Japanese artist information from BOX=ART

[OVGA Database 30]

Japanese artist information from BOX=ART

 

BOX=ART (B=A) separated its research into regions: Americas, Europe, and Japan. OVGA has reviewed this information and will publish B=A’s research by region as three separate threads in the Artist Appreciation section of OVGA’s forums. OVGA has only lightly edited this information and has not expanded artist catalogs, some of which may be incomplete. Artists already included in OVGA’s Artist database have been removed from B=A’s data and will not be repeated below. 

 

While OVGA has largely consolidated the contributions of American and European digital artists into a separate consolidated thread, as several Japanese artists below worked both traditionally and digitally, OVGA has left all of the Japanese artist information in this single thread.

 

Japanese

 

Akemi Takada –

Digital Comic Patlabor: Chapter of Griffon | Riverhill Soft | 1993 | PC Engine.

Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes II | Nihon Falcom | 1992 | FM Towns, PC-98, PC Engine, Super Famicom.

Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes II | Sega | 1995 | Mega Drive.

Eien no Filena | Tokuma Shoten | 1995 | Super Famicom.

Kidō Keisatsu Patlabor | Interbec | 1994 | Super Famicom.

 

Akihiko Yoshida – 

Braverly Default: Flying Fairy | Square Enix | 2012 | 3DS.

Braverly Default: For the Sequal | Square Enix | 2013 | 3DS.

Braverly Second: End Layer | Square Enix | 2015 | JPN/ NA ver. | 3DS.

Braverly Second: End Layer | Square Enix | 2016 | EU ver. | 3DS.

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (Limited Edition) | Square Enix | 2017 | PS4.

Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn | Square Enix | 2010 | JPN ver. | PS3, PS4.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions | Square Enix | 2007 | Sony PSP.

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light | Square Enix | 2009 | JPN ver. | Nintendo DS.

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light | Square Enix | 2010 | EU/ NA ver. | Nintendo DS.

NieR: Automata | Square Enix | 2017 | EU/ NA ver. | PS4, Windows, Xbox ONE.

NieR: Automata | Square Enix | 2017 | JPN ver. | PS4

Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen | Quest | 1993 | Super Famicom.

Wild Card | Squaresoft | 2001 | WonderSwan.

Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together | Square Enix | 2010 | PSP.

Vagrant Story (ベイグラントストーリー) | Squaresoft | 2000 | PS1.

 

http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Akihiko_Yoshida

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihiko_Yoshida

 

Akihiro Kimura – 

Alshark | Polydor K.K | 1993 | Sega CD.

Alshark | Right Stuff Corp. | 1991 | PC-98, X68000.

Alshark | Right Stuff Corp. | 1993 | FM Towns.

Alshark | Victor Entertainment | 1994 | PC Engine CD.

Alnam no Kiba: Jūzoku Jūnishinto Densetsu | Right Stuff Corp. | 1994 | PC Engine.

Emerald Dragon | Basho House | 1989 | PC-88, PC-98.

Emerald Dragon | Glodia | 1990 | MSX, X68000.

Emerald Dragon | Glodia | 1992 | FM Towns.

Emerald Dragon | Media Works | 1995 | Super Famicom.

Emerald Dragon | NEC | 1994 | PC Engine CD.

Fiend Hunter | Right Stuff Corp. | 1993 | PC Engine.

 

Akikazu Mizuno –  

Phantasy Star Online | Sega | 2000 | Dreamcast.

Phantasy Star Online | Sega | 2001 | Windows.

Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II | Sega | 2002 | GameCube.

Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II | Sega | 2002 | Xbox.

Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution | Sega | 2004 | Gamecube.

Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2 | Sega | 2001 | EU/ JPN ver. | Dreamcast.

Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2 | Sega | 2001 | NA ver. | Dreamcast.

Phantasy Star Portable | Sega | 2008 | JPN ver. | PSP.

Phantasy Star Portable | Sega | 2009 | EU/ NA ver. | PSP.

