Favorite PCE cover art?

[NoSexGex]

I'm curious to see some other PCE cover arts that the community likes! Is there any cover art that really stand out?

Browsing through there's so many amazing artworks, but these ones really stood out to me. As well I threw in some SMG covers i really like as well to make you guys turn your head 

[Digi.k]

japanese boxart for this game is the best.

[ccovell]

I was always partial to Gomola Speed


Others, too, I'm sure.  I prefer action, landscape scenery, cool Escheresque imagery, rather than just well-drawn Anime faces.

[TheClash603]

I don't believe anyone who responds with anything other than Ai Cho Aniki.

[NoSexGex]

I don't believe anyone who responds with anything other than Ai Cho Aniki.

Wow, definitely not disappointed seeing those art works

[Arkhan Asylum]

Kung Fu


hellyeah.

and THISSSSSS


but, yeah, Brandish and Cadash are pretty tight.

[esteban]

I was always partial to Gomola Speed http://www.pcengine.co.uk/Images-Covers/COVER-Gomola_Speed.jpg

Others, too, I'm sure.  I prefer action, landscape scenery, cool Escheresque imagery, rather than just well-drawn Anime faces.

I never made this public, only shared it here at pcefx a few times:

https://archives.tg-16.com/01_tg16_gomola_speed_wallpaper_PC_iPhone.htm

[



...but, this was when resolution for mobile was really lame.

8-9 years makes a difference.




Back on topic:

 

 

I wrote about this years ago, but I can't find my old post to copy....

The reason why Vigilante is a favorite is not because the artwork is "amazing"...it's the sheer brutality that is captured in a fantastic composition that harkens back to the imagery I associate strongly with Dario Argento:

Eyes
Knife
Mouth-muted
Piercing, vulnerable eyes
Piercing, blade
Omnipotent fist

If ever there was a video game cover composition that illustrates the physical/emotional/social/political politics of gender, this is it.

Obviously, the discussion of gender has expanded far beyond this image, but for late-80's, or even today, it is still pretty poignant.

We still sexualize and stylize violence in art/film, etc. etc. we still rely on the tired cliches and tropes.

I think the Vigilante cover was inspired by the slasher/horror/thriller film genre and the tone is pretty intense for a children's PCE game.

Context is important. In the late 1980's, the mainstream gamer was not commonly acknowledged to be anything beyond 8-16 year old boys.

Lots of video game covers have tried to show terror, but the compositions were closer in spirit to 1950's horror/Godzilla films with "screaming people"...

...none have the intensity of the seemingly goofy Vigilante cover.

Composition: A+ This could easily have been too "busy" and distracting. I love that a few key elements remain the focus: eyes, blade, mute-by-fist


Artwork: OK. appropriate for a kid's video game...I don't think it would have been approved if it were grittier/more realistic... the artwork softens the brutality...slightly, and makes it even more effective at disturbing me.

Flaws: Depending on how you view it, you might feel that  the eyes are "dead" and lifeless (and therefore not effectively communicating "terror")...but I could argue that this makes the message even stronger: She is already a casualty/she is already dead. There is no life left. Even if she were immediately released, the damage has been done. She will never be the same. That's the true horror—we failed before we even began.

Sorry, Madonna. We failed before hitting the RUN button.

[NecroPhile]

Gotzendiener - fuck yeah, princess kickass!
Necromancer - cool Geiger artwork
Nemurenu Yoru No Chisana Ohanashi - simple but sweet
Exile: Wicked Phenomenon - weird and somewhat creepy clay diorama
New Zealand Story - because it's super cute
Ballistix - for Judas Priest
Basted - because dat ass.

[Sarumaru]

Here are a few covers to some PCE games I got in my teens. These were also artistically influential to me as I've always tried to draw in a similar style.

[gheebee]

(so much better than the US release...)

[NoSexGex]

japanese boxart for this game is the best.

That artwork really stands out from the rest of the xbox 360 library i see. But i'm pretty detached from more modern video games, so maybe that type of artwork is more common for JPN 360 games?

I bet this was painted by water colours too, which make it even more authentic.

I was always partial to Gomola Speed

Reminds me of the cover art for paranoia, but i'm probably just being shallow because there's eyeballs in both pictures.

The reason why Vigilante is a favorite is not because the artwork is "amazing"...it's the sheer brutality that is captured in a fantastic composition that harkens back to the imagery I associate strongly with Dario Argento:

It REALLY stands out of the library. Everything about it is so offensive, i agree with your analysis. It's too bad the NA release got a subpar cover art compared to this. There's just something about it that makes my eyes draw to it.

Here are a few covers to some PCE games I got in my teens. These were also artistically influential to me as I've always tried to draw in a similar style.

Wow thanks for sharing, i've never seen the JPN cover for ShockMan before, i actually just played it co-op with a friend of mine. After we found out it was 2player haha.

Without knowing much about animation, I love that 90's look to them. There's just something about them! Sometimes even when the turbros come over we'll put something on like cyber city police. It's very aesthetically pleasing. Wether it's nostalgia or preference, in a group setting its favorable to watch something with this style.
All your pictures have that actually, which i agree are fantastic. and makes sense why Henshin would have stuff like this as an influence.

and THISSSSSS

SHADOW FALCON(m)

Gotzendiener - fuck yeah, princess kickass!
Necromancer - cool Geiger artwork
Nemurenu Yoru No Chisana Ohanashi - simple but sweet
Exile: Wicked Phenomenon - weird and somewhat creepy clay diorama
New Zealand Story - because it's super cute
Ballistix - for Judas Priest
Basted - because dat ass.

