The lost art of the box: Please post your favourite box art!

[Dehnus]

Hello everybody,
As promissed here is the post I had brewing for a while about box art. My crunch time is almost over and I found a few hours to myself so I could post this. I got a bit inspired about in the old game music section when I saw some of the brilliant hand drawn boxes from old NES, Amiga, C64 and Master System games.

The box art of Lagrange point is just a stunning piece, in old Konami traditino before they sold out and only made anime dandies and silhouette's of Snake on the cover . Take a look at some of the Konami examples for MSX and NES:
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/_...Nemesis_2_Cover.png/500px-Nemesis_2_Cover.png
http://www.msxgamesbox.com/passion/msxgamesbox/Sections/covers/covers/nemesis3.jpg
(Man those starfields, I miss the Epic Space Opera Anime's like Legend of Galactic heroes).
http://img.gamefaqs.net/box/4/3/6/31436_front.jpg
http://cdn1.spong.com/pack/c/a/castlevani191516l/_-Castlevania-NES-_.jpg

I usually just start to feel inspired by such pieces and wish to play it.

Other examples from Capcom, like the Eureopan Megaman Box art for Megaman 1 and 2. I find it just brilliant and inviting you in:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YNx3G2_P_Yk/Tf8t6lzt2lI/AAAAAAAAAUY/-OsFEnlS3As/s1600/megamanalt.jpg
http://timewarpgamer.com/images/nes/mega_man2/mega_man2_box_eu.jpg

It often feels a bit like a Lost Art of using the small area that a box offers you to draw something to pull in a buyer. Rather than the current market which is saturated by previews, beta access, early alpha access and other things that are great... but seem to have put some strain on the old art of making a box that just invites.

I am sure there are many more and I can't wait to see which examples you'll come up with of this lost era of video gaming. Next topic is Pixel Art, but that requires a bit more research as the NES, Master System and C64 have so many beautifull examples of that, that I really need to make a good selection .

 

[sharkboy1200]

I don't know about that, I mean, some of the modern box art is pretty awesome in my opinion. The only real difference is that those classic game boxes had to use professional artists to create paintings for games. It'd be much harder to sell some of the games because of the 2D sprites and while those are it's own unique and awesome beast, most people wouldn't care for it because against a animated film, the games would look like rubbish. Now we have games with fantastic visuals and those same visuals could be used to create art work for the box.

Often times, those box artists created something not really representative of the actual product.

 

[Dehnus]

I don't know about that, I mean, some of the modern box art is pretty awesome in my opinion. The only real difference is that those classic game boxes had to use professional artists to create paintings for games. It'd be much harder to sell some of the games because of the 2D sprites and while those are it's own unique and awesome beast, most people wouldn't care for it because against a animated film, the games would look like rubbish. Now we have games with fantastic visuals and those same visuals could be used to create art work for the box.

Often times, those box artists created something not really representative of the actual product.

Well most modern Box art seems to be a "bullshot" of the game with some text over it. I would love to see what a professional artist would do with something as Halo or Mass Effect. Without having a shot of the protagonist on the cover, those titles would allow for some serious mood pieces. I mean it seems like Nintendo does still make Box art, but I guess that also is as most of their games have an animated style to it. Like Kid Icarus Uprising, or Zelda titles.

And of course it wasn't representative of the final product. Everybody knew that when you bought a game back then, but still it would inspire you. Yes some people might feel burned once, but it isn't like we didn't know what good games where and what wasn't. I often feel people are exaggerating the amount of hurt that came from these things. They act as if it was the end of the world, while I find Micro transactions, F2P(Gambling) and DLC far worse than some really detailed box art that doesn't look like the pixels.

Every kid knew it wasn't going to be the exact same, and that you had to imagine, but darn it the living planet of Nemesis 2 still was going on my imagination after seeing that fantastic Box art.

 

[amigaengine]

I will start with the worst ever

 

[sharkboy1200]

Well most modern Box art seems to be a "bullshot" of the game with some text over it. I would love to see what a professional artist would do with something as Halo or Mass Effect. Without having a shot of the protagonist on the cover, those titles would allow for some serious mood pieces. I mean it seems like Nintendo does still make Box art, but I guess that also is as most of their games have an animated style to it. Like Kid Icarus Uprising, or Zelda titles.

