I am an aficionado of fine box art, it is known. And this is an ever-growing collection of damn fine box art.
Cool Box Art is a Twitter account run by @TheSonicMole and @87th, which collects the finest examples of packaging art (and posters) in video game history and dumps them back onto the internet a few times a day.
The key to the quality of the collection is the scope: there are old computer games and European versions of covers, along with a heavy dose of Japanese box art, which is only fitting because Japanese box art is usually the best.
Some highlights are below, but you can check out their full listings here.
Bonogurashi / PlayStation / Amuse / 1996 pic.twitter.com/akHp57BNHR
— Cool Box Art (@CoolBoxArt) July 16, 2015
Kahen Soukou Gunbike: Speed Power Gunbike / PlayStation / Sony Music Entertainment Incorporated / 1998 pic.twitter.com/eVxXvry8Kg
— Cool Box Art (@CoolBoxArt) July 14, 2015
A Mind Forever Voyaging / Amiga / Infocom / 1986 pic.twitter.com/D0mGFFp3yj
— Cool Box Art (@CoolBoxArt) July 14, 2015
Crime Time / Amiga / Starbyte / 1990 pic.twitter.com/HqopivPHHK
— Cool Box Art (@CoolBoxArt) July 6, 2015
East vs. West: Berlin 1948 / Amiga / Rainbow Arts / 1989 pic.twitter.com/rAp4kepKt5
— Cool Box Art (@CoolBoxArt) July 6, 2015
Visual Park / Dreamcast / Sega / 2000 pic.twitter.com/bE910d5vTG
— Cool Box Art (@CoolBoxArt) July 6, 2015
Boku no Natsuyasumi: Summer Holiday 20th Century / PlayStation / SCEI / 2000 pic.twitter.com/RiprBd88Lt
— Cool Box Art (@CoolBoxArt) July 2, 2015
F-1 Spirit / MSX / Konami / 1987 pic.twitter.com/CEE62AqT9Y
— Cool Box Art (@CoolBoxArt) June 27, 2015
Koutetsu Teikoku (Steel Empire) / Mega Drive / Hot-B / 1992 pic.twitter.com/CMCoTZgBC2
— Cool Box Art (@CoolBoxArt) June 22, 2015
Nightshade / NES / Ultra Games / 1992 pic.twitter.com/7ujH9WEi3U
— Cool Box Art (@CoolBoxArt) June 13, 2015
Comments
9 responses to “Very Cool Box Art. Maybe The Coolest.”
“Damn you Nightshade!”
*shakes fist*
I like these ones too
http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/12/the-25-best-video-game-box-covers-of-the-last-10-years/
http://images.complex.com/complex/image/upload/t_cmplx_m_article_image/lq6q1c5nobjxu0bzd1bv.jpg
Yea hotline was great, had so much flair and style, really loved that game.
These are really good, but aren’t really to my taste to be honest, I’m a massive fan of limited colour schemes and font use so these examples would represent the sort of thing I like in my box art.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fa/Half-Life_Cover_Art.jpg
There’s something to be said for the simplicity of this cover; kinda like Valve just thought “We’ll let the game sell itself through reputation, not cover art.” That said I think the version with Freeman on the front is really bad, so there’s that. Also font choice and the creation of an incredibly iconic logo.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81WXFqm4vnL._SL1500_.jpg
Limited colour palette, visual reference to the original Alien posters and trailer and overall solid use of font and visual spacing.
http://i1.cdnds.net/11/20/550w_gaming_resistance3cover.jpg
Loses some points for the use of the statue of liberty twice and the font, but over all excellent.
http://samplereality.com/gmu/portal/archive/files/896b074ebe325e7f4c099c4f828b743d.jpg
Valve nail the artwork for the first entry into the Portal franchise as well, again with an instantly recognisable logo.
https://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvUEMvQWN0aW9uL0FkdmVudHVyZQ==/mirrors_edge_frontcover_large_7mEQUNuhl4MFNEi.jpg
Excellent use of colour (although far better in the actual game, no small feat), font and logo. Loses a few points for the hero shot, gains a few for the unusual pose and expression and for not being a brown haired white man.
http://www.coverdude.com/covers/grim-fandango-remastered-2015-front-cover-199468.jpg
The font! The colour use! The raw noir vibe of the artstyle! Pretty much perfect.
http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140315115347/wolfenstein/images/0/00/WolfensteinNewCover.jpg
Awesome font. I wish they were brave enough to have the front soldier in silhouette as well, but otherwise about as good as they come. Kudos for not having the protagonist on the front as well.
http://peit.ca/storage/ps3/fallout3.jpg
A masterclass in making a muted colour palette look amazing. Not the biggest fan of the font, but despite that an incredibly solid piece.
http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/11/118911/2489376-gunpoint.jpg
Best font in my eyes, great spacing and balance, nice muted colour palette. Not sure if it counts as a cover in the conventional sense, but it fits the game perfectly.
Just a few of my favourites^
I have that Boku No Natsuyasumi game for PS2 but I still haven’t gotten around to playing it yet. As far as summer vacation in the countryside simulators go I hear it’s one of the best.
It sounds really adorable.
These are goddamn delicious.
Nah this isn’t even close to the best box art, the old Atari stuff is amazing.
http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/19/4716444/how-atari-box-art-turned-8-bit-games-into-virtual-wonderlands
http://www.polygon.com/2014/3/26/5482198/the-art-of-atari-a-celebration-of-game-packagings-golden-age
Look how cool they made a calculator seem:
http://www.vintagecomputing.com/wp-content/images/interviews/shaw/atari_calculator_box_large.jpg
and the defense of the planet:
http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/images/Missile.jpg
http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/26/1781056-starraiders_400800box.jpg
Even lowly Space Invaders looks awesome:
http://thenewgamer.com/content/files/images/space_invaders_400_1280x1024.jpg
Just look at the detail in that thing!
And the stress of running a Nuclear Power Plant.
http://thenewgamer.com/content/files/images/scram_1024x768.jpg
And of course the weird ones:
M.U.L.E.
http://www.atarimania.com/8bit/boxes/hi_res/Electronic_Arts_MULE_d7.jpg
That calculator pic is gold.