Favorite game cover art?

[Valkysas]

LET'S TOPIC.

http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5322/607986-popolocrois_cover_super.jpg

http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/gamecube-games/152-1.jpg

http://www.411mania.com/game_article_pictures/6801.jpg

[Biggie]

I think both the Fables have very good box arts.

http://www.consolenauts.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/fable-front_front.jpg

http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/1055/fable2boxartfront.jpg

And War of the Lions.

http://i467.photobucket.com/albums/rr37/daryl_paulino/FinalFantasyTacticsTheWarOfTheLions.jpg

And more recently.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Yiawz2WIL.jpg

[Translucid]

damn valk, I was going to post a topic full of boxart and musings on them but I guess maybe I'll just do some of it now.

er. I'll be back.

[Valkysas]

you can muse in this topic too. blame marcus' post in the new PSP topic for this topic.

[IRC]

I never understood what the heck was up with the Phalanx box art.

[Toaster]

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter

Behold, the delightfully ****ty US boxart... (http://www.vgmuseum.com/scans/psx2/bof_drag_front.JPG)
... and then look at some of these beautiful fan-made covers. Too bad none of these are formatted to be printed and used as an actual inserts. (http://www.vgboxart.com/browse/title/5112/breath.of.fire.v.dragon.quarter/)


Vagrant Story

http://www.pwned.com/gamecovers/playstation/68b47cb16a5cd5d30e00d7d80e6deada-Vagrant_Story.jpg

Vagrant Story had such a fantastic art style, and its really captured well in the covert art. I remember musing over purchasing this game versus Legend of the Dragoon back when they both came out. Guess which one I chose?

FFXII Collector's Edition

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h118/amigreenleaf1234/ffxii_casedetail.jpg?t=1240980666

Easily the best looking collector's edition I've come across.

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles

http://www.centraldelvideojuego.com/virtualHost/imagesRoot/images/common/products/castlevanisdracxpsp_portada.jpg

The interior of the case shows a portrait of Maria seeming as PSP cases are transparent meaning that the insert is double-sided. I wish all PS3/PSP games took advantage of their clear cases and made their inserts double-sided.

[marcus]

You should have lumped this into one topic and called it "why do western games have such terrible box art???"

Seriously, look at the Japanese Siren

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/8/918848_50033_front.jpg

jap ico

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/2/367472_43672_front.jpg

jap soul nomad

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/9/935509_79814_front.jpg

And compare them to their American counterparts. Why is it that localization teams believe the only thing that sells are boring frontal face shots with red. Lots and lots of red.

There's only one American cover off the top of my head that I liked more than the Japanese version and that's No More Heroes. I wish more companies like Agetec would leave the box art unchanged because American box art has to be cluttered by a 72 point font of the title and a blurry image of the hero's face.

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/4/933024_75586_front.jpg

every akira toriyama cover is pretty much the best

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/8/563408_2841_front.jpg

say what you will about akira toriyama and "lol his style is the same" that guy knew a thing or two about cover design.

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/8/563538_29080_front.jpg

look at the energy in this picture. the framing is perfect, the title isn't obtrusive, marle's line of fire (which isn't accurate but still awesome) draws your eye from the title to chrono then down to marle and then frog laying in the snow. if you were 8 years old you probably begged your parents to buy this **** based on the cover alone.

another good japanese cover which the american version ruins by their obsession with zooming in on things

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/1/334511_18212_front.jpg

such a great cover

such a mediocre game :(

finally, steve purcell is the god of box art IMO.

i mean, look at this
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/9/562679_45323_front.jpg
this is the greatest thing ever.

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/1/562681_45325_front.jpg
how is it that purcell can cram so much stuff in a single cover without it looking crammed and messy?

