US/Can Amazon Software Rankings 2003-Present

Terrell · Jun 2, 2023

PLEASE OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING CAVEATS WITH THIS DATA:

These figures can only be compared to the US relative to overall population of gaming device owners (effectively a per-capita comparison) or against existing charts/figures
The further back the data goes, the less reliable the data may become, as:
- some games that may have charted at the time may no longer listed on Amazon's sites (and are thus recorded as a blank in the Top 100), but have included everything that was still listed
- There were differences in the speed at which each country warmed to online retail shopping that may distort the figures
Some games, even modern ones, may not appear on the chart due to being listed in the wrong product category on their regional Amazon site, but I have noted when that appears to be the case when discovered
Not every game is recorded, some omissions were performed for expediency in data collection, due to massive infrequency of appearance or due to being of little public interest

So I started this project on a whim, to see if there was any data to verify whether peoples' shock and disbelief at Metroid Prime Remastered hitting the Top 10 Circana chart in Canada had any merit, and remembered that Amazon kept a Top 100 Sales chart in their video game category and looked for past Metroid games in the lists. And then I was asked to expand to other Nintendo games. And then I decided to illustrate Canada's strong desire for RPGs with some data there. And I just... kept going.

With US and Canada rankings for games, I used it to do some looking into the differences in the US and Canadian market (because there was next to NO historical data to do such a comparison in an easy and accessible format until I started this project), since Amazon is by far the largest online retailer in both countries and can help paint a picture on differences in gaming tastes between the 2 (bearing in mind that is IS still a sample of one retailer, even if it is the largest of the online sellers). Any discussion or observations from the data should be expected to note this as a given and that additional evidence will show some conclusions derived to be correct or not.

But even without the US/Canada market comparison, this is still effectively a database of historic Amazon sales rankings in 2 North American countries, so I considered it had value to collate on that virtue alone. Hope some of you see that same value.

I have tried to group them together into sensible categories as I go (by franchise, by dev/publisher, by genre) depending on the prominence of each on these charts.

There's still more data to add from the historical Top 100 data, and I will update the thread as it's added.

Original sources for data are here, here and here.

3RD-PARTY RANKINGS

FINAL FANTASY

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Final Fantasy X	PS2	2003	75	6	86
		2004	N/A	22	96
		2005	N/A	N/A	88
		2006	N/A	57	N/A
		2007	N/A	81	N/A
Final Fantasy X-2	PS2	2003	15	2	N/A
		2004	N/A	18	3
		2005	N/A	63	N/A
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance	GBA	2003	N/A	N/A	69
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles	GC	2004	N/A	N/A	5
Final Fantasy XII	PS2	2006	7	4	N/A
		2007	N/A	21	23
Final Fantasy III	DS	2006	26	1	N/A
		2007	N/A	68	64
Final Fantasy VI	GBA	2007	N/A	60	N/A
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII	PSP	2008	N/A	74	N/A
Final Fantasy IV	DS	2008	N/A	78	N/A
Final Fantasy XIII	360	2010	N/A	46	95
	PS3	2010	27	3	29
		2011	N/A	65	N/A
		2012	N/A	51	N/A
Final Fantasy XIII-2	PS3	2012	60	9	54
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII	PS3	2014	N/A	N/A	65
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster	PS3	2014	N/A	37	N/A
Final Fantasy XV	PS4	2015	N/A	37*	N/A
		2016	5	3	18
		2017	N/A	94	75
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD	PS4	2015	N/A	N/A	86
World of Final Fantasy	PS4	2016	N/A	93	N/A
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age	PS4	2016	N/A	94	N/A
		2017	N/A	73	67
Final Fantasy VII Remake	PS4	2015	N/A	30*	N/A
		2016	N/A	86*	N/A
		2019	79*	N/A	N/A
		2020	N/A	85	37

* Pre-order listings

Initial observations: Canada displays multi-year tails, pre-order sales that hit the Top 100 and much stronger launch year showings for almost every title on this list. FF as a brand has greater pull in Canada among gamers, but FFXV's rapid decline on the chart after launch year compared to past entries suggests either a massive conversion to digital purchasing post-launch or that the series' new direction is not being warmly received up north, so we may or may not see an inversion there where the US charts feature the series more prominently. Time will tell.
As well, with only one instance of a MS platform on this chart (in Canada in FFXIII's launch year), it seems there is a definite and steep platform slant for this series even in North America.

KINGDOM HEARTS

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Kingdom Hearts	PS2	2003	36	N/A	N/A
		2004	82	27	N/A
		2005	79	22	N/A
		2006	64	8	N/A
		2007	N/A	70	N/A
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories	GBA	2004	84	N/A	N/A
Kingdom Hearts II	PS2	2006	23	9	67
		2005	N/A	76	N/A
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days	DS	2009	83	N/A	N/A
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance	3DS	2012	N/A	69	N/A
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix	PS3	2013	84	71	N/A
Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX	PS4	2017	40	42	74
		2018	N/A	N/A	98
Kingdom Hearts III	PS4	2015	N/A	52*	N/A
		2017	N/A	81*	N/A
		2018	N/A	76*	N/A
		2019	22	31	21

* Pre-order listings

Initial observations: Lots of love for the main numbered titles, but sporadic interest in the side-games and remakes in both regions. For the main numbered titles, though, interest appears far higher in Canada, with KH3 looking highly anticipated prior to release. There's not much more that needs saying, the numbers do the talking.

DRAGON QUEST

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Dragon Quest VIII	PS2	2005	N/A	26	N/A
		2006	N/A	N/A	37
Dragon Quest IX	DS	2010	N/A	63	43
Dragon Quest VII	3DS	2016	N/A	N/A	59
Dragon Quest XI	PS4	2018	N/A	60	52
Dragon Quest XI S: Definitive Edition	Switch	2019	88	N/A	60

Initial observations: Seems to me there was a major peak in interest with DQVIII and Square Enix managed to piss it away with subsequent entries (I have some thoughts on that generally that I'll save for the end), but all of them still generally have a much stronger showing in Canada. Whether interest in the Switch release was diminished by the fanbase buying DQXI on PS4, it was simply crowded out of the rankings in Canada or the audience for these games skews heavy toward Switch in the US, couldn't say for sure.

TALES OF...

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Tales of Symphonia	GC	2004	N/A	32	9
		2005	N/A	47	63
		2006	N/A	69	N/A
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World	Wii	2008	N/A	48	N/A
		2009	N/A	61	N/A
Tales of Vesperia	360	2008	N/A	100	N/A
Tales of Graces f	PS3	2012	N/A	53	N/A
Tales of Xillia	PS3	2013	N/A	38	65
Tales of Xillia 2	PS3	2014	N/A	51	N/A
Tales of Symphonia Chronicles	PS3	2014	N/A	92	N/A

Initial observations: Tales games only seem to hit the Top 100 chart on Amazon in Canada. That says all there is to say on that... except you can see that the series kept sliding in sales here, as well, since the series disappears from the charts after 2014. Guess the appeal diminished over time.

MONSTER HUNTER

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Monster Hunter tri	Wii	2010	N/A	N/A	92
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate	3DS	2013	N/A	N/A	41
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate	3DS	2015	N/A	69	21
Monster Hunter Generations	3DS	2016	N/A	64	60
Monster Hunter World	PS4	2017	N/A	100	N/A
		2018	61	28	34
Monster Hunter Rise	Switch	2021	N/A	N/A	41

Initial observations: Yet another over-achieving franchise in Canada, no further notes. What is odd is the absence of MHRise on both charts. We know that Japan pulls a hefty amount of the weight in its lifetime sales, but the rest of the world was no slouch in that, either. Best explanation I have is that 2021 was an exceptional year for first-party lineups and it just got crowded out of ranking, but that's a guess only.

