Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel #98 – Super Mario Strikers

Sniper


Box Art Brawl Super Mario Strikers
Image: Nintendo Life

Hello everyone, and welcome back to another edition of Box Art Brawl!

In last week’s edition, we took a look at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers for the Game Boy. It was a pretty close call, too! Although many of you demonstrated a keen fondness for the western box art, it was Japan’s more lighthearted take that ultimately won the day with 57% of the vote.

This week, with Mario Strikers: Battle League inching ever closer to its June 10th launch, we’re going to be travelling back to where it all began in 2005 with Super Mario Strikers, also known as Mario Smash Football in Europe and Australia.

This time, since the box art for North America and Japan are so similar, the two regions will be teaming up against the decidedly different design featured in Europe. So get off the bench, stretch out your calves, and get ready for another heated Box Art Brawl!

Be sure to cast your votes in the poll below; but first, let’s check out the box art designs themselves.

North America & Japan

Super Mario Strikers
Image: Nintendo

Okay, so we’re starting off with Super Mario Strikers, and this one is pretty busy compared to the EU version. We’ve got Mario himself front and centre about to launch the ball across the field, along with Donkey Kong in the immediate foreground, looking like he’s either incredibly angry or that he’s about to wet his pants with fear.

The art style here is simply magnificent; a trend that’s continued with each subsequent Mario Strikers release. The chaotic pen strokes lend a certain sense of movement to the artwork that we doubt would be easily replicated elsewhere.

Europe

Mario Smash Football
Image: Nintendo

Let just ignore the fact that the European release includes a completely different name for the game here. The art work on display is more restrained compared the NA & Japan variant, with Mario booting a flaming ball into the game’s title logo. Other than that, the background seems to be textured to replicate concrete, with cracks and dents dotted around the outside.

Stylistically, the art work remains consistent with the series to date, so whether you prefer the EU version or the NA/Japan variant really depends on whether you prefer a busier composition or something a bit simpler.

Thanks for voting! We’ll see you next time for another round of the Box Art Brawl.