Game cover art: when did it go crap?

[CrONoS]

Originally posted by Leirosa


Perfect example:

High Resolution Graphics

[Adagio]

Originally posted by cronos_qc
Nintendo had some crappy cover:

How about posting the pictures instead of some mobygames hotlinking pictures

[CrONoS]

[DrSpike]

Yeah, just black text on a white background really is a rubbish cover.

[FrostyBoy]

Is that dude naked?

[Blake]

No he's clearly wearing a helmet.

[Verto]

Re: Game cover art: when did it go crap?

Originally posted by Maquiladora
Remember all the classic covers from old games, even spectrum game boxes had great covers, sometimes it was more enjoyable to look at the box for a while than play the game.

What the hell happened to those you could tell were hand drawn but not because they were bad, but because they were GOOD. Now its all dull CGI crap that took 5 minutes on a computer and its obsessed with looking real, or dark "artistic" covers where theres nothing to look at.

Civ4 has a particularly dull cover, but id better not go into that.

Gimme a break. This is a case of nostalgia gone bad.

[El_Cid]

I think "artisicaly" speaking it's about the same. While the use of 3D rendered in-game art does on the whole look more detailed/graphic - it's prevarlence has made it very 'samey', although games are trying very hard to be like films(the artwork presentation also). So you loose a certain uniqueness of the game cover artwork.

If it's better or not has to be subjective. Trashy cover design(of the badly hand-drawn kind) does seem to have disappeared for the most part. I remember 'codemasters' tape covers were uniformaly of this type(or so it seemed). Still the games were often great - so the cover art didnt matter too much. Now it's kind of like the opposite....for the most part

[Sandman]

Game covers are ugly as sin because of those nasty logos splattered all over them. Fewer logos = better looking box art.

[Adagio]

[DrSpike]

/me remembers the first time he opened that box and sighs.

[Kinjiru]

Originally posted by cronos_qc

Three of the best games ever. Gotta go wrap up in a blankie and mourn my lost youth now....

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by Asher

Still too dark, and boring.

To me, if it's something from the game, then it gives you something of an idea what the game will be like.

Only true as what to expect from the graphics, and thats what the in-game shots on the back are for.

On the front i want to see an insane action scene that makes me want to get the game NOW, not a meathead stood still staring at me.

[dunk]

Originally posted by Sn00py
Is that dude naked?

The game isn't called "Excite" Bike for nothing.

[CapTVK]

Those nintendo covers acutally aren't that "bad" (in the sense there was a lot...lot...lot worse)

Btw I now remember who designed the Head over Heels cover. Bob Wakelin. The guys did some good 8/16bit gamecovers in his time. Wonder what he's doing today?