So why does Kirby always look angry in the West?

Ever noticed that Kirby is always the embodiment of happiness and light on Japanese artwork and a right grump on Western game boxes?

Well, there’s a reason for that. Basically, cute things sell well in Japan.

"For the Japanese versions we are at [developer] HAL involved in everything throughout development, including the package design,” Kirby: Triple Deluxe director Shinya Kumazaki told GameSpot. The most powerful image of Kirby is that cute image, we think that’s the one that appeals to the widest audience.

"While it does start cute we know there is a serious side to Kirby as well, and throughout the gameplay we see more and more of that, and the games themselves have quite a bit of depth.

That being said, we recognise that Kirby’s cuteness is his biggest draw in [the Japanese] market."

There are exceptions to the rule, of course, before Kirby fans descend on the comments.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe will be released in the UK on 3DS on May 16th.