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retro
If Only - Atari Modern Classics
Posted by Mike Fahey at 3:40 AM on September 18, 2008
Video game packaging has come quite a long way over the past 30 years or so, but did it really have to? The -Minus World takes a fascinating look at how today's games might have been represented by yesterday's artists with Atari Modern Classics. They've created retro covers for Halo 3, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Portal, Resident Evil 5, GTA IV, No More Heroes, COD4 and God of War 3, but by far my favourite is their take on BioShock, depicting an epic battle with a Big Daddy in a way only simple block graphics ever could.
Atari Modern Classics [The -Minus World - Thanks Brian!]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
johnjohnbmx
Posted 5:13 AM 18/9/08
those little captions on the covers are hilarious.
johnjohnbmx
Altima NEO
Posted 5:08 AM 18/9/08
Those graphics are too intense for Atari. Very cool though
Altima NEO
KaneRobot
Posted 5:03 AM 18/9/08
Thanks, BMiggs.
KaneRobot
Slothboy
Posted 4:37 AM 18/9/08
@BMiggs:
You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.
Slothboy
BMiggs
Posted 4:21 AM 18/9/08
By demand, here's a high-res PDF download link for all 9 covers. Enjoy!
[rs545.rapidshare.com]
P.S. Does anyone know a good dedicated server? :)
BMiggs
kenesu96
Posted 4:20 AM 18/9/08
inaccuracy! Atari's artwork was always a wonderful artistic masterpiece designed to draw you into the game and also, to help take our mind off of how poor the game was going to actually be in many cases.
activision's art maybe. but atari's is more like GTA4's cover than anything else
kenesu96
ExistentialEgg
Posted 4:19 AM 18/9/08
@Rampage: I think as you GET older you appreciate retro more because it's a jab at cyclical culture. It's amusing to me to watch music, fashion, and movie genres go on constant rotate over the decades with each new rotation thinking it's a maverick rebellion against the status quo.
ExistentialEgg
chemical_eng_mx
Posted 4:09 AM 18/9/08
This and yesterday's Megaman 9 retro packaging made me smile.
chemical_eng_mx
UnholyAvenger
Posted 4:03 AM 18/9/08
Retro game cases are awesome. That Bioshock Atari case looks great. Too bad the site crashed and I can't see the rest.
UnholyAvenger
Slothboy
Posted 4:00 AM 18/9/08
I don't suppose anybody got a mirror of these up before the site had a heart attack...
Slothboy
Rampage
Posted 3:56 AM 18/9/08
Meh. Retro is so...well...old :/
Rampage
chuffhoncho
Posted 3:55 AM 18/9/08
Love the tagline on the Halo box.
"TEABAG YOUR ENEMIES"
chuffhoncho
thespyderboy
Posted 3:53 AM 18/9/08
They're all commendable, but the Bioshock one is the best (and possibly only good) one. These seem more like screenshots than cover art, though... then again, I'm not entirely sure what regular Atari covers look like.
thespyderboy
AngryEddy
Posted 3:52 AM 18/9/08
TRAVEL TO UNDERWATER CITY
COLLECT ADAM, EVE & MONEY
WATCH OUT FOR BIG DADDY
...brilliant!
AngryEddy
dead_red_eyes
Posted 3:52 AM 18/9/08
Sadly the site has crashed from the traffic.
:(
dead_red_eyes
ShaggE
Posted 3:51 AM 18/9/08
Best fad ever. Now if only playable demakes were a bit more common.
ShaggE
Arlips
Posted 3:50 AM 18/9/08
Site doesn't work
Arlips
teh_joe
Posted 3:49 AM 18/9/08
i am loving demakes.
teh_joe
EndwaterAngry
Posted 3:46 AM 18/9/08
Crowd lovin' it
EndwaterAngry
RaptureScientist
Posted 3:45 AM 18/9/08
Bioshock for Atari? Do Want.
RaptureScientist
ray89
Posted 3:45 AM 18/9/08
The site isn't working for me :(
ray89
hodayathink: I like neo-noir lesbians
Posted 3:44 AM 18/9/08
I might just print this out and put it in my BioShock case, just for fun.
hodayathink: I like neo-noir lesbians
F22
Posted 3:43 AM 18/9/08
abso. awesome! i love this whole retro-movement, keep it coming!!!
F22
sex-target
Posted 5:41 AM 18/9/08
This sort of makes you think about limitations of hardware vs vision. I'm sure that back in Atari days people had great game designs but lacked the hardware to bring it to life. I clicked on the link and saw the god of war mock up and thought "man, those old nintendo games probably looked nothing like the artist imagined."
sex-target
zkotaku
Posted 5:37 AM 18/9/08
Oh I see the whale on top.
zkotaku
SigmundTheSeaMonster
Posted 6:05 AM 18/9/08
@kenesu96: I thought I was critical! But after a few more looks, you are right! Atari box art was oil/illustrations. Activision is more like these...
SigmundTheSeaMonster
commentotron
Posted 6:43 AM 18/9/08
That graphic is impossible to render on the 2600.
Just saying.
A true 2600 title would have some artwork on the cover and the screens on the back.
commentotron
GodKiller0
Posted 6:32 AM 18/9/08
I like retro but it seems to me out of 1000 games for the atari only 10 are still enjoyable today
GodKiller0
Strangelove
Posted 7:26 AM 18/9/08
Now that's just awesome. *Saves to desktop*
Strangelove
TheIrishNinja
Posted 8:00 AM 18/9/08
@commentotron: how so?
these demakes are so cool, they make my teeth hurt.
TheIrishNinja
EnigmaNemesis
Posted 8:32 AM 18/9/08
I love it ... I would love to see that packaging come back!
EnigmaNemesis
dae_giovanni
Posted 9:13 AM 18/9/08
If jokes were 100% factually correct, would they be as funny? Or funny at all?
dae_giovanni
navstar
Posted 8:56 AM 18/9/08
Why would you need dual analogs for a 2D Atari 2600 game???
navstar
Licensed to Post
Posted 9:41 AM 18/9/08
if i were wearing a cap...i'd tip it.
Licensed to Post
excel_excel
Posted 9:40 AM 18/9/08
Ha love the No More Heroes one! 1 GAME MODE!
excel_excel
chirpingbee
Posted 10:41 AM 18/9/08
YESSSSS that is pretty sweet!
chirpingbee
Barts
Posted 7:32 PM 18/9/08
@BMiggs: Thanks a lot, the filter in my job prohibited that webpage, stating it's "criminal activity"...
Barts