Pokemon Winds and Waves remains unchallenged at the top
Each week, Famitsu's reader poll offers a quiet window into the collective imagination of Japan's gaming culture — and this week, that imagination is fixed firmly on the horizon. Pokemon Winds and Waves holds the summit with 514 votes, a reflection not merely of franchise loyalty but of a generation of players orienting themselves toward the Nintendo Switch 2 and the world it promises to open. In a chart where eight of the top ten titles belong to an unreleased console, anticipation itself has become the dominant force shaping desire.
- Pokemon Winds and Waves commands the top spot by a margin wide enough to signal that its pull on Japanese gamers is something closer to cultural gravity than ordinary hype.
- Persona 4 Golden's strong second-place showing at 435 votes is a rare non-Nintendo foothold in a chart otherwise shaped almost entirely by Switch 2 momentum.
- Splatoon Raiders climbing to third place suggests that Nintendo's multiplayer franchise is building a head of steam week over week as the console's launch window tightens.
- Eight of the top ten most-wanted titles are Switch 2 releases, meaning the hardware itself — not yet available — is quietly orchestrating the entire conversation.
- PlayStation 5 entries like Onimusha and GTA 6 appear in the lower reaches of the top twelve, present but clearly peripheral to the Nintendo-dominated anticipation cycle.
Famitsu's latest weekly poll of most-wanted games tells a story that is less about individual titles and more about a platform on the verge of arrival. Pokemon Winds and Waves, a Nintendo Switch 2 title, drew 514 votes across the April 15–21 survey window, holding the top position with a commanding lead. Persona 4 Golden, bound for PlayStation 5, followed in second with 435 votes — a notable showing for a non-Nintendo entry in a chart that otherwise belongs almost entirely to the next-generation console.
Splatoon Raiders rose one position to claim third place at 339 votes, its week-over-week climb hinting at growing enthusiasm for Nintendo's multiplayer shooter as the Switch 2 launch draws nearer. Rounding out the top five were two original Switch titles — Ganbare Goemon Daishuugo and Rhythm Heaven Groove — each hovering just above 300 votes and demonstrating that the current hardware still holds genuine appeal even as attention shifts forward.
Further down the chart, the Switch 2's presence is inescapable. Titles like Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth cluster in the upper twelve alongside Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave. PlayStation 5 entries do appear — Onimusha: Way of the Sword and Grand Theft Auto 6 both make the list — but they read as exceptions in a ranking otherwise shaped by Nintendo's next-generation ambitions.
What the data ultimately reflects is an audience that has already, in imagination at least, moved into the Switch 2 era. Pokemon Winds and Waves stands at the center of that anticipation — a franchise touchstone that may well define how and why Japanese players first embrace the new console.
Famitsu's weekly poll of most-wanted games among Japanese readers tells a familiar story this week: Pokemon Winds and Waves remains unchallenged at the top. The Nintendo Switch 2 title drew 514 votes in the survey period running from April 15 through April 21, a commanding lead over the second-place finisher.
Persona 4 Golden, heading to PlayStation 5, claimed the runner-up position with 435 votes—a gap of nearly 80 votes that underscores the appetite Japanese gamers have for the Pokemon franchise's next entry. The new generation console's library is clearly what's capturing attention across the region. Of the top ten most-wanted titles, eight are slated for Nintendo Switch 2, a dominance that reflects the hardware's anticipated 2027 arrival and the software slate building around it.
Splatoon Raiders moved up one position to land in third place with 339 votes, suggesting momentum is building for Nintendo's multiplayer shooter as the Switch 2 launch window draws closer. The game's upward trajectory week to week hints at growing enthusiasm for the franchise's next iteration on the new hardware.
The rest of the top five rounds out with two Nintendo Switch titles: Ganbare Goemon Daishuugo at 304 votes and Rhythm Heaven Groove at 302 votes. Both original Switch games are still drawing significant interest from voters, though the Nintendo Switch 2 entries dominate the overall landscape. Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, another Switch 2 title, sits in sixth with 223 votes.
Looking further down the chart, the Nintendo Switch 2 presence is unmistakable. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, and The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales all occupy positions in the top twelve, each drawing between 186 and 172 votes. PlayStation 5 entries like Onimusha: Way of the Sword and Grand Theft Auto 6 appear in the tenth and eleventh spots respectively, but they remain outliers in a chart otherwise shaped by Nintendo's next-generation ambitions.
The voting data reflects a gaming audience in Japan that is clearly looking ahead to what the Switch 2 will offer. While established franchises and cross-platform releases maintain presence on the list, the sheer volume of Nintendo Switch 2 titles in the upper rankings suggests that anticipation for the console itself is driving much of the interest. Pokemon Winds and Waves, with its commanding vote total, stands as the focal point of that excitement—a franchise entry that will likely define early Switch 2 adoption in the region.
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Pokemon Winds and Waves have such a commanding lead? Is it just the Pokemon name, or is there something specific about these games?
It's hard to say without seeing the actual games, but the margin—514 votes versus 435 for second place—suggests this isn't just brand loyalty. There's real anticipation here. It's a new generation on new hardware, and Pokemon is the anchor title.
Splatoon Raiders moved up a spot. Does that mean it's gaining momentum, or is it just normal fluctuation?
The movement is worth noting. It suggests people are getting more interested as the Switch 2 launch gets closer. These aren't static rankings—they shift week to week based on what's being announced, what's being shown, what people are talking about.
The Nintendo Switch 2 dominance is striking. Eight of the top ten. Does that tell us anything about Japanese gamers' priorities right now?
It tells us they're looking forward, not backward. The original Switch still has games people want, but the energy is clearly on what's coming next. The Switch 2 is the story, and Pokemon is the headline.
What about the PlayStation 5 games on the list? They seem almost secondary.
They're there, but they're not driving the conversation. Persona 4 Golden is strong at number two, and GTA 6 appears, but the chart is fundamentally a Nintendo Switch 2 chart right now. That's what Japanese voters are thinking about.
Do you think Pokemon Winds and Waves will stay on top once it actually releases?
That's the question, isn't it. Right now it's anticipation. Once it's out, the chart will shift. Other games will move up. But for now, it's the game everyone is waiting for.