Good Video Game Design Cover

Some games come with such a great bit of art on their covers, that they can become iconic in their own right. To create a list of the best video game box art of all time is just begging for challenges, as both an objective and — by default — subjective viewpoint comes into play with these selections.

Casting nostalgia and gameplay aside, these games were chosen because their cover art is timeless, iconic, and possibly worthy of wall art decorating.

10 Breath of the Wild

via: wccftech.com

Zelda box art stayed conservative (at least in North America) the first couple of decades. The logo, a shield, a sword, gold coloring, maybe some effects — Nintendo stayed consistent with the same general theme. Not until the Oracle games did they deviate, possibly at the influence of Capcom, the games' developer.

Picking the best is challenging, but composition-wise, the North American version of Breath of the Wild is truly striking. The familiar hero facing the world perspective is implemented here beautifully, showcasing the vast land of Hyrule before Link. Breath of the Wild had the grandest scale of any Zelda game to date, and the cover art hints at just a slice of what's to come, with Hyrule Castle cursed by Calamity Ganon's blight in the horizon.

9 Castlevania

In a case of epic movie poster style done right, the original Castlevania for Nintendo showcases a creepy and fantastic montage. The art is just fantastic, with the contrast of the green and red on the title; Dracula, ominously posed above his castle, grimacing as blood drips down his chin; and Simon Belmont, wielding his signature holy whip, approaches the keep. This art was used globally, albeit with slightly different placements for each region.

What didn't translate over was Japan's original title: Devil's Castle Dracula. In the end, Castlevania proved the more memorable of the nomenclature choices.

8 Doom

The designer for the original Doom cover was clearly hoping to elicit the idea of ripping and tearing through hell. Doom Guy — or Doom Slayer, whichever you prefer — is being overwhelmed by a hoard of demons. The imagery almost implies that this is his last stand. The cover, however, only showcases a modicum of the game's pixelated violence and gore; that is, unless you picked up the original Super Nintendo version.

The scene also inspired 2020's Doom Eternal, using a similar desperate battle scene of a seemingly doomed man pitted against the demonic forces of hell.

7 Final Fantasy 7

While crafting this list, many Final Fantasy covers come to mind, but Squaresoft's first 3D entry is something especially memorable. Close your eyes and imagine Final Fantasy 7's cover: whether the original release or the remake, the iconic image of Cloud Strife gazing up at the foreboding Shinra Building is sure to come to mind.

Facts You Never Knew About Midgar From Final Fantasy 7

Squaresoft used the same style for other characters' key art (including Aerith looking up at the Highwind, something that unfortunately doesn't occur in the original game). But as the game's main protagonist, it's fitting they utilized Cloud Strife facing the villain's lair. Well, the initial villain...

6 Katamari Damacy

Via: hardcoregamer.com

Katamari Damacy was a breakout hit that defied its publisher, then Namco's, expectations. The game's overall premise is cheekily portrayed on the cover art, showcasing a seemingly normal scene, with a larger-than-life Klump spirit having collected a vast array of objects. The concept itself is definitely unique, and for those unfamiliar with the gameplay, surely this cover art piqued interest in learning more.

More importantly — what's with the cows? Are they symbolic of aliens or of the relationship between the King of all Cosmos and the Prince or are they simply bystanders, confused as we all initially were with what's going on.

5 Kingdom Hearts

The art featured on Kingdom Hearts' cover is simple and clean, yet dreamily evocative of the journey Sora and his friends will undertake. Standing above what appears to be Traverse Town at night, Sora, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy all gaze upward, the heart-shaped moon aglow behind them. Riku contrasts the group, facing the other way, his head turned down.

The Most Iconic JRPG Protagonists, Ranked

Kingdom Hearts has one of those statement covers that garnered attention in stores based on its bold design choices. Squaresoft was most known for its RPGs, and this would be their first foray partnering with the brand juggernaut that is Disney in a more action-oriented format.

4 Metroid: Other M (Japanese version)

Let's not discuss the hot topic that is Metroid: Other M as a game. Let us absolutely discuss the beautiful Japanese cover design of this contentious Metroid title.

Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Samus And Metroid

While the North American version opted for a montage scene including Samus with that atrocious shag haircut and Samus in the Varia Suit, the Japanese version employed a red slip cover for the Varia Suit, which envelops the green Nintendo Wii case in a gorgeous helmet sleeve. Why Nintendo of America opted for the more Hollywood-style cover, we may never know.

3 Street Fighter 2

On Street Fighter 2's cover, Blanka, balled up in his signature rolling attack, is seemingly hurdling toward Chun Li with trash cans and crates strewn about. In his wake, an injured Ryu is sprawled across the image's foreground.

While you can only play one-versus-one in Street Fighter 2, the implication of street fighting is inherent; the fact that it's part of a World Championship devised by M. Bison to aid his global domination is definitely more obscure.

2 Super Mario Bros. 3

Not only is Super Mario Bros. 3 box art one of the best from the Mario series, but it's also a statement piece from its era. One single character, front and center, on a solid-colored background, below the title's text treatment. It seems simple enough, but every design choice brings about a gorgeous, harmonious composition. The use of bold, primary colors is especially unique — the yellow complementing the blues and reds of the logo and Mario.

Its predecessor, Super Mario Bros. 2, used a more muted version of primary colors to lesser effect. Interestingly enough, the title screen in-game utilizes a different logo treatment, with a logo that would become the standard for Super Mario World and Super Mario All-Stars.

1 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Like much of the other box art featured in this list, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate comes from a series of memorable cover designs. With that in mind, it's fitting to choose the one with the qualifier "ultimate." This box art is symbolically the ultimate battlefield — the final destination, if you will — of all Smash games.

Boasting 89 playable characters spanning dozens of first- and third-party games, the extended version of the box art actually contains every single character, although with different placements. While the box art itself never changed, every time a new fighter was revealed, they were introduced to the larger panoramic image. We may never see a fighting game — or a cover design and its expansion — as ambitious as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate again.

Final Fantasy: Ranking Every Main Entry Box Art From Worst To Best

Someone Has Already Beaten Skyrim With Just A Fishing Rod

A feat only a true Dovahkiin could pull off.