ATLUS

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Riviera: The Promised Land	GBA	2005	N/A	80	N/A
Magna Carta: Tears of Blood	PS2	2005	N/A	88	N/A
Contact	DS	2006	N/A	90	N/A
3D Dot Game Heroes	PS3	2010	N/A	36	N/A
Catherine	PS3	2011	N/A	33	N/A
		2012	N/A	61	N/A
Radiant Historia	DS	2011	N/A	63	N/A
		2012	N/A	68	N/A
Etrian Odyssey 4	3DS	2013	N/A	80	N/A
Trauma Center: Under the Knife	DS	2005	N/A	28	N/A
		2006	N/A	6	75
		2007	N/A	44	N/A
Trauma Center: Second Opinion	Wii	2006	N/A	22	N/A
		2007	N/A	22	N/A
Trauma Center: New Blood	Wii	2007	N/A	55	N/A
		2008	N/A	39	N/A
Odin Sphere	PS2	2007	N/A	14	N/A
Dragon's Crown	PS3	2013	N/A	30	N/A
SMT: Digital Devil Saga 2	PS2	2005	N/A	12	N/A
SMT: Devil Summoner	PS2	2007	N/A	88	N/A
SMT: Devil Summoner 2	PS2	2009	N/A	46	N/A
Shin Megami Tensei IV	3DS	2013	N/A	19	N/A
SMT: Devil Summoner - Soul Hackers	3DS	2013	N/A	99	N/A
Persona 3	PS2	2007	N/A	31	N/A
Persona 4	PS2	2008	N/A	17	N/A
		2009	N/A	58	N/A
		2012	N/A	71	N/A
Persona 3 Portable	PSP	2010	N/A	74	N/A
Persona 2: Innocent Sin	PSP	2011	N/A	97	N/A
Persona 4 Golden	Vita	2012	N/A	30	N/A
		2013	N/A	70	N/A
Persona 4 Arena	PS3	2012	N/A	78	N/A
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax	PS3	2014	N/A	75	N/A
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth	3DS	2014	N/A	48	N/A
Persona 5	PS4	2016	96*	21*	N/A
		2017	N/A	62	93

* Pre-order listings

Initial observations: I'm just gonna say it... whoever was in charge of marketing and distribution for Atlus in Canada deserves a raise, a promotion and a god-damn medal. Because HOLY SHIT, the difference in chart performance for each of these titles is downright staggering and boggles the mind, and it's part of the reason I grouped them together by publisher, so the difference was plain as day, when Persona 5 pre-orders (for the special edition) were the only Atlus game I saw make it to the US chart.
But I worry that whoever was doing those jobs may have been replaced by someone at Sega after they scooped Atlus up, and again, I'll come back to that at the end.

FROM SOFTWARE

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Demon's Souls	PS3	2009	N/A	35	N/A
		2010	N/A	18	N/A
		2011	N/A	35	N/A
Dark Souls	PS3	2011	N/A	23	N/A
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition	PC	2013	60	N/A	N/A
Dark Souls 2	PS3	2014	N/A	49	N/A
Dark Souls 3	PS4	2016	N/A	68	82
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice	PS4	2019	84	N/A	66
Elden Ring	PS5	2021	76*	57*	N/A

*pre-order listings

Initial observations: Atlus sold the absolute hell out of Demon's Souls in Canada (as they seemingly did for ALL their games as noted previously), and Souls games appear to continue to have a stronger following in Canada... at least on consoles, anyways, the PC listing above suggests a far stronger PC fanbase for From Soft games in the US. Neat.
Also of note that Elden Ring pre-orders charted, but not in the launch year, and I chalk that up again to it being an incredibly crowded year for 1sr-party releases on the chart from both Nintendo AND Sony.

MISC. RPG TITLES (this one's got a BIG surprise in it)

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Skies of Arcadia Legends	GC	2003	N/A	N/A	76
Sword of Mana	GBA	2004	N/A	N/A	49
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness	PS2	2004	N/A	23	N/A
Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories	PS2	2006	N/A	39	N/A
Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice	PS3	2008	N/A	71	N/A
Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten	PS3	2011	N/A	64	N/A
Suikoden III	PS2	2003	N/A	23	N/A
		2004	N/A	41	N/A
Suikoden V	PS2	2006	N/A	N/A	99
Star Ocean: Til the End of Time	PS2	2004	N/A	60	N/A
La Pucelle Tactics	PS2	2004	N/A	77	N/A
Front Mission 4	PS2	2004	N/A	93	N/A
Radiata Stories	PS2	2005	N/A	32	N/A
Wild Arms Alter Code F	PS2	2005	N/A	46	N/A
Lunar: Dragon Song	DS	2005	N/A	84	N/A
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean	GC	2005	N/A	N/A	27
Xenosaga	PS2	2006	N/A	80	N/A
Xenosaga Episode 3	PS2	2006	N/A	65	N/A
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria	PS2	2007	N/A	65	N/A
Valkyria Chronicles	PS3	2008	N/A	88	N/A
		2009	N/A	23	N/A
		2010	N/A	83	N/A
		2011	N/A	86	N/A
		2012	N/A	70	N/A
		2013	N/A	65	N/A
Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland	PS3	2011	N/A	95	N/A
Bravely Default	3DS	2013	N/A	63*	62
		2014	80	23	47
Octopath Traveler	Switch	2018	54	25	47
Octopath Traveler II	Switch	Current	N/A	82**	N/A

* Pre-order figures
** As of Jun 2, per YTD cumulative sales ranking

Initial observations: I have no idea how Valkyria Chronicles managed to chart in Canada for 6 consecutive years. I had to triple-check that I wasn't hallucinating. But it's surely no accident. Anyways, that aside, between this and the other charts above this one, I think you get a pretty clear picture of how ravenous Canada's appetite for RPGs can be, with a unique soft spot for tactical games as I've previously alluded to. This makes it plain as day.

METAL GEAR

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes	GC	2004	N/A	N/A	23
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater	PS2	2004	89	26	N/A
		2005	N/A	59	17
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots	PS3	2008	62	22	55
		2009	58	N/A	N/A
		2010	98	N/A	N/A
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection	PS3	2012	N/A	99	N/A
Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes	PS4	2014	74	96	60
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain	PS4	2015	30	22	24

Initial observations: The standout here is MGS4, demonstrating a longer sales tail in the US, albeit with a softer launch year performance. But aside from that, Canada shows its abundant appreciation for Metal Gear compared to the US in spades.

RESIDENT EVIL

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Resident Evil Zero	GC	2003	N/A	N/A	48
Resident Evil 4	PS2	2005	N/A	29	91
		2016	N/A	81	N/A
	GC	2005	N/A	34	8
	Wii	2007	N/A	39	N/A
Resident Evil 5	PS3	2009	95	27	84
	360	2009	N/A	37	N/A
Resident Evil 6	PS3	2012	85	92	24
	360	2012	N/A	N/A	74
Resident Evil Revelations	3DS	2012	N/A	85	N/A
Resident Evil VI: biohazard	PS4	2016	N/A	42*	N/A
		2017	55	59	24
Resident Evil 2 (Remake)	PS4	2019	N/A	N/A	69
Resident Evil: Village	PS5	2021	N/A	N/A	68

*pre-order listings

Initial observations: Again, the results kinda speak for itself. Guess Canada loves ~~some zombie schlock~~ to master unlocking up here. And we have yet another instance were releases post-2019 do not even present. On top of being pushed out by 1st-party/Switch games, there's also the aspect of cross-gen maybe splitting sales across more SKUs that may have kept Village out of the Top 100.

FIGHTING GAMES

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Soul Calibur II	GC	2003	N/A	36	8
	PS2	2003	N/A	N/A	28
	Xbox	2003	N/A	95	55
		2005	N/A	N/A	97
Soul Calibur III	PS2	2005	N/A	N/A	75
Street Fighter IV	PS3	2009	N/A	32	62
	360	2009	N/A	89	N/A
Super Street Fighter IV	PS3	2010	65	35	72
Street Fighter V	PS4	2016	N/A	60	92
Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers	Switch	2017	N/A	N/A	99
Mortal Kombat	PS3	2011	38	N/A	97
	360	2009	90	N/A	N/A
Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition	PS3	2013	89	N/A	N/A
Mortal Kombat X	PS4	2015	45	76	66
Mortal Kombat 11	PS4	2016	76	N/A	N/A
Injustice 2	PS4	2017	N/A	N/A	65
Tekken 5	PS2	2005	N/A	N/A	35
		2006	N/A	N/A	59
Tekken 6	PS3	2010	93	N/A	N/A
Tekken 7	PS4	2017	N/A	N/A	50
Dragon Ball FighterZ	PS4	2018	N/A	N/A	9
	Switch	2018	N/A	N/A	91

Initial observations: There weren't many fighting games on the charts, so I grouped them together (except P4A, that's with the Atlus releases). And it's clear that there's some regional preferences between US and Canada, huh? When SF6's release rolls around, it's going to be interesting to see the regional distinction, methinks.
Also, good on the data to prove Soul Calibur 3 being PS-exclusive will never stop being a bad decision.

CAPCOM MISC.

