Art On The Box: What Digital Took From Us

When selecting a game you can easily look up whatever you want, whenever you want, thanks to that little phone in your pocket: reviews, trailers, online plot summaries. But in the past that wasn't an option. In the store it was the art on the box that would catch your eye, lure you over, and expose you to something you probably didn't know existed. The art, the back of the box, and the manual inside may be the only information you got about the game before deciding to play it. Those boxes could contain imagery so eye-catching that it was an art piece in its own right and something you would be proud to have in your home.

But that all changed with the switch to digital. Online marketplaces and streaming services use small thumbnails with a simple portrait; almost background imagery - an afterthought. The logo often takes up half the space. Sometimes the thumbnail is only the logo. Their purpose is to make scrolling more convenient and clean looking, but we lost something along the way. Even the few games that still get a physical release today seem to not even be trying with their covers. Instead of creative layouts with original pieces created by an actual artist, most just feature a close-up of the protagonist staring off into the distance or a generic guy holding a gun. Where has the passion and creativity gone? To prove my point I want to showcase a few game boxes that hold up to this day.

Castlevania

Created by Ayami Kojima, the cover for Symphony of the Night features ornate candelabras in the foreground and Dracula's castle in background, suggesting an old, sophisticated evil at work. The style and texture seen around the edges implies the viewer is looking at an oil painting. The man, Alucard, appears to have unshakable resolve in his demeanor as he stands with his sword positioned to pierce the castle's visage. In Lament of Innocence, Leon looks mournfully skyward - a lone bright figure surrounded by an encroaching darkness. The Castlevania series as a whole consistently hits with it's box art. Other pieces shown include: Curse of Darkness and Dracula X Chronicles.

Final Fantasy X

The protagonist, Tidus, stands half-submerged in water with the island 'Besaid' close by in the background. Just past that, the ghostly structure of Zanarkand can vaguely be seen against the blue sky. It is easy to dismiss as any old building obscured by distance and mist. It is a piece of art that looks beautiful to the casual viewer, but takes on a deeper meaning after playing the game. Zanarkand is a phantom of the past - a place that no longer exists, displayed in the same plane of existence as Besaid; an allusion to Tidus being a displaced Zanarkian, washed ashore in Besaid on the waves of time. His half submerged body hints at him being 'between worlds' and in a place unnatural to him.

Ico

Styled after the painting "Tropic of Cancer" by Ramsès Younan; Ico was not afraid to stray away from what was considered normal at the time to try something new and different. The vast landscape, sky, and architecture looming over the two tiny figures emphasizes how isolated and alone they are. The whole thing has a dreamlike quality, and gives the impression that these two may be the only living souls left in this world.

Katamari Damacy

This quirky little game had an equally unorthodox box cover. A peaceful, pastoral scene of grazing cows is contrasted by an entire city being rolled up into a gigantic ball in the background. It shouldn't work, but it somehow does, which is appropriate for a game all about sticking disparate things together.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

Drawn by Yōji Shinkawa, red (actually more of an orange on the cover) was the color used for Solid Snake, before the switch. The red / white striping is an allusion to the "Rebellious Stripes" flag that was created by the Sons of Liberty to protest British taxation in America. The game's plot similarly involves rebellious individuals and world-changing events. Shinkawa's sketches of a leading character in inks, executed with brushy calligraphy pencils in a single supporting color, made the series stand out on store shelves. Other pieces shown include: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

Resident Evil 4

The European cover art is quite striking despite its simplicity. A rich red sky is sliced through by the thin, black forms of trees, giving the cover an ominous horror-movie vibe.

Secret of Mana

Dense forested scenes can be tricky for artists to paint due to all the green against green. It takes a practiced hand to get all the plants to read clearly in the image without blending together, and the box art for Secret of Mana pulls that off masterfully. Every inch is jam packed with textures and complexity. The game's major characters are dwarfed, tucked away in the corner and insignificant when compared to the grand tree at the center and the dense vegetation that surrounds them. You're eye is more likley to be drawn to the pink birds's in flight rather than the human characters on the ground, further emphasizing the theme's of the game. The entire piece is one meant to inspire awe at the grandeur of nature.

Shadow of the Beast

The unique art style of Roger Dean, which commonly features floating rocks, twisted trees, and strange creatures, lends itself well to space themes and anything meant to feel "alien" or "otherworldly". So fitting in fact, that well known filmmaker James Cameron, has stolen Dean's art for use in his Avatar films without giving Dean any credit. Fortunately Dean was commissioned and paid for his work on Shadow of the Beast, as well as many other video game covers. It may not always be clear what we're looking at or what is happening in his alien imagery, but they never fail to fascinate the imagination. Other pieces shown include: Barbarian and Ork.

Ishar: Legend of the Fortress

Mark Harrison's art commonly features soft colors, high hills, and low perspectives to create scenes that make the viewer feel small compared to the grand scale of the environment that surrounds them. Other pieces shown include: Ishar 2: Messengers of Doom.

Starship Titanic

As the cover would imply, the game is set aboard the titular 'Starship Titanic', which hosts an AI capable of omniversal-scale data processing, allowing it to account for everything that could possibly go wrong; a supposed "unsinkable ship". The art-deco inspired spaceship (which contrasts with the real Titanic's neoclassical style) was designed by the Argentine artist Oscar Chichoni.