NEW worst boxart ever

[mr. fancypants]

"hey lads, I have a cunning plan for the Xbox Version of Shenmue 2's box art! Ok, what we do is we take the already perfect DC version...

(sorry can't find a bigger pic)

...And replace it with the artistic equivalent of monkey excrement!"

ehrm, both of them look shit..

[Juria]

Okay Dougal.. we'll go through this one more time....

small... far away.... smaaallll... far away... small..... faaar away....

[Rocko]

That I-Ninja one is fine.

Is it coming to the GC then?

[dizogg]

Shenmue II Xbox box looks cool! It reminds me of the cover of a cheesy 70's hong kong movie or something.

[Kazaroth]

"hey lads, I have a cunning plan for the Xbox Version of Shenmue 2's box art! Ok, what we do is we take the already perfect DC version...

(sorry can't find a bigger pic)

...And replace it with the artistic equivalent of monkey excrement!"

They look almost exactly the same, mon ami.

[MK-1601]

They look almost exactly the same, mon ami.

[Joj]

They look almost exactly the same, mon ami.

naah, look how (for lack of a better word) "americanised" the second is. Christ look at Ryo's face, grrr, he's so angry, come on Ryo show us all that avenging rage...

[Unofficial Who]

If you take the > out of the end they work.

Except for the last one, that is truly dead.

Just look at this classy boxart. Truly superb.

I actually lol'd when I saw that!

I kind of like that one for some reason

[Unofficial Who]

Does that really appeal to you?

Maybe if I were a nerd in the early 80s it would to me, but come on... look at it? Jeez...

If it's so great, why didn't they do something like that? Or just hire him?

Well I think it's fantastic!

[Silly Killer]

They look almost exactly the same, mon ami.

Have you seen the original full size?

It's a much better composed picture, it's beautifully drawn, unlike the amatuerish, cack-handed brushwork of the Xbox cover and the colour scheme (look behind the lettering on the remake) actually works. I mean, even the lettering looks shit in the remade version. It has been contorted to squeeze into the available space, like an afterthought, rather than a harmonious part of the design.

Come on! Even I can see this!

Perhaps they didn't think the Xbox demographic would go for a game with flowers on the front cover?

I say: more flowers in video game artwork now!

[suzakuseven]

I thought the original DC Shenmue 2 box looked a bit too 'thrown together'. I've never been a fan of CG characters on the front of boxes. The US Final Fantasy titles are classic examples. Europe get a lovely simple logo on white background, the US gets loads of CG characters mashed together. Oh, and that Zelda box is lovely. Anyone thinking that wouldn't stand out on a shelf is slightly odd, in my opinion.

[Silly Killer]

I thought the original DC Shenmue 2 box looked a bit too 'thrown together'. I've never been a fan of CG characters on the front of boxes.

Yeah - I admit that Ryo's stance looks a bit odd for a cover pose - what is he doing with his right hand?.

[Boutros]

Whe it comes down to bad box-art, the Atari Lynx takes the cake.

All of them...

[Ste Pickford]

more from the american art departments

BEFORE :

AFTER :

BEFORE :

AFTER :

In both those cased I would say the Japanese art is no better (and in the first case maybe worse) than the american box art.

[Boutros]

AVERT YOUR EYES, CHILDREN!

Uuuugh. Nice to see Nintendo and Sony working together though.

By the way, I think this boxart is pretty cool actually...

Fits the game perfectly...

[Ste Pickford]

I think that looks awful, far too fussy looking. Nothing better than a nice simple design.

I think this is beautiful, but its more suited to a poster than a game cover.

(the zelda stained glass window image)

[Calashnikov]

I agree with Ste Pickford on that Zelda thing.

In other news: y'all are fools if you think this is crap:

It's like something from the Chuckle Brothers.

[JPickford (retired mod)]

Separated at birth?

[Rocko]

Well I think it's fantastic!

I agree. It's got a good zelda feel to it (not least because it resembles the cel-shading) - it sort of suggests fairy tales and great quests suitable of being immortalised in stained glass windows etc etc. It's bright, eye catching and pretty.

Much better than the real deal, IMO.

[Rocko]

Separated at birth?

Yes, I noticed that as well. Quite uncanny.

[Calashnikov]

I agree. It's got a good zelda feel to it (not least because it resembles the cel-shading) - it sort of suggests fairy tales and great quests suitable of being immortalised in stained glass windows etc etc. It's bright, eye catching and pretty.

Much better than the real deal, IMO.

It's technically brilliant. The quality of art work and the high level of detail is astounding, but it's generally a bad design in terms of trying to catch the eye of the consumer. Minimalism is what sells.

[Gique]

In both those cased I would say the Japanese art is no better (and in the first case maybe worse) than the american box art.

but at least the japanese artwork actually has correlation to the sprites and cutscenes.

[Basement St. Thomas]

What a complete gimp Mega Man looks.

[Shepperton]

I'm sorry to dig this old thread up, but I didn't want to start a completely new one.

Aaanyways, browsing videogamesplus I come across this:

WTF is that?

Its rubbish thats what it is.

Anyone else found some real beauty's recently?

[robotattack]

[Uncle Mike]

I still haven't worked out what's supposed to be wrong with the I-Ninja box. Did someone explain it anywhere?

[Rocko]

No. And if anyone posts that fucking Bomberman cover AGAIN then I'll be putting in a ban request.

[Alex W.]

I still haven't worked out what's supposed to be wrong with the I-Ninja box. Did someone explain it anywhere?

I just thought it looked crap.

[Silent Runner]

No. And if anyone posts that fucking Bomberman cover AGAIN then I'll be putting in a ban request.

With the guy throwing the bomb in an Oscar Wilde style?

That’s a classic!!

[Flockheart]

Fuck GT4...