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Viewtiful Joe	GC	2003	N/A	33	N/A
		2004	N/A	87	N/A
Okami	PS2	2006	88	33	N/A
		2007	N/A	35	N/A
Zack & Wiki	Wii	2007	N/A	71	N/A
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney	DS	2005	N/A	16	N/A
		2006	N/A	3	91
		2007	N/A	32	N/A
Ace Attorney: Justice for All	DS	2007	N/A	46	N/A
Mega Man Anniversary Collection	PS2	2003	N/A	42	N/A
Mega Man Anniversary Collection	GC	2003	N/A	61	N/A
Mega Man 11	Switch	2018	N/A	68	N/A
Devil May Cry 5	PS4	2019	N/A	N/A	99

Initial observations: Outside of RPG publishers, Capcom was one of the most heavily represented Japanese 3rd-party publishers on the Canadian charts and performs rather strongly there. Not much else to say except take a peep at those Ace Attorney numbers, WOW.

And because I had nowhere else to put this oddity, since so few non-Dark Souls games from Bandai Namco actually charted on Amazon:

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Katamari Damacy	PS2	2004	N/A	11	N/A
		2005	69	3	N/A
		2006	N/A	64	N/A

Terrell · Jun 2, 2023

NINTENDO 1ST-PARTY RANKINGS

* Please be advised that the current year figures are a moving target and may change until the year is over.

MARIO KART

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Mario Kart: Double Dash	GC	2003	4	1
		2004	70	N/A
		2005	78	N/A
		2006	65	N/A
Mario Kart DS	DS	2005	N/A	N/A
		2006	22	89
		2007	23	N/A
		2008	24	N/A
		2009	31	N/A
		2010	39	N/A
		2011	94	N/A
Mario Kart Wii	Wii	2008	5	2
		2009	10	7
		2010	13	20
		2011	47	41
		2012	N/A	N/A
		2013	48	N/A
		2014	55	N/A
Mario Kart 7	3DS	2011	36	15
		2012	35	67
		2013	55	93
		2014	62	N/A
		2015	87	N/A
Mario Kart 8	Wii U	2014	6	10
		2015	67	77
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe	Switch	2017	4	5
		2018	19	9
		2019	10	7
		2020	14	7
		2021	22	2
		2022	29	4
		Current	46 (and 70?)*	8

* Both US and Euro copies seemed to be tracked in 2023 in the US, with the Euro copies tracking higher, not sure why

Initial observations: The US clearly loves Mario Kart, with generally longer tails on nearly every entry, while Canadians seem to have little love for handheld MK and see shorter sales tails but higher launch year rankings for the console entries. But then in comes 8 Deluxe on Switch, which Canadians seem to be buying as though it were compulsory, since it never once leaves the Amazon Top 10 since its introduction; 2023 might finally break the streak when the dust settles. MKWii rankings also suggest that Wii had less longevity in Canada than it did in the US, where its #1 non-pack-in evergreen kept selling well right up to the release of MK8. Not surprising, but notable.

2D MARIO

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Super Mario Advance 2: SMW	GBA	2003	94	48
		2004	N/A	53
Super Mario Advance 4: SMB3	GBA	2003	3	12
		2004	13	99
		2005	29	82
New Super Mario Bros.	DS	2006	4	13
		2007	16	N/A
		2008	27	59
		2009	28	85
		2010	35	85
		2011	55	84
		2012	38	N/A
New Super Mario Bros. Wii	Wii	2008	N/A	59
		2009	5	1
		2010	7	1
		2011	37	44
		2012	46	91
		2013	53	88
		2014	63	N/A
		2015	72	N/A
New Super Mario Bros. 2	3DS	2012	24	N/A
		2013	75	N/A
Super Mario Maker	Wii U	2015	10	24
	3DS	2016	N/A	100
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe	Switch	2018	N/A	93
		2019	19	18
		2020	78	18
		2021	76	17
		2022	N/A	38
		Current	N/A	36
Super Mario Maker 2	Switch	2019	23	19
		2020	87	66
		2021	N/A	86

Initial observations: 2D Mario seems to sell moreso on consoles in Canada, suggesting it is mostly selling to older demographics, whereas US sales again demonstrate better consistency. NSMBWii sales likely slowed down because, after 2 years of being #1 on the Amazon.ca chart, NSMBWii replaced Wii Sports as the standard pack-in game in Canada, I vividly remember the ubiquity of the bundle (and, though I didn't track them because this is already a lot of data to parse as is, NSMBWii hardware bundles did continue to appear prominently after the game started its chart decline in Canada).
But again, with Switch, rankings of U Deluxe and SMM2 in Canada outstrip the US and demonstrate the longer tail.

3D MARIO

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Super Mario Sunshine	GC	2004	33	92
		2005	66	N/A
Super Mario 64 DS	DS	2004	N/A	N/A
		2005	51	N/A
		2006	86	N/A
Super Mario Galaxy	Wii	2007	3	2
		2008	16	11
		2009	59	66
Super Mario Galaxy 2	Wii	2010	9	8
Super Mario 3D Land	3DS	2011	50	12
		2012	45	22
		2013	73	N/A
Super Mario 3D World	Wii U	2013	57	N/A
		2014	89	N/A
Super Mario Odyssey	Switch	2017	2	3
		2018	20	20
		2019	97	34
		2020	75	35
		2021	34	30
		2022	N/A	95
		Current	N/A	64
Super Mario 3D All-Stars	Switch	2020	8	N/A
		2021	N/A	54
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury	Switch	2021	10	3
		2022	86	31
		Current	N/A	37

Initial observations: Between this and the 2D stuff, very little love demonstrated in Canada for Mario remakes, or at least remakes/remasters of games that sold well in their own time. For example, Mario 64 DS didn't even chart in Canada, but after sleeping on 3D World on its original release, Canada came back with stronger and more persistent rankings for Bowser's Fury. As well, Odyssey, like NSMBUDX and SM3DW+BF, showing a strong sales tail that will not let up. 3D Mario is a very strong performer in both regions, with Canada barely edging the US out in terms of which country loves the new releases more, with the US is more receptive to the remakes overall.

MARIO PARTY & SPORTS

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Mario Party 5	GC	2003	23	26
Mario Party 6	GC	2004	68	N/A
Mario Party 7	GC	2005	5	27
Mario Party 8	Wii	2007	22	8
Mario Party DS	DS	2007	47	33
		2008	57	N/A
Mario Party 9	Wii	2012	81	22
Mario Party 10	Wii U	2015	N/A	94
Super Mario Party	Switch	2018	12	4
		2019	41	20
		2020	62	22
		2021	60	53
Mario Party Superstars	Switch	2021	20	15
		2022	50	9
		Current	N/A	18
Mario Superstar Baseball	GC	2005	44	N/A
Super Mario Strikers	GC	2005	60	N/A
Mario Tennis Aces	Switch	2019	42	26
Mario Golf Super Rush	Switch	2020	53	66
Mario Strikers Battle League	Switch	2021	58	N/A

Initial observations: Post-N64, Canada seemed to have an onset of Mario Party fatigue that the US did not demonstrate, but MP8 onward seemed to bring in a new dedicated fanbase to the series in Canada and the Switch entries have been crushing it on the charts in Canada since, comparatively speaking. The same cannot be said of the sports games, though, mostly tepid reaction to them up north, with the US seemingly more receptive to them overall.

PAPER MARIO/M&L/MARIO RPGs

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door	GC	2004	17	88
		2007	88	N/A
Super Paper Mario	Wii	2007	45	10
Paper Mario: Sticker Star	3DS	2012	62	11
Paper Mario: Color Splash	Wii U	2016	N/A	65
Paper Mario: The Origami King	Switch	2020	43	49
Mario & Luigi:: Superstar Saga	GBA	2003	25	N/A
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time	DS	2005	55	40
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story	DS	2009	34	19
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team	3DS	2013	94	41

Initial observations: Seems Paper Mario had a stronger start in the US but the series caught on in Canada as it went (IMO, sadly after the best game in the series). Same story goes for M&L, though it picked up in sales in Canada as it started getting better.

MARIO SPINOFFS (YOSHI, LUIGI'S MANSION, DK, CAPT. TOAD)

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Yoshi's Island DS	DS	2013	31	N/A
Yoshi's Woolly World	Wii U	2015	99	58
Yoshi's Crafted World	Switch	2018	N/A	80
		2019	51	50
		2020	N/A	89
Donkey Kong Country Returns	Wii	2010	8	6
		2011	N/A	39
		2012	N/A	75
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze	Wii U	2014	N/A	72
	Switch	2018	44	42
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker	Wii U	2014	N/A	56
	Switch	2018	N/A	65
Luigi's Mansion	GC	2003	81	100
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon	3DS	2013	23	14
Luigi's Mansion 3	Switch	2019	8	5
		2020	30	19
		2021	56	42
		2022	N/A	74
		Current	N/A	77

Initial observations: The Mario spinoff series trend towards Canada outperforming the US in these rankings, sometimes massively so. If I could go back further than 2003, I'd bet Luigi's Mansion had posted a higher ranking in Canada right from the outset, and I wouldn't doubt the same is true for Donkey Kong Country and (with the exception of the handheld titles, at least) Yoshi games.