Sega Ages 2500: Vol.1 - Phantasy Star: Generation: 1 | 3D Ages | 2003 | PS2.

Sega Ages 2500: Vol.17 - Phantasy Star: Generation: 2 | Sega | 2005 | PS2.

 

Akihiro Yamada – 

Ancient Magic - Bazū! Mahō Sekai | Hot B | 1993 | Super Famicom.

Black Rainbow | Hobby Japan | 1990 | PC-98.

Black Rainbow II | Hobby Japan | 1992 | PC-98.

 

Castlevania: Dracula XX (Vampire’s Kiss) | Konami | 1994 | EU/ JPN ver. | SNES, Super Famicom.

Castlevania: Dracula XX would nestle between two distinct periods of the series’ artistic direction. Before, Konami had the Belmonts as brawling and anglicized, and their box art’s reminiscing 1980’s action movie posters (Castlevania/ II/ III, Super Castlevania IV, Castlevania X68000 and the Game Boy series).  After, saw Ayami Kojima’s delicate, effeminate and fine art take on horror, starting with Castlevania: The Symphony of the Night. Akihiro Yamada artwork would bridge these two periods with his unique style of heavy inking combined with pastel tones, retaining the muscle-bound hero but giving the cover art a more distinct Japanese-anime look. 

Dracula XX would see an international release in the form of Castlevania: Vampire’s Kiss and with artwork intact, (the EU and NA box arts being the most sought after in the series) but unfortunately due to the SNES’s landscape box dimensions much of Akihiro’s portrait original would be cropped.

 

Ex-Lander - Aoki Monshou no Kishidan | Micro Vision | 1993 | PC-98.

Front Mission 3 | Squaresoft | 1999 | PS1.

Might and Magic | NEC Avenue | 1992 | PC Engine.

Might and Magic III: Isles of Terror | Hudson Soft | 1993 | PC Engine.

Milandra | ASCII Corp | 1997 | Super Famicom.

Mystic Arc | Enix Corp | 1995 | Super Famicom.

Mystic Arc: Maboroshi Gekijo | Enix Corp | 1999 | PS1.

RPG Tsukuru 95 | ASCII Corp | 1997 | Windows.

Saiyuki : Journey West | Koei | 1999 | PS1.

Sānguó Qúnxiá Zhuàn | Softworld | 2002 | Windows.

Shinkai Densetsu Meremanoid | XING | 1999 | PS1.

Shippu Mahō Daisakusen: Kingdom Grandprix | Gaga Communications | 1996 | Saturn.

Terra Phantastica | Sega | 1996 | Saturn.

Wizardry I-II | Naxat | 1993 | PC Engine.

Wizardry III-IV | Naxat | 1994 | PC Engine.

Wǔlín Qúnxiá Zhuàn | Softworld | 2001 | Windows.

 

Akira Komeda – 

Burai Gekan - Kanketsu Hen | Riverhill Soft | 1990 | FM-Towns, MSX, PC-98.

Casablanca: Ni ai o Satsujin-sha wa jikū o Koete | Thinking Rabbit | 1986 | FM-7, PC-88, PC-98, X-1.

Dōkeshi Satsujin Jiken | Thinking Rabbit | 1985 | PC-98, X68000.

Dōkeshi Satsujin Jiken | Riverhill Soft | 1997 | PS1, Saturn.

Getsu Fūma Den | Konami | 1987 | Famicom.

Illvanian no Shiro : Ruins of Illvanian | Nippon Clary Business | 1994 | Super Famicom.

Jack Las Vegas Renzoku Satsujin | Takeru | 1988 | PC-88.

Jikū Yūden Debias | Namco | 1987 | Famicom.

Kogane no Rashinban | Thinking Rabbit | 1990 | PC-98.

Kohakushoku no Yuigon | Thinking Rabbit| 1996 | Windows.

