
It's time for another edition of Box Art Brawl, are you ready to judge a game by its cover(s)?
Before we dive into the proceedings of today's match-up, let's check out what happened last time. It was a good old one-on-one duel for The Lion King on the SNES, with Europe and North America going head-to-head. After you lovely lot submitted your votes, it came out pretty close, though Europe just edged it with 56% of the vote compared to NA's 44% — hey, that's (the circle of) life.
This time, we are pitting two covers from the 2011 DS game Kirby Mass Attack against each other. It probably isn't going to be in the upper brackets of most 'best Kirby games' lists, but getting to control ten pink puffballs with the swipe of a stylus brought back a certain Pikmin-style joy that we think still holds up today.
With Europe and Japan opting for the same cover design, this one is going to be a clean duel, so let's get to it!
Be sure to cast your votes in the poll below; but first, let's check out the box art designs themselves.
North America

What's that? You think that Kirby is just a cute little pink guy? No. He's a man of action and the North American cover is keen to capture that.
There is a lot going on here, we'll admit, with bright colours, comic book-dotted backgrounds and... explosions..? But, then again, this is the game where you can take control of 10 Kirbys and set them out to do your bidding however you please, so we suppose this does a pretty good job of conveying that sense of chaos.
Europe / Japan

Both the European and Japanese designs opt for something a little more paired back, but it is arguably more eye-catching as a consequence. Instead of showing Kirby in the throws of battle, this one is all about drawing your eye to the central title, which is adorned by a cute ring of happy little guys.
Yes, it might not quite capture the sense of team-controlling chaos that the NA cover does, but it certainly shows a cuter side of things
Thanks for voting! We'll see you next time for another round of the Box Art Brawl.
Comments 44
Kirby looks way too much like a pink hoodlum in the NA art.
North America because you can see the Kirbys attacking enemies there, i.e. doing something instead of just posing.
North American one is just messy, plus I'm really never fond of the trend toward American covers making Kirby angry.
I voted for the NA cover because it shows multiple Kirbys attacking enemies, giving an idea of the in-game action.
This one was really close but I went for EU/JP art because the poses were just too cute
That looks a bit wrong
EU/JP because it's just more unique in my eyes but both are good.
Why is it that in all or at least most of the US Kirby covers he always looks angry?
@Jamie64326 Angry? He just looks determined.
Angry pink, fluffy, passive aggressive kirby is best kirby. Checks out with my inner 35 year old.
Eu/Jpn because it looks way nicer.
The Europe / Japan boxart is cuter so that one.
Kirby on cover and everything is good. Europe has a slightly more coordinated, less cluttered one
I like both but NA cover captures the vibe better: pure chaos.
I prefer the look of EU/Japan but the NA one depicts the game more…
Aaaaand we've got another fine example of the angry Kirby on US boxarts trope.
I voted for the EU, its overall layout is catchier imo.
Oh god they're both terrible. I went Japan/Europe for the weird coven feel. Neither expresses the gameplay.
@Clyde_Radcliffe If we're going to bring up the things about Kirby that feel wrong if you look too closely, we'll be here all day. Just look the other way and pretend everything's normal or he will eat you.
North America all the way on this one. Not having a single Kirby centered up on the box art for the European variant easily persuades me in that direction. No brainer for me on this one!
The nostalgia is REAL. Back when I was like 10-12 years old, Mass Attack and Squeak Squad were the games me and my friend group at church would run into the hallway after service with our ds's and play until our parents dragged us home. Mass Attack was the first game I ever preordered. Not as good as Squeak Squad, but a great game nonetheless. So thank you, Nintendo Life, for reigniting that memory a little bit.
As for the box art brawl, gotta go with North America.
It's so rare that the NA cover looks the best.
Box Art Brawls Current Total:
Europe: 67
Japan: 67
North America: 71
Australia and New Zealand: 1
Rare North American W for Kirby
Yeah, going with the US art this time since it actually shows the Kirbys "attacking" things, as in the title.
Also, another reminder that it's competitor is Japan/Europe, not Europe/Japan as NL has it listed. They really should stop giving EU top billing on shared artwork when they're just copying JPN's homework (game is of Japanese origin & given the era, probably premiered there first as well).
Angry Kirby doesn't normally work, but Mass Attack pulls it off.
EU/JP keeps drawing my eye to the Kirby in the bottom left, and that just does not look right.
@Vexx234 You're right, he is serious. Still, why can't NA have the cutesy Kirby?
I voted for the North American art work. It's chaotic compared to the European/Japanese box art and I love it.
North America. While action covers aren't always all that, I like the variety of Kirby poses as they gang up on the enemies.
Can't say I'm too fond of either version admittedly.
The US one cause angry Kirby will never not be funny.
There's a reason why Kirby is angry in North American releases:
https://hard-drive.net/hd/video-games/nintendo-reveals-that-kirby-is-angry-in-american-releases-due-to-cost-of-insulin/
The North American is a representation of both the gameplay and the title, as there's an actual attack in mass (by the gameplay standards, remember there's only 10 Kirbys).
The Japanese and Korean titles work better with the international cover, those titles being respectively Atsumete! Kirby/Moyeora! Kirby (both translated as Gather! Kirby).
Cartridge art

