Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate edition)

I know I'm a bit late to this particular party, but what can I say? I have little (or, rather, no) experience with the Monster Hunter series--although I'd like to change that sometime soon.

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

Question of the day: Have the head honchos at Nintendo and Square Enix lost their minds?

I ask the question above because of a pair of situations that have made headlines the world over in the last few days.

In regards to Square Enix's sanity (or lack thereof), there's Monday's announcement that the company's much-anticipated Wii (and now Wii U, too) title, Dragon Quest X, will be an online RPG. Not only that, but the game reportedly will require an online connection beyond its first few hours (i.e., after the game's introduction, you likely won't be able to play it off line). Oh, and the cherry on top of this bat-shit crazy sundae: According to an official press release sent out by the folks at Square Enix, Dragon Quest X will, in some form or fashion, make use of subscription fees--at least in Japan.

Man, that is one ugly peripheral, isn't it?

As for why I'm wondering whether the brass at Nintendo have lost their minds, consider the following: The current issue of Famitsu magazine includes a "secret scoop" that suggests Nintendo will soon release, alongside Capcom's Monster Hunter Tri G, a peripheral for the 3DS that will provide the portable system a second "circle pad" and a pair of additional shoulder buttons. Unsurprisingly, this reveal has both Nintendo fans and haters alike believing that the company will soon announce the imminent release of a 3DS "revision" (à la the DS Lite, DSi and DSi XL) that will incorporate all of the above-mentioned features.

So, what do all of you think? Do the situations detailed above suggest that the decision makers at Nintendo and Square Enix are a few bits short of a byte, or do they suggest the opposite?

(Via andriasang.com and tinycartridge.com)