Madeleine: Naki ōjo no Tame no Pavane | Thinking Rabbit | 1987 | PC-88, X-1. 

Man I Love, The | Thinking Rabbit | 1987 | PC-88.

Might and Magic Book II | Elite Systems Ltd. | 1993 | Super Famicom.

Phantasie III: The Wrath of Nikademus | Starcraft Inc | 1988 | JPN ver. | PC-88, PC-98, X-1, X68000.

Princess Minerva | Riverhill Soft | 1992 | PC-98.

Rogue Alliance | Starcraft Inc | 1989 | MSX, PC-88, PC-98, Sharp X1, X68000.

 

Akira Nishimura - 

Gradius II (グラディウスII GOFERの野望) | Konami | 1988 | Famicom, PC Engine, Sony PSP, X68000.

Gradius II is at present Nishimura’s only known box art. It’s vibrant use of colour would be a profound statement after the cooler shades found on the original Gradius cover. The art design is based upon the opening level.

 

Akira Toriyama – 

The highly revered mangaka started his box art career bringing his mega hit manga Dragon Ball to the Famicom in 1986.  From a purely video game perspective through, it was his debut cover art Dragon Quest (also 1986) that bought the illustrator a new legion of Japanese fans and began a art legacy that is still going strong today. He has gone on to be character designer for Enix’s epic RPG series for pretty much every iteration - main series and spin offs over the past three decades.

Outside of Dragon Quest the artist had a high profile collaboration with Microsoft and it’s Blue Dragon series (2006-2010) and Square with Chrono Trigger (1995).

Akira’s style of art is instantly recognisable. Early covers are simple in design with chibi characters looking rather goofy and in positions that seem out of place for them.  They are often accompanied with towering beasts (dragons usually) that although fierce are somewhat comedic. 

Later covers, around the PS1 era onwards, characters take on a slightly more mature look and are drawn with greater detail and shading.

 

Blue Dragon | Microsoft | 2006 | EU/ JPN ver. | Xbox 360.

Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow | D3Publisher of America | 2010.

Blue Dragon Plus | Ignition Entertainment | 2009.

Chrono Trigger | Square | 1995 | EU/ JPN ver. | Nintendo DS, PS1, Super Famicom.

Chrono Trigger | Squaresoft | 1995 | NA ver. | Nintendo DS, SNES.

Dragon Ball: Mystery of Shenron | Bandai Co | 1986 | Famicom, NES.

Dragon Ball 3: Gokūden | Bandai Co | 1989 | Famicom.

Dragon Ball 3: Gokūden | Bandai Co | 2003 | WonderSwan Color.

Dragon Quest | Enix Corp | 1986 | JPN ver. | Famicom.

Dragon Quest: Shōnen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon | Square Enix | 2006 | PS2.

Dragon Quest I & II | Enix Corp | 1993 | JPN ver. | Super Famicom.

Dragon Quest I & II | Enix Corp | 1999 | Game Boy Color.

Dragon Quest II | Enix Corp | 1987 | JPN ver. | Famicom.

Dragon Quest III | Enix Corp | 1988 | JPN ver. | Famicom.

Dragon Quest III | Enix Corp | 2000  | Game Boy Color.

Dragon Quest IV | Enix Corp | 1990 | JPN ver. | Famicom.

Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen | Square Enix | 2007 | Nintendo DS.

Dragon Quest IV: Michibikareshi Monotachi | Enix Corp | 1999 | PS1.

Dragon Quest V: Tenku no Hanayome | Enix Corp | 1992 | JPN ver. | Super Famicom. 

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride | Square Enix | 2004 | PS2.

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride | Square Enix | 2008 | JPN ver. | Nintendo DS.

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride | Square Enix | 2009 | NA  ver. | Nintendo DS.

Dragon Quest VI: Maboroashi no Daichi | Enix Corp | 1995 | Super Famicom.

Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation | Square Enix | 2010 | Nintendo DS.

