For a while after the release of the new ceramic white 40GB PlayStation 3 SKU in Japan, PS3 sales were beating those of the Nintendo Wii.

　　The Wii--which costs ¥25,000 (approx $237) in Japan compared to ¥40,000 ($380) for the cheapest model of the PS3--is typically top dog in the next-gen console charts. In June, the Nintendo console even managed to bring its lead up to a massive five consoles to one.

　　With the release last month of highly anticipated Super Smash Bros. Brawl in the country (US gamers will have to wait until March 9, whereas Euro gamers still haven't been given a date for the title) it perhaps isn't a surprise that the Wii was back on top in February.

　　According to a report from Reuters quoting figures from Famitsu publisher Enterbrain, 331,627 Wiis were sold in the four weeks to February 24, compared with 89,131 of the PS3. In January the Wii was outselling the PS3 3-to-1, and it now looks set to extend its lead to 4-to-1 in February.

　　Super Smash Bros., which was released on January 31, sold 800,000 in the first week it went on sale, and has since gone on to sell 1.33 million copies. Wii Fit, which was released on December 1, was also still going strong, and has sold 309,311 copies this month.

　　Microsoft's Xbox 360 is still lagging some way behind the two homegrown consoles, having sold just 14,079 units in February.