Good – Archon (C64, Electronic Arts)
In the ’80′s, it can be difficult to uncover decent box art – luckily, Archon’s dynamic use of black and white is among the finer ones of the era. I like the switch in style of the light and dark creatures combating each other, and the nifty 3D object they’re balanced on is eye catching. In short, it makes one want to know more about the game and why these forces are at war. Nice work.
Bad – Jumpman (C64, Epyx)
I really like Jumpman, but I never had the box when I was a kid. Probably a good thing, because I would have run away from this box in a hurry. Neon abuse to the extreme, Jumpman looks like a massive dork, and the background seems out of place due to its lack of bright lights. It’s obviously a bit inspired by Tron, but Tron has a fanbase for its use of neon and 80′s effects, because it was kind of, you know, cool looking. This fails on every level to achieve a sense of coolness.