Dragon Quest VII | Enix Corp | 2000 | PS1.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King | Square Enix | 2004 | PS2.

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Sky | Square Enix | 2009 | JPN ver. | Nintendo DS.

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Sky | Nintendo | 2010 | EU/ NA ver. | Nintendo DS.

Dragon Quest X: Awakening of the Five Tribes – ver. 1 | Square Enix | 2012 | Nintendo Wii, PS4, Windows.

Dragon Quest X: Awakening of the Five Tribes – ver. 2 | Square Enix | 2013 | Nintendo Wii, PS4, Windows.

Dragon Quest X: Awakening of the Five Tribes – ver. 3 | Square Enix | 2015 | Nintendo Wii, PS4, Windows.

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age | Square Enix | 2017 | PS4.

Dragon Quest Builders | Square Enix | 2016 | EU/ JPN ver. | Nintendo Switch, PS3, PS4, PS Vita.

Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko no Daibōken 3 – Fushigi no Dungeon | Enix | 2002 | Game Boy Advance.

Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime | Square Enix | 2006 | Nintendo DS.

Dragon Quest Monsters | Enix Corp | 1998 | JPN ver. | Game Boy Color.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart | Enix Corp | 2003 | Game Boy Advance.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland 3D | Square Enix | 2012 | 3DS.

Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Cobi’s Journey | Enix | 2001 | NA ver. | Game Boy Color.

Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru's Adventure | Enix | JPN ver. | Game Boy Color.

Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru and Luca's Marvellous Mysterious Key | Square Enix | 2001 | Game Boy Color.

Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Ruka's Journey | Enix | 2001 | JPN ver. | Game Boy Color.

Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Tara’s Adventure | Enix | 2001 | NA ver. | Game Boy Color.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker | Square Enix | 2006 | Nintendo DS.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 | Square Enix | 2010 | Nintendo DS.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3 | Square Enix | 2016 | 3DS.

Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors | Square Enix | 2008 | Nintendo Wii.

Tobal No. 1 | Square | 1996 | JPN ver. | PS1.

Torneko no Daibouken: Fushigi no Dungeon | Chunsoft | 1993 | Super Famicom.

World of Dragon Warrior: Torneko – The Last Hope | Enix Corp | 2001 | Game Boy Advance.

 

Akira Watanabe – 

Bahamut Lagoon | Squaresoft | 1996 | Super Famicom.

Base Loaded 3 | Jaleco Ltd | 1990 | JPN ver. | Famicom. 

Battle Unit Zeoth | Jaleco Ltd | 1990 | Game Boy.

Buggy Run | Sega Enterprise Ltd. | 1993 | Master System.

F-1 Live Information | Sega Enterprise Ltd. | 1995 | Saturn.

Gale Racer | Sega Enterprise Ltd. | 1991 | Saturn.

OutRun | Sega Enterprise Ltd. | 1987 | Game Gear (EU, NA ver), Genesis, Mega Drive (EU ver), MSX (JPN ver), Sega Mark III. 

OutRun | Sega Enterprise Ltd. | 1990 | JPN ver. | Game Gear, Mega Drive, PC Engine, Saturn.

OutRun 2019 | Sega Enterprise Ltd. | 1993 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

OutRunners | Sega Enterprise Ltd. | 1993 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

Pengo | Sega Enterprise Ltd. | 1990.

Pro Yakyū GG League | Sega Enterprise Ltd. | 1991 | Mega CD.

Project F: F1 Team Simulation | Shin Nihon Laser Soft Co. Ltd | 1991 | Saturn.

 

Sonic the Hedgehog (ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ) | Sega Enterprise Ltd. | 1991 | EU/ JPN ver. | Game Gear, Master System, Mega Drive.

Akira would take Sonic character designer Naoto Ohima’s sketches and produce one of Japan’s iconic box art designs of the 1990’s. Sonic would take clues from American characters such as Mickey Mouse, whilst the background’s pop art look would fit within the period’s popular culture, aping the likes of MTV’s graphic design.