POKÉMON

For the sake of my own sanity, I have restricted the rankings for the standard dual releases for the series to the highest position any one of the 2 games achieved.

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire	GBA	2003	5	34
		2004	86	N/A
Pokemon Emerald	GBA	2005	23	43
		2006	72	N/A
Pokemon Pinball Ruby/Sapphire	GBA	2003	45	N/A
Pokemon Ranger	DS	2006	27	N/A
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Red/Blue	Multi	2006	28	N/A
Pokemon Diamond/Pearl	DS	2007	5	N/A
Pokemon Platinum	DS	2009	41	26
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Time/Darkness	DS	2008	N/A	45
Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia	DS	2008	61	N/A
Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver	DS	2010	62	28
Pokemon Black/White	DS	2011	27	7
Pokemon Black 2/White 2	DS	2012	29	19
		2013	92	N/A
Pokemon X/Y	3DS	2013	15	12
		2014	47	80
Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire	3DS	2014	19	6
		2015	77	95
Pokemon Sun/Moon	3DS	2016	3	1
		2017	79	N/A
Pokemon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon	3DS	2017	21	34
		2018	N/A	74
Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee	Switch	2018	21	13
		2019	32	64
		2020	N/A	98
Pokemon Sword/Shield	Switch	2019	5	2
		2020	63	79
New Pokemon Snap	Switch	2021	40	47
Pokemon Legends: Arceus	Switch	2021	67*	95*
		2022	9	6
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl	Switch	2021	17	25
Pokemon Scarlet/Violet	Switch	2022	13	11
		Current	55	64

* pre-order figures

Initial observations: The only thing I can say with confidence is that Pokemon spinoffs generally rank higher in the US, as many of them don't even chart in Canada. As for the main games, it seems like there's really strong initial rankings in the launch year in Canada but the games do not see continued success beyond that, with exceptions to that being few and far between.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
LoZ: A Link to the Past & Four Swords	GBA	2003	95	78
		2005	N/A	66
LoZ: The Minish Cap	GBA	2005	96	67
LoZ: The Wind Waker	GC	2003	2	N/A
		2004	62	N/A
		2005	90	70
LoZ: Twilight Princess	GC	2006	46	93
	Wii	2006	55	35
		2007	31	19
		2008	92	64
LoZ: Phantom Hourglass	DS	2007	20	20
		2008	N/A	49
		2009	N/A	82
LoZ: Spirit Tracks	DS	2009	36	21
LoZ: Skyward Sword	Wii	2011	24	2
LoZ: Ocarina of Time 3D	3DS	2011	62	26
		2012	N/A	N/A
		2013	96	N/A
		2014	N/A	N/A
		2015	N/A	9
LoZ: The Wind Waker HD	Wii U	2013	N/A	73
LoZ: A Link Between Worlds	3DS	2013	38	N/A
Hyrule Warriors	Wii U	2014	71	20
LoZ: Majora's Mask 3D	3DS	2015	25	11
LoZ: Tri Force Heroes	3DS	2015	N/A	50
LoZ: Twilight Princess HD		2016	39	30
LoZ: Breath of the Wild	Wii U	2015	N/A	38*
		2016	N/A	27*
		2017	25	8
	Switch	2017	5	2
		2018	26	17
		2019	16	8
		2020	25	16
		2021	26	11
		2022	N/A	35
		Current	N/A	59
LoZ: Link's Awakening	Switch	2019	14	3
		2020	66	71
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition	Switch	2018	N/A	95
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity	Switch	2020	23	N/A
LoZ: Skyward Sword HD	Switch	2021	21	28
		2022	N/A	67
LoZ: Tears of the Kingdom	Switch	Current	3	1

* pre-order figures

Initial observations: Lots of odd fluctuations, but seems to demonstrate a much larger appetite for Zelda in Canada almost across the board, with only a handful of examples to the contrary, like ALBW and AoC. And no, not reading that wrong, OoT3D jumped to #9 in Canada 3-4 years after launch, best guess is that it went on sale to coincide with the MM3D release. BotW amplified pre-existing series interest in both countries.

SMASH BROS.

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Super Smash Bros. Melee	GC	2003	30	84
		2004	45	N/A
		2005	74	37
Super Smash Bros. Brawl	Wii	2007	N/A	61
		2008	8	6
		2009	74	51
		2010	N/A	N/A
		2011	N/A	N/A
		2012	87	N/A
		2013	99	N/A
		2014	N/A	88
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS	3DS	2014	4	2
		2015	29	89
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U	Wii U	2014	15	3
		2015	34	49
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate	Switch	2018	1	1
		2019	4	4
		2020	19	20
		2021	25	24
		2022	26	39
		Current	N/A	53

Initial observations: Smash appears to show higher placements overall in the US, depending upon the release in question. There's not much to say beyond that, really; even in the years it did not chart in the top 100, that it re-appears in later years suggests it frequently floated just outside the chart in both regions.

ANIMAL CROSSING

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Animal Crossing (GC)	GC	2003	51	N/A
		2004	42	N/A
		2005	65	N/A
Animal Crossing: Wild World	DS	2005	N/A	38
		2006	13	N/A
		2007	55	N/A
Animal Crossing: City Folk	Wii	2008	55	31
Animal Crossing: New Leaf	3DS	2013	21	17
		2014	83	94
Animal Crossing: New Horizons	Switch	2020	5	1
		2021	16	16
		2022	32	22
		Current	N/A	74

Initial observations: Animal Crossing's popularity started off great in the US and only got stronger, while in Canada it has been a really slow burn but showed signs of picking up and is starting to slightly outpace the US in chart placement following City Folk. The data speaks for itself.

SPLATOON

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Splatoon	Wii U	2015	56	45
Splatoon 2	Switch	2017	16	26
		2018	79	69
		2019	N/A	N/A
		2020	N/A	94
Splatoon 3	Switch	2022	22	N/A*

* Not listed in Amazon's video game category and thus did not chart, sales data for this game is compromised.

Initial observations: Splatoon was a little weaker in the US with the first release but picked up with a stronger launch year rank for the next 2 games. Canada seemed to demonstrate a stronger tail with #2, and it's unfortunate that the 3rd game was not categorized correctly in Canada and we lack the most recent comparative data. It does show a lot of strength for their newest franchise, but the missing data is really unfortunate.

FIRE EMBLEM

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance	Wii	2005	N/A	52
Fire Emblem Awakening	3DS	2013	65	N/A
Fire Emblem Fates Birthright/Conquest	3DS	2015	N/A	40/N/A
		2016	N/A	52/87
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia	3DS	2017	90	39
Fire Emblem: Three Houses	Switch	2019	45	17
Fire Emblem Engage	Switch	Current	32	35

Initial observations: Like I touched on earlier, I've had an impression Canada loves it some tactical RPGs and Fire Emblem helps establish the theory as it routinely (outside of Awakening, for some reason) over-performed in Canada; February's higher placement of FEEngage on the Canada Top 10 NPD/Circana chart makes that clear and I expect Engage to place higher on Amazon.ca's Top 100 when the year is out, though it seems like FE is also picking up steam in the US with each release, so we'll see how things pan out. Neither the US or Canada has demonstrated long sales tails for this franchise yet, though.

KIRBY

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Kirby and the Amazing Mirror	GBA	2004	52	N/A
Kirby Squeak Squad	DS	2006	70	N/A
Kirby Super Star Ultra	DS	2008	89	24
Kirby's Epic Yarn	Wii	2010	50	39
Kirby's Return to Dreamland	Wii	2011	N/A	60
Kirby's Dream Collection	Wii	2012	N/A	77
Kirby Star Allies	Switch	2018	62	46
Kirby and the Forgotten Land	Switch	2022	15	N/A *
Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe	Switch	Current	46	78

* Not listed in Amazon's video game category and thus did not chart, sales data for this game is compromised.

Initial observations: TBH, not sure what to make of this now that I have the historical data, other than to say Kirby performs more strongly in Canada but the brand is not so strong that it can motivate Canadian consumers to get over their seeming aversion to remakes.

