30 Days of Video Games - BONUS: Why Do You Play Games Pg. 142

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Day 3: Favorite boxart

 

Hmmm, I think I will have to go for

PANZER DRAGOON ZWEI

I mean biggest part of ninties advertising was making sure your product was big and huge and easy to fin, so the oversized Sega Saturn case gave some extra room for the art to shine

I mean, look at that bizarre beast and explosions, and prominent title,y ou knew you were in for a massive adventure and tough fight

 

 

But my runner up is also Mario kart 8 which looks rad

[buba]

Day 3 - Best Cover Art

 

I thought that this one would be harder, but I actually made my decision in a couple of minutes.

I choose Catherine.

 

 

Why? Well, the cover art is flashy and rather risky, fitting perfectly with the adult tones of the game and its narrative.

There is another cover featuring Katherine used as the 360 version and PS3 reversible covers, but I think this one suits the game as a whole much better.

[ElectricAngel]

Day 3: Favourite Cover Art

 

So what's it gonna be? The glorious, foil enhanced beauty of Skyward Sword? The cool, yet simple Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMix? Or perhaps the epic split person view the NA version of Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time has? None of those. Nope. No matter how much I love all those covers, I couldn't help but pick:

 

 

Kid Icarus: Uprising. Aw man. Something about this cover just makes me want to stare at it forever. I mean, look at it. Sheer beauty. I love the colors, the art style, everything about it. Just looking at it makes me want to go replay the game.

[Solkia]

Litterally any Tales game after Destiny.

 

 

One of my biggest pet peeves for gaming nowadays is all these fucking CG boxarts. They look so fucking lazy to me to just use in-game models in stock poses.

 

Tales always gets boxart right. That beautiful washed-out water color look is one of my favorite things about these games.

[Indigo Rush]

DAY 03: Favorite Cover Art

 

 

The composition is lovely here. It shows all the main starter characters and has an awesome action-filled shot right in the middle of the action. Perfectly shows the chaos and skill of your average Smash Bros match! 

 

The character icons on the left and right in relation to the logo works nice as well. It's just an overall well put together cover for a well put together game. There's also the fact that it has different Nintendo characters all over the box. That helps a bit.

[Xtremer Sadiqachu]

 

 

Still not sure if Pumpkin or Washing Machine Banjo is my favourite.

Why Pumpkin? Pumpkin doesn't even attack. None of them attack except for Crocodile (my favorite one).Though I never turned into the washing machine before

[Boomer]

Day 3 - Favourite Cover Art!



I love the sheer simplicity of this. It's a left hand with four digits and it's dead.

Left. 4. Dead,

Well played Valve




 

[JezMM]

This was super tough for me.  Looked through all the games I had to hand and there's a ton that I really love but no single one that stood out as being amazingly more appealing than others.  Sooo I'm gonna go with this:

 

 

It's an important box art, because of the story behind it.  They fought tooth and nail to get Ellie on the front.  First the suits wanted just Joel - then they were willing to meet the devs halfway by saying they could both be on but Joel at the front - but nope, Naughty Dog weren't having it.  There's enough grizzled male heroes on the front of boxes - the story is about Ellie just as much as its about Joel.  They stuck to their guns and we got a cover that truly represents the game beautifully, providing scenery, character, atmosphere... gorgeous.

 

 

When meanwhile games like BioShock Infinite gave in and didn't take the risk - which y'know, isn't terrible, I sympathise - I still have more respect for Naughty Dog for damning the man and giving us a strong female lead on the cover of their game.

 

 

 

Other notable mentions I considered just for pure aesthetics were Ico (not the US one, of course), Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart 8, Sonic Colours, the JP Sonic Riders and Sonic Adventure 2: Battle.  I also like the minimalism of the Left 4 Dead games' box art.  Half-Life 2: Episode One should also get kudos like Last of Us does, for featuring Alyx and Alyx alone on the cover too.

[Nuel]

Day 3: Best Cover Art

 

 

Okami (Wii version). I really like the ink-y Japanese-painting art style, the brush-like font of the game title and the contrast between the red and the blue. I haven't actually played or seen the game before but hey I can still appreciate its cover.