The JPN Game Gear cover would reuse Akira’s character art, as did Europe’s Mega Drive and Master System box arts. Europe also has the distinction of enjoying Akira’s character art before native Japan got the chance to, with the EU Mega Drive version releasing a month before Japan’s  - a rather unusual situation.

 

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Sega Enterprise Ltd. | 1992 | JPN ver.

Super E.D.F. | Jaleco Ltd | 1991 | JPN ver. | Super Famicom.

Taisen Mahjong Hao-Pai | Sega Enterprise Ltd. | 1990.

Touge Max 2 | Atlus | 1998.

Touge 3  | Atlus | 2001.

Turbo OutRun | Sega Enterprise Ltd. | 1992 | EU/ JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

 

Akira “Akiman” Yasuda – 

1942 | Capcom | 1986 | MSX, NES.

Captain Commando | Capcom | 1995 | JPN ver. | PS1, Super Famicom.

 

Final Fight (ファイナルファイト) | Capcom | 1992 | Sega CD, X68000.

Originally this piece was the promotional artwork for the 1989 arcade game.

 

Forgotten Worlds | Capcom | 1989 | Genesis, Mega Drive.

Kidou Senshi Gundam: Giren no Yabou - Axis no Kyoui V | Bandai | 2009 | PS2, Sony PSP.

Magic Sword | Capcom | 1992 | JPN ver. | Super Famicom.

Marvel Super Heroes | Capcom | 1997 | JPN ver. | PS1, Saturn.

Mystery Dungeon Shrien the Wanderer | Sega | 2006 | JPN ver. | Nintendo DS.

Side Arms Hyper Dyne | Go! Media Holdings | 1988 | Amiga, PC Engine, ZX Spectrum.

Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness | Square Enix | 2016 | PS4.

 

Street Fighter II (ストリートファイターⅡ) | Capcom | 1991 | JPN ver. | Super Famicom.

The debut Street Fighter II series box art. Designed by lead designer Akira “Akiman” Yasuda who would also be responsible for the in-game character art. 

The box art was the same used for the previous years arcade promotional artwork, and was exclusive to Japan and the Super Famicom - much to the annoyance of some at Capcom of America who believed Akiman’s character art would have resonated with North American’s.

Akiman’s characterisation would be the basis for all other iterations of the ‘World Warriors’ over the coming years.

The artist would reminisce in Capcom Illustrations: GAMEST MooK Vol.17 the following, “I began painting this over my New Year’s vacation in my rural hometown (Hokkaido!). For some reason, I couldn’t find much time to work on it at our offices. My overall concept for this poster was “Street Fighter: THE ULTIMATE EDITION!” When the designers started creating the characters for Street Fighter II, I had a presentiment that this was going to be an amazing game; I wanted my poster to live up to the same quality, and I was very enthusiastic about it. So enthusiastic I put that planet in the background! I find it kind of charming.”

 

Street Fighter III 3rd Strike: Fight for the Future (Limited Edition) | Capcom | 2004 | PS2.

Street Fighter Alpha 3 | Capcom | 2000 | JPN ver. | Dreamcast.

Super Street Fighter II | Capcom | 1994 | JPN ver. | X68000.

X-Men: Children of the Atom | Capcom | 1995 | JPN ver. | Saturn.

 

Bengus (CRMK) (Holy Homerun) – 

Capcom Beat ‘em up Collection | Capcom | 

Capcom’s Marvel Super Heroes | Capcom | 1997 | JPN ver. | PS1, Saturn.

Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors | Capcom | 1996 | PS1.

 

Fighting Street (ストリートファイター Sutorīto Faitā) | Hudson Soft | 1988 | PC Engine, Turbo Grafx.

Debut box art for the Street Fighter series. It would introduce the Ryu character who would be subsequently depicted on the majority of Street Fighter related covers.