METROID

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes	GC	2004	49	70
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption	Wii	2007	76	57
Metroid Other M	Wii	2010	100	87
Metroid: Samus Returns	3DS	2018	62	46
Metroid Dread	Switch	2021	27	39
		2022	N/A	93
Metroid Prime Remastered	Switch	Current	28	12

Initial observations: Metroid looks to be an over-performer in Canada as a whole (even charting a pre-order listing for Prime 4 at #39 in the year it was announced, which is WILD, but didn't include above because I don't know what to make of it anymore), but it IS still Metroid and has its limits as to how far it can climb in both countries.

I've also tracked some more of the new(-ish), sparsely-released, niche-selling or one-off Nintendo IPs (this is where you'll find Ring Fit) and Nintendo-published works (like Platinum titles) as they cropped up. Tried to keep them grouped together.

MISC. NINTENDO PUBLISHED TITLES

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Golden Sun: The Lost Age	GBA	2003	N/A	54
Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix	GC	2005	N/A	73
Warioware: Smooth Moves	Wii	2007	85	29
Wario Land: Shake It!	Wii	2008	N/A	95
Punch-Out!	Wii	2009	80	79
Rythym Heaven	DS	2009	N/A	99
Kid Icarus Uprising	3DS	2012	N/A	94
The Last Story	Wii	2012	N/A	12
Pandora's Tower	Wii	2013	N/A	68
ARMS	Switch	2017	39	72
Bayonetta 2	Switch	2018	N/A	85
Astral Chain	Switch	2019	N/A	69
Xenoblade Chronicles X	Wii U	2015	N/A	61
Xenoblade Chronicles 2	Switch	2017	88	83
Wii Sports Resort	Wii	2009	7	3
		2010	22	21
Nintendo Switch Sports	Switch	2022	17	8
		Current	48	39
Ring Fit Adventure	Switch	2019	34	14
		2020	21	10
		2021	30	8
		2022	94	52
		Current	N/A	98

Initial observations: Since these are single-year figures for the most part, they speak for themselves, but aside from ARMS, be it niche-seller or brand-new best-selling IP or return of the casual game king, nearly all the franchises on this list over-performed in Canada compared to the US, some exceptionally so (The Last Story stands out in particular, the difference there is HUGE and entirely inexplicable).

Some notes overall: The pattern observed is that Nintendo rankings are stronger in the US on the less popular platforms (GC, Wii U) and the final few years of the Wii. But outside of that, the trend is highly observable that Canada demonstrates a higher preference for Nintendo software, though there are fluctuations in the data depending on the specific IP in question. And software for Switch has been shown to chart higher and longer in Canada for nearly every release, suggesting that platform in particular is enjoying a stronger place among Canadian gamers compared to their neighbours.

Terrell · Jun 2, 2023

SONY 1ST-PARTY RANKINGS

UNCHARTED

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune	PS3	2007	N/A	87
		2008	N/A	39
		2009	64	N/A
		2010	N/A	58
		2011	N/A	87
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves	PS3	2009	18	12
		2010	N/A	64
		2011	N/A	58
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception	PS3	2011	11	5
		2012	N/A	6
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End	PS4	2014	N/A	52*
		2015	N/A	12*
		2016	7	14
		2017	86	N/A
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Coll.	PS4	2015	86	75
		2016	72	32
		2017	N/A	45
		2018	N/A	96
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy	PS4	2017	37	11

* Pre-order figures

Initial observations: Canada immediately latched onto Uncharted from moment one and refused to let go. Walking into this blind, I was genuinely not expecting the rankings here to be so totally lop-sided. It is important to note, however, that the rankings for the PS4 titles get a bit muddied due to the UC games being frequently and aggressively bundled with PS4 hardware in the US at least, so from NDC onward, the situation with the franchise in the US isn't entirely what is reflected in the numbers.

THE LAST OF US

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
The Last of Us	PS3	2013	10	7
		2014	59	40
The Last of Us Remastered	PS4	2014	27	7
		2015	66	46
		2016	N/A	N/A
		2017	N/A	33
The Last of Us Part II	PS4	2020	24	17
		2021	N/A	89
		2022	N/A	N/A
		Current	N/A	35
The Last of Us Part I	PS5	Current	N/A	72

Initial observations: Just like with UC, a stronger overall chart performance in Canada for every series entry... I'm starting to consider that this will be a recurring theme and I think I already have an explanation that I'll share for the end.

INSOMNIAC GAMES

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
R&C: Going Commando	PS2	2003	56	N/A
		2004	N/A	81
R&C: Up Your Arsenal	PS2	2004	53	67
Ratchet: Deadlocked	PS2	2005	83	72
R&C Future: Tools of Destruction	PS3	2009	N/A	98
R&C Future: A Crack in Time	PS3	2009	86	46
Ratchet & Clank	PS4	2016	55	23
Resistance 2	PS3	2008	N/A	79
Spider-Man	PS4	2016	N/A	75*
		2017	N/A	28*
		2018	15	16
		2019	31	25
		2020	80	40
Spider-Man Miles Morales	PS4	2020	60	N/A

* pre-order figures

Initial observations: Not sure what to make of this, but it looks like middling rankings in the US for R&C and a steady increase in chart performance in Canada from 2005 onward. And I had honestly forgotten how many R&C games came out basically back-to-back.
And the Spider-Man pre-orders in Canada speak for themselves, I think.

LITTLE BIG PLANET

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Little Big Planet	PS3	2008	48	13
		2009	N/A	59
		2010	92	66
Little Big Planet 2	PS3	2011	96	16
		2012	N/A	N/A
		2013	N/A	51
Little Big Planet Karting	PS3	2012	N/A	64

Initial observations: If you go by this info, LBP went by with a whiff in the US, whereas Canada was trying REALLY hard to make Sackboy the definitive Sony mascot character (and I support that, he's cute as hell). Even the kart game charted in Canada FFS. If I were to assume why LBP3 didn't chart, it'd be a combo of it being a cross-gen release and just being a lot of franchise releases in a really short time window.

GUERRILLA GAMES

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Killzone 2	PS3	2009	63	10
Killzone 3	PS3	2011	56	31
Killzone Shadow Fall	PS4	2013	31	23
		2014	N/A	61
Horizon Zero Dawn	PS4	2015	N/A	33*
		2016	N/A	47*
		2017	11	9
		2018	N/A	35
		2019	87	N/A

* pre-order figures

Initial observations: I'm really not sure what to say here, just an endless stream of better Canadian numbers. AGAIN. Only commentary I have was that it's likely for the best that Guerrilla transitioned off of Killzone, Horizon is definitely a more lucrative use of their time for Sony.
As for the lack of Forbidden West, it seems a lot of people were snatching it up with the PS5 bundle and didn't need to buy the game itself, saw the bundle quite prominently in the Top 100.

QUANTIC DREAM

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Heavy Rain	PS3	2010	55	16
		2011	N/A	49
		2012	N/A	86
		2013	N/A	33
Detroit Become Human	PS4	2016	N/A	90
		2017	N/A	77
		2018	N/A	66

Initial observations: ... getting tired of repeating myself about lopsided performance by region. And besides that, you know the old saying: if you don't have anything nice to say...

GOD OF WAR

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
God of War	PS2	2005	67	54
		2006	69	44
		2007	89	38
God of War II	PS2	2007	67	54
God of War Collection	PS3	2009	56	35
		2010	58	68
God of War III	PS3	2010	20	14
		2011	69	24
God of War Ascension	PS3	2013	52	55
God of War Saga	PS3	2013	98	N/A
God of War	PS4	2016	N/A	37*
		2017	N/A	24*
		2018	24	14
		2019	52	48
God of War Ragnarok	PS4	2022	N/A	75
	PS5	2022	41	42

* pre-order figures

Initial observations: ... won't repeat myself. What is interesting to note is the original GoW actually went further up the charts in Canada the further it got from release, probably from supremely good WoM and maybe a Greatest Hits discount and momentum kept building for the franchise right up until Ascension.

GRAN TURISMO

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Gran Turismo 3 A-spec	PS2	2003	89	N/A
		2004	N/A	78
Gran Turismo 4	PS2	2004	N/A	73
		2005	22	13
		2006	97	N/A
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue	PS3	2008	60	21
Gran Turismo 5	PS3	2010	28	10
		2011	81	32
		2012	42	65
		2013	62	N/A
Gran Turismo 6	PS3	2013	N/A	58
Gran Turismo Sport	PS4	2017	N/A	63

Initial observations: I hate to sound like a broken record... so I won't.

