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Hello everybody, and welcome to the latest edition of Box Art Brawl!
Last time, we took a look at Kirby Mass Attack for the Nintendo DS. It wasn't quite as close as we were admittedly expecting, with the North American version easily beating the competition with 65% of the vote.
This week, we're skipping ahead to the 3DS and the wonderful Pikmin franchise with the divisive Hey! Pikmin from developer Arzest. Released in 2017, it hardly stands as the most beloved entry in the puzzle series, but it most certainly has its charms.
It's another duel this week with North America and Japan going up against the European design, so let's just get cracking, yes?
Be sure to cast your votes in the poll below; but first, let's check out the box art designs themselves.
North America / Japan
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It's safe to say that both variants are actually pretty similar in many ways, but looking at this one, it's definitely more action-oriented. You've got Olimar himself chucking the poor little PIkmin at a Mockiwi with reckless abandon, and there's just a lot to take in, right? It's a great composition though, certainly, and it's kinda funny in a weird way..?
Europe
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The European variant, on the other hand, features Olimar and his Pikmin balancing their way across a log while the Mockiwi gazes at them from a distance. We love how the majority of characters here are more in the foreground, while the Mockiwi is slightly blurred out in the background. Plus, there's a big button. Who doesn't like buttons?
Which region got the best Hey! Pikmin box art? (2,098 votes)
- North America / Japan
- Europe
Thanks for voting! We'll see you next time for another round of the Box Art Brawl.
Comments 41
While I like the idea of the North American one, I think it turned out a bit messy. There's so much going on I don't know what to focus my eyes on. I had to vote for EU in the end.
They’re both so adorable (even though one is a scene of a gruesome battle).
Europe, though. It’s just much happier.
Are the colours actually more faded on the NA/JP version, or is it just the image quality?
NA/Japan is just plain duck abuse!
As beautiful as the European one is North America/Japan for me since it shows not only the Pikmin carrying things, but also attacking an enemy.
Both are really pretty but I prefer the European one because it seems more friendly.
European one feels a lot more evocative of Pikmin to me. Not actually played Hey Pikmin but for the bulk of the series combat while certainly present is kind of secondary to the exploration.
Surprised Fashion Dreamer wasn't discussed this time.
But "HEY Pikmin!", the European one looks more organized, and the poor Pikmin are suffering in the Japan/USA one. Both are kind of meh.
@Munchlax It is ALWAYS the image quality. It ahould hi estly be a big, fat disclaimer in every brawl, because covers have lost because of it.
Kind of interesting how the North American boxart makes the game look more violent and it has a 10+ rating over there, while the European boxart is more peaceful and it gets a 3+.
Box Art Brawls Current Total:
Europe: 68
Japan: 67
North America: 71
Australia and New Zealand: 1
The European cover is beautiful and I like how peaceful it is. This was an easy vote.
The two designs look like they make up a short story. I prefer the Europe version personally
Both of them are good, but I'm going to have agree with the others on the European version. It's tightly composed and I find the emphasis on an adventurous tone a little more inviting.
However, I'll give credit to the NA/JP art for accurately communicating the hectic fights you get in with other wildlife.
Hare one. Both are very similar and very good
i remember way back, many trough Hey Pikimin! was Pikimin 4
Its kinda neat that these two boxes together tell a story.
10 points to anyone who can spot the Electripede.
Also…why? Why Hey! Pikmin? WHY? YOU. AREN’T. SUPPOSED. TO. BRING. UP. HEY! PIKMIN. EVER!
Europe...because the Pikmin are not being eaten in that one! They are safe for a few more seconds...
I voted for the North American/Japanese art work.
I thought box art duels were for games that are real and exist. There are only 4 Pikmin games
Europe. Just so much neater.
Both covers are too busy for my liking, but I went with Europe since that at least gives a slightly better gameplay impression.
I actually prefer the European variant by a wide margine this time. There is quite a bit more interesting detail going on in that one than in the North American variant. And it just seems more colorful.
I'm actually going to vote EU this week. They both look good, but the EU one looks like it has better composition.
Also, Japan should get top billing over NA (Japan/North America instead of North America/Japan) since it's a JPN developed game, and thus the US is copying their box art.
I will never not read it in Navi's "Hey! LISTEN" voice.
I like both but the EU has nice foreground/background blur effect and is a bit more clear
Japan’s box art is actually slightly different, the holes made by the electripedes near the ‘N’ of ‘Pikmin’ are in different spots and slightly bigger. Not a huge difference, otherwise it just looks the same as the NA box art, but I thought I’d mention.
That said, I’m picking EU this time around. Perhaps I’m just too used to the NA box art lol.
Europe’s has sense of foreboding and impending massacre. Europe it is.
I quite like that next to each other they actually form a comic strip. Japan should have had a third one to finish the story.
@Dogorilla I haven't played the game, but honestly don't know what constitutes an E10+ rating anymore.
Games like Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Mario Strikers Charged or Smash Bros. are worthy of their E10+ rating, but games like WarioWare, Kirby, Rayman Legends or even the likes of Wii Sports Club, Switch Sports or Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games?
This one shows a "before and after" the encounter with the Mockiwi.
I normally like action covers, but the European one gets my vote. I love how unaware Olimar and the Pikmins are of the incoming Mockiwi.
The European one is extremely creepy.
My eyes dont know where to look in the NA one, so I chose the European variant.
I voted Europe since it does a better job of warning consumers that they're in for a bland, by the numbers experience
While I like this game and like the NA Box Art I had to give this one to Europe. It’s not only much prettier and chiller but the vibes of it are much more in line with the rest of Pikmin. Like the box art more generally resembles say 3 or 4 where it’s just the Pikmin chilling in front of something while say a bulborb watches.
As I scrolled past the NA version, I thought, "There's no way the Europe version can beat this." Then I was pleasantly surprised. Europe for me!
While it's not my favorite style of box art, these are well done. Both of them are pretty good. I had to think about this one for a bit. I was leaning toward NA/JP at first, but switched my vote to Europe. The NA/JP one is very busy. While that's often a negative, I think it works well and perhaps depicts the feeling of the game in some way(I am not familiar with this series.) Europe is also a bit chaotic, but less so. It's probably framed in a way better suited to be a game cover in terms of the overall composition.
I chose Europe cover because of that detailed branch they are walking on, the duck staring at them, and that the title itself just looks way better with the background of the EU cover.
@FawfulDX I downloaded it before the eShop shut down, and it's honestly not a bad game. It's nothing amazing, but I think it still successfully captures a lot of the charm and ambiance of a Pikmin game, just on a 2D plane and without the time management aspect. Does it feel a bit New Super Mario Bros.-ified? Sure. But it's still a decent time, and I think it's worth playing if you're a Pikmin fan.
@Not_Soos Yeah, complaining about Hey! Pikmin is kinda my old man schtick, but I don’t actually hate it. It’s fine for what it is, as a 2D side scroller with light puzzle elements, and it does have many enjoyable elements. It’s just that it has so little of what makes Pikmin so, so special to me. It is a good game, but to me it does not feel like a Pikmin game.
I appreciate Pikmin can get devoured in the game, but it's not great to see the adorable fellows getting eaten on the front coverart of the age 3+ game! So the Europe one for me. The threat is there in the background, but they are still scampering on their merry way. That's enough.
Lol
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