The Turbografx version would ship with the Japanese PC Engine cover art intact. This decision would be uncommon for the time and is an early example of eastern art supporting a North American format.

As with many box arts from the 80’s it would take clues from the original japanese arcade flyer, but for a more direct representation see Street Fighter for DOS. Europe’s home computer box arts would eschew any Japanese references and instead produce a unique box art in line with 80’s beat ‘em up cover arts such as Renegade.

Final Fight 3 | Capcom | 1995 | JPN ver. | Super Famicom.

Gunspike | Capcom | 2000 | JPN ver. | Dreamcast. 

Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter | Capcom | 1998 | EU ver. | PS1.

Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter | Capcom | 1998 | JPN ver. | PS1, Saturn.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes | Capcom | 1999 | Dreamcast, PS1.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes | Capcom | 2000 | EU/ JPN ver. | Dreamcast.

Night Warriors: Darkstalkers’ Revenge | Capcom | 1996 | JPN ver. | Saturn.

Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein | Capcom | 2000 | EU ver. | Dreamcast. 

Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein | Capcom | 2000 | NA ver. | Dreamcast. 

Power Stone | Capcom | 1999 | JPN/ NA ver. | Dreamcast.

Power Stone | Capcom | 1999 | EU ver. | Dreamcast.

Power Stone 2 | Capcom | 2000 | EU ver. | Dreamcast.

Power Stone 2 | Capcom | 2000 | JPN ver. | Dreamcast.

Power Stone Collection | Capcom | 2006 | Sony PSP.

Star Gladiator 2: Nightmare of Bilstein | Capcom | 1999 | JPN ver. | Dreamcast.

Street Fighter V: Vital Box | Capcom | 2016 | PS4.

Street Fighter: Alpha - Anthology | Capcom | 2006 | PS2.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo X | Matsushita Electric Corp of America | 1994 | NA ver. | 3DO.

 

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers (ウルトラストリートファイターII ザ・ファイナルチャレンジャーズ) | Capcom | 2017 | Nintendo Switch.

To mark the return of Street Fighter II Capcom would turn to box artist Bengus - who had produced the very first series cover art, Fighting Street (Hudson Software, 1988) - for a deliberate throw-back design. 

The artist would base the piece on a previous poster that he produced to promote Super Street Fighter II in 1993, combining series hallmarks such as an angled birds eye view, Ryu taking point and a cluttered assemble.  Original promotion piece.

 

X-Men vs. Street Fighter | Capcom | 1998 | PS1, Saturn.

 

Dai-Chan – 

Darkstalkers 3 | Capcom | 1998 | EU/ NA ver. | PS1.

Resident Evil 2 | Capcom | 1998 | EU/ NA ver. | Dreamcast, GameCube, Nintendo 64, PS1, Windows. 

Resident Evil: Survivor | Capcom | 2000 | NA ver. | PS1.

Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors’ Dreams | Capcom | 2000 | JPN/ NA ver. | by Dai-Chan | Game Boy Color, Windows.

Street Fighter Alpha 2 | Capcom | 1996 | by Dai-Chan | PS1, Saturn (EU/ NA ver), Super Famicom, SNES, Windows.

 

Daigo Ikeno – 

Street Fighter III 3rd Strike: Fight for the Future | Capcom | 2004 | PS2.

Street Fighter III 3rd Strike: Fight for the Future | Capcom | 2000 | EU/ NA ver. | Dreamcast.

Street Fighter III 3rd Strike: Fight for the Future | Capcom | 2000 | JPN ver. | Dreamcast. 

Street Fighter IV | Capcom | 2009 | PS3, Windows, Xbox 360.

Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition | Capcom | 2011 | PS3, Windows, Xbox 360.

Street Fighter IV: Collectors Edition | Capcom | 2009 | PS3, Xbox 360.

Street Fighter Alpha 3 | Capcom | 2002 | JPN ver. | Game Boy Advance.

