(re: So what did you like more?)
I have to say that with present-day games which include just a jewel case and maybe a registration card I prefer the smaller boxes. For instance, you can get Half-Life in a big box with jewel case/product card or you can get the same stuff in a scaled down version of the same box. Much better use of space and a much lower waste of cardboard. Most games that come out today are in these smaller boxes. In the store that I work at, it means we can get more product out in the same shelf space.