Feature: Box Art Brawl
By Spirits, Gather
- by Jim Norman
- Sun, 10am
We have returned with another Box Art Brawl!
Previously, we examined a direct competition for Metal Slug Advance — marking its addition to the NSO GBA catalog — and it turned out to be yet another unbalanced contest. North America and Europe achieved a substantial victory with 73% of the votes, leaving the Japanese edition with a mere 27%.
This week introduces another NSO newcomer, as we investigate Avenging Spirit for the Game Boy. It’s an unusual scenario — you assume the role of the hero’s spirit, tracking the assailants who killed you and abducted your girlfriend — but we are genuinely pleased to see it on contemporary platforms (Once more).
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It certainly helps that it features two of the most divergent cover artworks we’ve seen in Box Art Brawl for quite some time. Europe and Japan unite against North America in this round, so let’s introduce the contenders.
North America
Image: HAMSTER / Launchbox
The North American artwork is all about action. There isn’t much ghostly presence here, as the cover opts to highlight the gangster firing, set below a font that truly exclaims action. The circular framing is a bit peculiar, but there’s no denying that it possesses a certain elegance.
Europe / Japan
Image: HAMSTER / Launchbox
Alright, what? In an absolute reversal from the NA artwork, Europe and Japan fully embrace the amiable ghost. Our main character (at least, his spirit) takes the spotlight — looking quite cheerful, we might add — surrounded by those you will meet along your path. We’re not entirely convinced about the white background, but wow,