 

 

The PS2 version is pretty neat too but I find the Wii version more eye-catching.

[SuperStingray]

Day 3 : The Japanese Version Of Whatever Game You're Thinking Of

 

 

But if I had to choose, I'd go with Ico.  I just love that strange, Dali-esque dreamscape.

[KrazyBean]

I was also about to say Tales of Xillia or any other Tales of game since it has HAND DRAWN art which is quite rare to see nowadays...but I do have another one.

 

Day 3: Favourite Cover Art

 

 

I love it, the designs for the characters, the orbital frames and...everything really. I can always look at this for a prolonged period of time. It also has the right amount of busyness going on it without running the risk of being TOO crowded on the box.

 

Yoji Shinkawa is really awesome with his character and mech designs.

[Johnny Boy]

Day 3: Best Cover Art

 

Arkham City, hands down. This cover really catches the eye with the way it's just a stylized black and white with color in certain places. It just really captures the essence of Batman to me.

[Mystwalker]

Day 3: Favourite Cover Art

 

 

Not that it's particularly deep or amazing or anything, but instead, the cover of Rayman manages to be rather... funny.

 

When I was a kid I used to play and cycle through a size-able collection of SEGA Saturn games. And after playing Rayman for a while, every time I'd pick this game up I'd look at the box cover and think "Wait a second... isn't he trying to tell me something?". The hands are the key, basically it's as if Rayman's pointing at himself and then at you, the player, to try and say:

 

"YOU, control MEEEEEEEEEE!".

 

It's a rather hilarious thought, and it always cracks me up whenever I pick this memorable platformer up. xD

 

 

As a very strong runner up to this category, and also a SEGA Saturn game, I also want to make a brief mention of the cover art of NiGHTS Into Dreams.

 

 

It's very mysterious (who is that character?), very evocative of something (dreams), yet very serious too (the battle for said dreams)... which goes in tandem with the style of this game. NiGHTS defined me in many ways, and is a rather unique game to boot too (also one of my top favourites), which makes the cover all the more fitting!

[kalion]

Sorry Discoid, to answer honestly I have to pull out sonic card here..and it's probably not going to be the only time either..I'll try not to either..

Day 3: Favourite Cover Art

 

I was this close from picking something else but I realised it could refer to some other question so I didn't want to repeat my answer for that one..and I do recall thinking years ago, this is the best cover ever..The healthy amount characters the various emotions they reflect towards each other..(which isn't necessarily just animosity..if you pay attention..and the tude' in the logo and with Sonic and Shadow (which the net makes it out to be bad but was culturally relevant) I like the fact that it's 2D art too and I prefer my covers that way as 2D art can be drawn and controlled exactly the way you like and thus has more personality than any 3D cover art. It's nice seeing the 3D characters in toon art which can't be said till Sonic X which is still really not as good as this..

 

I even like that the cute Chao get a bit of attention as much as love as the Chao Garden gets..I think the only time Chao appear on covers are in the advance series? Correct me if I'm wrong tho..

[Kuzu]

Hmm, cover Art hmm...well I got Soni-FUCK THAT SHIT.
 
 

Day 3: Favorite Cover Art

 

 

Every.

 

 

single.

 

 

Guilty.

 

 

Gear

 

 

Title.

 

 

 

What you are gazing at are the artistic qualities of one Daisuske Ishiwatari, the director of the series itself. He is noted for his unique style of coloring, and dynamic ways he draws his characters. Every single cover art of Guilty Gear just screams at you, and it helps it stand out among a lot of titles for me for that very reason, as there aren't a lot of artists who can do that. 

 

My personal fave would probably be X2's however, the way I-No is drawn is absolutely marvelous to me; the shading, lighting, the everything. So yea, Guilty Gear has some awesome art and you should check out Daisuske's other works.

[Wraith]

When it comes to Boxart, I have a lot of favorites...

 

 

Fire Emblem Awakening

 

Fire Emblem Awakening's artstyle was always a huge favorite of mine. That's the main reason I find this art so appealing, even though it doesn't tell you much about what the game is actually about.

