By Jonti Davies

Fans of Chopin (you know, the composer of classical music) might like to know that a waltz has just begun here in Japan: Tri-Crescendo’s Trusty Bell - Chopin’s Dream was released by NamcoBandai on the Xbox 360 recently, and it’s completely taken over the Japanese Xbox site. Whether it has the potential to take over the Japanese sales chart is another matter, but with no 360 title in the Top 30 this week, Microsoft Japan will be looking to Trusty Bell for an overdue repeat of Blue Dragon’s success last December. Like Blue Dragon, Chopin’s Dream is a colourful and accessible RPG. It doesn’t have quite the same calibre of developer, but it does have the backing of a 35/40 score in Famitsu.

Meanwhile Sony has been having a similarly quiet time recently with the PS3, which also has no presence in the Top 30 all-formats sales chart. Like MS, Sony will be relying on a third-party developer – Tecmo, in Sony’s case, with the wonderful Ninja Gaiden Sigma – for some help. You’d think, after ploughing vast reserves of currency into their respective machines, that both MS and Sony would be better organised with their first-party development in Japan…

At least, particularly with the DS, Nintendo fully recognises its obligation to lead. DS Observation Training, which Nintendo is effectively marketing as an alternative to going to see the optician, is holding steady in second place after two weeks on sale: 62,537 copies were sold this week, bringing its total number of sales to an impressive 157,371 units. Nintendo will, of course, build on that success with of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.

Sales of Twilight Princess were low in Japan (especially compared with its performance in other territories), but the incredible size of the DS user-base in Japan should propel sales of Phantom Hourglass far beyond those of Link’s Wii debut. As is the norm for new Zelda, Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy releases, Phantom Hourglass will arrive on a Saturday instead of the regular Thursday release day. This was sensible, really, as it stops Japanese kids from skipping school to get their games, while at the same time turning the release into something approaching a national holiday. Saturday 23rd June, then: Phantom Hourglass Day.

Of course, Japan would disappoint if it didn’t defy Western logic. So, it’s good to see that, at the pinnacle of the sales chart this week, the number one title in Japan is none other than… Hisshou Pachinko/Pachislot Capture Series: CR Neon Geneses Evangelion. Hurray for pachinko, then, and happy Hourglass Day!