CVG picks the Best and Worst Box Art of 2007

by Griffin McElroy { Dec 29th 2007 at 3:00PM }

Regardless of your loyalties to any particular console, we think we can all agree that 2007 was a damn fine year for video games as a whole. Every system had a number of well received games over the past year, as reflected by the fairly diverse Game of the Year lists springing up around the video game blogosphere. The gaming industry has grown and further caught the attention of the mainstream business media. A video game broke the one-day entertainment sales record in the States. It was a year that all of us, gamers and professionals alike, can feel very good about.

Except for you, box art designers. While the rest of the video game industry strove to bring their "A game", or rather, their "AAA game" this year, you chose 2007 to be the year when you collectively dropped the ball. Computer and Video Games has a chronicling of your failure; from Shadowrun's poorly drawn case, to the nightmarish box art for Cheggers' Party Quiz; and who could forget the decadently homoerotic cover for Fire Pro Wrestling Returns? Not us. We've tried.

Tags: Box-art, BoxArt, CheggersPartyQuiz, FireProWrestlingReturns, Shadowrun

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Richie @ Dec 29th 2007 3:08PM

None of those are even funny... seriously...

Ninegauger @ Dec 29th 2007 3:15PM

Am I the only one (aside from few exceptions) that cannot tell the difference between the best and the worst? Master Chief on the cover in uninteresting pose = bad but put an Asian lady on the front in an uninteresting pose and BAM best cover of 2007. Minimalist Orange Box cover = bad but a similarly bland Resident Evil 4 cover = genius. This isn't even approaching Mega Man 2 territory except for that quiz game one...

Stevie Dunbar @ Dec 29th 2007 4:21PM

Hot Asian lady>>>>Master Chief

At least in my book.

DBuck_Eye @ Dec 29th 2007 4:37PM

I was just thinking the same thing. What exactly makes boxart good or bad? I don't know. I thought Ninja Gaiden's sucked but whatever.

samfish @ Dec 29th 2007 5:14PM

The difference between the Halo 3 box and Heavenly Sword box is that Masterchief is just shoved off to the side in an uninteresting pose. Nariko is actually in an interesting, animated pose that creates an interesting dynamic with the actual shape of the box. On top of that, the title stands out clearly against her.
...unlike Halo's blue type against a blue sky.

Crysis's sucks because it's a freakin' mish-mash of gray.

Metroid has too much Samus. It's like they just threw the one in the corner there to fill space.
...now if it were Zero Suit Samus...

The Orange Box is so awful that it actually works in it's favor. It stands out on the store shelves, at least.

Shadowrun is good in an 80's way.
...which is to say it's awful and cheesy. All it needs is slanted text to make it's crappy 80's visuals complete.

Bioshock's box is far and away the best box art this year.

Zack & Wiki really should be on the Best list.

Call of Duty really should be on the Worst list.

Uncharted might be better if he didn't have his back to the camera.

Wario Ware is excellent. Orange Box – pay attention.

Ninja Gaiden's is really good, too. It really stands out if you've ever seen it on a store shelf.

RE:UC is second only to Bioshock. Shows you everything about the game while still having interesting box art.

Brad Lee @ Dec 29th 2007 6:01PM

I agree that most of these are kinda ehhh. The only boxart that stands out in a really, REALLY bad way is that Chegger's Party Quiz. It's just... hideous.

I agree about Halo 3 being bad, but it's not horrible. MC is just staring out into no where, and it looks like he's about to topple over. There's nothing interesting in the background, and the text doesn't stand out.

I actually really liked Crysis and Supreme Commander though, for different reasons. Crysis I just think looks badass, the only thing I'd change is the text. It's very boring and unappealing, and I think a vertical scroll down the side would have worked better. As for Supreme Commander, instead of the "sexy" tech robo thing that Crysis was going for, Supreme Commander was going for the boxy, sterile robo-form, which looks suprisingly badass to me.

As for the good ones, I thought Forza was the best. I'd pick Burnout Paradise over it, but it's not out yet. But Forza has so much motion it makes me want to get the game (not into realistic racers though). Ninja Gaiden looks good too, because his pose actually kind of resembles the sigma sign. The only one I didn't care for was Umbrella Chronicles; just kinda bland and no real focus, in my opinion.

Shadow El ( NDF - Zola Ring ) @ Dec 29th 2007 7:40PM

These were judged with the penis, not with the eyes, that's why.

Kun Hitori @ Dec 29th 2007 9:12PM

Am I the only person who realizes that's DARK SAMUS in the top-left corner of the Metroid Prime 3 box art...?

Will @ Dec 29th 2007 3:20PM

I found the minimalism of the Orange Box to be attractive. You could tell they weren't concerned with flashy, high-concept (the bad kind) graphics. They were just going "Hey, look, games." My fanboyism refuses to let me hate anything Orange Box.

I agree that the box art on Resident Evil was pretty stylish. One of my favorites as well.

Most of their ideas were pretty silly and stupid, and almost none of their choices had reasoning behind them.

Anyway.. does Cheggers Party Quiz feature Colin Mochrie as a host?

ThornedVenom @ Dec 29th 2007 3:54PM

The thing I loved about the Orange Box's boxart is the fact that it was orange.

It completely stood out from all the other boxes of games.

