Worst cover art

[Mr.Platypus]

I have a special affinity for really terrible games. I really love the bad dialogue in Last battle, or the embarrassingly low quality music found in Colour Dreams games. Is anyone else into this? Anyway, I thought it might be fun to showcase some of the worst game artwork in my collection.
The first game I have to show you is an Atari 2600 cart called "Earth Attack". I was excited to have found it because I was sure I didn't have it already, and it looked really weird. As it turns out it's really the Zeller's version of "Defender". But it's not all bad, because the artwork is more amusing than anything else. I mean there's so much thats plain wrong with this picture. Where shall I begin? There's the terribly distorted arms, the sailor with the pants, the stork with the sack of bombs... Who let this get through quality control? The most fascinating thing about this pic for me, is the various round things at his feet. My theory is that the artist was told to draw some buttons, like futuristic firing buttons or something, but the artist thought they meant garment buttons, and so drew those instead on the floor. oh my goodness.
Anyways I would love to see what other bad artwork is out there. Whats your worst?

[Zebbe]

I like that artwork! Surrealistic art usually looks like that, so the wrong things you mentioned were supposed to be there, I think.

This game is great, and its updated artwork too, but not this one:

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/beggarprince-cover.jpg

What is wrong?
*Both Genesis/Mega Drive logos
*They aren't centered
*Black grid pattern has too big squares, wrong grey colour and is generally laid out wrong.
*Beggar Prince logo looks cheap, has too dark colours
*Mixes CG with handdrawn art, which ALWAYS looks bad
*The art doesn't simulate something that happens in the game; you fight that enemy in a completely different place
*Best weapon, worst "armour" and shoes? Doesn't mix very good.

[Mr.Platypus]

I hadn't considered that they were aiming to be surreal. I accept the possibility, but I am still going to suspect they were just being sloppy. I mean, there's no point in doing surrealist art if you're just going to come off looking laughably bad. And a deeper question: Can we ever know what they were really aiming for?

I've never seen "Beggar Prince" out there. I will have to try it. I agree with your assessment of the art though. It's strikes me as looking really cheap. What bugs me the most is the character's rope belt dangling between his legs, and the socks pooled around his ankles. This is really bad. Bravo sir!

I'd like to show you another game I have. Here's my theory: The poor artist hadn't a clue what wrestling looked like, and had to ask what a headlock was. They were told: "It's when the guy has his head squished in the crook of his elbow", and so the artist did his best to imagine what that might look like. Honestly, how else can you explain this?

[theChad]

Aw..should've expected Pro Wrestling would have already been posted by the time I got here.

[Sonicwolf]

That SMS wrestling cover art is demented looking.

[jacrough]

http://www.mobygames.com/images/covers/large/1104774873-00.jpg

[Vectorman0]

http://www.mobygames.com/images/covers/large/1104774873-00.jpg

Cue Kitsune Sniper appearance in 3...2...1...

[Kitsune Sniper]

I actually wanted to make a comment about Zebbe's criticism of Beggar Prince's cover art a few hours ago, but blah.

[Vlcice]

Mr.Platypus:

Pro Wrestling is bizarre, but I don't think you can really bring up terrible SMS cover art without doing F-16 Fighting Falcon.

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/5851/f16fightingfalconcardf.jpg

I mean, technically it shows exactly what you're getting, but I have no idea what they were thinking when they printed this.

[Zing]

Hahaha. What the hell? Is that for real?

[Famidrive-16]

http://www.juegomania.org/Karnaaj+Rally/fotos/gbadvance/0/235_c/Caratula+Karnaaj+Rally.jpg

[tubeway]

Gentlemen, I have fixed the artwork for F16 Fighting Falcon.

http://www.tubeway.org/infinitefalcon.jpg

[tubeway]

The Earth Attack artwork reminded me of a scene from American Psycho....

http://www.tubeway.org/earthattackpsycho.jpg

[Atarileaf]

All those Zellers Atari carts look like they were hand drawn by school kids.

