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.

Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve
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
Mega Man Legends
Mega Man Legends
https://imgur.com/GHomdRq
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
Why did they change the Super Famicom page to the 2015 iOS release lol
Dragon Quest V: Tenkuu no Hanayome
Dragon Quest V: Tenkuu no Hanayome
A new page for Dragon Quest V specifically for the Super Famicom and only for the Super Famicom
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies
https://imgur.com/a/djasUqI
Breath of Fire III
Breath of Fire III
https://imgur.com/a/r6UhNNg
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
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
Pilotwings
Pilotwings
Low quality scan from IGDB, here's the original: https://www.mobygames.com/images/covers/l/24153-pilotwings-snes-front-cover.jpg
Star Fox
Star Fox
Degraded the US box art with borders, here's the JPN box art for a different comparison: https://images.nintendolife.com/a1e655ebf6688/jp.large.jpg
SpookWare
SpookWare
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
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero
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.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
This has the box art for PC/console versions, not the GBA version, which is basically a separate game. See here
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139...
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139...
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/OnMAAOSwKqJgRUpW/s-l500.jpg
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
https://i.imgur.com/9sN1oun.jpeg
Ikaruga
Ikaruga
Who made a separate page for the ports...
Rayman 2: The Great Escape
Rayman 2: The Great Escape
They also split Rayman 2 into a bunch of different pages for all the ports/versions so here's a standin
The Legend of Heroes: Zero no Kiseki
The Legend of Heroes: Zero no Kiseki
Got split up from the original page, now labeled as a remaster titled Trails From Zero released in 2020
Soukyuu Guren-tai
Soukyuu Guren-tai
I'm told there are three different pages of Soukyuu Gurentai, though I was only able to find two separate pages; here's the main page.
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
The actual art on Steam looks like this
Kirby: Squeak Squad
Kirby: Squeak Squad
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
Blinx: The Time Sweeper
Blinx: The Time Sweeper
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/518ZWQPP0ZL.SY445.jpg
Bust-A-Move 2: Arcade Edition
Bust-A-Move 2: Arcade Edition
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
Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer
Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer
https://mysterydungeonwiki.com/w/images/thumb/a/a6/Mystery_Dungeon_-Shiren_the_Wanderer_DS_Japanese_cover_art.jpg/250px-Mystery_Dungeon-_Shiren_the_Wanderer_DS_Japanese_cover_art.jpg

129 Comments


1 year ago

Nier Replicant and Automata

1 year ago

List has been updated to include more recent changes like Super Metroid, Persona 3, Nier Automata, Nier Replicant, etc

1 year ago

looks like someone fucked up the super metroid box art for no good reason

1 year ago

Yup, someone else alerted me about the box art change not too long ago, so it should be on the list now!

1 year ago

Thanks zeno, just updated that in.

1 year ago

Ok, but I honestly don't understand, why they hate the original game's vision so much? Damn, most of these boxes are literally memes nowadays

1 year ago

this site getting updated to let us actually choose which version of the boxart we see cant come soon enough

1 year ago

Dawn of Sorrow got me lol.

1 year ago

Thank you North America

1 year ago

Project Justice

1 year ago

Yup, I can confirm that Project Justice's box art has in fact been changed lmao

Updated the list alongside a few other box arts like Demon's Crest, Dead or Alive, Resident Evil 6, Phantasy Star II, etc

1 year ago

They did my boy Mega Man so wrong so many times. Nice list idea!

1 year ago

Drax they done did it to ridge racer type 4…….

1 year ago

Aww man that was a nice two months without any big updates...

Thanks for letting me know, I've added it in

1 year ago

recently did my best to convince them that faxanadu should have its original box art since its logo match what you see on the title screen and fits in along with those of xanadu, xanadu next, etc. i mean, apart from it just being so much cooler... no dice, of course. such a bozo show over there

1 year ago

Street fighter 3 third strike and Arcana heart 1, 2, and 3

1 year ago

As the person who did the R4 change, it was corrected to the original North American box art as IGDB's contribution guidelines stipulate is preferred. The one everyone likes so much is a fanmade random piece of art with no relation to any physical or digital release of the game in any region. I don't like the NA box art either (not that it's that bad) and would love the JP art instead but that's on Backloggd, not IGDB. The data exists already, it just needs to be implemented here.

1 year ago

I destroyed the Gaiares artwork out of spite.
The Phalanx box art is kino it speaks to my soul

1 year ago

dunno whether y'all know this or not, but if you go to the site's roadmap you can vote on up to 5 features you'd like to see added... personalized box art has shockingly few compared to other much less important ones. you know what to do.

1 year ago

praying that Prog adds changeable box arts for backers this year 🤞

1 year ago

oh the ffxii one hurts
i can fix this best i can... sobs

1 year ago

Pocky & Rocky 2 (https://e.snmc.io/lk/n/x/3baa1e9e69708c39f7aa72b5f1a27353/5274751)
Tales of the Abyss (https://www.igdb.com/games/tales-of-the-abyss/changes/960377)

also no one at igdb noticed Pocky & Rocky 1 yet

1 year ago

igdb talkin a lot about standards for a site that does nothing about the same game having several different pages

11 months ago

Potentially this doesn't fit as the boxart changed was from EU to US, but I was definitely sad to see We Love Katamari's entry amended from this (https://images.igdb.com/igdb/image/upload/t_original/co2h7j.png) to the shape madness that is the US cover.

11 months ago

@tangysphere: It fits the purpose of the list, so I'll throw it in, thanks!

8 months ago

@HelplessTitan: Added Marvel vs Capcom 2 to the list, thanks!


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