American VS Japanese Video Game Box Art 

90's American box art has that flashy in your face look with those dark blues and super exaggerated facial expressions while Japanese box art has that subtle feel with the soft whites and toned down facial expressions. Quite a contrast in style back then.

I always loved the Japanese cover arts! The sonic ones were so flashy and the kirby ones so cute!!

That transition from Crash to Yakuza was smooth.

2:40 Kid Icarus isn't displaying anger, he's showing focus and concentration, which if you ever watched someone prepare to fire a bow, they're completely concentrated on firing at their target.

I prefer old guy with banjo

Ristar was also different in America in Japan, he was like Sega’s Kirby in that regard, they both travel to different planets, they are both Star Children, Ristar came out in 1995 and Kirby Superstar 1996 so technically Ristar did the whole Milky Way Wishes thing first.

8:00 you could say, a new frontier I'll see myself out

I'm actually writing my thesis on this subject, so this video was very interesting and very informative. Thank you!

2:53 spyro on the american box art looks like hanna-barbera’s wally gator

I love how Sonic is more serious in the Japanese box art and more happy in the International release, mirroring Kirby.

@1:15 "like megaman's expression changing SLIGHTLY" ughhh they changed his whole face lmaooooo

This channel is something special. Can't believe I'm just now finding it! Awesome content, keep it up!

Great stuff as always, Kiro! Personally, when it comes to older games like those released in the 1980s and 1990s (and even a couple in the 2000s) I have a general preference for the Japanese box arts over their American counterparts, and this is true for many franchises. Kirby and Sonic are the two biggest examples of this, but some others include Klonoa, Mario and Mega Man. Though, this doesn't mean I think every American box art from that era isn't worth anything, since they can be pretty great as well at times!

Sonic spinball Japan looks like Sonic just installed a Sandevistan cyber deck into his spine

It's weird that both Knuckles chaotix and Mcdonalds treasure land adventure have the american box art flipped for the european release.

4 fingers also relates to superstition regarding the number 4 in Japan. The number 4 is closely related to death, and if you played Silent Hill the number 4 is used for horror effect.

I think I am probably the only one who finds Frontiers' JP boxart to be awkward. The lighting of the scenery looks like a little desaturated compared to Sonic, making him look like he's just awkwardly photshopped onto the cover. Side note: I remember how the EU boxart for Record of Agarest War (or Agarest: Generations of War in Europe) was supposed to be a grumpy adult dude that looks like he's awkwardly cosplaying as the protagonist. Good thing the final boxart had gone for the anime art style that the actual game has.

7:40 I could not stop my laugh here 🤣

7:04 sega wanted to tell Japanese people that sonic is Italian just like Mario to remain competitive

2:13 THATS RA-

My favorite Sonic Box Art ever is Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast.

Yo new kiro talks vid

Nice video! Thank god this video and this channel appeared in my home feed! You seriously have a lot of potential my friend! I wish you great amounts of happiness and success! :)

i really like that segue into the yakuza franchise. i also really like the yakuza franchise.

The Professor Layton differences in box art are crazy, especially Miracle Mask. In Japan it uses that white background like Yakuza

I need more box art cover videos

The segway from talking about the four fingers of crash being attributed to practices of the yakuza to talking about the game Yakuza was genious.

If videogames kept the cutesy Japanese style in America there probably wouldn't be as much of that 'videogames causing violence' controversy.

The US Phalanx cover inspired one of my favorite web comic one-offs. I wish I remembered the artist but it was about an old war vet of some space war. It was very touching.

Crash being a yakuza member? Bro, a crossover game with Kazuma Kiryu from Like A Dragon? Would be so cool

Actually shocked u only have 23k subs. U deserve way more

Spyro in Japan: cute🥰 Spyro in America: confidently cold 🥶

The easiest way to tell which is the better box art? Just ask yourself which would make the better poster you'd hang on your wall.

Yes I knew I wasn’t the only one I felt this way Thank you for making this video

While I do overall prefer the japanese covers in most cases throughout cover history, I do still enjoy seeing the creative western ones.

Of course the game called Phalanx has a ship with a phallic shape in it's box art

you should see the EU box art for Mega Man 2 lol

hold up the lady talking to human version of mega man sounds like jessie from team rocket

Japan - lets make it cute and silly lookin- Amarica - MAKE IT ANGRY, CUTENESS IS FOR THE JAPANESE, AGGRESSION IS 'MURRICA

My favorite when Kirby triple deluxe USA and Japan box it's a little bit different color,s

personally, i prefer the japenese box art of sonic frontiers than the worldwide box art. just like with breath of the wild's box art that's not present in the european one, the japanese box art truly conveys the message and emotion that sonic is about to explore a whole new world that neither he nor anyone else has ever known about before. the box art that we got outside of japan just more so gives off the feeling of playing another standard modern sonic boost game instead of exploring an open-ended world. and while yes there is in fact some of that stuff in the game, those things don't really take up the remainder portion of exploring the vast empty world. to me, those parts are supposed to act as supplements instead of the key main thing you're doing to which i think the worldwide box art kind of tried to play off as the key thing you'll be doing for the entirety of the game. many times, i wish we'd get box arts that more so truly sells in on the actual significant things you'll be getting into instead of showing off some random cool shot for stupid marketing purposes.

I imagine the finger change was because of the superstition around 4, like we have for 13 in the west.

