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.
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.
152 Games
129 Comments
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.
also shout out to de blob 2 on the ds, looks awful
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
Being invaluable sources for peer-aggregated sites while also (accidentally) subjugating everyone the lamest boxart for each individual release onto said sites
Sometimes I feel as if it's accidental, but the more I have to add the less I feel it is...
"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
More came up now :) if you want to add them its MM8 and & Bass
Jesus Christ when did they ruin the box arts for all the Mega Man GB games they were fine just a few days ago
@BlazingWaters how are the TMDB boxart bad? I've noticed they're always pretty great, do you have a better source for boxarts
x7...
And with that addition every Mega Man X game is now on the list
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
Street Fighter Alpha 3 just got cucked by changing it to the "fighters edge" format I'm gonna hurl
Added that in, thanks for letting me know
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
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
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
i think they should change their logo to something like this to make it more accurate lmao
https://imgur.com/a/4g8dUhC
Finally got around to updating the list, added in the Sonic suggestions + Pilotwings & Star Fox.
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
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.
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. "
"Hi there we will keep our cover as its the original NA version which is preferred on IGDB thank you. "
Sounds like IGDB alright...
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
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
Added Dragon Quarter, also removed Azure for the time being (cover was changed back) and added God Hand.
Props to you for this list
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
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.
Defenders of Oasis
https://cdromance.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/48486_front.jpg
https://cdromance.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/48486_front.jpg
Added, thanks!
ogre battle 64
Drax
1 year ago