Masahiro Sakurai can't catch a break. The "angry eyes" curse that plagued the Kirby series seems to have followed him to Project Sora and rooted itself in Kid Icarus: Uprising. How dare he try to present a character who is cute and peppy rather than dark and brooding!
Take a look above. The image on the left is taken from the Japanese box art, the one on the right from the North American box art. Pit's eyebrows were already furrowed in the original picture, but I suppose that wasn't good enough for the American marketing department. An open mouth? He looks like he's having too much fun! Get rid of it!
These minor changes to perfectly serviceable box art will never cease to amaze me. I would love to sit in on one of those planning sessions and find out exactly how these decisions come to be. I'm assuming copious amounts of Monster Energy and Jack Link's beef jerky are involved.
Kid Icarus: Uprising's box is getting the Kirby treatment [Tiny Cartridge]
LAUNCH GALLERY (2 IMAGES)
Tony Ponce (aka megaStryke) is a culturally confused, Canadian-born Puerto Rican who grew up in Japan and South Florida ... yet can only speak English. He specializes in writing features and maintaining an immaculate goatee. Likes: Any and all things related to Mega Man, Contra, Castlevania, 2D, PB&J sandwiches, applesauce, and candy corn.
Meet the rest of the team
| BBcode help |
| [b]Bold text[/b] |
Bold text |
| [i]Italic text[/i] |
Italic text |
| [url]http://www.dtoid.com/[/url] |
http://www.dtoid.com |
| [url=http://www.dtoid.com/]Web link[/url] |
Web link |
|
| [img]http://www.example.com/robot.jpg[/img] |
 |
Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
69 comments | showing # 1 to 50
|
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
Comments policy
Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?
Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!
Contest:
11:45 AM on 01.17.2012 | 
Wow. You were this close to understanding the article.
Mark: So, what are we looking at today, Johnny?
Johnny: Well, we're ready to put out the box for the new Kid Icarus game, and we want to run it by the entirety of the Marketing group to make sure it's good for shipping.
Denny: All right, then let's take a look.
*the five stare intently*
Denny: Well, I don't see too much of an issue. I mean, look at this guy. He clearly doesn't give a f***. Just shooting off arrows with the cocky look on his face like he knows he's getting laid after this.
Lisa: Yes, but is that the message we want to send to our demographic?
Johnny: Exactly why I brought this up. There has to be a way we can speak more clearly to the people we want to sell this to. Y'know, really get in their head.
Mark: Perhaps put Palutena on there with her boobs hanging out?
Johnny: See, that's the forward thinking we need, Mark! But sadly, it's not within our fifty dollar art budget. We need something subtle, yet bold. Understated, yet... overstated.
Lisa: Perhaps his eyes? Do they not look angry enough? I mean, I think I can get a little more rage out of them. Maybe turn them red, or bloodshot them or something.
Johnny: Closer, I think. Closer. Denny?
Denny: The mouth.
Mark: The what?
Denny: The mouth.
Johnny: ... What about the mouth?
Denny: I dunno. It just... keeps... looking at me. Which is odd, I know, because mouths don't have eyes. We have eyes for eyes, am I right?
Johnny: Right as my sex life!
Denny: I hear you, Johnny, but my point is that... it's just... drawing me in. Do you guys see it?
*pause*
Mark: Oh... Oh God. I see what you mean.
Johnny: Aw, no! Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!
Lisa: I want... *pant* I want to DO THINGS TO THAT MOUTH!
Denny: It's PERVERSE! It's SUGGESTIVE! It's SLANDEROUS! Someone get me a thesaurus so I can throw more words at it!
Johnny: Well, that settles it! We close the mouth! A little white-boy flesh touchup and boom! Angry cavernous perverse mouth closed off! FOREVER!
Mark: Phew. That was a close one.
Denny: I'm sorry, guys. I'm sorry we all had to go through with that.
Lisa: No, you're right Denny. We needed that. I feel cleansed now.
Johnny: Well, then we're all in agreement but one. Uh, Chris-R? You've been a little quiet for this meeting. Do you have anything to say?
Chris-R: ..... WHERE'S MY F***IN' MONEY, DENNY?
But what does gripe me is the possible thought process that went into why NoA NEEDED these changes. I don't know, I just feel like NoA doesn't think very highly of their market.
But what does gripe me is the possible thought process that went into why NoA NEEDED these changes. I don't know, I just feel like NoA doesn't think very highly of their market.
Only the flying bits, the rest is not on rails at all.
I'm surprised they didn't reposition his shirt to cover up a slight amount more of inner thigh. Sick filth.
Imposshiibibble, imposshibbibile
To me it looks like he's concebtrating on a tough shot.
The JPN box art makes him look like a smug bitch, who shoots wherever the hell he wants.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
@Joe Ess
Yes, really. It's such a subtle but ultimately unnecessary change. It doesn't affect much of anything, which is why it's astounding that it was changed at all. People hold MEETINGS for these kinds of things. It was important enough for someone to go back to the original art files and do so touch ups.
The lesson? It's as old as time. For as much as we've collectively accomplished, humans are still pretty fucking dumb overall.
This just isn't as ridiculous as the Kirby Angry Eyes which was hilariously absurd
That's not really how it works. Several versions of promotional art is made, with minor and major differences, and the two PR teams simply preferred two different versions, they didn't go back and change things after seeing the JAP version, that'd be a waste of resources.
So this is actually not that weird, it's just a fun coincidence that they picked so similar pictures.
If I don't see that in CotW I will rape Japanese Pitt's mouth myself, screw Lisa.
Hahahahaha that had me laughing for a good 10 mins XD
The Japanese one looks so much better, not only because of the smile, but the background is great with those splashes of red, while the US one... I'd print the Japanese picture and slip it on the US version just so I could have the original drawing.
America is Douche Nation.
Things get changed when products get localized for different regions of the world, why is that surprising? Of course they have meetings about that, I think you're being a bit reductive with the assumption this meeting it was just about some cover art and not other things relating to PR localization.
Perhaps, but I don't buy that the mouth was closed in one version and open in the other. That sounds like the kind of difference that is most definitely intentional.
Take something like X-Blades or Glory of Heracles. Those were most definitely touched up after the art was complete, especially in Glory's case since that game came out here two years after the Japanese release.
I also prefer the men to be manly and the hero to be over the age of 18 so Japan really does not do it for me narrative wise. Gameplay is universal.
These preferences only apply to works of fiction, btw. In real live, be yourself to the fullest.
After Nier, the change is pretty small.
"Grown ass man saving his daughter?"
Who wants that?
"Now a queeny, twink, prettyboy saving his sister with incestuous undertones? That is ART!"
Actually, small differences like that is common when you design things, I'm sure there was even a version of that picture where he looked genuinly happy or the arrow was fired and such.
But yes, those were touched up afterwards, for different reasons though.
I'm surprised they didn't change the pink color of the bowstring or the enemies.