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/0/562680_63346_front.jpg

i'm spending 60$ on your crappy game printed on a 25 cent disc inside of a 10 cent case with a 1 cent wraparound cover and a 10 cent manual. The least you can do is provide me with appealing boxart that will make me proud of displaying it on my shelf; not so embarrassed that i want to stuff it in a sock drawer (which is where i keep my truly bad games)

[jacquel]

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles

http://www.centraldelvideojuego.com/virtualHost/imagesRoot/images/common/products/castlevanisdracxpsp_portada.jpg

The interior of the case shows a portrait of Maria seeming as PSP cases are transparent meaning that the insert is double-sided. I wish all PS3/PSP games took advantage of their clear cases and made their inserts double-sided.

I prefer this one. Its not as if I have a hard-on for the color red, but it just works.

http://www.vgmuseum.com/scans/psx/castlevania_chronicles_front.jpg

[Red Dragon]

http://media.gamespy.com/columns/image/article/533/533968/top-10-best-box-arts-20040728102136137.jpg

And even more so:

http://wiki.fz.se/images/4/41/Duke_Nukem_3D_cover.jpg

[Goufunaki]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/Gouki22/misc2/tobal_no_1.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/Gouki22/misc2/4231.jpg

[Translucid]

wikipedia on Phalanx:
The box art designers later admitted that they had deliberately chosen this theme in order to attract the customer with something original considering there were many space shooters in the market that looked alike.

so, here's JP Castlevania: SotN.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/volantecalamto/boxart/196885_26762_front.jpg

I have great issue with the direction Castlevania has taken in the years since this game, especially in art design yadda yadda. BUT THIS COVER, in which a COOL VAMPIRE, cross in his EPIC GRIP, RIGHTEOUS SWORD in his other hand... the juxtaposition of elegance and strength. this new style was part of what made SotN so awesome.

now it's just mangirls.

this is the US version of Castlevania 4:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v627/volantecalamto/boxart/?action=view&current=588726_40425_front.jpg

while it's not original, it's filled with implied action and danger. to me it's just better than the japanese original by miles.

I think this is Dracula X, a subpar "remake" of Rondo of Blood. boxart is pretty cool though.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/volantecalamto/boxart/563534_3921_front.jpg

two quick examples of more implied action, as well as relevant characters and altogether interest value.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/volantecalamto/boxart/563340_2195_front.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/volantecalamto/boxart/563327_2162_front.jpg

but oh man, this cover is just so cool.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/volantecalamto/boxart/solstice_nes_eu.jpg

he's a wizard, right? he's got his robe and wizard hat. but then he's totally ****ing ripped. it's like, he doesn't even NEED magic to beat the **** out of you. holy **** **** goddamn.

but here is my favorite boxart, including back cover.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/volantecalamto/boxart/526675_2184_front.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/volantecalamto/boxart/526675_2184_back.jpg

I dunno, I guess I really just like the style.

[Bon]

http://www.nebulared.com/Articulos/Wario/Imagenes/super_mario_land_2.jpg

[Chrono]

I always loved this cover and how it stayed true to the movie posters of the original trilogy.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a32/Chrono101/indy-1.jpg

[Tintenfisch]

Never played the game, but I always thought the cover was pretty neat-o.


http://jogaste.com.br/web/caixa/black-xbox.jpg

[Nixon]

This is one of my favorites. I have a better copy of it, in the form of the official JP release poster. I'll put it up on my wall someday.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v89/Nixon/2802483.jpg

Here's a simple one that I like a lot:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v89/Nixon/einhander-ps1jp.jpg

[SirTMagus]

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t83/sirtmagus2/subsistence.jpg

;___;


http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t83/sirtmagus2/sonicknuckles.jpg

LOOK AT THAT LOGO OH MY GAWWWD


http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t83/sirtmagus2/alinktothepast.jpg

Tells you all you need to know.


http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t83/sirtmagus2/SonicAdventure.jpg

what the-- what is sonic DOING


http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t83/sirtmagus2/FF3-2.jpg

That little teddy bear thing made me rent this. The rest is history~

[Smurvis]

That little teddy bear thing made me rent this. The rest is history~

You know... yeah. I had forgotten that. That's the exact same reason for me. After all these years, and this quote flashed me back to that article in EGM where it was two pages and you had to hold it sideways, and it had that little teddy bear thing in that pose and like a bunch of dead monsters, all in front of a white background.

