Double Dragon - BAB
Image: Nintendo Life

We are back, back, back with another edition of Box Art Brawl!

Last time, we matched up two Game Boy covers for the weird Tetris sequel, Hatris, and oh boy was it a close contest! The colourful Japanese design just about clinched it in the end, taking 51% of the vote over North America's 49%. Talk about a photo finish!

For a change of pace this week, we're punching things over to the wild world of beat 'em ups as we take a look at two different covers for Double Dragon on the NES. Originally released in arcades in 1987 before making the jump to the NES one year later, Technōs' brawler is often considered one of the genre's originators. The NES port had some major cutbacks from its arcade counterpart including the absence of a multiplayer mode, but it's still a strange little curio that shows the now booming format in its earliest days.

It's a one-on-one match-up between Europe/North America and Japan this week, so let's meet the fighters.

Be sure to cast your votes in the poll below; but first, let's check out the box art designs themselves.

Europe / North America

Double Dragon - NA/EU
Image: Tradewest / Mobygames

Is anyone else getting some serious Arnie and Carl Weathers Predator vibes from the front and centre bicep placement here? No? Just us then.

The European and North American design has a lot going on: a full-blown street brawl in the lower quarter, two foes facing off in the foreground and a bright red backdrop — not the mention the literal Double Dragon wrapped around the title. It's maybe a little too much, but there's no denying that it tells you everything you need to know about the game in question.

Japan

Double Dragon - JP
Image: Technōs Japan / Launch Box

The Japanese design takes a different, more artistic approach. The relative realism of the former visuals is replaced by a manga art style and some sweet fighter composition, with large, looming figures guiding our eyes gradually down to the brawl at the bottom. It might be a little less vibrant than the EU/NA offering, but that artwork slaps.


Which region got the best Double Dragon box art?

Thanks for voting! We'll see you next time for another round of Box Art Brawl.