Korova @ Dec 29th 2007 8:32PM

I liked the OBox because its about the games and not about the idea of being clad in a fantastic metal suit to look cool. That fantasy is fairly repellent to me, but then again, I am not 8 or 12 and dont feel like I need a lot of enhancement to get around in the world.

As for Cheggers ... wow! That looks like a perv old guy in a bathtub with stars and question marks on the shower curtain behind him. Which means that if he is in the bathtub and the curtain is behind him then I am in the bathtub with him! Ahhhh! WTF! I would probably leave the isle if I saw that cover.

Imadogg @ Dec 29th 2007 10:57PM

"Anyway.. does Cheggers Party Quiz feature Colin Mochrie as a host?"

Lmao that's the first thing I thought of!

Burnt Meatloaf @ Dec 29th 2007 11:37PM

C'mon, they called it "Orange Box", not "Half Life 3 & Friends". That alone was marketing genius.

BPM - The 3rd Strike @ Dec 30th 2007 12:20AM

I liked the original, more simplistic boxart for Orange Box. Not a huge deal, but it was nicer looking, in my opinion.

CB @ Dec 29th 2007 3:20PM

Um, wow, I'd switch some of the worst ones with the good ones. What are they basing this off?

Brello @ Dec 29th 2007 6:38PM

Yeah, me too.

Wubbytoes @ Dec 29th 2007 3:24PM

That Resident Evil 4 cover looks pretty cool.

Dracard @ Dec 29th 2007 3:33PM

This has a ninja. It's good.
This has zombies. It's good.
This has a girl. It's good.

DCBlack @ Dec 29th 2007 4:14PM

This has a soldier and green font. It's good.

roxxxo @ Dec 29th 2007 6:01PM

this has a gray soldier, bad
ditto

lol that list was dum

anonnumber6 @ Dec 29th 2007 3:35PM

Am I the only person who thought the Crysis one looked cool?

ThornedVenom @ Dec 29th 2007 3:52PM

Crysis is all about the suit, so I guess that they made the best decision to show off details. Plus, looking at the character upwards gives an aspiring feel.

Doing that with the character facing towards you would only give a gay effect by showing off bionic breasts.

Brello @ Dec 29th 2007 6:40PM

Crysis has a good cover. Game about a badass supersuit, cover showcasing badass super suit.

ThornedVenom @ Dec 29th 2007 3:50PM

The Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition boxart looks GORGEOUS.

Ranus Studios @ Dec 29th 2007 3:55PM

We didn't get that cool RE4 box art in the U.S.

Either that or I've been had.

Will @ Dec 29th 2007 4:20PM

..Hey, you're right! It says at the link below that that's European box art :(

Fernando's Home.. err.. I mean.. NintendoWiiFanboy:
http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2007/04/29/wii-warm-up-check-out-this-re4-boxart/

Way to fail, American box art! Good catch, Ranus.

ThornedVenom @ Dec 29th 2007 6:24PM

NOoOOoooOOooo!!!!

(I wonder why they did that: did they believe that the American audience wasn't refined enough to appreciate the artistic value of the box cover? =_= )

OddGod @ Dec 29th 2007 4:14PM

lol, so far no one has found this guy's article to be any good. I swear the dude just picked games out of a hat. Seriously, no basis at all for deciding on these game's covers.

Orenthol James Simpson @ Dec 29th 2007 4:15PM

"Minimalist Orange Box cover = bad but a similarly bland Resident Evil 4 cover = genius."

Pffft.
The RE4 cover is badass... the Orange Box cover is like a power point presentation someone took a screenshot of

Alexander @ Dec 29th 2007 4:19PM

Metroid, Crysis and Shadowrun don't belong on the worst list. Everything else I can see.

Neebs @ Dec 29th 2007 4:55PM

Bioshock shouldn't be on the best.

Korova @ Dec 29th 2007 8:36PM

Must disagree. Bioshock is probably the best cover this year. Its not cheesy, its dynamic and it perfectly reflect the atmosphere of the game and its attractive.

samfish @ Dec 29th 2007 4:55PM

The Cheggers Party Quiz guy reminds me of Tiny Attorney from the Venture Bros.

Neebs @ Dec 29th 2007 4:56PM

Reminds me of Colin Mochrie.

playwhutyalike (hates games lists) @ Dec 29th 2007 5:31PM

Cheggers: Ice Cream and Naps Kids Party Edition

Macroy @ Dec 29th 2007 4:56PM

Why did a photoshopped version of the Imagine Babyz game get on that list?

Mike918 @ Dec 29th 2007 5:16PM

I dont know but this cover of imagine babyz is cool http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1034/1311849209_1f78ab9f0b_o.jpg

ThornedVenom @ Dec 29th 2007 6:25PM

Mike918 made me shit bricks.

BPM - The 3rd Strike @ Dec 30th 2007 12:22AM

Because it's how the boxart should be.

embassy @ Dec 29th 2007 5:04PM

yeh thta RE 4 cover is indeed dope.

and i always hated the hal 3 cover..especially compared to the iconic halo 2 cover with the dual SMGS.

and i also neve rliked the boishock cover, i dont think ti actually represents the game at all... it just looks like some mindless thriller about some dude in a big suit chasing you or something ala chainsaw massacre or something.

also wario ware waas cool.

orange box? not so much. it looks like oen of those old nintendo cereal boxes that had 3 different types of cereal in it.