What game packaging do you prefer?

[Natty Bumppo]

Of the different types of console game packaging do you prefer?

I rather favor the oversize jewel cases that the Sega CD, Sega Saturn and a few of the very early Playstation 1 games used. Fairly easy to keep in order and easy to find individual titles, they also offered manuals that were easy to get in and out without damaging and unlike anything cardboard (most notably those absolutely wretched genesis cardboard boxes) they didn't damage very easily.


Your fave?

[boatofcar]

I rather favor the oversize jewel cases that the Sega CD, Sega Saturn and a few of the very early Playstation 1 games used....they didn't damage very easily.


Sorry, I just fell out of my chair laughing.

[Rob2600]

Of the different types of console game packaging do you prefer?

My favorite is the old Atari 2600 game boxes...the original ones, not the newer silver ones.

The artwork was so good, especially Haunted House.

[Natty Bumppo]

Sorry, I just fell out of my chair laughing.
Well if one was a klutz and dropped them they would break more easily than a standard jewel case. I was thinking in terms of sliding them in and out of place on the shelf - things like the boxes for the snes (and those accursed aforementioned genesis cases) got damaged just by that simple act alone.

[diskoboy]

My favorite is the old Atari 2600 game boxes...the original ones, not the newer silver ones.

The artwork was so good, especially Haunted House.

Seconded.

I've got a bunch of the old colored VCS box art all over my wall.

Atari had the bext artists, back in the day. Also, the Odyssey 2 boxes were pretty good. They had good art, and they're built solid, and I can attest to that.

[MrRoboto19XX]

Personally the clear winner is the boxes for the SMS/Earlier Genesis games. They're built in such a solid manner, the art can stay safe relatively easily, and there are decent places to store everything.

[ThoughtBomb]

Man, those ol 8-bit NES boxes were off the chain! The ultra-resistant paper box the games came in, the super-sleek, easy-to-lose black sleeves that you'd always get the corners of jammed inside of the cartridge when you would put them back into them too fast, and who can forget those clearly artistic visionary elaborate designs of our favorite games (Metroid & Duck Hunt come to mind!)? Man, what I wouldn't give for any of our current-gen games to come in one of those! Can you imagine? MGS 4 coming in a nice box like that in an easily droppable sleeve, so upon one's ravenous urge to rip open the box and put in the game...Whoops! Fission Mailed!

[RadiantSvgun]

Neo-Geo AES is my favorite. I really don't like the paper boxes, they wear out no matter how hard I try to keep them in good shape.

[otaku]

I like neo geo aes/ngpc packaging nothing as good as that. Second place goes to jewel cases

[Juganawt]

I love the Euro Neo Geo Pocket packaging. Solid, sturdy, and perfectly sized compared to the medium it's holstering. Lovely. Shame that the machine didn't last.

Also, I loved the japanese Gamecube boxes. Why they didn't bring them to the US and Europe, I don't know. I guess it was because of standardised DVD storage products, but the lil boxes just look so neat when you line them up in a row. So pretty :D

[boatofcar]

As far as durability, nothing beats the SMS/Genesis games with the plastic boxes.

As far as looks, I gotta agree with jugganawt. The Japanese Gamecube boxes look sweet.

[kaedesdisciple]

On the classic side, I definitely have to agree on the Neo Geo AES, Euro NGPC and the early Genesis cases. I just love the secure feel of clamshell cases. My only gripe about the Genesis games, though, is that damned hang tag.

On a more modern side, I LOVE steelbooks, not tins, but the actual steelbooks. I think they are a nice change from the regular old standard dvd case. What I don't like about standard CD or DVD cases is their ability to easily attract dirt & scratches, even from normal shelf wear. This is why I appreciate the outer slipcovers they put on the LE versions of games in the past few years.

On a homebrew note, I am a big fan of Shock Boxes for Neo Geo MVS games. I have all of my games in them and they look great when you line them up and have printed inserts for them.

[briskbc]

My favorites are from modern systems. I really like the DS packaging followed by regular boring old CD Jewel Cases. That would be followed by the SNES boxes and then the Genesis plastic cases.

From the classic systems I would say both the NES and Atari are fine. I really didn't like the tray in the Intellivision games.

[cyberfluxor]

Neo-Geo AES and NGPC clam cases are nearly perfect. Their sizes are proportional to the carts and the manuals fit just right. Also the art on most NG games isn't too shabby. Runner up goes to the tall plastic Saturn/Playstation cases that love to break or crack. Although they are delicate overall they look nice on a shelf IMO and stand out. Giving out a third prize will go to the Atari paper boxes due to the artwork and alright characteristics if they aren't mishandled, though I hate opening sealed boxes on the 5200 (grrr, damn glue tears).

