Games where IGDB ruined the box art

Look what they did to my boy.

This is a collection of games that have "better" box art with different regional releases (often the original Japanese release, for instance) but since IGDB is very focused on using Western Box Art, there's a very noticeable change when the box art is replaced. I'm not actually certain if all of these games originally had the Japanese Box Art over the Western Box Art for the record (or sometimes even PAL Box Art), so this is more or less a list of the fad in general.

Obviously this is a very subjective list, so suggestions will happily be taken. Looking for some great discourse here. Bonus points if you include a link to the original (better) box art, I'll link to it via notes. See here for some broader examples.

UPDATE: Thanks to Pangburn, we now have a better understanding of the games in this list that were actually a victim of IGDB's more controversial box art changing edits. They have been moved and sorted to the front of this list. Everything after Metal Gear Solid does not appear to have been a direct victim, but have been included as an example of this trope and are here for your viewing pleasure.

Less egregious than the others on this list though the color sat is strange, also slightly different placing of Aya

https://imgur.com/a/PD1Vyg5
https://images.igdb.com/igdb/image/upload/t_original/co3bb5.png

Note that igdb also split the page into its previous original release on PSP/PC and into the "remaster" being released this September.
Back on the list for another round because IGDB's done it again!

Originally looked like this (PAL): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cf/Castlevania_SOTN_PAL.jpg
ANGERY EYEBROWS

(not going to list every Kirby release since this is more or less the trope within a series)

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/kirby/images/9/9b/KSqSq_Boxart_J.jpg

Unrated

Why did they change the Super Famicom page to the 2015 iOS release lol

Unrated

Who made a separate page for the ports...

Unrated

The old page was supposed to be for the original itch.io version, which has now been changed to the Steam logo, an entirely different game.

Old itch.io box art: https://images.igdb.com/igdb/image/upload/t_original/co2jrc.png

Unrated

Couldn't find a perfect Japanese counterpart to this horrific masterpiece but here's the closest I could find: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/bubblebobble/images/7/7d/BAM2EX.jpg/revision/latest/top-crop/width/360/height/450?cb=20140710215930

Unrated

JPN Box Art: http://www.boxequalsart.com/draculaxxbig.jpg

(Also known as Vampire's Kiss)

Unrated

Separate page for the DS version

Unrated

A new page for Dragon Quest V specifically for the Super Famicom and only for the Super Famicom

Unrated

The actual art on Steam looks like this

129 Comments


1 year ago

Updated with all the Mega Man games, at this point the whole series will be on the list lmao

1 year ago

If you're including Ikaruga then you should also put Rayman 2 on here, which had each and every version broken up into different pages.

1 year ago

also shout out to de blob 2 on the ds, looks awful

1 year ago

Added in one of the Rayman 2 pages as a stand-in for what's going on
IGDB 🤝 The Movie DB

Being invaluable sources for peer-aggregated sites while also (accidentally) subjugating everyone the lamest boxart for each individual release onto said sites

1 year ago

Sometimes I feel as if it's accidental, but the more I have to add the less I feel it is...

1 year ago

"Updated with all the Mega Man games, at this point the whole series will be on the list lmao"

More came up now :) if you want to add them its MM8 and & Bass

1 year ago

Jesus Christ when did they ruin the box arts for all the Mega Man GB games they were fine just a few days ago

1 year ago

@BlazingWaters how are the TMDB boxart bad? I've noticed they're always pretty great, do you have a better source for boxarts

1 year ago

x7...

1 year ago

And with that addition every Mega Man X game is now on the list

1 year ago

X8 isn't here but i'd say it shouldn't be here since it's just using the art in the box art with a beter background

1 year ago

Street Fighter Alpha 3 just got cucked by changing it to the "fighters edge" format I'm gonna hurl

1 year ago

Added that in, thanks for letting me know

1 year ago

Honestly, almost all of classic Sonic deserves to be here. lol Sega USA even had the audacity to copypaste the same art from the character's face in ALL of the US boxarts.

The japanese boxarts:
Sonic 1: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/1/11/S1JPfront.jpg
Sonic 1 (8-bit): https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/3/35/Sonic-8-Bit-Game-Gear-JP-Box-Art.png
Sonic 2: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/f/f2/Sonic-the-Hedgehog-2-8-Bit-Game-Gear-Box-Art-JP.png
Sonic 2 (8-bit): https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/f/f2/Sonic-the-Hedgehog-2-8-Bit-Game-Gear-Box-Art-JP.png
Sonic 3: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/1/1c/Sonic-the-Hedgehog-3-Japanese-Cover.jpg
Sonic & Knuckles: The only one that the boxarts are the same, therefore the only one with a good US art. lol
Sonic Chaos, known as Sonic & Tails in Japan: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/d/d9/Sonic-%26-Tails-Japanese-Boxart.png
Sonic Triple Trouble, known as Sonic & Tails 2 in Japan: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/f/f5/S%26T2Box.jpg
Sonic Spinball: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/0/08/Sonic-Spinball-%28japanese%29.png
Sonic 3D Blast, known as Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island in Japan: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/a/af/Sonic_3D_Flickies%27_Island_Saturn_JP.jpg
Sonic Blast, known as G Sonic in Japan: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/3/3d/G-Sonic-Box-Art-JP.png
Sonic Labyrinth has the same boxart in US and Japan, but the PAL boxart (whick miracolously is the one IGDB is using right now) is the better one: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/f/f5/Sonic_Labyrinth_EU.jpg/

From the Saturn onwards the boxart is almost always pretty much the same worldwide, so that's it, I guess. =P

1 year ago

Lately they've been fucking up A LOT of cover, like Pilotwings and Star Fox, just adding some awful looking borders to low quality cover scans.
i think they should change their logo to something like this to make it more accurate lmao
https://imgur.com/a/4g8dUhC

1 year ago

Finally got around to updating the list, added in the Sonic suggestions + Pilotwings & Star Fox.

1 year ago

i think rondo it’s ok that way, and the japanese cover of dracula x it’s vampire kiss
there are 3 different versions of soukyuu gurentai due to ports

1 year ago

Updated the list to add in Spookware, Trails From Zero, Trails to Azure, and Dracula X, as well as the one extra page I could find of Soukyuu Gurentai.

1 year ago

I tried to change back the Mega Man ones, received this response from the admins:
"Hi there we will keep our cover as its the original NA version which is preferred on IGDB thank you. "

1 year ago

Sounds like IGDB alright...

1 year ago

breath of fire: dragon quarter
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/bof5-cover-jp.jpg
i think there was a better crop of this up on igdb at one point

also bof3, kinda, though the better cover ended up being used for the psp port

1 year ago

Added Dragon Quarter, also removed Azure for the time being (cover was changed back) and added God Hand.

1 year ago

Props to you for this list

1 year ago

Knowing their rulings now for it, being US only covers still stings. Tried to change the silent hill 3 cover a while ago but got recently denied which sucks

1 year ago

Thanks, I'm just happy to help out wherever possible. Their NA box art policy definitely is not helping and would definitely fix almost all of this overnight.

1 year ago

Added, thanks!

1 year ago

ogre battle 64


Last updated: