The video game marketplace goes through ebbs and flows, with certain periods marked by a lull in releases as others see a number of high-profile titles at once. April 30, 2021 was a big day for Switch and PS5 users thanks to the simultaneous console-exclusive releases of Bandai Namco's New Pokemon Snap and Housemarque's Returnal, respectively, and boxed sales numbers out of the UK for the week ending on May 1 reflect this.

Though FIFA 21 has been a strong seller in the UK almost continually since it released in October 2020, Nintendo games have found just as much success in that region. Super Mario 3D All-Stars was the top-selling physical game at the end of March, its final week on the market, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons returned to the top boxed sales slot come April. Six Switch games are in the top 10 this week, according to numbers published by GamesIndustry.biz, with New Pokemon Snap taking the lead.

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Given New Pokemon Snap is the revival of a beloved spin-off series from the Nintendo 64 era, it makes sense to see it climb to the top of the UK boxed sales charts. However, it seemingly went well above expectations, quadrupling the launch week sales of Pokemon Snap from September 2000. Returnal followed up in the second place position, described by GamesIndustry.biz as the "first significant PS5 title to release at retail since launch," though the analysis site wagers it was held back by a smaller install base, niche genre, and increased sales price.

Meganium (Florio Island Illumina Spot) in New Pokemon Snap

While the PS5 exclusive has reviewed well overall, Returnal has been subject to backlash and review bombing primarily due to its high difficulty, seemingly unfair save feature, and a host of bugs that result in crashes and other issues. GamesIndustry.biz says to expect sales fluctuation as more consoles are released, but also confidently predicts Resident Evil Village will take the number one spot next week.

Following these front-runners are Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, FIFA 21, Minecraft on Switch, Grand Theft Auto 5, Ring Fit Adventure, and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. The numbers do not include digital sales, yet overall 180,000 games were sold in retail for the week ending May 1.

While it seems likely Resident Evil will claim the top spot next week as GamesIndustry.biz predicts, it's hard to know for sure given the fickle nature of the industry. Last week's front-runner Nier Replicant dropped to number 22 on the boxed charts after a 78 percent fall in sales, for example, and it seems unlikely a game like New Pokemon Snap will necessarily follow suit.

New Pokemon Snap is available now on Nintendo Switch.

Returnal is available now on PS5.

MORE: New Pokemon Snap: All the Legendary Pokemon in the Game

Source: GamesIndustry.biz