[Damaramu]

I hate cardboard boxes with a passion. That being said, my favorites are Sega Genesis plastic clamshell cases, Nintendo DS cases, and the aforementioned metal dvd cases.

[koster]

Here's another vote for DS game packaging - those cases are sturdy. I've yet to come across a used DS game I've bought that had a broken manual clip (unlike PS2 cases :-/).

IMHO, the cardboard box packaging for GB/GBC/GBA games is among the worst, right down there with the oversized PSX / Sega CD / Saturn plastic cases. :)

[Julio III]

I utterly despise cardboard packaging, I'm looking at you Nintendo. Luckily they came around with the DS and you have a nice case and somewhere to store your game. You also have a GBA cartridge slot which is a little bizarre but since they give you nowhere to store GBA games then it could be useful as these are the cases all GBA games should have come in. As a side point on the DS, I think I prefer the thicker see-through European cases to the thinner black US/JPN cases.

The NGPC cases are everything a handheld case should be. They even give you a nice little shell to put your cartridge in.

Mega Drive boxes were very nice, although that little hang-tag was a bit annoying.

I've always liked the design of the European Dreamcast cases, you have room for a big manual and 2 game discs and the blue is nice. However, they are made out of such cheap plastic that they constantly break. Sigh

[grolt]

The SMS games overall, since they were durable and looked good on a shelf. The Saturn games broke so easily, but on looks alone, nothing beats it!

[venturousviking]

I'll have to go with the Sega Genesis plastic cases for ease of storing and durability. I never did like the Sega CD or Saturn boxes because they were too easy to crack or come apart at the hinge points. Paper boxes were never my thing as they usually just got thrown out since they would tear so easily.

[gepeto]

I really like the genesis cases. The same goes for the ps long box non plastic but in the end thay are bulky. .It just seemed more of an effort went into the art and book. The saturn and psx plastic cases the tabs broke to easy.

Now you get a game you lucky to get a manual more than 10 pages. That is being super cheap considering I bought firepro returns a 20 dollar budget title and it had a nice manual. Now it is all about the buck except if you get a collectors edition:)

[alice_curiouser]

Another for DS.

I liked the Genesis cases, but the clear plastic (the part that covered the insert) always seemed to get brittle and crack - I haven't had that problem with DS cases so far. I ALWAYS cracked the Sega CD cases (and don't have any better luck with regular CD cases, come to think of it).

I'm obsessive about keeping all my games in plastic cases. NES used to drive me nuts. O.o

[MrSparkle]

us 32x boxes looked awesome imo

[heybtbm]

Standard CD jewel cases. Compact and easy to replace. The perfect disc packaging IMO.

[k8track]

I'm gonna have to go with Parker Bros.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Although I'm not a Sega Nut, I'd have to say the Master System and Genesis cases. Even modern DVD-Style cases are great. Most people threw away those old boxes anyway (which is a huge waste)... and the fact that modern cases are designed to be kept instead of opened and discarded, I'm sure is better for the environment.

[DeputyMoniker]

Cardboard boxes with carts inside. They're terrible for collecting but I miss them anyway.

[Lord Helmet]

I like CD Jewel cases for their size...but they tend to crack and break easily. I really like the DS cases. DVD cases would be in third place.

I love classic Atari boxes, but cardboard simply isn't sturdy enough.

[Sailorneorune]

For sturdiness, I love the DS cases and plastic Genesis boxes. Jewel cases (including and especially the oversized Saturn/early PS1 ones) are broken a little more easily than I would like, and sometimes even bubble wrap can't save them.

[CosmicMonkey]

Neo Geo Pocket Colour clam shell cases and AES snap-lock cases are great. The earlier AES cases aren't so great. Big Bear's Shock Boxes for MVS carts are great, and they fit PGM carts too, with the help of Mr. Stanley Knife.

Mega Drive and Master System cases are great too. I can never understand why Nintendo didn't take this approach with its packaging.

I really like PAL Dreamcast cases. None of mine ever broke and I find them to be a nice interesting design.

As a design, I really like the US Sega CD/Saturn cases. I think they look really good all lined up on the shelf. Just a pity that they're terribly fragile.

[BydoEmpire]

Personally the clear winner is the boxes for the SMS/Earlier Genesis games. They're built in such a solid manner, the art can stay safe relatively easily, and there are decent places to store everything.Agreed. It makes collecting for the SMS and Genny so much more fun because you can get stuff CIB a lot easier. And they look so great on the shelf. ;) I do like modern DVD cases, though, since they're a little slimmer, but this is the Classic Gaming forum...