You somehow unlocked a memory that's been sealed away, Magus. Thank you, kind sir.

[Vonwert]

http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/1416/popfulmail.png

http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/5650/snatchersuda1.jpg

Two of my favorite Sega Cd covers.

http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/8384/lunar2.jpg

This and the Lunar 1 cover are my other favorites.

http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/5963/zearthbound.png

And who can forget Earthbound.

[marcus]

That little teddy bear thing made me rent this. The rest is history~

the ff3 commercial was awesome.

BeYu8CvKW-g

[MRevelle83]

the ff3 commercial was awesome.

BeYu8CvKW-g

I remember that commercial! Once I actually played the game, I wondered what would it have been like if Kefka was in it.

[Kire]

http://www.gametab.com/images/ss/ps2/2062/box-l.jpg

[Pile of Lizards]

http://i.testfreaks.com/images/products/600x400/241/oddworld-abe-s-exoddus.456945.jpg

[Kefka Jr.]

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p214/kefkajr/dinocity.jpg

Look, you can't get cooler than a dinosaur with a leather jacket and shades.

[John Mora]

Kefka, what are we going to do with you

[Loki]

I agree with Kefka. Too bad the game was crapt.

[Toaster]

I think it falls under the category "it's so bad that it's awesome".

[IRC]

That little teddy bear thing made me rent this. The rest is history~

You know... yeah. I had forgotten that. That's the exact same reason for me. After all these years, and this quote flashed me back to that article in EGM where it was two pages and you had to hold it sideways, and it had that little teddy bear thing in that pose and like a bunch of dead monsters, all in front of a white background.

Seriously?

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/8/563538_29080_front.jpg

Chrono Trigger's cover always bothered me because Marle is using fire magic. And you don't have Glenn when you fight Hekkran. AND you don't fight him in the snow.

[Goufunaki]

Chrono Trigger's cover always bothered me because Marle is using fire magic. And you don't have Glenn when you fight Hekkran. AND you don't fight him in the snow.

Butterfly effect, man. :p

[Gustaff 13]

Boris Vallejo rocks.

http://tkfiles.storage.msn.com/x1pnp_rgmi5o51RTWoP7qTaKZIwx8APNCcaXPxsF1fpLZkcFHXyV3uDlgkaPwpuDIn8FsTW4zxvmKKR14rG8oo092_EKDQi1LUwsiJbtsxl94cVRzezZuNI2qgfHNfzORJqjrZfDpg1qF8

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v661/ihaveathumb/Dreamcast/34f.jpg

[American Hero]

http://psdtutsarticles.s3.amazonaws.com/linkb_60vgamecovers/43.jpg

http://psdtutsarticles.s3.amazonaws.com/linkb_60vgamecovers/4.jpg

http://psdtutsarticles.s3.amazonaws.com/linkb_60vgamecovers/22.jpg

[MRevelle83]

Silent Hill 4. The REAL cover (Japanese), not the hokey American one.

http://fotos.trucoteca.com/fotos/6646/silent-hill-4-the-room-5.jpg

[altoecko]

http://www.cesspit.net/drupal/storeroom/misc/360box.jpg

But then again I love Yo****ako Amano's art. I mean, have you seen his Vampire Hunter D sketches? *drools*

http://thenintendo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/monster_hunter_g_box.jpg

This is cool too.

[Riotsword]

Silent Hill 4. The REAL cover (Japanese), not the hokey American one.

http://fotos.trucoteca.com/fotos/6646/silent-hill-4-the-room-5.jpg

Oh my God. Why the hell did they feel the need to change that? Idiots.

Yo****ako Amano's

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/riotsword/Reactions/kalgan.jpg

[marcus]

Oh my God. Why the hell did they feel the need to change that? Idiots.

not enough red

[American Hero]

http://nerdvana.freedomblogging.com/files/2009/01/ghostbusters_videogame_front2.jpg

[highwind]

I actually loved this cover art so much when I was a kid that I drew it myself with pencil and crayons. I wish I still had that picture...

http://www.wiiwii.tv/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/ninja_gaiden_nes.jpg