Our second bit of Dreamcast features for its 13th anniversary today will be a quick look at two covers.
Good – Maken X (DC, Atlus)
This in my opinion is one of the best pieces Shin Megami Tensei alum Kazuma Kaneko has done. This is striking stuff. The somewhat large logo takes away a little, but the dynamic action shot is splendidly drawn and really showcases Kaneko’s unique art style. A definite winner in my book!
Bad – Capcom Vs. SNK (DC, Capcom)
Here’s the problem with this art. It’s competent, sure. However, it is designed insanely poorly, and let me tell you why. One, the art used here isn’t the stuff Shinriko and Kinu Nishimura made EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE GAME. Hell, they didn’t even bother with the classy poster art they did with many of Capcom and SNK’s artists! Nope, let’s slap in some Street Fighter Alpha 3 Ryu and a Terry from somewhere, make the logo enormous and some lines in the background and we’ll call it a day! Lazy, uninspiring, and truly a wasted opportunity. Street Fighter and King of Fighters have incredible character designs, and you can barely see why with this insipid effort. *sigh* The sequel didn’t learn from its prequel’s mistakes, either!
Happy 13th, Dreamcast! 
S.C.
/ September 9, 2012Interesting stuff. I love Kazuma Kaneko’s artwork; probably my favorite video game artist ever.