Box Art Brawl – Duel: Revenge of the ‘Gator

Image: Nintendo Life

It’s time for another edition of Box Art Brawl, can you believe it!

Last week, we took a look at two very different covers for NSO newbie Avenging Spirit on the Game Boy. The disparate designs did the North American variant no favours, as it wound up with only 30% of the vote, leaving the cuter Japanese and European cover to take the remaining 70%.

This time, we’re turning to another newcomer in the Game Boy NSO library: Revenge of the ‘Gator. This pinball game first arrived on the handheld back in 1989, and tasked players with tackling a series of paddle-based challenges across its main and bonus stages.

North America and Europe opted for the same design with this one, so it’s another East vs West duel this week.

North America / Europe

Image: Nintendo / Launchbox

Well, there are some dynamics at play here, aren’t there! These ‘gators are not friendly. Look at those frowns! The angry ball return! The exploding scoreboard in the background! Honestly, we’re pretty big fans of the composition here, with the giant ball and bumpers really selling the feeling of being inside a pinball machine.

Japan

Image: Nintendo / Launchbox

This is a little bit friendlier. The ‘gators have lost their frowns, the explosion is replaced by a rainbow, and instead of flicking the ball back to you, the friendly fella at the front is catching it. How sweet! Even the giant table itself has taken on a vibrant jungle theme.

Thank you for voting! We’ll see you next week for another edition of Box Art Brawl!