Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward edition)

A little disclaimer before I continue on with this post: I'm really happy--ecstatic, even--that someone (Aksys) decided to bring Chunsoft's Extreme Escape Adventure: Good People Die to the North American market.

That said, I'm not as happy with the name they chose for this particular localization: Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward. (Pre-order the 3DS version here and the Vita version here.) A much more appealing one, in my humble opinion, would have been something like Zero Escape: Good People Die.

Another aspect of this localization that I'm far from ecstatic about: Its cover art. Why? Well, take a look at the game's North American box art:

And then compare it to the art that graced the cover of the Japanese iteration, which was released on Feb. 16:

As I said in this previous post, I consider the latter to be one of the best examples of 3DS cover art. The former? Not even in the same league--thanks in part to its scrunching of Kinu Nishimura's beautiful illustration and thanks in part to its use of, as the guys at tinycartridge.com call it, "the TurboGrafx-16 font."

All of the above is just my opinion, of course. What's yours?

See also: Previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts

No, wait, *this* is the dreamiest Dreamcast ever

Just over a month ago, I proclaimed the Space Channel 5-themed Dreamcast that served as the centerpiece of this post to be the dreamiest Dreamcast ever produced.

Well, after seeing the Jet Set Radio-branded Dreamcast in the photo below (and here), I'm no longer so sure about that proclamation.



Granted, I would happily and greedily accept either of these Oskunk-painted Dreamcasts from anyone willing to give me one, but if I were given a choice I'd probably go with the one you see above.

How about you? Which one do you prefer? (Can't make up your mind based on the photos seen in this post and in this previous post? More snapshots of both of these custom-painted systems can be found here and here.)

1oddgent's Boo, Kirby and Tron stickers

In an effort to thank me for mentioning him and his art on this blog on a few occasions, artist Dan Taub (aka 1oddgent) recently sent me a pack of stickers featuring some of his awesome creations.

The subject of leftmost sticker in the image below isn't a character from a video game, although I could see him being one. (He'd seem especially at home in a brain-training or puzzle game, don't you think?) The subjects of the remaining two stickers, on the other hand, should be instantly recognizable--despite their somewhat abstract redesigns.

For those of you who are scratching your heads: Boo from the Super Mario Bros. series is the subject of the sticker in the upper-right corner of the image above, while Kirby is the focus of the bottom-most sticker.

Taub also sent me the Tron-inspired sticker seen below. I especially like the pink "1UP" that's stamped on the gal's/guy's/thing's helmet.

All of the stickers above have been printed on white vinyl sticker paper and are about three inches square. Well, except for the Tron-inspired one, which is about three-and-a-half inches by four-and-a-half inches.

If you know a surface that's just begging to be plastered with a bunch of awesome stickers, hop on over to the 1oddgent etsy shop and pick up a pack or two (or three).

See also: 'Boo-tiful, just boo-tiful' and 'I love air, too, Susumu Hori'

The cutest Kirby drawing ever

I don't know if you're aware, but I've become a huge Kirby fan in the last year or two--ever since I played (and enjoyed the hell out of) Kirby's Epic Yarn. (Buy it here if you haven't already done so.)

As such, I practically melted in my seat when I came across the absolutely adorable illustration below while perusing the awesome Games With Boys tumblog a few days ago.

Unfortunately, I can't tell you who produced this wonderful drawing. I can tell you, though, where he/she first shared it: pixiv.net.

See also: More Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kirby's Return to Dream Land posts

'Alien Goose of Love'

What's an "alien goose of love," you ask? Why, it's the ... thing showcased in the image below (as well as here), that's what it is.

Also, it's a small part of a collage that Atlanta-based artist Ashley Anderson is working on for Young Foxy & Free.

Anderson recently took to Facebook to comment on this much-anticipated (by me, at the very least) project:

"This constitutes about one-sixth of a collage I've been working on for Young Foxy & Free. If you like this, you will have an absolute conniption at the sight of the whole thing!"

The cropped image above is the "this" Anderson is talking about in his Facebook quote, by the way.

Anyway, keep an eye on this blog--or on Anderson's blog, Facebook page or Flickr photostream--for more information on this sure-to-be-intriguing piece of art.