0:49 that jessie from team rocket ?

Me at the 3:12 mark: Oh that’s right. Konami made video games.

Oh boy..

Heh, American Kirby is angry instead of happy, but it is the opposite in Yakuza 7.

In a few exceptions in good early North American box art I think the NA River City Ransom goes hard

Sometimes I think in art box for Japan, they removed the background because unlike us, Japanese look at the background picture first and not the subjects. Like, the Gioconda, a Japanese viever would look at what is behind the woman in Leonardo's painting.

American box art can sometimes be weird

The best box art is the ones we met along the way.

American Kirby is Badass

you shouldve talked about chrono trigger's and earthbounds box arts!

remember ICO American box art

Probably someone in the comments already told you this but... about Crash 4 in japanese four and death have the same sound ... They sound similar enough to make it like People avoid the number generally also the Yakuza pinky thing could be too

Thank you for not having the ICO box art comparison since it's overdone by the internet 😁

Mr mime was redesigned for gen 3 remakes to avoid yakuza symbolism

What about silver megaman from mm2 european cover?

Was the box art the same in all American countries or did it only look like that in Canada ?

I disagree entirely on the Japanese Sonic Frontiers cover. It straight up looks like they took some random render of Sonic and put it over a screengrab from the game.

I have a White WiiU. Although, I'm buying a black one soon to replace it (if the replacement runs better).

2:10 Did an ad play around this part or was it me? Cause that was some timing.

That virtual room is a game or an simulation made in blender or something else?

The main reason why the Japanese version of YAKUZA shows many of the characters in large sizes on the box art is because they use face models of Japanese celebrities.

For the sake of being the unpopular opinion, I actually really like the little details, solid colors and different dynamic poses that the American box art generally shows. No reason other than “I just prefer it.”

Ha ha funny boxart go BRRRRR

There's a Box art of Legend of a mystical ninja/Ganbare goemon (I prefer the Japanese version of the box art) And a box art of Hebereke/U-four-ia

I really hope bad box art megaman makes a cameo again someday... preferably in a more well recieved game

cool video

youtubers when they run out of ideas.. let's make a video about game cover differences because it's never been done before!!

Mega Drive’s Japanese box art was fucking awesome

I mean I prefer the Japanese’s box art but I do have a soft spot for 90s American sonic art work. Just looks so 90s

Why did Japan say touch Kirby super rainbow in Kirby and the rainbow curse but the magic pen from the wii u they changed to black and white

Not gonna lie, you lead with the best box art difference

Sonic was made in America, not Japan. It was the idea of Sega America.

America decided to make them more edgy

Kiro Talks, can you make a video with comparison games of Nintendo DS (American vs. Japanese)?

I like how some random youtubers are complimenting this lad

I didn't know Yakuza was on PS2 in the us. I thought it was only in Japan on PS2

Sonic CD US or JP box art?

hey

American & Japanese wins

Box Art Japanese Wins Box Art America LOSE

Four finger stigma shouldn't apply to animals, even anthropomorphic , unlike Bob the Builder who is human. Or look at Final Fantasy covers in the PS1 to PS3 era. The Japanese and PAL cover art are minimum with a title logo and a white background. The North American versions put the main characters on the cover.

Idk why but the american boxart megaman looks ai generated. I know its not but it gives off those vibes

That’s the Netherlands flag

I love usa version box art i don't care who think it's worst

0:58a way betten then american version

Strider is so bad on Genesis boxart, I had to buy the Mega Drive version. Likewise for Elemental Master.

龍が如くがヤクザなの草

It’s not a big deal , I can always buy a jp version , but I hate that they think we’re more action based , so we wouldn’t enjoy their covers , for me , the Japanese covers have always looked better

If we want to talk about bad American box arts. Look at the crime they did by messing up Dragon Quest and ICO.

Japanese box art was always FAR more superior than American and that’s not being a weeb. For some reason, Americans love the idea of just putting the main character on the box art and that’s it. Just a frontal shot of the character with no originality, no uniqueness or flashy ensemble of other characters that are in the game. It drives me crazy

🧑‍🦲 or 🙂

American Mega Man 1 was better than the female in blue everyone knows today

JP>EU>NA

2:13 hmmm care to explain... 🤨 /||\🚩 |\

I’ve read that the differences in box art is because in America, cute styled things are for kids. While in japan cuteness is just an art style. Hence Kirby frowning. It’s to make him look less kiddy. Also why Crash was changed so much.

0:33 I mean Megaman still looks really impressive for the NES.

Another think about Yakuza is the name, in Japan it's called "Ryu Ga Gotoku" which translates to "Like a Dragon", the name would late be the subtitle of Yakuza 7 and now with the 8th game, it seems like Yakuza is no longer called Yakuza but rather the original Japanese name "Like a Dragon".

To be fair on Sonic Spinball, it was developed my the American team at STI (this is shown by the SatAM characters in the bonus stages and Sonic resembling the Greg Martin design more than the original Sonic 1 appearance. It also "treats" your ears to audio produced with the GEMS sound driver, which was popular with US devs and is the source of truly the compositions ever produced), so it makes sense that it would come out in America and Europe before Japan. Japan still has the better boxart though, so that's the one I use for Spinball in my Steam library (with the exception of the Game Gear version, since the Greg Martin artwork just seems more "Game Gear" to me).