SNES Box Art thread

[Wayler]

On 4/8/2024 at 6:50 AM, Tanooki said:

it's Top Racer worldwide now because they can't use that name anymore

I suppose that has something to do with the very popular TV-show of the same name.

 

*****

 

Next we have a double combo of stupid titles combined with questionable artwork, for both regions!

 

Dead Dance

So first the title. Do you mean Dance of Death? Or are the dead dancing? Or is dance dead, like disco? Maybe they were being clever and left it open to interpretation, we'll go with that. Next thing you'll notice is the guy wearing a bra. Now, as fas as I know, there aren't any transgender characters in the game, so what gives? Maybe he just went way overboard on the pec training in the gym and now needs some added support. Whatever he did there, those biceps are also looking a bit suspect as I'm quite unsure if the muscles should behave like that. In addition, the guy on the left has got a nice eyebrow trimming done. Maybe they were just being progressive and ahead of their time. Now, how does the western release hold up?

 

Tuff E Nuff

 

R U Tuff E Nuff 2 survive? Oof the title is so bad. Hello 90's attitude overload. The art however is preference thing. You see, I really dislike the American superhero comic style. The one trying to depict humans realistically but ends up being stiff and bland. And every person seems to have fatal skin condition or a rubber mask. The end result is an uncanny valley effect for me. Like I recently read Watchmen and although really liking the story, the art kept constantly fighting against me. I guess growing up with Asterix, Lucky Luke, Tintin etc and later with manga, this particular style just feels so alien to me.

 

 

[newtmonkey]

I like to think that the official title of this game outside of Japan is "Hey Punk! Are you Tuff E Nuff? Master the Moves to Master Me!"

[Wayler]

I thought it would be interesting to look at some controversial SFC art. Be it dubious choice of a subject or perhaps a too risqué depiction of the human form, some releases would have been censored here on the box art alone.

 

Very, very bad people

 

I understand a historical book about the subject or a biography having this imagery. But depicting the moustachioed madman and Father Sunshine front and center of your entertainment product is a big no-no. Would probably break some laws in selected European countries. For some reason this subject is not as taboo in Japan. I guess they were so removed from the conflict in Europe that the historical baggage is not the same. This is Barbarossa, a WWII strategy game developed by Systemsoft and published by Sammy Studios.

 

 

Horror / Gore / Occult symbols

 

Although Nintendo loosened it's censorship towards in-game content when Mortal Kombat II got released as is in '94, you still couldn't sell your games with images of blood & guts. Majyuuou aka King of Demons has got quite a bit going on that wouldn't have flown here. Starting from the top, that pentagram would be gone. We also wouldn't like the devil eating a woman. And I'm sure those demonic monsters would have been too much for our innocent eyes. I think it's a fantastic cover that quite nicely represents what the game has to offer. Happy to own this one.

 

 

Lewd images

 

Well, the reason stares at you right in the face in, I have to say, a very awkward pose. You'd think if they were going down this road, you could have made it attractive and not this weird depiction of the female form. Gourmet Sentai Bara Yarou is somewhat of a weird game in content too, as it mixes side-scrolling beat 'em up with cooking. Maybe they figured if you're into food and doughy balls of dumplings, that same feel will bring jollies if it's attached to other things?

 

 

Anyone have any other examples of questionable SFC box art?

 

[Wayler]

Yes, that was a rhetorical question previously and everyone got it. Just keeping you on your toes. Let us trudge along.

 

*****

 

I hated the naming scheme of N64 games where everything had to be something-something 64. But SNES started it before with Super. But that wasn't such a big deal because everything after the NES was, bigger, better, etc...Super! But you also couldn't just slap it on, it needs to mean something. Let's look at two opposite examples:

 

There's nothing super about your game, is there Virgin? You just tried to sell your boring card games with some cleavage. You even forgot to tell your art director the full name of the game and that Super was just slapped on last minute and is totally out of place. Here's how to do it properly:

 

This isn't just your regular mutated lizard friend. He's battling it all out with two giant fire breathing dragons, pinning them into a headlock for use as weapons against themselves. No, this Super Godzilla! Proudly stated in a font that must be said in loud echoey baritone.

 

As a side note, it's very disappointing that the Japanese version just uses some random still image for a movie. US box art wins, hands down.

Edited Thursday at 04:42 PM by Wayler

[Wayler]

Since @newtmonkey is giving us great insight how the game works and feels, I thought it would be a great excuse to check out the magnificent box art that accompanies this game.

 

Shin Megami Tensei

Just oozing of dark atmosphere. The heroes (I'm presuming) are pictured in brighter attire and your eyes are initially drawn to them. Looking at distance, the rest is a bit murky as it's shaded so dark. It's only when looking at it more closely, one can see all the entities lurking in the shadows. Such a brilliant cavalcade of demons and mythical beings. This is a touched up version of the cover, removing the upper part of the box & text and leaving only the artwork, that I found here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Megaten/comments/wnbbum/cleaned_smt_1_snes_box_art/ 

 

Atlus did release two more Shin Megami Tensei games for the SFC but the covers on those pale in comparison to the awesomeness of the first one.

Edited 16 minutes ago by Wayler