Why do I bring that up? Because I want you to understand at least a bit of why I'm so drawn to Barcelona-based and Sega-obsessed (or so it seems) artist Vandrell's digital illustrations--beyond the fact that they're drop-dead gorgeous, I mean.
Here (and here), for instance, is a piece he created to honor Sega's earliest "Mario killer," Alex Kidd:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzasMZLtcsuGn5cJvRQ9s1h7b-d2Tlifxzrxxm6UxeqLs_q3wJ4Z1TP9tqdlEQGUR1whCESfoGmeMFo1NZnWYzCE8NwIEiidPYzCYk8toC8Dbvs0E3aa77U7Mwcobpo0VquOPsdw/s400/2012_rgkc_08_alexkidd_by_vandrell-d58x764.jpg)
And here is a piece that pays respect to Namco's 16-bit shoot 'em up, Burning Force:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqUu-Q1wrUnyTLAFT-US1vJedgja7LojzlinpVKCjE1s84D_p_ojDeD8euZIHhTjK8Q8tKEeTDWAdRE2EJUVkPo2yx9aFlM3ctSoUHaZSx60PQji40iI13-EaUzRWYZ3ZF_QwOA/s400/2012_rgkc_10_burningforce_by_vandrell-d5cv41l.jpg)
The classic brawler Golden Axe gets the "Vandrell treatment" in the following concoction:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5osU8m45qymnkw4cpgGhtuOrJR-pygXWGvPIBipAYdYBJ8TVuhL9YUdLqEa79Y9sh-SgfVHzesRehzUewf_PwtRgOkMXs80Z8af3ljLd3_eSO7vtJeacolBiXUAMfZxLHSH2-LQ/s400/2013_golden_axe_by_vandrell-d65gqac.jpg)
While Telenet Japan's Valis series gets a well-deserved nod in this one:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGxECe5dO16uK4WuEcGJ1qvOnWP6DKww6pMmuH8XyElCQb-O7FxoVccPl7jy8fX_b7EnheCyuwSrIVpAzCAflTwzg1yVf6uUhqGHNpw0YHi1Z2PkEAPN9993ZyFqqtz_h4qACsA/s400/2012_rgkc_09_valis_by_vandrell-d58x9ml.jpg)
If you're looking for something even better and more fabulous, by the way, be sure to check out Vandrell's blog, which features, among other things, a number of mock-ups that turn the illustrations above into full-fledged Sega Mega Drive (aka Genesis) box arts.