Welcome back to Box Art Brawl, our regular survey to find out which region has gotten the best cover art for a particular retro release.
Last time we looked at Capcom’s DS gem Ghost trick: Ghost detective in honor of his 10th birthday (in the West). U.S. coverage attacked it with more than 60% of the vote, leaving Japan a quarter and Europe to eliminate the rest.
This week we will stick with Capcom and Nintendo DS another birthday. Yes, Resident Evil: Deadly Silence released fifteen years ago on January 19, 2006, bringing Shinji Mikami’s original PlayStation into Nintendo’s hands in time for the series’ 10th anniversary. By using the system’s touch screen and adding a couple of mechanics to the original frame, Deadly Silence is a small underrated port and remains a great way to revisit the awful images of the horror movie from the movie B and 90s (as opposed to the REmake, well imagined and reimagined).
The Resident Evil series is common in ‘Brawl’, of course, with up to four previous appearances so far; The variants of Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 4 have struggled to get your approval in the past.
Then pack your sandwiches (Jill) and head back to Spencer Mansion …
Europe
The European cover places the frightening Tyrant on a blood-red background suitable with its mutated claw visible, though largely covered by the logo. However, we have a good view of the dynamite abs and their stunning set of gags at the top.
Not a huge amount happens here. We like the intense red and the overall impression that the great evil produces, although it is a bit pricey and does not convey much of the tension you will feel as you explore the shady corridors of the mansion. However, I must love the little yellow touch of this Capcom logo.
North America
The American cover adds more action, with Jill Valentine half-jumping with two pistols in her hands, one firing. It is flanked by a horde of zombies (and a kind of nasty-looking reptile with yellow eyes) as the Tyrant approaches the entire collage. His big lame claw hangs menacingly over the image, though we don’t quite know what he’s doing with it. Throwing shapes, perhaps?
The logo is identical, but has been reduced to show more art. In general, it is so well, but more generic and less focused than the European version.
Japan
The Japanese cover is something more thought out; something that evokes evil in the residence without showing the final boss of the game or a gung ho, a shooting hero. A nefarious crow occupies the stage framed by a fiery orange-red light, and in the darkness of its silhouette one can distinguish the illuminated face of a zombie and the imprecise outline of the Spencer mansion.
Given that this was a game released at the time of the tenth anniversary of the iconic original, it is reasonable to assume that everyone already knew what “Biohazard” was, so this more evocative cover would have worked well. While not as immediately striking, we admire how he avoids the obvious.
So you’ve seen the options, but what resides in your heart? Choose your favorite and click “Vote” to let us know below:
Fifteen years! Feel free to share your memories of this smaller-scale REmake below. We hope you all stay safe and well. Ha good week and we will see each other again for another Box Art Brawl.