Mantan Web has revealed that over 700,000 copies of Super Smash Brothers Brawl have sold in the first four days of availability. The high demand for this game in Japan saw 500,000 copies sold the first day. While I imagine most of the hardcore SSBB fans in Japan already got themselves a copy of the game...

The Mantan Web columnist, Taketo Matsuo, an employee of Japan's Tsutaya media retailer, expects the game to top the million mark this week.

With the March 9th release date in USA pending for the new Smash Brothers game, one can only wonder how fast it will sell here in the USA. Speaking of fast sales, do you have your Super Smash Brothers Brawl preorder reserved already?

While good news about Super Smash Brothers Brawl keeps seems to be coming left and right, there are still many reports of those who would love to buy games for the Wii such as the new Smash Brothers. game but simply cannot get their hands on the console.

It was just reported on Gamespot that in Australia the Nintendo rep confirms the Wii units are selling faster than the factory can ship them and apparently some customers are being forced to wait until March for retailer rainchecks to be honored.

Nintendo Australia public-relations coordinator Heather Murphy:

"We put 10,000 units of Wii hardware into the market in the first week of January, and that sold through almost immediately, as retailers were still filling Christmas demand," Murphy said. "We are also shipping out 10,000 units of Wii hardware from today and then again later this week. We also have more stock arriving in late February and then more shipments in March and April. We are continually putting stock into the market, but the demand from consumers is still outstripping supply."

And on the retail end?

Some stores had reportedly received as few as six units per store (half the expected hardware shipment) in their last delivery, leaving gamers with empty hands and money burning holes in their pockets. Some Target stores are also now displaying signs reading: "Due to supplier non-delivery, rainchecks taken from the 3rd of January will not be honoured until late March".

This is quite unfortunate planning on the part of Nintendo and / or retailers who may have given in to the insane demand for systems when a paper raincheck was the immediate solution to their woes. Maybe they should include a free game as opposed to the interest earned on my $250 Wii whose raincheck is now rainchecked. ;)