Regional Box Art and Title Changes

[Sheepy765]

He went from a lovable cartoony barely-grasshopper to... Something I'd find on the cover of a goosebumps book and I don't like it.

 

[Scotty Scotty]

US Cover is just "Legally Distinct 'Battletoads'"

 

[Deleted member 466]

Both look lame to me.

 

[Scotty Scotty]

At least US Tempo has a gnarly alien and cool spider.
Nothing will EVER top whatever the fuck yanks did to Ico
View attachment 144721

Jesus CHRIST, that US cover looks like dogshit!

 

[Bonkers225]

lol. And yes, it is the same game.

 

[Mopeybloke]

Genesis does what Mega Driven't!
I prefer the American box art.

 

[juan19]

Genesis does what Mega Driven't!
I prefer the American box art.

you are weird lol

 

[bjork]

Both look lame to me.

100% agree. The US one is not great in any way, but the Japanese one looks like a parody of a box art that would be used in some show like Simpsons.

 

[BrawlMan]

View attachment 144717
Look at the Japanese box art.
It's looks cute, doesn't it?
Looks something I'd want to play.
Meanwhile America
View attachment 144719
It's hideous.
I need to kill it with a flamethrower. And quickly to save us from the horrors of....... this thing that's pretending to be Tempo.

I've seen worse.

 

[Xenocloudarius Xenocloudarius]

Meh, It doesn't even come close.
Jap cover:

Usa cover:

 

[RestoredaftrLostv2]

I always enjoy checking out the difference between each box art. Most favorite is the original Dragon quest/warrior for the nes. Both have the same image, but japan has a manga style done by the god artist Akira Toriyama, while oversea got a dude fighting a weird shaped green dragon thing. AND don't forget Megaman 1 and 2 us box art... had a more human like megaman, till 3 which had the chibi form, but with a very creepy face, which slowly faded away with each sequel release.

Also I kinda like the not us version more

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So got curious and checked out a few more dragon quest arts. Apparently the gameboy color version of dragon quest 1+2 us art has the trio surrounded by monsters ready to fight, while the japan version has them causally walking and eating/drinking. Course the Snes box art is another amazing Akira Toriyama style of trio posing. Man I love box artworks.

 

[Pyrus]

Bro, not even close.

JPN PS2 cover:

Western PSP cover:

 

[Graves Ruinwalker]

Tbh , i like the American cover a bit more . Is it extremly misleading ? Yes.
Is it still badass ? Hell yeah !!
Would i hang it on the wall ? Absolutely!!!

The first time that the US cover actually rocks . I must give' em credit for it because otherwise it always looks like mess when the US-cover is everytime shown .

Post automatically merged: Jan 15, 2026

Bro, not even close.

JPN PS2 cover:

View attachment 144743

Western PSP cover:

View attachment 144742

Ahh yes ! The face of pure and deliquent gaming enjoyment ! It aint madness whatsoever on this face .

Even bootleg Tidus enjoys it way too much.

 

[GuyZero32k4]

At least US Tempo has a gnarly alien and cool spider.
Nothing will EVER top whatever the fuck yanks did to Ico
View attachment 144721

Kid looks like he went to the dollarstore to dress like King Conan in Europe. "Little Timmy, go back and work in the windmill!" "Fuck off mom, I'm playing Conan!"

 

[Stingy Perry Stingy Perry]

Feast your eyes with this

JP

US

Disclaimer: This Stingy one is not responsible for any mental, emotional, or psychological trauma this box art may induce.

 

[Lokgamer]

Tbh , i like the American cover a bit more . Is it extremly misleading ? Yes.
Is it still badass ? Hell yeah !!
Would i hang it on the wall ? Absolutely!!!

The first time that the US cover actually rocks . I must give' em credit for it because otherwise it always looks like mess when the US-cover is everytime shown .

Post automatically merged: Jan 15, 2026

View attachment 144774
Ahh yes ! The face of pure and deliquent gaming enjoyment ! It aint madness whatsoever on this face .