And of course it wasn't representative of the final product. Everybody knew that when you bought a game back then, but still it would inspire you. Yes some people might feel burned once, but it isn't like we didn't know what good games where and what wasn't. I often feel people are exaggerating the amount of hurt that came from these things. They act as if it was the end of the world, while I find Micro transactions, F2P(Gambling) and DLC far worse than some really detailed box art that doesn't look like the pixels.

Every kid knew it wasn't going to be the exact same, and that you had to imagine, but darn it the living planet of Nemesis 2 still was going on my imagination after seeing that fantastic Box art.

I disagree, when a kid sees Arnold or Stallone on a cover, they expect the character to look like the actor. It obviously wasn't the end of the world, but there was almost always a sting of disappointment. I think some of the most memorable games were more honest with their visuals. Mario games never really got overly ambitious and used a trademark cartoon style to portray the game. Never said it was the end of the world either. I merely pointed it out because that's why they did it.

As for "bull shots," you're kinda underselling it there. 3D Art has made huge leaps and bounds in terms of detail and quality. Not trying to put down that classical style, but the reason they use it is because it looks so good. The renders they can do for these things, including the use of something like photoshop, is very impressive in my eyes.

Not to mention I feel like we've seen a good variety of styles in that box art world.

Photography being used for the Blops box is very cool. Simple, but extremely memorable. Rayman Legends just has amazing boxart right here as well, and I really dig what the Arkham Origins game did. I never even realized that the other half of Batman's face was all villains. It was a nice and cool discovery. Not trying to put down old box art, because it is awesome, but I don't feel like modern day box art is bad. It really depends on the game. Let's not forget some of the s***ty box art of the past. Megaman is sort of famous for it as well.

 

[Dehnus]

I disagree, when a kid sees Arnold or Stallone on a cover, they expect the character to look like the actor. It obviously wasn't the end of the world, but there was almost always a sting of disappointment. I think some of the most memorable games were more honest with their visuals. Mario games never really got overly ambitious and used a trademark cartoon style to portray the game. Never said it was the end of the world either. I merely pointed it out because that's why they did it.

As for "bull shots," you're kinda underselling it there. 3D Art has made huge leaps and bounds in terms of detail and quality. Not trying to put down that classical style, but the reason they use it is because it looks so good. The renders they can do for these things, including the use of something like photoshop, is very impressive in my eyes.

Not to mention I feel like we've seen a good variety of styles in that box art world.

Photography being used for the Blops box is very cool. Simple, but extremely memorable. Rayman Legends just has amazing boxart right here as well, and I really dig what the Arkham Origins game did. I never even realized that the other half of Batman's face was all villains. It was a nice and cool discovery. Not trying to put down old box art, because it is awesome, but I don't feel like modern day box art is bad. It really depends on the game. Let's not forget some of the s***ty box art of the past. Megaman is sort of famous for it as well.

Well it isn't by far as mood setting as say the Konami Art of Castlevania games. Of course one can forgive Rayman, as it is a very different style of game, but I really am not pulled into the Gears of War 3 art, it seems more like something filled with testosterone rather than speaking to the imagination. The Halo Reach one still seems okay, but the others are more.. well slapped on. Oh we need some art, well msot will download it digitally so just slap on a picture of Batman. Again I'm not trying to undersell 3D Boxart, but try to compare it to the Nintendo Art for say Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess: http://www.zeldaelements.net/images/games/twilight_princess/packaging/wii_au_box_front.jpg

Maybe I should have said 3D boxart, but I do think it is a lost art of trying to sell the game with a beautiful art piece. And although Amiga Engine's example is not one of the best, the namesake of his name also had many of such pieces. But rather than to have a discussion of Nostalgia vs new, I did mean to start this topic to share some Nintendo and classic gaming box art with each other. As after all taste is not something that is fact . What you like is what you like and all the more power to you .

 

[DLC]

Since have been talked about :

 

[DLC]

Even tho simple I very much like this one:

 

[Dehnus]

Uggh, don't you just hate those mornings where you wake up already dead tired, read back a post you made sleep drunk and see sooo many spelling errors.