I also liked the early EA "Album" style computer game packaging. That was pretty darn cool.

[sidnotcrazy]

I'm gonna have to go with Parker Bros.

Yeah, I loved those boxes. You are talking about the ones that open up like a board game right? I have a copy of Reactor on my shelf that has that type of packaging. Yet Parker Bros. didn’t seem to put all their games in this same type of box. I don’t know if it proved to be too expensive or what.

My favorites are the Sega Genesis, Neo Geo Pocket Color, and most notably right now the Nintendo DS and even the Sony PSP boxes. I do love the older game boxes, but they are just a pain to keep in good condition. The only thing I have found that helps is to use a comic book bag to seal them in, it works, and its cheap.

[kainemaxwell]

Seconded.

I've got a bunch of the old colored VCS box art all over my wall.


Got a pic?

[namzep]

I like switching disc based games (DC & PSX, mostly) to DVD cases and printing custom inserts for them. They look much better beside modern system games (PS2, XBox, GC, Wii) than the CD jewel cases and are less easy for me to break (stupid plastic nubs on CD cases that break, leaving the cover not really staying on).

[Julio III]

I like switching disc based games (DC & PSX, mostly) to DVD cases and printing custom inserts for them. They look much better beside modern system games (PS2, XBox, GC, Wii) than the CD jewel cases and are less easy for me to break (stupid plastic nubs on CD cases that break, leaving the cover not really staying on).

That sounds interesting. Have you got pictures of any of your custom game covers? Would be good to see some Dreamcast games to compare to the originals

[tom]

Yeah, I loved those boxes. You are talking about the ones that open up like a board game right? I have a copy of Reactor on my shelf that has that type of packaging. Yet Parker Bros. didn’t seem to put all their games in this same type of box. I don’t know if it proved to be too expensive or what.

My favorites are the Sega Genesis, Neo Geo Pocket Color, and most notably right now the Nintendo DS and even the Sony PSP boxes. I do love the older game boxes, but they are just a pain to keep in good condition. The only thing I have found that helps is to use a comic book bag to seal them in, it works, and its cheap.

Parker Bros did three types of boxes: open like a book, board game type, Atari type

[namzep]

That sounds interesting. Have you got pictures of any of your custom game covers? Would be good to see some Dreamcast games to compare to the originals
I don't actually make the custom covers. I get them from The Cover Project (http://www.thecoverproject.net/index.php). I just size and print them for DVD cases. I'll take some pictures of the cases I've done, so far, this weekend.

[MrSparkle]

from a longevity standpoint id say genesis cases just because theyre invincible and by far the easiest system to collect for cib though jewel cases come in a distant second just because they break so damned easily they are also incredibly easy to replace unless its a custom jewel case for multi cds

[k8track]

Yeah, I loved those boxes. You are talking about the ones that open up like a board game right? I have a copy of Reactor on my shelf that has that type of packaging. Yet Parker Bros. didn’t seem to put all their games in this same type of box. I don’t know if it proved to be too expensive or what.
Yep, the ones that had two parts, a lid and a bottom. Extremely study. But it was just the early ones. The later games switched to the cheaper, one-piece variety.

[Wolfrider31]

As far as durability, nothing beats the SMS/Genesis games with the plastic boxes.


Have to agree with you there. I just hate paper boxes in general. Anyone remember the big stink Game Players raised when Sega made the switch to cardboard boxes? There was an editorial on it and I remember the line, "For 70 dollars a cartridge games should come in a gold brick."

[Ando]

Gotta say, I agree will all the votes for DS cases. I love those things. Like tiny, tiny DVD cases.

I would say that my only problem with cardboard boxes isn't that the ruin easily (all of my cardboard boxes that I originally bought look just fine), it's that people don't really look at them as good storage and toss them all. And the manual. That's why it's a little hard being a CIB collector; finding CIB cardboard-package games is nuts compared to, say, the Genesis / Mega Drive.

[fishsandwich]

I've always liked the design of the European Dreamcast cases, you have room for a big manual and 2 game discs and the blue is nice. However, they are made out of such cheap plastic that they constantly break. Sigh

No kidding! I HATE European DC boxes. They look so nice... and break so easily. I once broke a case by merely opening it. And I was being GENTLE.

[Nescollector]

Genesis all the way (for old school) I remember throwing out 40+ nes boxes in perfect condition when I moved years ago, and before I started collecting. If those only were like the Sega's :)

[josekortez]

Call me crazy, but I say standard PlayStation and Dreamcast jewel cases. Easier to pack when moving and even easier to replace.