 

 

Ocarina of Time 3D

 

Ocarina of Time 3D made me gain some serious respect for Ocarina's artstyle, minor aesthetic changes from the original aside. This boxart does the best job of selling the game, honestly, but for some reason in america they just released some bland golden art. I definitely prefer this.

 

Sonic Riders

 

Sonic Riders's unique style for it's official art wasn't really used to it's full potential. After Riders 1, they ended up dropping it. It's a shame. This boxart really makes the game stick out more.

 

The Most Famous Hedgehog in the World...

 

I'm also a big fan of the simplistic boxart Sega of Japan used for the classic Sonic games. They're a bit random and kind of busy, but it's pretty charming.

 

 

 

 

I wasn't very fond of the game Ico, but I'd be lying if I said this boxart wasn't gorgeous and didn't get across the themes of the game perfectly. 

 

 

 

I'm not that deep into the souls series yet. The only one I've played so far is Dark Souls. This art pretty much describes my experience with Dark Souls so far, though. It gets across the series's themes of weariness, futility, and hopelessness perfectly.

 

 

If I had to pick an absolute favorite though? 

 

Kingdom Hearts actually has a lot of great boxarts, but most of them tend to be extremely busy for one reason or another. This one is just sort of....simple. It's really appealing to just see the main characters relaxed for once. Some of them look a bit too angsty, but other than that, no issues.

[Chaos Warp]

Day 3: Favourite Cover Art

 

Shit, I don't really know what to say for this, so I suppose I'll go with one of my other favourite games (that I didn't mention in my fav games post) that happens to have a nice boxart. 

 

 

Really, what I like about this boxart is that it isn't CG renders like so many other boxarts are these days. It's actually nicely drawn 2d art drawn in the game's artstyle and I really love that. It a really nice change from all the samey-looking boxarts these days, and I've always personally liked it. 

[Brad]

 

This artwork was used on the inFAMOUS 2 box art over here in the UK, and it was immediately appealing to me. Though it's a typical "good vs. evil" depiction it doesn't subtract it from being cool and showing the idea of the balance of power and the path you get to choose yourself. A good box art which represents the game nicely and tells the player a lot without going overboard. I really do like it. Other box arts that I've loved are Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix, Batman Arkham City, Super Mario 3D World, Skyward Sword, Spider-Man: Dimensions and Sonic Generations. 

[Serperior]

Day 3 - Best Cover Art

 

 

Even though it's already been covered, I'm going to have to go with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater's box art. I could've posted pretty much any of the multiple different box arts this game has, because they all have a very unique visual style, they're somewhat simple looking but also quite complex at the same time, which makes them stand out next to other game box artworks.

[Nast]

Day 3: Best Cover Art

 

This wasn't very easy to pick, and I'm still not entirely confident about it, but I guess I shouldn't think too much about it.

 

I don't own this game (not yet at least), nor do I know any of the characters on the back of the protagonists. Still, the instant I saw this cover it mesmerized me and made me wanna play it. It's just so colorful and elegant and cool and stuff. @.@

 

Too bad the covers for the other regions are so bland in comparison...

[Cola]

DAY 2 - YOUR FAVORITE GAME: THE END ALL BE ALL OF EVERY VIDEO GAME IN THE HISTORY OF EXISTING

 

Okay, Okay, I'd be lying if I said I had one favorite. No, instead, I have many favorites. I'm still working through my immense backlog (about HALF of my games are unfinished, holy shit), but I'd like to spotlight a few of my top games.

 

Alright, let's take it from the top:

 

Holy Shit, it's been 24 hours already? Fuck, I hope there's another bonus day like last time.

 

Anyway...

 

DAY 3: YOUR FAVORITE BOXART - FRAME IT AND HANG IT ON A WALL OR SOMETHING

 

There are so many amazing boxarts out there that I'm not gonna be able to list them all here, but one of my personal favorites is...

 

Mother 2

 

No, not Earthbound. Mother 2, the original Japanese version.