TEAM ICO

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Ico	PS2	2005	N/A	17
Shadow of the Colossus	PS2	2005	N/A	8
		2006	N/A	99
Ico & SotC Collection	PS3	2011	N/A	17
		2012	N/A	49
		2013	N/A	44
The Last Guardian	PS3	2015	N/A	48
		2016	N/A	48
Shadow of the Colossus	PS4	2018	91	63

Initial observations: ... you can't even make this stuff up. US is coming off looking like a country of philistines right now.

SUCKER PUNCH PRODUCTIONS

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Sly 2: Band of Thieves	PS2	2004	78	N/A
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves	PS2	2005	70	N/A
Infamous	PS3	2009	60	48
		2010	N/A	96
Infamous 2	PS3	2011	N/A	57
Infamous Second Son	PS4	2014	85	N/A
Ghost of Tsushima	PS4	2020	51	100

Initial observations: It's pretty clear that Ghost of Tsushima is the studio's biggest hit ever and their games have historically been better performers on these charts in the US (for a change), with the single exception of the first 2 Infamous games, but that's likely a by-product of stronger PS3 hardware sales in Canada compared to the 360/PS3 split in the US.

MISC. SONY PUBLISHED TITLES

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Jak II	PS2	2003	24	N/A
Jak III	PS2	2004	26	35
SOCOM II	PS2	2003	40	45
		2004	N/A	58
SOCOM 3	PS2	2005	N/A	75
SOCOM: Confrontation	PS3	2008	N/A	61
Wipeout Pure	PSP	2005	N/A	100
Genji: Dawn of the Samurai	PS2	2005	N/A	78
ModNation Racers	PS3	2010	N/A	94
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale	PS3	2012	N/A	96
		2013	N/A	59
Journey	PS3	2012	N/A	88
Bloodborne	PS4	2015	26	18
Until Dawn	PS4	2015	N/A	62
Death Stranding	PS4	2016	N/A	91
		2016	N/A	70*
		2017	N/A	55*
		2019	53	30
Days Gone	PS4	2016	N/A	88*
		2017	N/A	46*
		2019	35	63

* pre-order figures

Initial observations: I mean... look at all that "N/A" going on up there.

Some notes overall: Contrary to the common (and usually correct) belief that Sony platforms sell on the basis of 3rd-party software, Canada shows a seemingly very strong preference for 1st-party games no matter the platform, which edges other 3rd-party software on said platforms out of the Top 100 charts as a result, especially since 2019 onward, where the chart is dominated by Sony and Nintendo software (one moreso than the other, mind you).
I'll need to observe the same when I write down the Xbox data to 100% confirm, but my assumption on why this may be involves 2 points:
1) Absent market research and targeted advertising - As I mentioned in the 3rd-party section, I get the impression that publishers by and large do not understand Canada to be a distinct market and do not change marketing strategy up north as a result to acknowledge regional taste distinctions. So I believe 1st-party software in general will perform better in Canada overall as a result of that, as they seem ready and able to do targeted advertising to maximize consumer interest in their platform. But related to that is...
2) French language acknowledgement - Quebec is Canada's 2nd-largest province by population and only 52% of the province actually reads/understands English. If marketing/PR is not performed in French here in Canada, it's sales left on the table, and judging by the 3rd-party figures being weaker than 1st-party on the whole, I get the impression that publishers may be lacking there. Whereas a platform holder is almost mandatorily required to present their products in French as part of their role in the market, which extends out to all their software lineup. Even just borrowing their marketing materials from France would do wonders in this regard.
Likewise, if the game does not include French language support at launch in some capacity, forget about it, you've lost a huge chunk of gamers.

Terrell · Jun 2, 2023

MICROSOFT 1ST-PARTY RANKINGS

HALO

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Halo: Combat Evolved	Xbox	2003	32	N/A	N/A
		2004	22	44	N/A
Halo 2	Xbox	2004	2	1	36
		2005	32	49	N/A
Halo 3	360	2007	6	5	85
		2008	38	80	N/A
		2009	72	27	N/A
Halo Wars	360	2009	N/A	19	N/A
Halo 3 ODST	360	2009	16	42	61
Halo Reach		2010	4	9	40
		2011	54	70	N/A
		2012	88	41	N/A
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary	360	2011	26	47	N/A
Halo 4	360	2012	1	2	21
		2013	40	35	N/A
Halo: The Master Chief Collection	XBO	2014	23	13	86
		2015	90	N/A	N/A
Halo 5: Guardians	XBO	2015	11	8	23
		2016	99	73	N/A

Initial observations: Given that we've observed very little software on Xbox in the charts in Canada compared to the US, it should be of no surprise that Xbox exclusive content charts higher in the US, but seeing it laid out makes that plain. That being said, in spite of that being the case, Canada manages to see high chart positions jut out, particularly Halo Wars (but if you've read the rest, that should hardly come as a shock) and keeps better pace than other content.

GEARS OF WAR

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Gears of War	360	2006	9	N/A	N/A
		2007	40	N/A	N/A
Gears of War 2	360	2008	26	10	57
		2009	N/A	24	N/A
Gears of War 3	360	2011	8	48	27
Gears of War: Judgment	360	2013	N/A	85	99
Gears of War 4	XBO	2016	53	9	75

Initial observations: This one's a bit weird, it seemed like the US and Canada were trading places with who took the better chart placement with each subsequent entry. And aside from totally sleeping on the first game, again, Canada shows outsized support considering the purchasing dynamics between platforms we saw in the 3rd-party rankings.

FORZA/PROJECT GOTHAM

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Project Gotham Racing 2	Xbox	2004	N/A	95	N/A
Forza Motorsport 3	360	2009	70	N/A	91
Forza Motorsport 4	360	2011	70	85	60
Forza Motorsport 6	XBO	2015	80	74	74
Forza Motorsport 7	XBO	2017	N/A	N/A	55
Forza Horizon 3	XBO	2016	86	34	28
Forza Horizon 4	XBO	2018	N/A	79	84

Initial observations: Microsoft's racing franchises are certainly dragging their feet compared to Gran Turismo on both sides of the border, with the US showing stronger support for Motorsport while Canada inexplicably shows a spike in interest in Horizon starting with the 3rd.

FABLE

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Fable: The Lost Chapters	Xbox	2004	N/A	5	28
Fable II	360	2008	56	16	52
		2009	N/A	29	N/A
Fable III	360	2010	26	29	68

Initial observations: Peter Molyneux pulled a fast one on Canada real good it seems. I kid, I kid, but yeah, clear difference in chart performance here right up until Fable III.

MISC. MICROSOFT PUBLISHED TITLES

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Jade Empire	Xbox	2005	N/A	64	N/A
Crackdown	360	2007	N/A	93	N/A
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts	360	2008	N/A	73	N/A
Alan Wake	360	2010	N/A	40	N/A
Sunset Overdrive	XBO	2014	N/A	64	N/A
Rare Replay	XBO	2015	N/A	36	N/A
		2016	N/A	66	N/A

Initial observations: Rare Replay showing pretty clearly that there were a LOT of N64 kids in Canada. Beyond that, the data's saying the same thing the rest of it did.

Some notes overall: The first thing that jumps out as me is, unless the game is part of the Gears of War or Halo series, Microsoft's 1st-party performance in the US has been exceptionally weak. To most, that doesn't come as a great surprise. But outside the US, we see a very different picture, where 1st-party sales strength is (for the most part) higher, even in the case of Xbox where this remains true in spite of a lower overall percentage of hardware sales compared to the US. In my view, this strongly compliments the position I wrote about in the Sony 1st-party section, that 1st-party titles have great reach and visibility outside the US that is not matched within it.

EDIT: OP too crowded, moving data on Western 3rd parties here temporarily.

