Art You May Hate: Video Game Cover Art
Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 7:30PM
Isaiah T. Taylor in Art, Art You May Hate, Artists, Console Gaming, Cover Art, David Freeman, Entertainment, Gaming

That's it. They've done it. They've evolved past anything we could have ever imagined.

Starved for ideas to write about, I found myself google searching cover art and reminiscing about the days when I had less discerning tastes. What you will see after my words here is a small compilation of a user by the name of David Freeman's collection of video games and covers he's collected. I give him all the credit to this posts existence. The reason I didn't hotlink you directly was because his collection exists on his Google+ page. A page I'm not sure is open to any and everyone [I think you may need at least a Gmail account to view].

Now scroll down and let your eyes drink in some of the best and worst video game cover art I've ever had the pleasure of posting on this blog.

 

Hell of a way to start things off, huh?

 

 

 

Nim is possibly one of the most generic-looking games I've ever played. This cover, however is anything but.

 

 

 

 

 Next door to my job is a bar. At this bar is an older fella, around 40-to-50 in age. They say he use to be married and an okay dude until he started drinking. Now they call him Fast Eddie, because he drank so much doctors declared him mentally handicap. Go fig.

 

 

 

 

 

Australo Piticus Mecanicus sounds epic enough.

 

 

 

 

 

Something tells me NBC Universal didn't give up all rights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the spirit of the fallen tyrant. I mean...I'm assuming this Athlete game is based on North Korea, right?

 

 

 

 

 

I've got nothing pithy to write here. This is just cool. Remember when Final Fantasy was just plain cool?

 

 

 

 I remember seeing this cover in my aunt's closet and never wanted to play the game because of it. Good job Atari.

 

 

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ... remember when.

 

 

 

 

 

"It's a great game." Best box quote ever!

 

 

 

Yup, that's kinda it. All the enjoyment to be had in this game is on the cover. Even the cover is atrocious.

 

 

 

 

It actually takes a while to understand what's going on with this one. But when you get it, you kinda feel like you wasted your time. Small victories.

 

 

 

 

 

Why does the cat have five fingers and toes? Why does he have a stick of butter? Why is that mouse still alive?

 

 

 

 I've always hated Bionic Commando. This cover further solidifies said hatred.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further proof that the J-versions of video games covers, will always be the superior versions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I still think the most interesting thing about Crime Wave is that it wasted valuable moments of my life via 8 disks.

 

 

 

 

 

Dang, Lorna. Where do you buy your shampoo and does it come with a free gun?

 

 

 

 

 

The Third World War. I still haven't played this, but I've heard nothing but great and totally patriotic things about it.

 

 

 

 

A terrible cover for one of Earth's most awful-est games.

 

 

 

Still one of my favorite covers ever. Though, I can't help but think what could have been. Had we used the original art concept.

 

 

 

 Great cover. Great game.

 

 

 

I still don't know why Kemco put this out. The demand was that great?

 

 

 

 

 

If Salvador Dali had a son that was really into ESPN 2 and second-rate MMA organizations. His art would look like this.

 

 

 

 

Off-brand Storm Troopers? Gorillas? A pagan goat-god? Why haven't we revisited this franchise?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of revisiting a franchise. On second thought, we'd probably just f**k this one up too.

 

 

 

 

 

The sad thing is, it came out after the ESRB rating was in effect. Making this cover "not-that-old," but just dated-looking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, the most amazing image I can put on this or any other website. The art work from Strider 2. Not that great of a game, but wow, look at the detail.

 

 

If you're interested in more amazing covers and have a Google+ account. Stop by David Freeman's page. Tell him I sent ya. 

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