Welcome to Box Art Brawl, the contest which pits regional box art variants from across the globe against each other in a deadly duel to the death. Well, not really — you just vote for your favourite, like. It's a bit of fun, see?
Last time we witnessed Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest give itself a sound thrashing as the North American / European variant beat the Japanese version with approximately two-thirds of the vote to one. Congratulations to Donkey Kong Country 2, commiserations to Super Donkey Kong 2. Incidentally, earlier this week Nintendo UK sought to clear up a common error around that particular game's subtitle in the West — something that a few brawl enthusiasts (and even a Nintendo Life staffer or two) didn't realise until recently.
Today we're looking at a game which celebrated its fifteenth anniversary earlier this year. Yes, Advance Wars: Dual Strike brought Intelligent Systems' 'Wars' series to Nintendo DS and while the European and North American covers were identical, the Japanese one is totally different and even has a completely different title.
Enough talk — let's advance.
North America and Europe
We recall feeling indifferent to this cover when it released in 2005. Perhaps it was how the purple-y-blue wrench got lost against the purple-y blue sky, or how the figures on the left were fading away and leaving a big gap on the cover. Still, the more we re-examine this one, the more we like it. The subtle, painterly palette might not pop like some covers, but there's lots dig into here, even if some of it gets a little lost.
It's got the obligatory DS-based subtitle, so extra points for that.
Japan
If you thought that 'Advance Wars' title in the West was a misnomer considering the game was on the Game Boy Advance's successor, you're about to get very upset. Yes, in Japan the DS game had a title that carried over from the very first game in the series on Famicom, a game we'd never see on NES in the West.
Nintendo broke out the toys for this colourful cover and it shows a more lighthearted approach to warfare than its western brethren. The big brash logo fits the bill nicely, and the only thing that could make it better would be if the barrel on the tank broke the border a little. We like it.
So, you've seen the two options, but which is best? Pick your favourite and hit 'Vote' to let us know:
And that's another brawl in the can. Take it easy wherever you are and we'll see you next time for another bout.
Comments 52
Not a difficult one this week. NA/Europe all the way.
For me the japanese cover is a top contender for one of the worst cover arts in any Nintendo game period, it's no shock to me that series didn't sell in japan with cover art like that.
Not that the other cover is that great either, just in general I think Dual Strike is a very, very ugly looking game.
My first thought was: "Japan, what the heck?"
I appreciate the creativity, but it just... Doesn't work?
Yuck. I can't believe how hideous the Japanese cover is.
How ironic that we ended up with the more "Japanese" looking cover (which I have always liked).
I always regretted not buying this back in the day. I picked up Dark Conflict, but it was so ridiculously difficult that I only managed to pull through the first few stages. I'm not crazy about this style of gameplay, but I'd love to give it another shot on modern hardware (and ideally with a slightly more "casual" difficulty option as I want to be able to enjoy a game like this without wanting to rip my hair out).
The NA one looks a bit "faded" and washed-out... but the Japan one looks tacky, and massively "cobbled together". So I went for NA.
You’re all wrong, the Japanese cover is awesome. The western one is somewhat generic and washed out, and the cast look mostly kinda bored.
The eastern one is fun, colourful and (to my mind at least) unique.
It might be boring the NA/ Europe cover but. Advance wars is all about the characters and charm. Japanese cover is horrible playmobile...
If you didn’t show me which was which, I would have sworn the US/EU one was the Japanese art and that the Japanese one was from a nightmare I had about toys coming alive.
Such a shame there hasn't been a new Advance Wars game in so many years..
Woah. I like them both, but I chose Euro/NA for the reason of it actually has some main characters rather than generic soldiers. If they had at least a couple printed mini fig characters on the Japan one I would have chosen it.
I chose the Japanese one just because the blue team somehow hasn't figured out the red team is literally right next to them. One of them seems to have clocked them because he's pointing in their direction, whilst the rest are just pointing at random things!
Props to the Japanese version for having being more colourful, but I’m really not digging the “child soldier” vibe it’s got going on. Those troops are so tiny!
@ShaiHulud I know it's not an actual Advance Wars game, but have you played Wargroove?
The Japanese one is actually quite funny. North America and Europe win this one hands down (great game)!
The Japanese one looks frankly hideous. I half expect Thomas the Tank Engine to suddenly show up, the toy-like look is so garish.
Western cover easily.
NA/EU for sure.
The Japanese Cover looks like some shovelware from the Wii
The red soldiers on the japanese cover looks like they are dancing on a rave. Awful.