North America
Japan

South Korea (seems like it doesn't want to show up, but it's the same as the Japanese one minus the copyright and an added Seal of Quality).

Europe (bonus: manual art, which is the same across the board only with varying shading on the background)

And yes, I have a hard time believing this game came out 12 years ago.
The best game of all time gets a Boxart Brawl!
North America wins easily. The Japanese version represents the Kirbys piling onto the heroic heart, which is a mechanic for ascending. But if you want to better convey the aggressive title of “Mass Attack,” you need cartoon explosions and comic mayhem, like in the North American version. Couple that with appealing blue and indigo stippling, complementary yellow, and the only known artwork of Battybat, and you have a wonderful box. Who doesn’t want to see a spider get kicked in the eye?
@Lizuka
It isn't anger, it's determination
North America gets my vote. The Euro/Japan cover is fine, but the concept of the ring of Kirbys doesn't do much for me, even if it is not bad. It's a bit bland. The NA one is well executed. And this is a case where the cover being more dynamic ends up being the better way to go in my view.
The Euro one looks like synchronized swimming. NA it is.
@Clyde_Radcliffe Nah man the homies are having their moment
But also probably that the Kirby to the right is pushing the other Kirby away from the explosion, but still lets the homies have their moment
After coming off of the high that was KIRBY'S EPIC YARN (a solid 10!!), this game was another great adventure for Kirby! I loved the mechanics and really dug the look. I was not a Kirby fan by any means, but YARN and MASS ATTACK changed that forever. Oh, and obviously the NA art.
Europe/Japan got my vote! Super cute 💖
@DreamlandGem now hear me out here. I ain’t too sure but maybe you’re a fan of Kirby.
My vote this week (sorry lion king but last week I was just too busy) has gotta go to NA. I too have a lot of nostalgia for being like 10-12 playing this game and loving it. I would also add that yeah while the art is a little more chaotic it fits the game better I mean you throw Kirby’s at a spider and they start throwing haymakers at it there’s no lie there.
I loved this game on the DS. I actually like the European one as it sought of brings home the fact there are multiple kirbys that you handle at once. The other one could imply it's merely showing different action sequences of the same kirby going on in the background. This is to someone who didn't know anything about the game and looking merely at the cover.
For a game called Mass Attack, the EU/JP is too cheerful for me. NA has a cool chaotic vibe going on, without too much anger. NA for me.
@Ryne-Gaia Maaaaybe just a little bit 😅
Slight edge to the US cover for me. Angry kirby is a point against, but at least the one front and center is also smiling.
As much as I dislike "Angry American Kirby Syndrome", the US wins one over the underwhelming European (and Australian) cover.
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