Bravely Default - BAB
Image: Nintendo Life

Hello folks, and welcome back to another edition of Box Art Brawl.

Before we get cracking, let's see how things panned out last week, hm? We looked at Super Monkey Ball Adventure, one of several entries for the GameCube. As we'd expected, the busier, more vibrant box art from North America sealed the deal, winning a healthy 79% of the vote.

This week, we're back with the 3DS to check out Square Enix's Bravely Default, the debut title in what would become a popular, albeit still rather niche, franchise. Launched back in 2012, we've got a bit of an interesting fight on our hands this time. You see, the game originally launched in Japan as 'Bravely Default: Flying Fairy', before receiving an expanded version in 2013 called 'Bravely Default: For the Sequel'.

'Flying Fairy' has the same box art as the North American version, whereas 'For the Sequel' shares its box art with Europe. So basically, whichever variant you vote for this week, Japan wins!

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

North America / Japan

The original box art, which North America would adopt, is arguably a bit more reminiscent of Square Enix's more abstract designs typically used for classic Final Fantasy covers. It features a fairy against a black background, and Japan's variant amplifies this with its black 3DS border on the right. It's a subtle, classy design that's sure to draw the eye, and we love it.

Europe / Japan

The 'For the Sequel' design meanwhile, is equally delightful in our book. It's a lot more colourful, featuring the game's main cast of characters arranged upon a grassy hill with the logo tucked away neatly in the top left corner. Personally, we do prefer the black border featured on Japan's variant once again; it just looks cooler, y'know? Either way, this will be a tough choice.

Which region got the best Bravely Default box art? (2,042 votes)

  1. Flying Fairy (North America)
    Flying Fairy (North America)51%
  2. For the Sequel (Europe)
    For the Sequel (Europe)49%

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