ASSASSIN'S CREED

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Assassin's Creed	360	2007	17	52	N/A
	PS3	2007	N/A	59	N/A
		2009	N/A	90	N/A
	PC	2007	N/A	N/A	96
		2008	N/A	N/A	86
Assassin's Creed II	360	2009	15	30	29
		2010	86	80	N/A
	PS3	2009	29	37	22
		2010	67	70	71
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood	360	2010	17	33	45
		2011	N/A	88	N/A
	PS3	2010	40	42	18
		2011	N/A	68	N/A
Assassin's Creed Revelations	360	2011	79	38	48
		2012	57	76	N/A
	PS3	2011	N/A	94	40
		2012	92	61	N/A
Assassin's Creed III	360	2012	5	7	10
		2013	71	74	N/A
	PS3	2012	9	13	8
		2013	95	56	86
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag	360	2013	11	20	45
		2014	36	N/A	N/A
	PS3	2013	25	21	19
		2014	52	60	79
	PS4	2013	27	86	60
		2014	90	58	N/A
Assassin's Creed Unity	XBO	2014	81	93	97
	PS4	2014	38	16	15
		2015	53	70	79
Assassin's Creed Rogue	PS3	2014	N/A	100	72
Assassin's Creed Syndicate	XBO	2015	88	N/A	N/A
	PS4	2015	58	13	22
		2016	N/A	55	46
		2017	N/A	N/A	73
Assassin's Creed Origins	XBO	2017	N/A	65	41
	PS4	2017	75	22	10
Assassin's Creed Odyssey	XBO	2018	84	N/A	N/A
	PS4	2018	51	77	16
		2019	92	96	90
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	PS4	2020	81	N/A	32

Initial observations: When you look at it as a whole, both Canada and the US see peaks and valleys for the franchise at differing points in its history, with the US outperforming by virtue of the strength of sales on MS platforms that simply are not present in Canada and don't see PS3/PS4 figures high enough to compensate for that lack.

GRAND THEFT AUTO

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	PC	2003	83	24	36
	PS2	2003	17	22	17
		2004	N/A	86	79
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas	PC	2004	77	N/A	N/A
		2005	N/A	N/A	29
		2006	N/A	N/A	70
	PS2	2004	1	2	2
		2005	37	10	14
	Xbox	2005	N/A	61	N/A
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories	PSP	2005	34	93	54
	PS2	2006	N/A	N/A	61
Grand Theft Auto IV	PC	2008	N/A	N/A	73
		2009	N/A	N/A	57
	PS3	2008	31	19	13
		2009	92	46	76
		2010	N/A	91	N/A
	360	2008	19	20	27
		2009	N/A	68	95
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars	DS	2009	N/A	N/A	81
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City	360	2009	N/A	N/A	71
	PS3	2010	N/A	100	98
Grand Theft Auto V	PS3	2013	3	62*	1
		2014	26	N/A*	6
		2015	70	N/A*	15
		2016	N/A	N/A*	72
	360	2013	1	3	2
		2014	13	27	29
		2015	51	N/A	48
		2016	N/A	84	N/A
	PS4	2014	39	34	1
		2015	31	55	3
		2016	31	6	6
		2017	42	35	31
		2018	N/A	N/A	43
		2019	N/A	N/A	68
		2020	N/A	N/A	33
		2021	N/A	N/A	25
		2022	N/A	N/A	68
	XBO	2014	75	N/A	31
		2015	62	N/A	34
		2016	80	26	69
		2017	69	43	N/A
		2018	N/A	86	N/A
	PC	2015	N/A	N/A	5

* Only collector's edition was listed, standard edition may have been de-listed, data may be compromised.

Initial observations: US or Canada, GTA is a hit. It does appear, however, that it tracked ever so slightly higher in the Canada chart until the original release of GTAV, but then swung back to some impressive chart positions for the PS4 re-release by cracking the top in its second full year on sale. And GTAV, as we know, is on a whole other level.

ROCKSTAR MISC.

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Bully	PS2	2006	73	66	N/A
LA Noire	PS3	2011	44	18	15
	360	2011	52	29	46
Manhunt	PS2	2004	N/A	N/A	26
Max Payne 2	PC	2003	N/A	N/A	38
Max Payne 3	PS3	2012	N/A	44	43
Red Dead Redemption	PS3	2010	30	13	20
		2011	N/A	62	87
		2013	N/A	76	N/A
	360	2010	19	17	31
		2011	N/A	82	N/A
	PC	2010	N/A	N/A	76
Red Dead Redemption II	PS4	2017	N/A	15*	N/A
		2018	11	32	1
		2019	56	24	22
	XBO	2017	N/A	90*	N/A
		2018	33	48	33
		2019	N/A	76	85

* pre-order figures

Initial observations: Much stronger Canadian chart positions and sales tails for the non-GTA games coming out of Rockstar, especially for RDR. RDR2 seems to have had a lot of anticipation for it considering such strong pre-order sales.

CALL OF DUTY

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Call of Duty	PC	2003	38	4	25
		2004	24	20	15
Call of Duty: Finest Hour	PS2	2004	90	N/A	N/A
Call of Duty 2	PC	2005	61	45	48
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One	PS2	2005	88	N/A	N/A
Call of Duty 3	360	2006	24	N/A	N/A
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare	PC	2007	53	N/A	26
		2008	N/A	N/A	48
	PS3	2007	37	95	N/A
	360	2007	9	25	91
		2008	68	98	N/A
Call of Duty: World At War	PC	2008	N/A	84	61
	PS3	2008	81	43	84
	360	2008	23	23	N/A
		2009	89	N/A	N/A
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2	PC	2009	N/A	71	24
		2010	N/A	N/A	77
	PS3	2009	13	11	9
		2010	45	48	37
	360	2009	9	9	21
		2010	34	49	N/A
Call of Duty: Black Ops	PS3	2010	6	5	1
		2011	39	21	31
	360	2010	2	7	8
		2011	23	20	67
	PC	2010	N/A	N/A	19
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3	PS3	2011	3	8	1
		2012	30	73	23
	360	2011	2	4	4
		2012	26	52	45
	PC	2011	N/A	N/A	33
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2	PS3	2012	6	4	1
		2013	54	43	18
		2015	N/A	N/A	76
	360	2012	3	1	6
		2013	26	25	61
	PC	2012	N/A	N/A	63
Call of Duty: Ghosts	PS3	2013	14	24	7
		2014	54	67	43
	360	2013	2	13	17
		2014	29	78	N/A
	PS4	2013	34	42	48
		2014	N/A	68	N/A
	XBO	2013	44	100	N/A
		2014	70	N/A	N/A
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare	PS3	2014	88	N/A	21
	360	2014	22	77	N/A
	PS4	2014	42	N/A	19
		2015	92	N/A	N/A
	XBO	2014	32	N/A	46
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3	PC	2015	N/A	4	N/A
	PS3	2015	N/A	84	29
	360	2015	44	63	N/A
	PS4	2015	9	1	18
		2016	88	50	55
	XBO	2015	6	2	26
		2016	73	38	N/A
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare	PS4	2016	24	18	14
		2017	N/A	N/A	52
	XBO	2016	30	77	N/A
Call of Duty: WWII	PS4	2017	12	15	5
		2018	N/A	N/A	89
	XBO	2017	13	30	36
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4	PS4	2018	23	62	13
		2019	N/A	N/A	54
	XBO	2018	30	91	N/A
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare	PS4	2019	13	27	39
	XBO	2019	30	51	N/A
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2	PS5	2022	N/A	N/A	42

Initial observations: If you're wondering why there's no CoD games on either regional chart after 2019, you're not alone. As mentioned before, best guess is that 2020 was the year 1st-party software from both Sony and Nintendo became an absolutely dominant force on these charts, combined with CoD entering another cross-gen period that split sales across more SKUs, a weakening of longevity following BLOPS3, and comparatively negative reception to games like Cold War and Vanguard.
As for regional comparison, things look consistently stronger for US chart positions overall, but not by as much as I'd have expected, at least until Infinite Warfare's release. Canada clearly has a preference when it comes to CoD and that's the BLOPS games. BLOPS3 in particular shows substantially better chart performance in Canada, but every entry since shows a significant diminishment in sales positions relative to the US. You could almost consider that BLOPS3 scratched the itch well enough that it diminished the Canadian appetite for follow-up titles... but so long as those players are still spending on MTX, I doubt Activision cares.
And while there was a few other FPS games in the Top 100, the only ones with notable presence were Bioshock and the super-occasional appearance of something like Borderlands or Titanfall. When it comes to this genre, CoD is the indomitable king in both regions, for better or worse.

THE ELDER SCROLLS

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
TES III: Morrowind	PC	2004	N/A	64	80
TES IV: Oblivion	PC	2006	40	15	21
		2008	N/A	N/A	67
	360	2006	N/A	19	95
TES V: Skyrim	PC	2011	51	13	16
		2012	N/A	47	32
	PS3	2011	28	10	34
		2012	70	21	18
		2013	N/A	83	87
	360	2011	5	6	21
		2012	22	N/A	26
		2013	88	94	N/A
	PS4	2016	17	13	71
	XBO	2016	27	39	N/A
	Switch	2017	100	N/A	N/A

Initial observations: It's not just Japanese RPGs that draw more favourable rankings in Canada than the US, but only on a handful of platforms. You see weaker performance for an Elder Scrolls game in Canada when it's on 360 or XBO platforms, performing relatively well in the first year but not enjoying the longer tail on MS platforms that it enjoyed in the US. All in all, however, the far larger launch year chart positions continue to demonstrate a far stronger RPG appetite up north. Shame about the Switch port not charting in Canada, though. Guess there's only so much appetite for Skyrim re-releases?

