Will Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, which will hit store shelves throughout North America and Europe on March 19 and 22, respectively, be the version that prompts me to join the MonHun party? Probably not, and that's mostly due to the fact that this release (once again) eschews online play.
I have to say, though, that if the folks had decided to re-use the Japanese box art (black bar and all), which can be seen below, while designing the North American iteration's packaging, I might have re-considered.
That's not to say I find the art (below) that will grace covers of North American copies--and European ones, too, if I'm not mistaken--of the game horrendous or anything like that. In fact, I think it's rather nice, all things considered.
Still, it lacks the drama of its Japanese counterpart--or at least it does in my opinion. I especially like the color scheme used on the Monster Hunter Tri G (that's what the game's called in its country of origin) cover art, what with its striking use of black, green and red.
Anyway, that's my take on the situation. What do all of you think? Do you prefer one of these box-art options to the other--and, if so, why do you feel that way?
See also: Previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts
I definitely prefer the bottom image. The colors - I'm not sure what it is about the top one, but it just doesn't feel right to me.
ReplyDeleteI really love the bright colours of the european box art but I think I like the NA box art more because it looks like the hero and the dragon are in a battle and on the eu-picture he's just standing on a mountain with the dragon in the background.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that the two minions "Cha-cha" and the other one are not shown on the NA box art (they could jump around in the background or something).
What I don't like about the na-boxart is the green-bobble-horn on the head of the dragon.
That looks so silly. But the intensiv colours are as great as the bright ones from the eu-cover.
Oh my! This looks like some kind of swap job--the Japanese box looks like a US box from the 90s with its extreme close up, garish colors, and hyper-rendered detail, and action focus. Meanwhile the Japanese box has cool blue, weird little characters, and a calmer setting despite obvious danger.
ReplyDeleteHonestly I don't like either of them. The US box art is a little too bland and generic for my taste, and while the Japanese box art definitely gets points for taking a more risky approach, I don't like the color and I can't get over that "bad US box art" feel, even if it accurately reflects the game and is miles better than any example box I might think it reminds me of.
Definitely an interesting case for comparison though!
Interesting! I honestly thought everyone would agree with me here. Maybe, though, I'll actually be the odd man out? Anyway, thanks for chiming in :)
ReplyDeleteOoops, I think I confused you, Lizzi. Sorry about that. The colorful piece of box art (top one in the post) is the Japanese cover, while the, er, whiter, less colorful one (bottom one in the post) is the European/North American cover.
ReplyDeleteSo, it seems you like ... both? Or at least you like some elements of one and some elements of the other. Nothing wrong with that!
Huh! I have to admit to being shocked that I'm the only one who likes the Japanese box art so far. I can see where you're coming from, though, in comparing the Japanese box art to US box art from the 1990s. Still, I personally think this example looks quite a bit better than your average example of US box art from that era. That's just my opinion, though, and yours is just as valid as mine!
ReplyDeleteOf course. :) And yeah, I don't mean to say it looks as bad as those "classic" examples might, it's more like it triggers the same deep-down reaction (which I've nurtured for years!) just because of the style of it.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya. And, really, the color scheme of the Japanese cover art is kind of shocking--especially for a piece of Japanese cover art!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of the top image (hunter facing off against giant monster), but I think the logo obscures too much and the colours aren't very pleasing. The bottom image looks too "staged" (who would stand calmly with their back to a giant wyvern?!) but the colours don't make me feel ill.
ReplyDeleteSo a bit lose/lose this time around :/
Hey there, Kimimi! Well, I can't completely disagree with what you say here--especially what you say about the Euro/NA version. Maybe the folks at Capcom will do a better job with Monster Hunter 4's box art?
ReplyDeleteI prefer the North American version. I like the gentle color scheme, where the JP version seems garish to me. What the NA cover lacks in drama, it makes up by adding Cha-Cha and Kayamba at the bottom. Love those little guys!
ReplyDeleteThe other reason I like the NA box is because of the monster they use. Rathalos was one of the monsters than kicked my butt repeatedly when I first started playing on the Wii version, so there was a great feeling of accomplishment when I finally managed to take one down.
