Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Patapon 3 edition)

Over the next few weeks and months, the third installment of Sony's popular Patapon series will hit store shelves around the world--starting with the US on April 12 and ending with Europe on some as-yet-determined date later this year. (Japanese PSP owners will gain access to the game on April 28.)

Patapon fanatics should make note of those dates, as each region's packaging will feature a different piece of art. The following, for instance, will grace the cover of the US release of Patapon 3:

The Japanese version of the game, on the other hand, will showcase this illustration:

And when this Pyramid-developed title finally makes its way to Europe? Gamers there will have to keep their eyes peeled for this dramatic and comparatively minimalistic piece of cover art:

Although I like all three designs, I find the one that's set to appear on the US version to be the most appealing. Which one do you prefer?

Pre-order: Patapon 3

See also: Every previous 'Let's Play: Which Box Art is Better?' post

My Patapon problem

It saddens me to admit that I haven't made the most of the PSP I purchased early last year. Actually, I've barely made use of my portable PlayStation at all--as I've yet to buy a single game for it.

One of the games I've been meaning to buy for it--along with the Final Fantasy remakes, the Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! titles, Half-Minute Hero and bunch of others--is Patapon.

The good news is that I've dragged my feet for so long that I could pick up this strategic rhythm game--or is it a rhythmic strategy game?--quite cheaply at this point. The bad news, however, is that while I've been dragging my feet, the folks at Sony have released not one but two Patapon sequels.



OK, so the second sequel (called, imaginatively enough, Patapon 3) hasn't yet hit the streets in the States, but it will soon--on April 12th, in fact. (Surprisingly, it won't be released in Sony's home country until April 28th.)

That doesn't mean much to me at the moment--why would I care about the series' third game when I've yet to buy the first?--but I realize it could mean something to those of you who have experienced (and hopefully enjoyed) the original Patapon.

If that includes you, you'll likely rejoice when you hear that both the UMD and PSN download versions of Patapon 3 will carry price tags of just $19.99. (Pre-order the former here.)