Truthfully, I probably could publish five or even 10 posts about Super Famicom cover art, but I think two are plenty for now.
Anyway, as the header above states, here are five more of my favorite pieces of Super Famicom box art.
Gaia Gensouki--No joke: I'd actually like this particular piece of cover art more if the characters in the sky were removed and then replaced by the game's logo. That said, I'm pretty fond of it as is. This one was called Illusion of Gaia in North America and Illusion of Time in Australia and Europe, by the way. (Above scan was nabbed from the always fabulous gamengai.com, by the way.)
Rudra no Hihou--Talk about dramatic! I like every element of Rudra no Hihou's kaleidoscopic box art--especially the angrily orange backdrop (complete with a devilish pair of eyes). I also like the character designs, which aren't your typical JRPG fare.
Kiki Kaikai: Tukiyozoushi--This one's kind of a mess at first glance, but let things sink in a bit and you'll likely look at it as I do: as a near-masterpiece in the realm of Super Famicom box art. If only the protagonist's eyes were less freaky. Oh, well, it's still completely wonderful even with their presence.
Septentrion--The only Super Famicom game included in this post that I've yet to actually play in some form or fashion. I'm strongly considering it now, though, thanks to its striking cover art. I especially like the font the folks at developer (and publisher, in Japan) Human Entertainment used for its logo.
Super Mario World--If there's a piece of Super Famicom box art that can be called "iconic," it's the one seen above. (True story: I regularly attempted to recreate the central illustration using pencil and paper as a teen.) And what a brilliant idea to surround everything in bright orange and yellow, don't you think?
A few other contenders: Cotton 100%, Dark Half, Marvelous, Mother 2, Pop'n TwinBee, Romancing SaGa 3, Star Fox, Tales of Phantasia, Tenchi Sozouzou and Yoshi's Island
forgot japan numbered that as smb4. maybe smb5 will make people buy a wii u, whatever that is :)
ReplyDeleteI'm shocked Nintendo never released a SMB5. Maybe they're holding off on it until they're completely desperate--which would be right about now, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteNever heard of Rudra no Hihou but I like that box and right away it just says: RPG - play me! Of course, back then (and even now) among my favorite game types. :)6
ReplyDeleteAh, you should check out Rudra no Hihou sometime, Chalgyr. It was made by the folks at Square and features a really interesting magic system. Also, it has an English fan translation, so it's completely playable even if you don't know Japanese!
ReplyDeleteI always wanted to play Rudra's Treasure and have had the ROM for years but never got around to it!
ReplyDeleteI beat Illusion of Gaia when I was a kid but just found out recently that Hagio Moto, one of the most important figures in girl's manga and the boys love genre, did the character designs! :O
I remember seeing Septentrion/SOS in Nintendo Power and I watched the Game Center CX episode featuring it and it looks really tough! lol
Which for me? Would be a must. I like to joke that my only languages are English and Really Bad English - but if it's translated out, that could be cool. I feel like I missed out on a ton of really good RPG and strategy games over the years due to lack of localization.
ReplyDeleteAlso - on an unrelated note: Happy New Year!
Well, then, Chalgyr, go check out the fan translation of this game when you have a chance!
ReplyDeleteAlso, happy new year to you, too :)
I started playing the fan translation of Rudra a few years ago, Marty, but as is too often the case, it fell by the wayside at some point for one reason or another.
ReplyDeleteAs for Illusion of Gaia, I honestly can't remember if I've ever played it. I have a memory of renting it at least once back in the day, but I can't remember anything about the game :|
Finally, you're not the only person to suggest Septentrion is a tough game--a few other folks on Twitter have suggested the same. I'm scared!
I love the box art for Septentrion too. I`ve never played it either and I know nothing about the game except for its cover art. I saw it in a glass showcase at Mandarake once and I remember it just really caught my eye. Unfortunately it is an expensive one, I think they wanted about $100 or so for a CIB one. If I collected SFC stuff, I would be tempted!!
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm amazed it goes for that much, Sean. Maybe it was released late in the life of the SF and as a result it's rare? Or maybe it just wasn't released in very large numbers? Regardless, kind of a bummer--although I'm glad, in a way, that it makes actually buying a copy of the game a bit less appealing (because, really, the last thing I need right now is to start collecting SF games again).
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