Good picks (and pics), i like the variety here. I don't think there's one "best" universal cover art. But there's some that do their job better than others perhaps

I'm checking out Nemurenu Yoru No Chisana Ohanashi when i get home too btw, thanks!

[PukeSter]

[gojira1954]

some of my favs

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slightly off topic but yeah the vigilante art is great, very much of the 80s gore era ;)
The maniac movie art is kind of similar?

/s61wg9.jpg

[xcrement5x]

Awesome thread!  I love scrolling through these.  I hope we don't kill Paul's bandwidth though, I've tried to link otherwise where I can.

A couple cool ones that I haven't seen show up yet:

Eternl City:


Burning Angels:


And of course...

[exodus]

Download - interesting colors, kind of a mosaic thing going on


Moto Roader 2 - I like the chunky anime era, and the machines look great


Fiend Hunter - I think the simplicity of it, plus the use of negative space is real good


Record of Lodoss War - you'd never see someone just take a full anime cell looking image like this and put it on the cover. It just uses all the space, which I think is great.


Red alert - all those 80s action movie vibes let you know exactly what you're getting into


Gate of thunder - I'm a sucker for these clearly penciled/illustrated covers with giant machines on them


I could probably go on forever!

[Digi.k]

[NecroPhile]

Those PCE Bonks collages are awesome.

[NoSexGex]

Splatter house, PUNCH THOSE SNAKES RIGHT IN THE FACE

[TR0N]

[kosko99]

I like the Rastan Saga 2 cover:



Classic games covers are pretty damn good haha

[NoSexGex]

Sylphila!! Yes i forgot about that one

[Gredler]

I like the Rastan Saga 2 cover:

can you edit your post so we can see the full image? it's cut off by the page margines
you can use

bracket img width=500 bracket image link bracket img bracket

[jtucci31]

Never played it.


Also completely agree with Luke, all 3 Bonk JP covers are WAY better than the NA ones. That's part of the reason why I sold my NA ones and bought the JP trilogy of games.

[kosko99]

I like the Rastan Saga 2 cover:

can you edit your post so we can see the full image? it's cut off by the page margines
you can use

bracket img width=500 bracket image link bracket img bracket

Years surfing forums and I didn't know I could do that 
I did edit my post =) thanks a lot for the help

[Dicer]

I love this cover

[NoSexGex]

I love this cover

a MUCH more appropriate cover art than the NA release

Feels like it captures the goofiness much better, or maybe the colour yellow just brings that out more in this cover

[nopepper]

Some of my favorites have already been posted: Gradius, Download, Gate of Thunder, Side Arms and Cadash.

But here's another one I love.



I also love how all of the above's (sans GoT) graphics look in the HuCard itself, especially when inserted into a Coregrafx.

[Psycho Punch]

If ever there was a video game cover composition that illustrates the physical/emotional/social/political politics of gender, this is it.

Obviously, the discussion of gender has expanded far beyond this image, but for late-80's, or even today, it is still pretty poignant.

We still sexualize and stylize violence in art/film, etc. etc. we still rely on the tired cliches and tropes.

I think the Tokimeki Memorial cover was inspired by the romantic manga genre and the tone is pretty intense for a children's PCE game.

Context is important. In the late 1980's, the mainstream gamer was not commonly acknowledged to be anything beyond 20-40 year old otaku.

Lots of video game covers have tried to show love, but the compositions were closer in spirit to a VHS cassette sold behind the counter...

...none have the intensity of the seemingly goofy Tokimeki cover. Political politics of gender.

[Psycho Punch]

Seriously. Psygnosis raised the bar so damn high that I'm glad that a very little portion of their library has touched the PCE. They were the first company to justify paying a premium for a game in a market saturated widely pirated and heavily discounted crappy games.

How can you look at something like "Awesome" or "Barbarian" alongside regular looking PC boxes and not get your dick hard straight away? There were actual artists employed in making stunning cover arts and I think that a lot of Psygnosis releases still don't have any decent competition in regards to the package art. They basically managed to transfer all qualities of say, a Roger Dean composition simply by association, even if the games inside the boxes fell short in comparison.



Granted this is not one of their best cover arts but it still is awesome, esp. compared to the other NEC software sharing the same shelf space (dungeon explorer lol). Shadow of the beast is a better example but that was already posted.

[pixeljunkie]

really cool thread

I love these games - they are the embodiment of 90's anime




Burning Angels as well



Blood Gear



I was obsessed with the art on this game when it came out

[Winniez]

For me the favourit has to be Salamander, although not specific for PC-Engine. The cover looks both menacing and inviting simultaneously, and it looks almost like its alive. Its also very universal, besides the text it doesn't look japanese, western etc.

[geise]

[NoSexGex]

Very much like

Someone had to post

[geise]

My post was also no joke.  Keep it simple yet have it's own style.  Makes it say a lot about the game.

[NoSexGex]

My post was also no joke.  Keep it simple yet have it's own style.  Makes it say a lot about the game.

I liked all of yours, i've never played the last one though. Although i've seen it sell for quite a bit

[esteban]

My post was also no joke.  Keep it simple yet have it's own style.  Makes it say a lot about the game.

I liked all of yours, i've never played the last one though. Although i've seen it sell for quite a bit

Oh, absolutely.

Graphic art is certainly about elegant design...you don't need generic anime characters to have bold, elegant design.

Bomberman and Bazzy are excellent choices.

So is the the diorama with the dildo.

[geise]

So is the the diorama with the dildo.

You know it!