There's a knack to video game box art.
With a few inches of canvas, a designer has to encapsulate the main thrust of the game and its themes in a manner that makes it look even better than the box sitting next to it. Too minimalist, and no one will know what it's about. Too much, and it risks looking like the love-child of a colouring book and an infomercial.
While the dawn of the internet may have eroded the importance of video game box art in the modern era, Twitter account @boxartscrewup does an admirable job of reminding us just how wrong some designers got it.
From bad thinking to just awful art, here are some of the worst offenders.
Black Belt
Mega.
Street Sports: Baseball
ERMAHGERD, BERSEBERL
Eric and the Floaters
Floaters?
Gummy Bears Minigolf
Another important lesson never to accept sweets from strangers. Because they're probably laced with LSD.
Dynamite Duke
ACTION.
Rollerblade Racer
Guys! On WHEELS guys! WHEELS!
OMG 26
Books! Choice! Dangerous Jewel! A spider with red eyes! OMG!
Street Racer
Nope, we've got no idea what 'Bugs Bunny on meth' is doing in the corner either.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Certified by nine out of 10 dentists!
Freestyle Metal X
The most needless infinity mirror effect ever seen in video game art.
Graffiti Man
Bowie? Is that you?
Jill of the Jungle: Jill Goes Underground
Not even Jill knows what's going on here...
Amnesia
Amnesia was a great piece of horror gaming. The artwork was a great piece of horrible gaming art.
Mole Hunter
"Oh no!" said the mole. "A transparent snake!"
Santa Claus saves the Earth
Sure.
Mobile Light Force 2
One vowel away from being a VERY different video game.
Druid: Daemons of the Mind
We can only assume the artist was copying his own face from the back of a spoon.
WWF In Your House
Did they pinch the font from that "You wouldn't steal a car" thing on rental DVDs?
Chuckie Egg II
We need an adult.
Tongue of the Fatman
Yep. This is a real game.
Heartlight
If you go down to the woods today, you're in for a big surprise...
PlayAround
A favourite of dodgy uncles across the world.
Paccie
Like Pac-Man, but not. For legal reasons. Which also makes it sound incredibly offensive.
Yakuza Fury
Yakuza Fury - a game in which the criminals only deal in small change.
Metro Cross
We can only assume a dangerous amount of drugs were taken in the creation of this cover.
Pet Vet
"Do we want the perspective and scaling to make sense?"
"Meh, nobody will notice."
Karnaaj Rally
You have to say the name out loud before you realise what they mean.
Night Trap
Where the trap is paying for a designer.
Pinocchio
"Kill... me..."
Columns III
The sexy alternative to Tetris.
Fatal Frame
"Based on a true story."
And lies. Lots of lies.
Street Sports: Basketball
ERMAHGERD, BERSKETEBERL
Anticipation
And, on the basis of this cover, also their last video board game.
Why have they written the alphabet out in full? Why?
Super Bust-A-Move
This game doesn't actually feature a baby...
I did it Mum 2
They made two of these games.
Cinderella
Seriously strong eyebrow game. Seriously strong.
Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year edition
"Just buy the fucking game already."
Imagine party babyz
We'd rather not.
Night Trap (again)
No idea.
Baky Baky
Scary scary.
The Ballet Studio
Is this the girl Elton John wrote a song about?
Snood 2: On Vacation
The video game equivalent of "Could do better" on a teacher's report.
Hansel & Gretel
From an artist who once overheard a description of a gingerbread house and went with it...
Family Farm
First rule of Family Farm. Nobody talks about what happened on Family Farm.
Second rule of Family Farm. NOBODY talks about what happened on Family Farm.
Marine Rescue
Some harsh words have been exchanged between that seal pup and polar bear cub. Words like "My dad ate your dad".
Street Warrior
"We need it to look as masculine and aggressive as possible, without actually suggesting violence."
Cheggers Party Quiz
They couldn't stretch the budget to buy any actual images of Cheggers.
Yakuza 3
Features dragons. And faces.
The Adventures of Gilligan's Island
That 'Seal of Quality' isn't fooling us.
The Terminator
"Quick! The game is going to print in five minutes and we forgot about the cover design! Just use the film art, but do something a bit... different?"
