In case you haven't seen it, here's the Japanese cover art:
And here's its North American counterpart:
This 3D-enabled update of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will hit the streets in Japan on June 16, by the way. North American 3DS owners will be able to buy the game three days later.
As for which illustration I prefer, well, I'm going to go with the North American iteration this time. The piece of art chosen for the Japanese release is undeniably beautiful, but I think the North American image works better as a cover. (Minus the rather lame "playable in 2D and 3D" reminder, of course.)
See also: Previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts
25 comments:
... I think the answer is BLINDINGLY obvious. The Japanese one, America always gets the tackiest covers of everything XD
It's going to be one of those days, eh -- when everyone disagrees with me? That's OK :)
Anyway, you think the American cover is tacky? Hmmm, I don't see that -- but it's a matter of opinion.
I'll say this: Us Americans definitely like gold covers/carts/etc. when it comes to Zelda, so I can see why NOA went in the direction they did.
I agree with you, Trxd. For sure. I mean, the US one is very classically a Zelda cover. They've all been kind of nondescript, mostly because they don't need to be vivid with a legacy like Zelda. But...I actually like the Japanese one better. It's a nice change.
I like what you've said here, Justin -- that NA Zelda covers tend to be non-descript because of the legacy of the series. I do think this one is better than what we usually get (see Zelda II, LTTP, the original OOT), though. I really like the detail/design along the edges, for instance. Anyway, I don't care which option people choose as long as they share their opinion in a comment :)
I like the american one best too. It's been a long time since a Zelda cover had that classic golden touch to it. Sure the japanese one have more depth to it, but Link looks more heroic on the american version.
I think the American looks okay but the Japanese one is lovely :)
Hey there, Linnea! Yeah, Link's/Epona's pose on the NA cover is nice, isn't it? It's kind of like something you'd see in a classic film...
Thanks, Simon! They're both lovely in my opinion. It's hard to go wrong with a Zelda cover :)
Both are nice...however I think the North American Version feels like a LoZ game. I'm torn because I normally like the JPN artwork for certain games.
Oh, I hear ya, dale_dale -- I nearly always choose the Japanese artwork in these posts.
I really like the art used on the Japanese cover, by the way -- I'm just not sure it works as well as the NA art as a cover. In some ways, the Japanese one seems unfinished to me...
Definitely the Japanese cover art! It's so vivid and colourful and lovely. Viewtiful Justin called it correctly already - the US art is simply lazy (probably as expected) because it is pandering to the legacy of the series - and Ocarina of Time specifically - rather than the game itself. It could be the cover to any Zelda, so it fails to excite me.
Ah, that's an interesting comment you make there, Tetsuo -- that the NA art could be the cover to any Zelda. I'm not sure I agree completely -- just playing devil's advocate, but couldn't the same be said of the Japanese art? -- but I find it interesting all the same.
All that said, and fully acknowledging that we're all entitled to our opinions, I can't say I consider the NA art to be lazy. It's definitely pandering to NA fans of the series, but that's not quite the same as lazy in my book.
Hmm. I really do like both covers for different reasons this time. The Japanese cover is oddly bright and colorful for a Zelda title, and so it's a nice change of pace. Kind of gets you excited to see the shiny new graphics and all that.
On the other hand, I've always been a fan of the "simplistic and classy" cover style that Zelda games are known for, so the NA cover gets my vote. Unfortunately, that blurb at the bottom does really kill it, doesn't it? Tacky tacky.
Hey there, Kamiwoo! Yeah, both have their positives, IMO. And like you said, that blurb at the bottom of the NA cover is icky. I wonder why they have to put that on the cover, and not on the back? Oh, well...
I call it a draw. Normally I would choose the more colorful Japanese one but the subdued gold on the NA one works pretty well.
Mind you, I have a lot less trouble judging older game art as you can look back on it with the benefit of hindsight. Its hard to tell how well the art on today's games will stand the test of time.
I'm voting for the NA cover, and here's why:
The Japanese cover shows link riding his horse through a beautiful but empty countryside. It's almost like they're saying "this is a game about riding a horse around a beautiful countryside, but nothing exciting really happens".
Whereas the US cover not only has the classy golden touch, but the horse on its hind legs while Link brandishes a sword. Knightly!
Thanks, Sean! Yes, I agree -- both work pretty well as covers, don't they? OK, you might like one more than the other, but it's hard to call either of them terrible -- at least IMO.
Yes, another person in my corner! Not that I'm counting :P
Anyway, thanks for sharing your opinion, Zigfried :)
Hey, when are you going to update your site, BTW? I keep checking in, but nothing new! (Sorry, don't mean to pressure you. I just like your site.)
My girlfriend (I normally don't like to describe her that way, I usually go for "Linnea" but you guys don't know her so..) thinks the US cover is best - so now I'm convinced an alien of some sort have taken over her body. She usually have such great taste! :)
Has.. taken, maybe?
Oh! It sounds like she has quite a bit of taste, if you ask me :)
I'm guessing you much prefer the Japanese cover?
Yes. God yes. I can see what you all are talking about, the US cover really feels like Zelda but the japanese one is so.. right! We have pretty colors, the famous Hyrule Field, a dramatic shot of Link riding Epona.. It's basically the essense of Ocarina of Time in one shot.
The art definitely is lovely -- I'll give you that at the very least!
Tangent from the topic, since you asked -- I'll be updating my site in about two weeks, so don't worry about checking again until near the end of May. If you click on one of the posts from the front page, you'll see the beginnings of a redesign... =)
But anyways, I've got some cool stuff planned, including a write-up on that awesome Spider Queens game (thanks to your recommendation!)
Ah, that's *great* news, Zigfried! Can't wait to see what you have in store for all of us -- esp. if it includes a write-up on Lesbian Spider Queens of Mars :)
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