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

[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