
17. Plants vs Zombies: Battle For Neighborville
18. Marvel’s Spider-Man
19. Catherine
20. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*

*Does not include digital sales
^Does not include Steam digital sales
#Only includes digital sales for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

The weekly sales charts for boxed video games in the UK are in, courtesy of UKIE / Gfk Chart-Track (via GamesIndustry). FIFA 20 debuted on top of the charts last week with solid sales, and for the week ending October 5, it’s unsurprisingly managed to hold on to that lead, in spite of a pretty major new release.

That new release was Ghost Recon Breakpoint, which hasn’t had a bad debut by any means. It’s placed second in the charts. In spite of the high position though, physical sales for the game are a fifth of what they were for Ghost Recon Wildlands when it launched in March 2017. The other new release of the week, Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered, debuts at No. 6, selling the most on PS4, followed by the Switch, and then the Xbox One.

Last week saw a couple of older Xbox One games seeing a rise in sales to break into the top 10 thanks to bundles being sold by Microsoft, and this week, those games have continued that rise. Sea of Thieves, Minecraft: Xbox Edition, and Forza Horizon 3 have all seen a bit of a bump in sales to bring up the rear end of the top 10.

Meanwhile, on the Switch side of things, evergreen title Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has also seen a bit of a boost for its third consecutive week-on-week growth in sales. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, meanwhile, holds steady in fifth place, after a 60 per cent drop. Borderlands 3 remains at No. 3 in spite a 43 per cent drop, while Gears 5, with just a 1 per cent drop, also hangs on to the fourth spot.

You can check out the full top 10 below.

1. FIFA 20
2. Ghost Recon Breakpoint
3. Borderlands 3
4. Gears 5
5. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
6. Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered
7. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
8. Sea of Thieves
9. Minecraft: Xbox Edition
10. Forza Horizon 3

The remake of the classic Game Boy game, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, is here and has found a new life with its cute and unique art style. The game seems to be quite the success as well, and reportedly the game has already sold nearly half a million in Europe alone via a new report.

According to 4Players, a new leak from Nintendo Germany puts the number of sells at roughly 430,000 units in just under 72 hours. Nintendo Europe already stated the game was the fastest selling Switch title of 2019, but this is the first solid numbers we’ve gotten. Couple this with the solid sells the game saw in Japan, and it’s looking like the game is a clear success for the return of the classic Zelda title.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is available now exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. For a look at our review of the game to see what we thought of the reamake, check through here.

There was never any doubt that the Switch remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening would sell well across the globe, not just because it’s a Zelda game, but also because it’s a Switch game- and both those things are pretty much guaranteed to sell. And that has certainly been the case since the game came out a couple weeks ago.

Nintendo UK recently confirmed on Twitter that the adorable remake is the fastest selling Switch game in Europe for all of 2019. It’s an impressive achievement in and of itself, but when you consider that it’s outpaced the likes of New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe and Super Mario Maker 2 in sales, it becomes even more impressive.

The game also became the fastest selling Switch game in 2019 in the UK, where it also debuted on top of sales charts. Last week, it sold over 140,000 units in Japan, for another chart-topping debut. It’s certainly well deserved, too. Link’s Awakening has been receiving universal plaudits– you can read our review through here.

Here's what the critics are saying about Europe's fastest-selling #NintendoSwitch game of 2019, The Legend of #Zelda: Link's Awakening!

Discover Koholint Island for yourself 🌴: https://t.co/84lnuN1Dhe pic.twitter.com/MX90kwKsMM

— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) October 2, 2019

It’s an interesting and eventful week for video game software and hardware sales in Japan, as per the data released by Famitsu for the week ending September 29. Dragon Quest 11 S has enjoyed an absolutely stellar debut upon its Switch launch, topping the charts with sales in excess 303,000 units. Par for the course for a mainline Dragon Quest launch in Japan.

There are plenty of other new releases in the top 10 as well. Code Vein has debuted in second place, selling over 60,000 copies, while Ys IX: Monstrum Nox takes the fifth spot with over 45,000 units sold. FIFA 20 is right behind it in sixth place, selling over 43,000 units. Meanwhile, Koei Tecmo’s new RPG Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout’s PS4 version occupies third place, selling over 53,000 units, while the Switch version, with over 25,000 units sold, is in at No. 9.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne’s Master Edition – which includes both, the new expansion and the base game – continues to chart in the top 10, coming in at No. 8 with over 26,000 units sold. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, which topped charts last week, drops down to fourth place, selling over 45,000 units.

