The Sensational Success of Suika Game: Why a Watermelon Game is Dominating the Streaming World
Discover the global phenomenon of Suika Game, the Watermelon Game that took the streaming world by storm! With its untapped potential and an army of streamers and VTubers, Suika Game has become a viral sensation within just two years of its release
Highlights
Following its launch on Nintendo's eShop, Suika Game quickly rose to global fame, propelled by the support of prominent streamers and VTubers. Originally developed for Alladin X's digital projectors, the game's widespread recognition has now transcended its initial platform.
With its adorable and vibrant visuals, the game's charming aesthetic combined with its gameplay that is simple to grasp but challenging to perfect, has garnered millions of downloads in just a month, even surpassing the popularity of Nintendo's own games.
Although the game's achievements can be credited to streamers, Suika Game displayed great potential right from the beginning, receiving accolades from Alladin X's customers and being exclusively released on Nintendo's eShop in Japan.
Suika Game, also known as Watermelon Game, gained immense popularity worldwide two years after its initial release in Japan. The game's reach expanded with Western audiences, thanks to renowned streamers like Ludwig, LilyPichu, and QTCinderella. Initially designed for the company's digital projectors, Suika Game was never meant for typical gaming audiences. However, due to its overwhelming success, Nintendo released it on its eShop, where it thrived among Japanese gamers.
This success story continued as Suika Game became available globally through Nintendo's eShop. Despite its similarities to mobile games in terms of cute and colorful aesthetics, as well as its easy-to-understand yet challenging gameplay, Suika Game received millions of downloads within just a month of its worldwide launch. Surpassing even Nintendo's own games such as Pikmin 4 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it has become one of the most downloaded games on Nintendo's platform. The recent surge in popularity can be attributed to streamers and VTubers, who have significantly boosted Suika Game's profile within the gaming community.
Suika Game Had Potential From The Start
Suika Game's recent success can be attributed to popular streamers who drew attention to the game with their large audiences. However, it would be unfair to say that Suika Game wouldn't have become popular on its own. The game's exclusivity on Nintendo's eShop in Japan is evidence of its potential, as it was made available following positive feedback from customers who purchased Alladin X's digital projectors.
Suika Game's appeal lies in its simple fruit-merging mechanics and attractive design, all offered at an affordable price. Similar to other mobile games like Flappy Bird, Suika Game had the elements that could captivate players.
Yet, without the support of Japanese streamers and VTubers, such as Hololive Production, it's possible that Suika Game may have faded into obscurity. Alladin X stated that the game was released on Nintendo's eShop primarily as a means to promote their projectors, with no intention of releasing it on mobile platforms. This marketing strategy, treating Suika Game as an advertisement rather than a standalone game, may have restricted its reach. However, Japanese streamers played a crucial role in bringing attention to the game in early 2023, ultimately leading to its global release months later.
How Suika Game Became a Viral Streaming Sensation
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In contrast to Flappy Bird's rise and subsequent downfall, Suika Game can be compared favorably to games like Among Us when considering the role streaming played in its renewed popularity years after its initial release. Just like Among Us gained popularity on Twitch during the Covid-19 pandemic due to its simple and unique design, as well as its accessibility, Suika Game has also gained traction among Western streamers for the same reasons after its release outside of Japan. This is a testament to the fact that Suika Game is both easy to play and entertaining, despite its lack of English translation.
Therefore, while Suika Game's family-friendly design and straightforward yet competitive gameplay made it appealing to casual gamers, its recent surge in success, two years after its release, can largely be attributed to streamers and VTubers on platforms like Twitch, who have raised awareness of the game. These streamers were drawn to Suika Game in the first place because of its design and gameplay, and their influence has propelled the game to viral status. Although Alladin X has reported that Suika Game's Switch sales have surpassed those of its original release, it remains uncertain how long this recent success will continue.
Suika Game is available now on Nintendo Switch.