First I though, Europe all the way. Japan looks weird. but then I started laughing of the little toys hands and faces. looks really funny.... so.... Japan has my vote. is worst I know... but funnier.
Box Art Brawl Duels Current Total:
Japan: 3
North America / Europe: 6
Nice Seinfeld reference.
Europe/North America easily
Yup preferred the western version
@Expa0 The Japanese cover was meant to give more of a "playing with toy soldiers in the backyard" kind of a feel.
I think the series was probably meant to have more of a comedic feel in Japan.
From what I've seen, I think it might be only from the GBA on, which the west got, that they put a story mode in the game.
The Japanese cover is horrendous, easy choice here... going with the North American/European box art.
Creative as the Japanese cover is, I much prefer the hand-drawn art on the NA/EU cover.
Japão geralmente melhor, mas a Europa vence desta vez
Still one of my favourite games of all time. I do love that EU cover too.
No guns for the troops in the Japanese cover I see lol. All I need to see is a Mattel logo and I'm all set. It might've helped if they used the infamous green army men but I'm sure they would've ran into some sort of legal issues (plus the orange and blue color scheme at least sells the actual troops colors).
I didn't think the NA cover was all that great, but then I saw the Japanese cover and EUgh.
That Japanese box art is amazing in so many ways, but the US/Euro one features the actual characters and is more true to the visual design of the game, so that’s the one I went for.
I'd "get" the JPN cover if the series was about toy soldiers.
@BionicDodo Thanks for the tip! I did play it but found it lacked a certain sense of charm and it wasn't focused enough - missions lasted way too long. Maybe it's just because Advance Wars pulls my nostalgic strings, I don't know.
@ShaiHulud It's kinda different, but Into the Breach is good fun of you haven't tried it.
@BionicDodo Into the Breach just happens to be one of my favourite games this generation Might even be my most-played Switch game actually.
@ShaiHulud I'm starting to think that you should be making the recommendations, not me!
everyone who says the jpn cover sucks are cowards because it actually rules and gets at the reality of the mechanics (over-the-top arcade-y wargames), BUT the na/eu release gives me better "those gundam series that were more for teens than the others (this is a compliment)" vibes (the reality of the tone and story), which i'm a huge sucker for.
hard to pick
@BionicDodo Ha! Well in that case, have you played the Banner Saga trilogy? Really good storytelling with an awesome soundtrack and an enjoyable turn-based strategy system
@Silly_G give Wargroove a shot
In the early 90s these designs would have gone to opposite territories.
You guys trolled me. I almost thought we were getting a port of one of my fave games of all time!
I do get the Japanese one. Playing with toy soldiers, many of us have done so I think. Still, I kind of like the EU one better... But I can't really vote one over the other. Unless the GBA Advance Wars joins the fight. Andy, Sami, and Max, sitting on a tank with ridiculous poses and perspective? Wins any day of the week. Even in many contests it has nothing to do with.
edit: I mixed up the box art with the "press start" screen background. Still a winner though.
@Silly_G I second that Wargroove recommendation. It has its harder optional missions, but also adjustable difficulty, and some more "squad based" type missions, with CO's as unique and obviously very important playable units.
A rare example of where the Japanese box art is not only worse, but significantly so. The Japanese title sucks too.
The art for the western cover may be unexciting, but it's well done. The Japanese cover is not appealing to me at all.
The Japanese cover looks like the box art for a cheap toy soldier set. The Western cover has a "war is hell" vibe but I can also hear that "heroic" music where you drag yourself from the depths and kick all the butts.
Japanese is art. Created to be a cover. North America cover is a photoshop with original artwork made by a random designer in 15min. Just get some arts and make... Not criative. The Japanese one is more art.
Their both okay, but, if I saw the Japanese one at a store, I would have wanted to buy that, whereas the western version looks a little too serious for me.
Please come on Nintendo either bring out a new one or a collection on switch
The Jap cover is terrible!!! It looks like PlayStation Army Men games. I finished all the Advance wars game from the GBA onwards.
It’s been a long time since I played it Duel Strike but I recall A villain draining people’s lives to become immortal and effectively rule over the Black Hole army forever.
Days of Ruin that story was dark & gritty taking place after a ☢️ Winter. Again it’s been many years since I finished it
Wow, the japanese cover looks like an actual "Famicom Wars" one. But the western one seems more logical since the Advance and DS games focused so much on characters than the game itelf.
(Still voting for the jap. one since it takes me back to discovering the game on a SNes emulator before the Advance era.)
The Japanese one is painful what the hell is that
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