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Welcome once again to Box Art Brawl, our contest to find out which retro gaming cover is best from two or more global variants of the same game.

Last time we enjoyed the silence of Resident Evil: Deadly Silence on the fifteenth anniversary of the DS port. Japan took just over one third of the vote — and Europe grabbed almost a fifth — but it was North America which broke the (deadly) silence with an exalted exclamation having topped our approval poll with 46%.

We just can't get away from Capcom, it seems, because this week it's the Final Fight series returning to the Brawl with a game which turned 25-years-old this month. Yes, SNES brawler Final Fight 3 is taking on the might of its Japanese alter ego, Final Fight Tough. Europe and North America are teaming up for this Duel edition, as both territories' covers are extremely similar.

We watched Mike Haggar and the crew duke it out back in Box Art Brawl #11. Japan won that round, but let's see if it can go two for two...

North America & Europe

NA

The North American cover features classic street-brawlin' art in the late-'80s/early-'90s style. Chains, knives, baseball bats, brick walls, rippling torsos, barely-contained cleavage, grimaces, ludicrous haircuts, the cop from the Village People — it's got the lot.

It's all nicely rendered with warm colours, and it's got a kickass logo, too. The European version shifts the framing a little, but it's otherwise almost identical. Perhaps our beat 'em up nostalgia is getting the better of us, but it's a strong start from the West.

Japan

JP2

The Super Famicom version — known in the region as Final Fight Tough — uses totally different art against an ethereal blue background. A similar splashy logo occupies the top third, although a faux-gold strip runs along the top of the box behind the Capcom and SFC logos (yes, that mottled effect is part of the print and not a crumpled bit of cardboard).

We like the composition, but the figures don't feel as lush or substantial on this cover. Obviously, they're rendered in a different style, but when viewed side-by-side we can't help but prefer the ensemble image used in the West. Still, it ain't up to us, is it?


So, you've seen the two final fighters, but which one will be the last one standing? Pick your favourite and hit 'Vote' to let us know below:

Which region got the best Final Fight 3 box art?

Certainly a Tough choice, eh?... EH?!... Hello?...

Feel free to let us know your reasoning, or go back to whatever it was you were doing before you voted — that's fine, too. Have a great week and we'll see you next time.