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Why Japanese box art is better...

... except when it's not. Nine astounding differences between East and West

Words: Charlie Barratt on July 29, 2008

Art is subjective, so we can't dictate whether the clean and colorful anime style of most Japanese covers is truly better than, say, the cheesy comic book style of Crackdown. Or the washed out Photoshopping of Spy Fiction and Psi-Ops. Look below and decide which versions you find more eye-catching. If you choose the red cross in Trauma Center, we hate you.

What's up with the guys on the left? Are they the unpaid interns for the guys on the right?

If we want gaming to reach the depth and maturity of cinema or literature, it should be about more than swords, guns, blood, violence and nonstop action. Often, however, gaming is about more - the Western packaging is just too afraid to let you know.

Japanese box art, however, isn't afraid to show off the game's sensitive side. Princess Farah joins the Prince of Persia cover. Ico and Yorda hold hands. And while Final Fantasy X International didn't release in the US, do you really think they would have kept the same cover if it had? Hurry, give Tidus something sharp!

Must our box art always scream at us? If the artists don't add enough explosions, fangs and protruding female bosoms, are the games somehow invisible to us and our puerile minds? In Japan, understatement is okay. Possibly encouraged, based on the number of examples below.

Yes, we know Link is in this game, Japanese box art. Thank you.

A lot of game packaging in Western countries comes across like a desperate flea market. If they cram as much crap into the tents as possible, surely you'll find at least one item you like, right? So if the pretty lady on the cover of Heavenly Sword isn't enough, maybe you'll be convinced by the screaming head or the vaguely viewed fat man in the background. If the title Final Fantasy isn't enough, perhaps some cosplayers and airships will get you to purchase. Please?

Japanese packaging is more confident, usually sticking with one strong and persuasive image.

Okay, so maybe the flea market mentality is universal. At least when Japan does it, they go all the damn way. Seriously, is there any Disgaea character NOT on that rainbow spectrum below?

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2cute2Bcruel - May 2, 2011 9:40 a.m.

I think that the Silent Hill 4 cover in Japan is a lot scarier than the US one.
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PeptoTurismo - April 28, 2011 5:29 p.m.

The Japanese 'Colossus' box art is AMAZING! I'm jealous. So jealous, in fact, that I felt the need to comment on this two-and-a-half-year-old article. Whoo! It's also quite interesting that American box art is angrier. We are an angry people. And occasionally jealous.
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AGENTJORRRG - April 27, 2011 11:43 p.m.

Smugglers Run is called Crazy Bumps in Japan?? CRAZY BUMPS!!? PAHAHAHAHA!
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MFenix - April 27, 2011 10:49 p.m.

My god that Japanese Ratchet freaks me out and would make my eyes bleed if I looked at it for more than 3 seconds. Poor Kirby being so angry at us for making him look angry on our covers. And I love the Japanese Soul Calibur covers.
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SandroTheMaster - February 13, 2011 11:07 p.m.

You're getting this all wrong! No, no, no! It's not that Japanese box art is better. It's the American ones that sucks. Hard. European and Russian box art are just as good or better than the japanese ones.
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eyeKARUMBA - November 3, 2010 1:55 a.m.

I never noticed the Kirby thing before. Honestly, it seems completely ridiculous to keep the whole box the same but make his eyes frown. Pffft! is what I say.
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santaclouse37 - September 1, 2010 10:56 p.m.

Definitely interesting, though I wouldn't really agree that all these examples are better, it's kinda split 50/50 in my mind. Still though, I can see why "Differences between US and Japanese box-art" might not have been as appealing an article title. I also literally laughed out loud when I saw that Smuggler's Run is called "Crazy Bumps. RECAPTCHA: credoc Answer, with Answer spelled with one of those old school lower-case S's that looks like an F.
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wiigamer024 - February 12, 2010 3:16 p.m.

Ok, so Japanese box art is more happier? Alright then, that just proves that we Americans are more badass with our video games! :D
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axelgarcia1 - November 1, 2009 6 a.m.

manag does NOT fit well with Ratchet and clank
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epigraphist - September 29, 2009 6:46 p.m.

They make the art different from the Japanese covers so that they have jobs. They need to create a different aesthetic, so they arrive at a consensus and alter box art accordingly. It doesn't reflect overall cultural differences or anything, just marketable stereotypes. If they get you to think that Americans need different box art than Japanese, they've merely secured their job.
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gangjute8 - September 27, 2009 5:11 a.m.

Loved the Trauma Center comparison. Makes me wonder though, why do so many Japanese video-game females (Pretty much every other character in naruto, for example) were bandage wrap as clothing? ReCaptcha: not weeing Umm... Yeah. thats true.
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Black_X_1111 - November 6, 2008 3:01 a.m.

American PC box art is pretty good i think. And I'm glad america has the bestest zelda
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acheron713 - October 14, 2008 8:04 p.m.

how is an aggressive Kirby better? or a sad looking elebit as opposed to the happy one on the Japanese cover? And how is the ridiculous floaty-head Fatal Frame cover for the US aggressive or better?
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AFilthyIbis - December 10, 2008 3:32 a.m.

The Japanese ICO box art was great So was the Japanese smugglers run title. But what isn't great is this latest 360 bomber man game. I saw it in EB and straight away knew just how much it would suck. Bomber man was iconic, now he's just another generic next gen character who doesn't quite have 3D environments (similar 2 pacman).
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yur a fatso - December 7, 2008 4:25 a.m.

All off them make sense for the catagories they're put in except Ace Combat. What are you really going to put on the cover of a game about jets besides jets?
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Cernunnos - November 11, 2008 9:53 a.m.

hmm, seems like my country, norway gets a blend of these, and sometimes none of the above. we always get the artistic FF covers, but usually the gun-covered covers for shooters...
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codzprc - November 7, 2008 7:05 a.m.

Crazy Bump's has to be the best translation in gaming history. Smuggler's Run was pretty fun back in the day (if I remember correctly) - I'll let the name "Crazy Bumps" go - but gotta ask why there's an apostrophe in "Bumps"?
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FierceDeity - November 5, 2008 5:01 p.m.

hahaha kirby could never look badass so why do they bother trying and the japanese zelda box art is pretty bad
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eurospek - September 28, 2008 4:09 a.m.

Crackdown or "Riot Act" The American one is way much better because the people look more aggressive. That's what you would expect in a drug-violence run down city. The Japanese one just looks really kiddish. Just look at Yang or whatever his name. He looks like Omi from Xiaolin Showdown.
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secretsearcher - September 27, 2008 3:46 p.m.

I never noticed this before. I don't know why we had to make kirby look so angry...
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