Five favorites: Japanese Nintendo 64 box art

Another Friday, another post devoted to five of my favorite pieces of box art. (Don't worry, I'm not planning to devote every Friday post to this subject, but I am going to focus on it for at least a few more.)

Anyway, this week's write-up will be a Nintendo 64-centric affair, with the first selection being one of my all-time favorite titles (for any system):

Dobutsu no Mori--Don't let the "scan" above fool you: in person, Doubutsu no Mori's cover art is pretty darn appealing. That's mainly because it looks like a postcard, complete with stamps. The logo is a rather nice addition, too, though, as is the appearance of the one and only K.K. Slider in the lower-left corner.

Mario Story--Oh, look, another of my all-time favorite games. How funny that both were made for the sometimes-software-starved Nintendo 64. Anyway, is it just me or does this piece of box art (for the Japanese version of Paper Mario) resemble a pin that you'd wear on your lapel?

Sin and Punishment--Full disclosure: I think I'd like this game's cover imagery even more than I do now if that second logo (along the left edge) weren't mucking up the proceedings. Oh, well, it's still all sorts of fabulous thanks to the sketchy (in a good way) illustration that serves as its centerpiece and its futuristic logo.

Yuke Yuke!! Trouble Makers--Would Mischief Makers (this game's North American name) have sold more if its packaging had looked more like the above? I'm not sure, but it certainly couldn't have hurt. Oh, well, at least those of us who care for such things can pick up a copy of the Japanese version and then stare at it to our hearts' content should we so desire.

Zelda no Densetsu Toki no Ocarina--Of all the pieces of box art showcased in this post, I think this is my favorite. I love its simplicity and elegance and even drama--fitting, considering all of the same words could be used to describe the contents of the cartridge packed inside.

See also: previous 'five favorites' posts

Additional proof that I have awesome readers

A few months ago, I mentioned (OK, whined) in this post that I was sad that the copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that I pulled from my childhood closet while home for Christmas was "sans boîte," as the French might say. (Sans boîte = without box, basically.)

Enter The Gay Gamer reader "sharc," who wrote in the comments section of that post: "Pretty sure I have a box for Ocarnia of Time sitting around somewhere. Gotta double check first, but you'd be welcome to take it. Encouraged, even."

After sharc and I exchanged e-mails on the subject, I promptly and rather surprisingly forgot about it. Until a few days ago, that is, when the box in the photo below arrived on my doorstep.



Please note the superb condition of said box. The reason it's in such great condition is that sharc packaged and shipped it with so much care that my usually cold and cynical heart (OK, that's somewhat, but not entirely, overstating things) nearly melted.

As you can see, the box and cartridge are getting along famously--despite the fact that they met just minutes before the photo above was snapped. Anyway, thank you, sharc, for making this, er, peculiar love affair possible!

From the back of my boyhood closet, part two

Remember how I mentioned in this post that some of the game-related treasures I pulled from my boyhood closet (while staying with my parents this past Christmas) surprised me while others brought a smile to my face thanks to the fond memories I have of them?

Well, the "find" seen in the photo below--the Nintendo 64 system that I received as a birthday present far too many years ago--falls squarely into the latter category.

One reason I have such fond memories of Nintendo's third console is that it was so uniquely--some would say strangely--designed and constructed. That bump on the top and those "wings" on the sides signaled to gamers of the day that this system was unlike any that came before it. (Its Batwing-shaped controller, which I also own but which isn't pictured below, suggested a similar changing of the gaming guard.)



Another reason the warm feeling of nostalgia washes over me whenever I think about the Nintendo 64: Despite its technical shortcomings, the system was home to a bevy of awesome games.

Speaking of which, I pulled more than just a still-in-great-shape Nintendo 64 system from my childhood closet a few months ago; I also pulled a pair of my favorite Nintendo 64 games from that cluttered space. One of those games, Paper Mario, can be seen in the photo above, while the second is none other than The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Sadly, I couldn't find the boxes that originally housed these games. I was able to find a rather crumpled manual for Paper Mario, though, so all of my digging wasn't completely without merit.

See also: Previous 'from the back of my boyhood closet' posts

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D edition)

I didn't realize until a few days ago that the art that will grace the cover of the Japanese version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D will differ from what will appear on the North American version of the game.

In case you haven't seen it, here's the Japanese cover art:

And here's its North American counterpart:

This 3D-enabled update of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will hit the streets in Japan on June 16, by the way. North American 3DS owners will be able to buy the game three days later.

As for which illustration I prefer, well, I'm going to go with the North American iteration this time. The piece of art chosen for the Japanese release is undeniably beautiful, but I think the North American image works better as a cover. (Minus the rather lame "playable in 2D and 3D" reminder, of course.)

See also: Previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts