Be sure to cast your votes in the poll below; but first, let’s look at the box designs themselves.
North America
The North American cover is… strange. There’s no denying that this design goes all RPG-style — guns, dragons, and gold (Oh my) — but it’s not very Dragon Quest-y, is it? The original cover also took a more ‘realistic’ approach, but at least it had some action. This is just a bunch of weapons stacked in front of a dragon statue. It draws you in with intrigue more than anything else, and we can’t knock it for that.
Japan
Now there is a different approach. Art by the late, great Akira Toriyama showcases a very different game, one built around its characters (and dragons). The entire cast stands front and center, looking straight into our souls as if to say, “Go ahead, buy it. I challenge you.” Below, the silhouette of the castle stands out against the red sunrise. It still has all the classic RPG elements, but presents them in a very different way.
Thanks for voting! See you next time for another round of Box Art Brawl.