On the hardware front, there isn’t a lot of change. Thanks to the Switch Lite (and presumably the launch of Dragon Quest 11 S), the Nintendo Switch once again sold a whole lot, moving nearly 200,000 units. The PS4 managed to hold steady, selling over 24,000 units.

You can check out the full hardware and software charts below.

Software sales (followed by lifetime sales)

01. [NSW] Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age S – Definitive Edition – 303.204 / NEW
02. [PS4] Code Vein – 60.843 / NEW
03. [PS4] Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout – 53.428 / NEW
04. [NSW] The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – 45.775 / 187.150
05. [PS4] Ys IX: Monstrum Nox – 45.378 / NEW
06. [PS4] FIFA 20 – 43.751 / NEW
07. [PS4] World War Z – 27.872 / NEW
08. [PS4] Monster Hunter: World – Iceborne Master Edition – 26.324 / 346.239
09. [NSW] Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout – 25.538 / NEW
10. [NSW] Super Mario Maker 2 – 14.731 / 644.445 

Hardware sales (followed by last week’s sales)

Nintendo Switch – 196.489 (239.740)
PS4 – 24.658 (24.857)
Xbox One – 158 (513)
3DS – 2.384 (1.687)
PS Vita – 39 (28)

[Via ResetEra]

Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening on Switch may be a remake of the Game Boy classic but it’s a fine title in its own right. Following its launch and reportedly becoming Nintendo’s biggest launch of 2019 thus far, an accolades trailer has been released. Check it out below to see what various critics have said about the title.

Link’s Awakening is about our hero become ship-wrecked on Koholint Island. Link embarks on a journey to awaken the Wind Fish. The remake stands out the most due to its revamped visuals and gameplay improvements. However, it also includes new content like the Chamber Dungeons, which can be constructed from various pieces and confer rewards upon completion.

Check out our official review here. You can also head here for 12 things you should know about the remake. Along with becoming the fastest selling Switch game in the United Kingdom, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening also topped Japanese sales charts last week with 141,000 units sold.

Yearly FIFA games end up being among the biggest releases in the UK every year, and FIFA 20 hasn’t broken the mould. FIFA 20 has, to no one’s surprise, topped the UK sales charts on its debut, as per data provided by UKIE/Gfk Chart-Track (via GamesIndustry), with the PS4 version accounting for 61 per cent sales, and 38 per cent sales coming on the Xbox One (the Legacy Edition release on the Switch sees just 1 per cent of the share).

Physical launch sales for FIFA 20 are down year-on-year by 7 per cent as compared to FIFA 19’s launch. Retail launch sales for the PS4 version of the game saw a dip, but the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch versions both saw an increase in that area. On the whole, FIFA 20 still becomes the biggest release of the year. In fact, the sport simulation title’s release has had a positive impact in other areas as well.

Several retailers in the UK were selling an Xbox One S All-Digital Edition packaged with codes for FIFA 20, Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, and Forza Horizon 3. Thanks to FIFA 20, the Xbox One has seen a bump in hardware sales, while each of those other three games also saw in increase in sales. Minecraft saw a 197 per cent increase, Sea of Thieves saw a 199 per cent increase, while Forza Horizon 3 saw a 183 per cent increase, and all three of them also managed to find their way into the top 10 this week. 

Other older titles have also seen an increase in sales. Gears 5, holding steady in fourth place, saw a 70 per cent increase in sales, while The Division 2 enjoyed a 53 per cent bump, with both games benefitting from hardware bundles. Meanwhile, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled at fifth place and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at eighth place also saw sales bumps of 74 per cent and 13 per cent respectively. 

All in all, boxed video game sales in the UK saw a huge bump this week with a 285 per cent week-on-week increase, and a total of 816,985 games sold at retail. However, as GamesIndustry points out, year-to-date boxed sales are still down by 15.5 per cent, and the fact that FIFA 18 all by itself sold that much goes to show just how rapidly boxed sales are declining, as digital continues to take over. 

Meanwhile, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, which debuted on top of the charts last week, has been pushed down to second place thanks to FIFA 20. There were also a few new releases last week, none of which managed to break into the top 10. Dragon Quest 11 S on the Switch debuted at No. 11, selling half as much as the game’s PS4 release last year. Code Vein debuted at No. 13, while The Surge 2 had a lacklustre performance, with a debut at No. 35.

You can check out the full top 10 for the week ending September 28 below.

1. FIFA 20
2. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
3. Borderlands 3
4. Gears 5
5. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
6. The Division 2
7. Sea of Thieves
8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
9. Minecraft: Xbox Edition
10. Forza Horizon 3