View attachment 144775
Even bootleg Tidus enjoys it way too much.

This is what I call "uncanny valley".

 

[GuyZero32k4]

This one gets me. Street Fighter Alpha 3 on the Dreamcast.:
US release:

Zangief front and center, Ryu behind him. Just, nah. Felt they should've used like the Saturn cover or something else.
Japanese release:

Fuck is up with this cover? They get the guys from Southpark to do the cover? Strange art choice here guys.

Post automatically merged: Jan 17, 2026

Feast your eyes with this

JP
View attachment 144776

USView attachment 144777

Disclaimer: This Stingy one is not responsible for any mental, emotional, or psychological trauma this box art may induce.

US cover looks like hero is kidnapping princess and villian in back is screaming for his daughter back. Look on hero's face looks like he's crazy date rape guy. "Know what rhymes with date princess?"

 

[BrawlMan]

This one gets me. Street Fighter Alpha 3 on the Dreamcast.:
US release:

That's more or less.The same cover used for the Playstation 1 version as well. I do think the back is different though.

This is more of a downplayed example, but the Japanese got the better Alpha Anthology cover. For whatever reason, the USA version gets this weird and umb emblem thing over the beautiful artwork, so you can't see all the characters on display. The European, UK, and AU versions got it even worse, and just has three photoshop of most popular characters from that same artwork on a white background

USA

Japan

UK/EUR/AU

​

 

[zacharinolongpants]

I honestly think the Bust-A-Move 2 US art rules lol.

 

[stealthRUSH stealthRUSH]

Tricky on PC Engine

Tricky Kick on TurboGrafx-16

 

[nobitakun]

I knew I would become enfuriating by just looking at the western pictures but I had to read this thread. I feel shame by looking at them, but what I feel more shame is that the people who drew them are probably still alive.

 

[BrawlMan]

but what I feel more shame is that the people who drew them are probably still alive.

I don't feel ashamed that these people are possibly still alive. They all had a job to do or contract orders. They didn't get the final decisions on a majority of these artworks. Executives and marketing did. If you wanna get mad at somebody, get mad at the people in charge around that time. I'm not defending bad artwork or cover art, but the West does have plenty of good artwork out there on video game covers. Whether it be a Japanese game, or game that was made in the West.

We've gotten more than a few good golds back in the day.

​

Not as doom and gloom, as you think.

 

[nobitakun]

I don't feel ashamed that these people are possibly still alive. They all had a job to do or contract orders. They didn't get the final decisions on a majority of these artworks. Executives and marketing did. If you wanna get mad at somebody, get mad at the people in charge around that time. I'm not defending bad artwork or cover art, but the West does have plenty of good artwork out there on video game covers. Whether it be a Japanese game, or game that was made in the West.

We've gotten more than a few good golds back in the day.

​

Not as doom and gloom, as you think.

Not true. There is any single cover better in the west than in Japan. And I don't understand why are you showing Dai Makaimura's cover like it were made in the west. That is a well known japanese cover made by Kaida Yuji.

There is a lot of talent in western countries, I won't deny it, but not in videogame covers.

And no, Marvel isn't something I would consider "talented". I am talking about true artists such as Ilya Kuvshinov, for instance.

 

[BrawlMan]

Not true. There is any single cover better in the west than in Japan

To you. The second cover art wasn't exactly the point, but just something I wanted to share. You can feel how you want, but I seem a few Western artworks, better than Japanese, or just as good. It's rare on the better part, but it does happen.

 

[nobitakun]

To you. The second cover art wasn't exactly the point, but just something I went to share. You can feel how you want, but I seem a few Western artworks, better than Japanese, or just as good. It's rare on the better part, but it does happen.

Sure, about that you're right. Art is subjective, and because of that, anyone could have drawn those covers, hence they did.

It's something some people will remember with joy, other will remember as awkward