You know, I’ve mostly focused on American boxes with this feature. Let’s diversify a little and do some Japanese boxes today.
Good – Guardic Gaiden (Famicom, Irem/Compile)
Naoyuki Kato went all out on this box, didn’t he? Amazing artwork that tops so much of the Famicom library artistically it’s not even funny. Incredible detail, engaging premise, awesome linework…everything clicks together so beautifully here.
Bad – Fighting Golf (Arcade, SNK)
Hm. This is a rather XTREME! attempt of hyping the hell out of golf, eh? Its badazz (sorry, but there’s a sign at my university that says Sick Azz Burgers, which sounds like the type of burger you don’t want to eat, personally) hero of a golfer has a stern face, but he can’t hold a golf club all that well.One could argue that he’s pretending to hold a club, and the artist added it in later to make it golf-ish. XD Is he in a sand trap? That’s truly fighting golf, friends, but not the best way of establishing this guy as an awesome golfer. The background is pretty lazy, and the whole work just has a sense of “we need a flyer for this game, so we’ll ask the art department for some scraps” vibe. Not SNK’s best effort.
Jason X
/ September 2, 2012That Guardian Legend box art is a definite classic. It looks like some kind of H. R. Giger creation, and makes me curious to know the character’s story. The golf one is a bit more difficult. I’m not sure if it’s possible to make a golf game look dynamic.