Can't wait to pick up the 3DS and Wii U versions on the 19th so I can get my butt handed to me again. lol
Waaah! Of course it is the japanese box-art! Sorry!! Hm no, I think I like the japanese one more because of the hero's cool pose but as I said I don't like the dragons horn on the picture. But that's all. Even though I like the bright colours of the eu/na-cover I'm afraid it's not enought to be the better one :-( (imo)
ReplyDeleteThe original dose really have a great sense of drama but the american release shows more of what you're in store for. The armor in MH is always made up of parts from something you previously hunted so it has a nice bit of transition between the two main figures ( If not a bit morbid on a deeper level. )
ReplyDeleteNo need to be sorry, Lizzi! I wasn't completely clear in writing up the post, I'm afraid. Anyway, I'm glad someone finally agrees with me (at least partially)--even though that isn't why I published this post :)
ReplyDeleteAh, I didn't even think of it that way, Robert! Of course, I don't know as much about this series as I should, so that's probably partially responsible for my inability to come up with that idea. Thanks for making me aware of it!
ReplyDeletePoints taken, Zaphod! I am a bit surprised Cha-Cha and Kayamba aren't on the Japanese cover. Of course, are they usually on Japanese covers of these games? I don't remember seeing them there before.
ReplyDeleteThat's great that you're planning to pick up both the 3DS and Wii U games, BTW. I have a feeling I'm going to wait for MH4--although I may pick up the Wii U version of MH3U when I pick up a Wii U later this year...
I think Cha-Cha first appeared in MH3, and before that there were feline companions. Kayamba is new to MH3U. From the demo, it felt like they were taking a more active role as companions this time, but it could also be that I just didn't progress enough in Tri's single-player campaign to unlock those abilities. I played online with a friend more than offline.
ReplyDeleteI was tempted to cancel the 3DS order when Campcom announced they'd be patching in off-screen play for the Wii U's GamePad next month. I decided to get it anyway because the 50-minute time limit on hunts fits my dinner break at work just fine if I'm in the mood.
Ah, see, I *really* don't know much about this series! That said, I don't remember seeing the game's feline companions on previous Japanese box arts, although I could be wrong.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I look forward to hearing what you think of both versions of MH3U, Zaphod, as, like I said early on in the post, I am pretty intrigued by the series (if a bit scared to jump in head-first).
I like the black borders but I hate the art of 3G. I choose 3U!
ReplyDeleteBlasphemous! Just kidding, Johnny :) I'm with you in liking the black borders, BTW. Really wish Nintendo would use them outside of Japan...
ReplyDeleteI wish more games would use different color borders just in general. If I was ever on the edge of buying New Super Mario Bros Wii, the red box pushed me over. I want my spines to all be different colors on the shelf!
ReplyDeleteThey certainly cause people to sit up and take notice, don't they, Michael? That's why I think the black bars/borders would be a good idea for western 3DS and Wii U games. I think they'd cause some of the 'hardcore' set, especially to turn their attention toward them.
ReplyDeleteWhile the Japanese cover is certainly more dramatic and exciting, I think I like the North American cover more. I'm not sure what it is I like about it. Something about the layout of it makes it more appealing to me.
ReplyDeleteThere's always the original Wii version, if you want to try it. Amazon has used copies in the $10-15 range, which might be better than springing $40-$60 on something you're not sure about.
ReplyDeleteTrue. I forgot about that. Isn't the game's/series' real highlight, though, playing with others? That's kind of why I was planning to wait until either MH3U on the Wii U or MH4--both of which will allow for online multiplay.
ReplyDeleteWell, you're certainly in line with what pretty much everyone else here has already said, Girly Gamer. I guess I'm the odd guy out this time around. Which is OK, as I'm used to it :)
ReplyDeleteOnline play is the highlight, but the consensus I've seen (and largely ignored) is it's best to play the single-player campaign awhile to learn the ropes before venturing online with strangers. Then again, I always went online with a highly-skilled friend who is just WAY better at it than I am and let me learn that way.
ReplyDeleteThat probably makes me a leech, but I've kinda decided to look at those 100+ hours as a training course for the main event on the 19th. lol
Ah, yes, that makes sense. I certainly wouldn't want to go online with folks until I had at least learned the ropes, etc. Still, with the 3DS version, if I were to get it, the only option for me would be to play it alone, as I don't have any real-life friends with 3DSes. Sigh. We'll see...
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