Regional box art you like more than the original Japanese version

[Glimbo]

I always see discussions about the better Japanese boxes but not so much the other way around. I really like the European box art of Shinobi with it's ink look.

 

[rexfenix]

Wow I was just thinking about this. How come a bunch of games got downright bad boxart in the US release and SSS-tier stuff in Japan/Europe. Here is an example: SOTN

 

[middler]

so yea, i am an odd one, but, love the western release of Mega Man art over the Rock Man art.

I really want to know where the breakdown in communication was here.

Is it better... no. But is it better, yes, yes it is.

 

[rexfenix]

I really want to where the breakdown in communication was here.

Is it better... no. But is it better, yes, yes it is.

That one is a classic, alright...
But seriously, in most cases it was simply up to "Paul Marketing" down at corporate. Someone at Konami of Europe looked at Ayami Kojima's beautiful painting of Alucard and said "That's rad, put it on the boxart".
Meanwhile American Paul Marketing looked at it and probably said "THAT DUDE LOOKS LIKE A LADY!"

And that's how it usually went back then...

 

[Tonberry]

I always see discussions about the better Japanese boxes but not so much the other way around. I really like the European box art of Shinobi with it's ink look.
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Totally agree with this one. The western cover looks much more artistic, I really like the bold red color.

While this is a modern game, I like the European cover of Breath of the Wild more than the American/Japanese cover. They're both good in their own right, but I prefer the colorfulness of the European one, and I think it matches the game more overall. The lighting on the Amerucan/Japanese one is really good, but it strikes me as a tad more generic.

 

[Leifang]

In Japan, Kirby is a cute pink blob, in USA, Kirby is the Pentagon spokesperson (seriously, look it up) who looks like he is getting prepared to invade Greenland and lose millions of troops for a single snowy crag:

The rest are here: https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/09/09/box-art-battles-the-kirby-series

 

[Glimbo]

so yea, i am an odd one, but, love the western release of Mega Man art over the Rock Man art.

I really want to know where the breakdown in communication was here.

Is it better... no. But is it better, yes, yes it is.

That is certainly an interesting choice lol. I did like how they payed homage to it in the Mega Man 9 box art though. They took the concept of it and improved it.

 

[Bonkers225]

Lunar for the PSX

 

[Tonberry]

That is certainly an interesting choice lol. I did like how they payed homage to it in the Mega Man 9 box art though. They took the concept of it and improved it.
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The one for 10 is EVEN wilder. Giving off some real Doom vibes. Not only is Megaman firing his buster up in the air, he's simultaneously blind-firing a robot in the face with a rifle, and for some odd reason I could only find a small version of the one where Bass is included, all other versions but the Wikipedia cover have him mysteriously scrubbed off.

 

[ProcolKrautSprout73]

I feel like the American version of Mario Paint has more life to it than the clinical Japanese variant. I love the little wallpaper bottle things on the desk, the music notes, how happy Mario looks. The logo is bold and exciting!

In the Japanese one, he’s just drawing a derpy looking Yoshi, boring text, mostly white. It’s so drab for a game about creative expression. And the other Japanese variant is also just as uninteresting sadly. I think I would buy the game less if I saw that box art, it isn’t as creative or have that child-like sense of awe and wonder that the American one has (which is more iconic in my opinion).

 

[rexfenix]

The Silent Hill series always seemed to get more love over at Europe with their boxarts.

It got to a point where I genuinely think they were messing with the American marketing team, because that cover is just goofy as hell. It also doesn't help that the ghost's name is JIMMY.

 

[Glimbo]

The Silent Hill series always seemed to get more love over at Europe with their boxarts.

It got to a point where I genuinely think they were messing with the American marketing team, because that cover is just goofy as hell. It also doesn't help that the ghost's name is JIMMY.

I like the Europe box art more than the US one but I don't think it beats the Japanese one.

 

[rexfenix]

I like the Europe box art more than the US one but I don't think it beats the Japanese one.

Well, personally I think every PAL boxart of every classic SH game beats both US and JP out of the water. I get that SH4 JP looks kinda cool but it's still "spooky face on the door" and even if it isn't "Oh damn, Jimmy's at the door again!" it still looks a little silly to me.
I like the imagery of JUST the chained up door with the distorted atmosphere. It conveys the vibes of the game more clearly to me. But hey, opinions right?

 

[middler]

Its strange to me how the JPN art for the first game is way better but they really fell off the horse for the sequel:

JPN --- USA

 

[rexfenix]

Its strange to me how the JPN art for the first game is way better but they really fell off the horse for the sequel

If you decide to put your game characters on the boxart, you get two choices:
- Make an artistic 3D render or maybe straight up concept art and make it timeless
- Just say "screw it" and slap the 3D model in there so it looks dated the moment you ship

 

[Leifang]

Oh found another one, I seriously dislike the Western Tomb Raider 1 cover, something is off about Lara's model, she looks nothing like herself in later games.

But in Japan, it's much better, despite Engrish title:

I mean, this is literally what you see for most of the game! xD

In fact, Japanese covers are just something else, here's someone posting a full collection of Core era games: https://www.reddit.com/r/psx/comments/16nh02e/in_response_to_the_person_who_asked_for_the/

Last Revelation West version looks especially uninspired:

But Japan shows what she's about to explore instead of focusing on her mug:

It even extends to manuals, with Japan never missing an opportunity to focus on the... other side:

Yeah we get it she got milk.

Finally, American cover of Chronicles channels the spirit of unhinged US Kirby:

The European and Japanese covers are both different with a boring face close-up.

 

[stealthRUSH stealthRUSH]

Guilty Gear, Silent Hill, Killing Time, Battle Arena Toshinden, Devil Dice, Psychic Force 2012

 

[Glimbo]

Guilty Gear, Silent Hill, Killing Time, Battle Arena Toshinden, Devil Dice, Psychic Force 2012

I didn't know the JP version of Silent Hill was so bad. This is the first time I'm seeing it. It looks like someone tried to use a sponge mop to clean up blood in a bathroom.

 

[rexfenix]

I didn't know the JP version of Silent Hill was so bad. This is the first time I'm seeing it. It looks like someone tried to use a sponge mop to clean up blood in a bathroom.

Well, you DO find a double-barrel shotgun next to a corpse inside a bathroom in that game...
(but yeah it ain't great)

 

[miguk miguk]

Chrono Trigger, despite being an anime-inspired JRPG in the 90s, actually got better box art in the US:

 

[Viviana Santos]

Final Fantasy VII USA box art is way better and more iconic then the japanese/european box art.

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The same applies to Final Fantasy VIII & IX

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[Firenoh]

Chrono Trigger, despite being an anime-inspired JRPG in the 90s, actually got better box art in the US:

I think the general layout & aspect ratio of SNES boxart was better than the Super Famicom, art aside.

 

[Cu-Neo]

The European Persona 3 FES boxart

 

[ouyrtuy]

Shadow of the Colossus.
I prefer the EU and US covers over the Japanese one. Personally, I don't know what the Japanese intended to do with that cover. I can't see the colossus clearly. Is the character facing the titan from behind? Or is it a giant robot without a head? I honestly don't know what's going on. Personally, I think the PAL cover is the best.

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Also Super Castlevania IV VS Akumajou Dracula
Look at how sick the US cover looks!

 

[Joka]

I know this is an old thread, but I just had to shout out the European covers for the Senran Kagura games