 

 

I dunno what it is about the simplicity of the box art, but it really strikes me as... inviting. Interesting. It stands out and draws you closer, curious to discover what this game is about, what secrets it holds. It's quite eyecatching.

[Nix]

Day 3

Favorite Cover Art

 

 

Xenoblade Chronicles

 

Xenoblade's boxart is pretty much perfect in every way.  Overall it's a great piece of art with a simple layout with a fantastic use of color.  The red Monado in the middle serves as a good centerpiece for the rest of the composition, standing out from the green and blue marking it as important.  However the giant looming in the background is also an area of interest simply because of how detailed it it compared to the rest of the sky despite drawing from a similar color palette.  

 

Most importantly, the cover is supposed to accurately represent the game its from, and Xenoblade's conveys the message well.  Xenoblade isn't so much about its story and characters, and although they may be great, the real draw to the game is the adventure.  The environments in Xenoblade are massive and full of insane amounts of detail and character; it's one of the best looking games of last generation and definitely one of the most impressive I feel from a technical standpoint.  It's almost unreal that a game of this magnitude is exclusive to the Wii.  

 

I feel Xenoblade's cover perfectly embodies that feeling.  The Monado placed in a field that seemingly goes on forever while the giant Mechonis towers over everything, evoking an even greater sense of scale far beyond the everlasting field and your imagination.  There aren't any major characters to be seen, because they aren't the point.  

 

The point is that you're about to go on a huge adventure, the likes of which you've never seen.

[Cyrus]

Day 2: Favorite Video Game

 

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles

 

 

 

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, A.K.A. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Complete, a lovely game considered by many as the best game of the classic Genesis trilogy and the best game of the Sonic the Hegdehog series. A combination of two games that each had a good story that didn't rely on poorly written dialogue or laughable voice acting to be presented, fluid control, deep levels, branching paths, special moves that were fun as hell to use, special stages that aren't as much as a pain to play as the two (three if you count Sonic CD) previous games' were, gorgeous scenery and a fantastic soundtrack that will take days to leave your head. When put together, the two games form Voltron Sonic Team's magnum opus, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles.

 

Day 3: Favorite Cover Art

 

I have so many favorites, but I'll chose just one.

 

 

 

Not only is it pretty, but this is one of the rare occasions when a game has just about everything it shows on the tin.

 

In this game, you're the mayor!

 

In this game, you can sell or donate items to the recycling shop!

 

You can watch K.K. Slider perform!

 

Taking a trip to a tropical resort is an option!

 

Like shopping? We got that shit!

 

It might not mean much to you, but I like this way of attracting new players. It would be cool if more covers had some way of showing newcomers what's in store for them in that $50 disk or game card that's in the box other than a stylistic portrait of one or two of the main characters.

[#AR]

Day 3: The cover arts that Ren looooooooooves to stare at!

 

This is a tough one...I think I'ma start with this one:

 

 

Street Fighter x Tekken: Special Edition

 

Not my favorite fighter, but it's still decent I suppose (taking the DLC scandal out of the equation). But looking at this instantly makes me hum the Black Tide song used in this game. I absolutely adored the art style of the SFxT cinematic trailers, and this box art, although it's not in motion, perfectly captures the spirit of those amazing trailers. God, I love it so much. So flashy and stylish...

 

Next on my list:

 

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 (Greatest Hits Version)

 

The original B3's box art was alright, but then I saw this...Oh my good golly gosh. This box art (and this version since they added stuff) made my favorite anime-based game even better. God this looks so cool I just can't. Definitely my favorite DBZ game box art without a doubt.

[Covskin]

I've always had a soft spot for the EU covers of the Final Fantasy games. A completely blank background, with only the Final Fantasy name and that game's logo. I think X's is probably the best, as that logo is probably the most intricate, with Yuna on one side and the spell or whatever she's casting flowing through.

 

 

But really, nothing sums up a game better than the boxart for ICO and Shadow of the Colossus. Both are not just great peices of art, but they tell you everything you need to know about the game. Somehow, that makes them both very different from most boxart too. I prefer ICO out of the two, so very evocative.