[Zap!]

Of the different types of console game packaging do you prefer?

I rather favor the oversize jewel cases that the Sega CD, Sega Saturn and a few of the very early Playstation 1 games used. Fairly easy to keep in order and easy to find individual titles, they also offered manuals that were easy to get in and out without damaging and unlike anything cardboard (most notably those absolutely wretched genesis cardboard boxes) they didn't damage very easily.


Your fave?

Sorry, but we're loving in the greatest age for gaming packaging ever. DVD cases are perfect. No ripped boxes, you can drop them and they won't break, they are rather small, and the instructions fit neatly. My collexction of Saturn games is in shambles because of broken cases. I'd estimate about 80% of them (and Turbo CD games) cracked or the hinge broke off. God, I NEVER want to go back to that nightmare.

[Wolfrider31]

I'm not sure if we're just talking classic, but since people mentioned the DS I'll throw this one out there. The PS3 cases. I know they look weird sitting next to all the standard DVD cases, but they're so minamalist its great. Just a small PS3 logo running down the side. Nothing to get in the way of the box art, and just simple neutral colors. Unlike the 360 with its monstrously ugly silver and bright neon green. God I hate those things.

[Dangerboy]

I know I'm in the minority on this, but everything should come in one of the following:
a. a Neo Geo Clamshell hard plastic case with fort knox lock
b. a Jewel Case
c. A combination of both.

The jewel case is, by the by, the most beautiful thing to ever happen to the game industry, epecially from an artist / graphic designer point of view. Case...but no pun...in point:

1. It offered designers 4 outlets for creativity: front manual, back manual, inside insert, back insert.

There was so many fun things you could do. Like NFS III - The manual back, insert front, and CD all created one giant image of a dashboard. Others used the clear tray to do some amusing things, like the one game where when you lifted the CD, it looked like there were characters squashed beneath it.

2. A Double jewel case *meant something*.

Maybe I'm being old fashioned, but between looking at a DVD case that has 3 DVDs, and a Double Jewel case with 3 CDs, I'd take the double jewel case because it stands out in a crowd of single jewel cases. Take the PSX library as a perfect example. So many phenominal RPGs came in Double Jewel cases, your eyes were practically trained to look for them when browsing a wall / dump bin. Not only that, but there was just something about opening that second back cover and seeing extra CDs, maps, etc that really made you want to play the game that much more.

3. Most easily replaceable. Try matching up DVD case colors, or just go buy a bulk load of clear jewel cases?

4. Enclosed environments for the insert / manual.

Unless it was opened, or a very freak accident, you could usually guarantee the safety of the manual and insert. DVD cases can allow so much to happen to the insert (sticker catches it, security steal catches it, liquids can spill into top / lower open area, etc).

5. If you scratched the jewel case, the manual was still fine. How many times have you seen a DVD case get punctured / scraped / cut and the insert died with it?

I love the jewel case. It's still the best. ^_^

[Rob2600]

4. Enclosed environments for the insert / manual.

Unless it was opened, or a very freak accident, you could usually guarantee the safety of the manual and insert. DVD cases can allow so much to happen to the insert (sticker catches it, security steal catches it, liquids can spill into top / lower open area, etc).

I love the jewel case. It's still the best. ^_^

That may be true, but what about removing the manual from the jewel case? The thicker the booklet, the more difficult it is to remove from the case, thus the more likely it is to get damaged sliding it in and out. I've always hated that about jewel cases.

[walrusmonger]

plus sometimes the teeth that hold the manual in damage the back of it.

I <3 PS3 cases like another poster said. They're solid, smaller and look great. After that I'll go with PS1/Dreamcast jewel cases (US), and finally DVD cases.

[koster]

3. Most easily replaceable. Try matching up DVD case colors, or just go buy a bulk load of clear jewel cases?
But those CD case inserts with the PSX logo (used in single-disc double-wide jewel cases like Legend of Legaia) are a bitch to find... :-/

[8bitgamer]

Of the different types of console game packaging do you prefer?

I rather favor the oversize jewel cases that the Sega CD, Sega Saturn and a few of the very early Playstation 1 games used. Fairly easy to keep in order and easy to find individual titles, they also offered manuals that were easy to get in and out without damaging and unlike anything cardboard (most notably those absolutely wretched genesis cardboard boxes) they didn't damage very easily.


Your fave?

I really like that design as well, though the cases were too fragile. I also like the Genesis and SMS design. Good, sturdy boxes.