Another week, another edition of Box Art Brawl!
Before we dive into this week’s battle, let’s see how things panned out last time. We looked at Double Dragon for the NES, and it was yet another close call. After over 1,600 votes from our dear readers, it was the Western design that took home the win with 53% of the vote. Well done!
This week, we’re heading to the GBA to check out Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land. A remake of Kirby’s Adventure, Nightmare in Dream Land launched toward the end of 2002, nearly a decade after the NES original. Although the core gameplay remained largely unchanged, it took full advantage of the GBA’s more powerful specs, with completely redone visuals and a co-op mode for up to four players.
It’s another duel this week as North America and Europe take on Japan, so let’s get to it.
Be sure to cast your votes in the poll below; but first, let’s check out the box art designs themselves.
Europe / North America
Whichever design you end up voting for here kind of comes down to whether you prefer something dark and foreboding or something a bit more lighthearted. The Western design is certainly the former, featuring a determined Kirby in the foreground with Meta Knight looking menacing in the background. It’s definitely different from what we’re used to from Kirby, but if you want something a bit more familiar, then check out the box art from…
Japan
Yes, Japan’s design is a lot more in line from what we’d expect from a Kirby game. A much brighter composition, featuring a happy, smiley Kirby toward the right, and a whole bunch of stars floating about. It might not necessarily gel with the title of the game, unlike its Western counterpart, but it’s a lovely piece nonetheless.
Thanks for voting! We’ll see you next time for another round of Box Art Brawl.