[obesolete]

http://www.collectorz.com/connect/blog/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/blog-mega-man.jpg

What

The

Fuck

If i had a choice to play this game from the cover art as a child... I think i would choose caveman games instead. =\

Is it just me or do the artists not even play the game?
Look at those legs
look at that helmet that isn't even centered on his head!
argh! i can't look at it anymore =(

[k8track]

There are all kinds of gloriously horrible examples of box art in this thread:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=110978

But it's such a great topic that it is justified to revisit it now and again. (Maybe a merge would be in order?)

If you like bad album cover art as well, check this out...
http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/worst-album-covers

...though I don't remember if I honestly stumbled upon it on my own or found it through a link posted here on the forums.

[Zebbe]

I actually wanted to make a comment about Zebbe's criticism of Beggar Prince's cover art a few hours ago, but blah.

Come on, do it. If you said A, you must say B :).

[Diosoth]

Ghost Lion for NES. The protagonist is a 12-year old girl in a pink dress. The box shows an adult woman, albeit flat-chested, in 80s workout clothes and typical 80s hair.

Id also rank most SMS boxes. Boring white with a rid pattern and an image tossed on as an afterthought. Forget Nintendo's dominance, Sega really didn't try to make the SMS look good.

[Oobgarm]

http://kidfenris.com/features.html

Kid Fenris has a nice bunch of bad boxart, complete with insightful commentary.

[sav127]

Gentlemen, I have fixed the artwork for F16 Fighting Falcon.

http://www.tubeway.org/infinitefalcon.jpg

absolutely amazing.... I love it

Reminds me of that scene in Airplane 2 when Lloyd Bridges comes back and slumps over the counter and says "Things sure have changed around here"

http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/uploads/image/lloyd_bridges_airplane_new.jpeg

[Push Upstairs]

I like the "improved" F-16 Falcon cover. LOL

[Kitsune Sniper]

Come on, do it. If you said A, you must say B :).

Fine.

* There's nothing wrong with the cover having both Genesis and Mega Drive logos; the game WAS compatible with all regions.

* Maybe the logos were centered when they were designed, but they didn't come out right after they went to print (it happens!)

* Now you're just being anal about the Genny-style black background. :P

* That's the actual in-game logo, and I've seen some other cover art that had that same issue.

* Looks totally retro 1992 to me, so it's cool.

* The art also looks retro 1992 -- what you see in the cover art doesn't happen in the game! (I guess?)

* He's a BEGGAR, he can't afford armor!

(Disclaimer: I've never played the game, nor intend to, but seriously, give the guy a fucking break here!)

[Zebbe]

@Kitsune Sniper

* There's nothing wrong with the cover having both Genesis and Mega Drive logos; the game WAS compatible with all regions.

> So is my Phantasy Star II, but it doesn't say Genesis anyway. It would have been better with one Genesis cover and one Mega Drive cover. There is the PAL/NTSC compatible logo there too, by the way...

* Maybe the logos were centered when they were designed, but they didn't come out right after they went to print (it happens!)

> It is still a problem, but it was fixed for the updated art.

* Now you're just being anal about the Genny-style black background. :P

> No, I love that black background, but it looks bad here and not true to the original. But like above, it was fixed with the updated art.

* That's the actual in-game logo, and I've seen some other cover art that had that same issue.

> Like above; looks perfect on new art.

* Looks totally retro 1992 to me, so it's cool.
* The art also looks retro 1992 -- what you see in the cover art doesn't happen in the game! (I guess?)

> It looks cheap homebrew 2006 to me.

* He's a BEGGAR, he can't afford armor!

> He CAN still find the best weapon of the game in a dungeon, then he should be able to find the best armour too, or just any armour!

(Disclaimer: I've never played the game, nor intend to, but seriously, give the guy a fucking break here!)

> OK. But aren't getting one :D.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Now you're just being a troll about it. :P

[Graham Mitchell]

@OP: I too have a passion for shitty classic games....specifically NES games. In a time where Super Mario Brothers existed, how the hell did Super Pitfall get unleashed upon the world?

[slapdash]

If you like bad album cover art as well, check this out...
http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/worst-album-covers

Haha... I drew one of those covers, for my college band. :-)

[Famidrive-16]

Haha... I drew one of those covers, for my college band. :-)

Wild guess: Dethkorpz

[slapdash]

Got it one, Mr. Garibaldi. :-)

[j_factor]

http://www.imageurlhost.com/images/ol3hcf1y7cwoq0tbq9ok.jpg