Oh well:
The starfox art was quite setting for the time being though, people where into Silicon Graphics Generated imagery. For instance DKC was just about out come out nailing the style home.

However from that same generation on the SNES you still had art like:
http://www.nowcultured.com/images/2013/11/photos-snes-game-collections/harvest-moon-snes-boxart.jpg
http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/208947-/Secret of Mana (USA)-noscale.jpg
http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/9/93770/2363858-snes_gradius3.jpg

However it seems like Capcom decided to hire the American artist of Megaman 1 and 2 for the European version of Megaman X as well :
http://i.ebayimg.com/t/MEGA-MAN-X-SUPER-NINTENDO-PAL-SNES-PAL-BOXED-/00/s/NTIxWDcyNQ==/z/wsYAAOxyA4ZRUc9i/$T2eC16N,!)QE9s3HDw7SBRUc9ht,n!~~60_35.JPG

Should have been the other way around .

Edit:
OH and Amiga Engine, I am sorry if I have offended you. I had no intention of coming of so harsh last night.
Same goes for SharkBoy, I should have mentioned earlier that tastes differ per person.

 

[amigaengine]

cant offend me, this is the internet lol

 

[amigaengine]

Never owned any SNES (besides VC) games but this is my favorite box art

 

[Dehnus]

Man I just keep adoring the box art Konami does, especially the space shooter ones. It's like they just had the background artists of the old Space Operas/Epos animes do the art . I also just love the alternative camera angles on all of them, rather than the on centre facing the character's face angle that we now see so often.

 

[TeKPhaN]

Brings a tear to my eye.

 

[Variance]

One thing I've learned, most of those box arts ; while nostalgic, are downright ugly.

The two for me in my childhood that stood out. Chotetsu Brikinger (real gamers know it) probably had the best art for awhile, personally. Samurai Spirits gets an honorable mention as well.

 

[Adam]

 

[Plainview]

Moved it to multi. Great thread Dehnus !!!

 

[DriedMangoes]

 

[Pureshooter]

 

[amigaengine]

or the much superior version

Ninja Spirit

SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI

Snatcher

SF 2 CE

 

[sharkboy1200]

Funniest ones in my book. Although I dig the Phalanx cover. Wish it had an actual banjo playing old man destroying alien ships. That'd be sweet.

 

[Mua'dib]

FU(K YO COVER ART!

 

[Adam]

 

[Z A C K]

May not be as "retro" or artistic as some of what is already posted, but I always loved this one; cel-shaded makes everything 10x more awesome:

 

[HistoneMaster]

I always thought these were pretty good, something about the circular highlights on a square box:

 

[Intellivision]

 

[DLC]

Lot of great box art from the Contra series and from Konami

 

[Qbert]

 

[Intellivision]

Lot of great box art from the Contra series and from Konami

Yeah. Back in the day, many Konami and Mattel Intellivision box arts seemed great and similar. Hand drawn, but detailed and gritty even if the game is a totally fictitious setting. Even Konami's TMNT cover wasn't totally cartoony.... still kind of realistic and gritty.

Intelli's covers were pretty factual too. Sure, it's crude game graphics, but what they showed on the cover is pretty much what you actually get...... snake, demon + boat, dragon.... Utopia had rebels, rain, crops, fishing/pirate boats. Sea Battle had mines, an echo radar kind of feel to the game and carriers and battleships!

 

[Intellivision]

I don't know how many of you had this game, but it was impossible. I don't think I got past maybe mid way through the game..... but if some videos were legit, all you really had to do was constant jumping kicks! I was wasting my time doing normal punches and kicks. Big waste of $75 cdn. Should had got Track & Field II or SNK's Baseball Stars. Had a choice of three games, looks like I picked the wrong one...... but the box art sure stood out!

 

[HorTyS]

I don't know how many of you had this game, but it was impossible. I don't think I got past maybe mid way through the game..... but if some videos were legit, all you really had to do was constant jumping kicks! I was wasting my time doing normal punches and kicks. Big waste of $75 cdn. Should had got Track & Field II or SNK's Baseball Stars. Had a choice of three games, looks like I picked the wrong one...... but the box art sure stood out!

This game needs a modern reboot, it had everything, shootouts, hand to hand combat and driving sections! haha, only half joking really, could be cool if redone right!