UK Chart Highlights | Halo 3, 2nd Best Selling Game Ever, Nintendo Hardly Shaken, Though

This week was always going to be about Halo 3, with Microsoft not even really needing to push the game due to the furore surrounding its release. But the question was exactly how big was it going to hit and what records would it break. Well, now we know that it certainly has slammed in hard, becoming the fastest selling Xbox 360 game so far. However, some of its thunder has been stolen, despite launching on a Wednesday rather than Friday, and it has to settle for '2nd fastest selling game in the UK', sitting behind Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the PS2 from three years ago. 360 hardware has been more than doubled this week as a result, taking it above Wii sales for the first time since Week 13 of 2007 and proving to be the biggest selling week this year for the system. In fact, so big was Halo 3 that it accounts for 83% of all 360 sales this week!

But FIFA 08 also breaks records, with this new edition starting stronger than any other FIFA in the past. The format split was 44% PS2, 26% 360, 20% PS3 and the remaining 10% being spread across PSP, Wii, PC and DS.

Shall we avoid the chaos and see how the Nintendo budget line-up fared in the All Format Top 40 first? Why not...Despite all the record-breaking going on around it, More Brain Training is completely unfazed, actually climbing one to No.6. Quite amazing, right? Well, even Wii Play clings on, dropping just five to No.10, whilst the original Brain Training is down six to No.15, BBA for Wii is down six to No.17 and Cooking Mama dips two to No.19.

The Full Price Top 40 is all about Halo 3 as the last in the trilogy hits home at No.1, leaving FIFA 08 (on about seven platforms) in the runners-up spot. Surprisingly, MySims only slides one to No.3, though, despite all the activity, with Tiger Woods 08 down to No.4, slipping three. Racing title Juiced 2 is new at No.5 (although the DS version fails to make its Top 30), Sega Rally is new at No.6, Super Paper Mario drops four to No.7, Skate is in at No.9 and Forza 2 storms back up from No.23 to No.11 as Medal of Honour falls seven to No.12. Quake Wars enters at No.13, Stranglehold plummets ten to No.14, New Super Mario Bros. is down just one to No.15, but Colin McRae: Dirt falls quickly back down from No.6 to No.17, with big drops for The Sims 2: Bon Voyage (No.9 to No.18) and Bioshock (No.10 to No.19) as well. Mario Party 8 drops six to No.21, Pok