FALLOUT

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Fallout 3	PC	2008	N/A	62	N/A
	PS3	2008	N/A	38	N/A
	360	2008	54	26	N/A
Fallout: New Vegas	PS3	2010	N/A	77	N/A
	360	2010	53	56	N/A
Fallout 4	PS4	2015	4	N/A	16
		2016	65	33	51
		2017	N/A	N/A	89
	XBO	2015	8	N/A	88
		2016	59	49	N/A
	PC	2015	N/A	N/A	51
Fallout 76	PS4	2018	59	N/A	N/A
	XBO	2018	63	N/A	N/A

Initial observations: The further that Fallout strays from its franchise roots, the less and less Canadians seem to want to buy it, with FO4 as a major turning point. Given everything else I've seen, this comes as no surprise, nor that its presence grows in the US with each release.

BATMAN ARKHAM

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Batman Arkham Asylum	PS3	2009	51	55	N/A
		2010	N/A	65	N/A
		2011	93	N/A	N/A
		2012	61	N/A	N/A
	360	2009	71	N/A	N/A
		2012	93	N/A	N/A
Batman Arkham City	PS3	2011	20	28	26
		2012	N/A	95	61
		2013	61	N/A	N/A
	360	2011	14	80	52
		2012	N/A	100	N/A
		2013	86	N/A	N/A
Batman Arkham Origins	PS3	2013	43	26	58
	360	2013	35	37	N/A
Batman Arkham Knight	PS4	2015	38	26	11
	XBO	2015	N/A	68

Initial observations: Despite a pretty substantial spike in interest up in Canada for Arkham Origins and Arkham Knight (hey, no one's perfect), the US seems far more enamoured with the Arkham games overall, though most of their post-launch sales coincided with discounted GotY editions. But that's still more than what can be said of most of the other franchises listed here.

BIOWARE

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic	Xbox	2003	72	17	44
		2004	92	65	N/A
		2005	N/A	N/A	66
	PC	2003	N/A	39	85
		2004	61	17	N/A
Star Wars: The Old Republic	PC	2011	35	N/A	29
Mass Effect	360	2007	46	N/A	N/A
		2008	N/A	47	N/A
		2012	N/A	59	N/A
Mass Effect 2	360	2010	37	22	N/A
		2011	N/A	71	N/A
	PS3	2011	N/A	77	N/A
		2010	N/A	N/A	88
Mass Effect 3	360	2011	N/A	43	N/A
		2012	15	10	89
	PS3	2012	N/A	54	N/A
Mass Effect Trilogy	PS3	2013	N/A	92	N/A
Mass Effect Andromeda	PS4	2017	67	58	N/A
Dragon Age Origins	360	2009	54	N/A	N/A
	PC	2009	73	N/A	55
Dragon Age 2	360	2011	N/A	81	N/A
Dragon Age Inquisition	PS4	2014	82	76	N/A

Initial observations: Despite all the "controversy" around the ending, ME3 remains the best chart performer in the series. Heh.
In other news, we see some clear slants, with a lot of higher chart activity for ME in Canada and more/better chart performances for DA: Origins in the US, as well as ME charting much higher overall than the fantasy version of the same game mechanics. Also, those KotOR numbers...

BIOSHOCK

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
Bioshock	360	2007	28	N/A	N/A
	PS3	2009	N/A	52	89
	PC	2007	N/A	N/A	86
		2008	N/A	N/A	83
Bioshock 2	360	2010	80	59	N/A
	PS3	2010	N/A	76	89
Bioshock Infinite	360	2013	33	32	57
	PS3	2013	63	27	43
	PC	2013	97	N/A	N/A

Initial observations: Stronger initial interest in the series in the US by far, but the tides seemed to turn a little with subsequent entries. Not sure the why or how of that, but it's interesting.

CD PROJEKT RED

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA	FR
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt	PS4	2015	64	19	7
		2016	N/A	N/A	24
		2018	N/A	45	N/A
	XBO	2015	N/A	N/A	83
	PC	2015	N/A	N/A	73
	Switch	2019	N/A	N/A	87
Cyberpunk 2077	PS4	2020	20	N/A	25
	XBO	2020	55	N/A	99

Initial observations: Another RPG charting better in Canada isn't much of a surprise, but wow, did Canada really not respond well to Cyberpunk whatsoever. This may be the first instance I've seen doing these so far where something is shut out of the charts in Canada while seeing great success in the US.

TOMB RAIDER

Game	Platform	Year	US	CA
Tomb Raider	360	2013	69	N/A
	PS3	2013	46	72
	PC	2013	80	N/A
Rise of the Tomb Raider	XBO	2015	N/A	56
	PS4	2016	70	44
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	PS4	2018	N/A	82

Initial observations: I saw this with the Bioshock data, as well, where the first entry is a whiff in Canada on these charts and then surges with subsequent entries. Not quite sure what that's about, honestly. Was there bundling happening with TR games that I'm unaware of?

Terrell · Jun 4, 2023

Thread is updated to include more 3rd-party listings and Sony 1st-party data.

Some notes on things not included in this data (and may likely never be):
Sports games felt like they had little probative value to include. Simply, if it's not NHL (or FIFA a small handful of times), sports games don't chart much in Canada (and even NHL games aren't guaranteed a position of strength on the chart, either); meanwhile, between 2003 and 2023, the US had more than double the amount of sports titles in the Top 100 charts on Amazon across the 20 years recorded, in higher numeric position, sometimes as many as 10 SKUs in a single year. It's not even close how well sports games perform in the US compared to the rest of the world by sheer volume. However, that performance in this genre pushes a lot of other stuff down or out of the chart. I have my sanity to consider and leave this note in place of sports game charts.

As well, with differences in regional platform ownership, you see a greater frequency of multiple SKUs for top-selling action games like Assassin's Creed take twice the space on the chart in the US compared to elsewhere.

And now, since 2020 or so, the charts in several countries are absolutely dominated by Nintendo's and Sony's own 1st-party lineup, so 3rd-party software in general gets pushed further down the chart again.

It's all cumulative to partly explaining some reasons for the regional difference regarding rankings and why the US can sometimes give the appearance of weaker chart performance.

And now, a bit of a tirade (that I foreshadowed in some of my chart observations): With what appears to be a substantial difference in software tastes, you would think that publishers would take notice and perhaps formuate different tactics to sell games and grow their brands here. But more often than not, Canadian marketing is beholden to broader "North American" decision-making, and thus Canada's unique software purchase trends are glazed over, because we're not considered a large enough market to warrant bespoke marketing and distribution. If something doesn't sell in the US but sells here, Canada will often get the same poor promotion (and low initial shipments) because it's easier to treat Canada like an annexed US state than a distinct country with distinct preferences. The notable success of Atlus seems to suggest they, at some point, had an independent Canadian operation of some sort that understood the market incredibly well with a strong distribution setup and were handsomely rewarded for that. I think part of outsized per-capita success for 1st-party titles here boils down to the same thing. I hope Sega saw the value in what Atlus was doing here in Canada, but I'm not even remotely hopeful of that being the case.

And, also, while I've focused entirely on the US and Canada here, if any of you are aware of similar Amazon charts in other countries and would like to assist in contributing more data to this project, I would be interested in (maybe not immediately, but eventually) adding similar data from other countries and soliciting assistance with regional info to help interpret it.

Astral_lion02 · Jun 6, 2023

Terrell said:
Thread is updated to include more 3rd-party listings and Sony 1st-party data.

And, also, while I've focused entirely on the US and Canada here, if any of you are aware of similar Amazon charts in other countries and would like to assist in contributing more data to this project, I would be interested in (maybe not immediately, but eventually) adding similar data from other countries and soliciting assistance with regional info to help interpret it.

If you want I can provide you data for France.

Comparaison could be interesting for Nintendo games and some RPG.

Terrell · Jun 6, 2023

Thread has been updated to include some MS 1st-party data, more will follow.

Astral_lion02 said:
If you want I can provide you data for France.

Comparaison could be interesting for Nintendo games and some RPG.

Now that I have the links to source the data from, I will collate it and add to the current categories when I have the time and capacity to do so and get an update to the thread title to reflect the additional data. Some explanations for regional discrepancy may be within my capability to interpret, but will seek out an interpretation of the data that I can’t explain.

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US/Can Amazon Software Rankings 2003-Present

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