Hey You, Pikachu! - BAB
Image: Nintendo Life

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

Last time, we looked at Hey You, Pikachu! for the N64, and although neither version was particularly popular, it was the North American version that won the day with 61% of the vote.

This week, we're back with the Metroid franchise with Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the excellent GameCube follow-up to the Retro Studios original. Released in 2004, it introduced the now-iconic Dark Samus to the series while showcasing an awesome dual-world environment in which a deadly species known as the 'Ing' attack Samus and rob her of her core abilities.

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Overall reception was positive, with many praising its continued gameplay and intriguing storyline, though some criticism was made toward the game's high difficulty and limited multiplayer mode.

Its the west vs. Japan this week, so let's get to it!

North America / Europe

Prime Echoes - NA
Image: Nintendo / LaunchBox

We're all familiar with this one, right? It showcases Samus in a pretty cool action pose, while in the top left, we can see U-Mos, the last remaining Luminoth on the planet Aether. In the bottom right, meanwhile, we can just about make out the Ing, and this makes for a lovely little representation of the light and dark shifts we see in the game. Lovely stuff.

Japan

Prime Echoes - JP
Image: Nintendo / LaunchBox

Japan's approach is interesting, not least because it contains an odd little release date advertisement over on the right. Why..? Who knows. Otherwise, this is mostly a showcase of Samus herself, however the change in colours as we move toward the right indicate the encroaching presence of Dark Samus.

Oh, and it's also called 'Dark Echoes' here, for reasons!

Which region got the best Metroid Prime 2: Echoes box art? (2,746 votes)

  1. North America / Europe
    North America / Europe58%
  2. Japan
    Japan42%

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