Hi guys; welcome to another edition of ‘Box Art Brawl’!
We hope you all had a fun and productive week since our last battle. Last time, we took a look at a classic GameCube with Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life to celebrate the recent announcement of its remake, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life.
It was another resounding victory for North America and Europe, with 62% of the vote. We must say, we completely agree with this result. Japanese design is amazing – not to mention super cute – but we think the more fluid layout of the western design does a better job of conveying the overall tone of the game.
This week we’re taking a look at a GameCube exclusive title that, quite surprisingly, has yet to see any kind of re-release (though perhaps not. total surprising for its sketchy reputation with gamers): Star Fox Adventures. The game celebrated its 20th anniversary this week and even received a small nod from Nintendo veteran Takaya Imamura on Twitter.
The beginning is Dinosaur planet on the N46, Star Fox Adventures was a big difference from previous Star Fox games, introducing 3D adventure gameplay that should have been more at home in Zelda or Banjo-Kazooie Franchising. However, it has enjoyed enthusiastic support in the years since and is still said to have remained quite well to this day.
North America and Europe are once again collaborating as there is no discernible difference between their respective martial arts. Japan, on the other hand..? Yes, it difference!
So let’s catch up!
Be sure to cast your vote in the poll below; But first, let’s check out the box art designs.
North America / Europe
Like a lot of artwork from the GameCube and GBA eras, the Western design of Star Fox Adventures is somewhat more realistic when compared to the more abstract Japanese design. It depicts Star Fox itself, along with Krystal, Prince Tricky, Peppy Hare, and Slippy Toad. You could argue that the design is perhaps a bit misleading, as the latter two characters assist from afar, rather than joining Fox on the field, but alas.
Overall, it’s a great design, and we particularly like the majestic nature of the Sharpclaw pirates surrounding our heroes!
Japan
The Japanese design ditches the traditional background for a sharper focus on the characters themselves, with our heroes facing up above the game’s logo and the Sharpclaw army facing down. It’s a nice design, though perhaps the gray background itself leaves much to be desired. The logo does a lot of the heavy lifting here, but is it enough to win..? Let’s see!
Thanks for voting! We’ll see you next time in another round of Box Art Brawl.
