Pokemon Sun and Moon, the role-playing video game from Game Freak, has hit a record 3.5 million downloads in its first week. The demo version was released on October 18.
Nintendo said that this was the "best pre-selling game in Nintendo history," and added that Pokemon Sun and Moon was the "most downloaded demo on the Nintendo 3DS eShop in Nintendo history," GameStop reported.
One reason why Pokemon Sun and Moon caught up with players could be related to the Pokemon Go craze. The game was released in July.
Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima said that the player interest "shows the breadth of the audience for these games."
Kimishima acknowledged that Pokemon Go craze was responsible for increasing awareness of the Pokemon brand. Recent earnings report said Pokemon Go helped in the sales of previous Pokemon games.
"We have included a variety of exciting new features, while also ensuring that it is an approachable title for all kinds of gamers, including people who are experiencing Pokemon for the first time with Pokemon Go," he said.
"As Pokemon has been a hot topic recently, even among people with no game experience, there is fantastic momentum for the release of this latest Pokemon title," he added.
He also noted that the game sales for Pokemon Sun and Moon was showing favourable trends.
Pokemon Sun and Moon is expected to be released on November 18 for Nintendo 3DS.
