Nintendo Switch exclusive Suika Game is so addictive its previous daily sales have multiplied by fifty thousand
The viral Suika Game (Watermelon Game) has experienced a boom in popularity, with streamers contributing to the game reaching worldwide fame and sales of the game multiplying rapidly.
Suika Game is a puzzle game released back in December 2021 by popIn. The game consists of stacking watermelons, melons, pineapples, and other fruits in a box so that they do not cross the line at the top of the field. Fruits of the same kind can be combined to evolve into a larger fruit, which multiplies your score. The largest fruit one can achieve is the watermelon, and the goal is to aim for the highest possible score before its game over. It works similarly to the puzzle game “Threes!” in which the same numbers are piled on top of each other, but with the added elements of a falling object puzzle and cute fruits with faces.
Suika Game is actually a spin-off on a game called Watermelon Merge Game. It was originally made as a built-in application for the “popIn Aladdin” projector sold by popIn, but was released for the Nintendo Switch later on. Since the fall of this year, Suika Game started gaining popularity among Japanese influencers, gradually spreading overseas as well. The game’s price is 240 yen (USD 1.61).
Since the official Nintendo Switch version of the game can only be purchased with a Japanese Nintendo account, tutorials on how to acquire the game outside of Japan have been popping up.
A look at the popularity of Watermelon Game on TwitchTracker shows that the game suddenly experienced a boom starting September 15. Ranking in 82nd place, the game is being streamed with significant fervor.
In an interview for Nippon TV, Aladdin X, the developer of Suika Game, attributed the game’s popularity to “the cute and friendly art that appeals to a wide audience,” “the simplicity of the game’s rules,” and “the atmosphere that encourages you to try to do better next time even if you fail.” They report that the number of downloads per day has increased by more than 50,000 times compared to before the game went viral. The game has been consistently ranking No. 1 on the Nintendo eShop every day, and its momentum doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Suika Game is available for the Nintendo Switch for under $2.
Written by. Amber V based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2023-10-05 16:49 JST)
