Box Art Brawl – Metal Gear: Ghost Babel

*beep-beep, beep-beep*

Snake: This is Snake. Colonel, can you hear me?

Campbell: Loud and clear. What’s the situation, Snake?

Snake: I arrived in a kind of digital space. It’s hard to know exactly what’s going on, but I’m in an empty room and the words ‘Nintendo Life’ and “Box Art Brawl” seem to materialize right in front of me.

Campbell: Which?! Okay, we’ll have to get out somehow. But make sure no one sees you.

Snake: There is something else. There is a leaderboard at the back of the room; Apparently, last week’s Box Art Brawl featured something called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time. Colonel, what’s going on?

Campbell: I have no idea. What else does he say?

Snake: It says that North America and Europe won the vote with 76%, while Japan trailed with 24%. Is this the work of FoxHound?

Campbell: FoxHound disbanded after the Shadow Moses, Snake incident. You must know this.

Snake: Hrrrrm. Wait – there’s something else. The leaderboard has changed. Now he’s showing something called “Metal Gear: Ghost Babel”… Metal Gearrr?! Colonel, is there a new Metal Gear prototype that I don’t know about?!

Campbell: This is an opportunity. We may have to wait and see what the vote is on this to determine our next move. Who are the participants?

Snake: North America, Europe and Japan. This is a three way battle.

Campbell: I understand. Okay, stay where you are for now, Snake. If you need, you can contact me by codec. Frequency 140.85. If you want to use the codec, press the select button. When we need to contact you, the codec will beep. When you hear this noise, press the select button. The codec receiver directly stimulates the small bones of your ear. No one but you can hear it.

Snake: It’s clear. Okay, I’m ready to vote.

*boop*

Be sure to vote in the poll below; but first let’s look at the design of the box itself.

North America

*beep-beep, beep-beep*

Snake: Colonel, I’m standing in front of North American box art.

Campbell: Great, Snake. Age hasn’t slowed you down a bit. Now what do you see?

Snake: I see uh… to me.

Campbell: Are you sure this isn’t another Big Boss clone?

Snake: No it’s me. I look too pretty to be anyone else. Looking at the design, it appears to have been drawn by an artist known as Yoji Shinkawa. He conveyed my features quite well; perhaps his skills were enhanced by nanomachines.

Campbell: May be. I like this design too, but we need to see others to make an informed decision.

Snake: It’s clear.

*boop*

Europe

*beep-beep, beep-beep*

Liquid snake: BROTHER RRRRR!

Snake: Liquid!

Liquid snake: It’s been too long, brother! I just happened to drop by; I wanted to share my thoughts on this particular design from Europe. I have to say, despite the fact that he shows a clearly weak clone of Big Boss, overall I like him! Who is this woman with you?

Snake: Sergeant Christine Jenner. “Chris” for short. She helped me during the Galouad incident in Metal Gear: Ghost Babel.

Liquid snake: Ghost Babylon? It’s funny, is it even canon?

Snake: No, but I didn’t expect you to understand. It was made for a system called the Game Boy Color.

Liquid snake: Very interesting, Snake, did I ever tell you about the Terrible Babies project?

Snake: I’m going.

Liquid snake: Not yet, Snake! It’s not over yet!

Snake: I’m gone.

Liquid: Wait-

*boop*

Japan

*beep-beep, beep-beep*

Campbell: I heard it’s amazing when the famous purple plush worm in the slit-jaw with a tuning fork blinks on the rock of Hara-Kiri. I need scissors! 61!

Snake: Which..? Colonel, are you all right?

*boop*

*beep-beep, beep-beep*

Campbell: The sap of the anemone or clematis plant can cause a rash. When cutting them, it is advisable to wear gloves.

Snake: Colonel, drop it!

*boop*

*beep-beep, beep-beep*

Campbell: Raiden, something happened to me last Thursday when I was driving home. I had to walk a couple of miles; I looked up and saw a glowing orange object in the sky, to the east! He was moving very unevenly… Suddenly, intense light surrounded me, and when I came to, I was at home. What do you think happened to me?

Snake: RAIDEN IS NOT HERE!

*boop*

*beep-beep, beep-beep*

Snake: Go away, colonel. Everyone there, make sure you vote for your favorite box art and get me out of here!

*boop*

Thank you for taking part in the Box Art Brawl again, and to all our friends in the States, have a great Labor Day!

Thanks for voting! See you next time for another round of Box Art Brawl.