Street Fighter Alpha 3 | Capcom | 2006 | JPN ver. | Sony PSP.

Street Fighter: Anniversary Collection | Capcom | 2004 | PS2, Xbox.

Street Fighter EX3 | Capcom | 2000 | JPN ver. | PS2.

Super Puzzle Fighter II | Capcom | 1996 | JPN ver. | PS1, Saturn.

Super Street Fighter IV | Capcom | 2010 | EU/ JPN ver. | PS3, Xbox 360.

Super Street Fighter IV | Capcom | 2010 | NA ver. | PS3, Xbox 360.

Super Street Fighter IV | Capcom | 2011 | 3DS.

Ultra Street Fighter IV  | Capcom | 2014 | PS3, Windows, Xbox 360.

Vampire: Darkstalkers Collection | Capcom | 2005 | PS2.

 

Edayan – 

Project Justice | Capcom | 2000 | JPN ver. | Dreamcast.

Project Justice | Capcom | 2001 | EU/ NA ver. | Dreamcast.

Rival Schools | Capcom | 1998 | EU ver. | PS1.

Rival Schools | Capcom | 1998 | JPN ver. | PS1.

Rival Schools | Capcom | 1998 | NA ver. | PS1.

Shiritsu Justice Gakuen: Nekketsu Seishun Nikki 2 | Capcom | 1999 | PS1.

Street Fighter Alpha 2 | Capcom | 1996 | JPN ver. | Saturn.

Street Fighter Alpha 3 | Capcom | 1998 | EU/ NA ver. | Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance.

Street Fighter Alpha 3 | Capcom | 1998 | JPN ver. | PS1.

Street Fighter EX Plus α | Capcom | 1997 | JPN ver. | PS1.

Street Fighter EX2 Plus | Capcom | 2000. | JPN ver. | PS1.

Super Street Fighter II: Turbo Revival | Capcom | 2001 | Game Boy Advance.

 

Fumito Ueda – 

ICO (イコ) | Sony Computer Entertainment | 2001 | EU/ JPN ver. | PS2, PS3.

The acclaimed ICO would be a jewel in SCE’s crown and it’s box art a complimentary masterpiece in minimalism. Director and lead designer, Fumito Ueda would take inspiration from Giorgio de Chirico’s, The Nostalgia of the Infinite, stating “… I thought the surrealistic world of de Chirico matched the allegorical world of Ico”. It would certainly match the game’s mood more so than its in-game artistic direction, with the sense of grand architecture isolating - but far from engulfing - companions Ico and Yorda.

The North American cover art would be designed by artist Gregory Harsh. It would be used due to Fumito’s original not being ready for Ico’s American release date. The later European release opted for the Japanese original.

 

HaruMaru – 

Street Fighter Alpha 3 | Capcom | 1999 | Saturn.

Strider 2 (ストライダー飛竜１＆２)  | Capcom | 2000 | JPN ver. | PS1.

“Strider 2 came 10 years after the first game, and perhaps because of the pressure of living up to the prequel, the artist (Harumaru) really fretted over the pose and layout of this illustration. It has a lot of dynamic movement overall, but there are some problems with the composition. If only he’d had a little more time…” via Shoei in Capcom Illustrations: GAMEST MooK Vol.17.

Strider 2 | Capcom | 2000 | EU/ NA ver. | PS1.

 

Haruhiko Mikimoto – 

Aisle Lord | Wolf Team | 1992 | Mega/ Sega CD.

Chō Jikū Yōsai Macross 2036 | Masaya | 1992 | PC Engine.

Chō Jikū Yōsai Macross: Ai Oboete Imasu ka | Bandai | 1997 | PS1, Saturn.

Chō Jikū Yōsai Macross: Eien no Love Song | Masaya | 1992 | PC Engine.

Cybernetic High-School Part 3: Gunbuster | Gainax Co. | 1990 | MSX, PC-98.

Dogu Senki | Victor Interactive | 1999 | Dreamcast.

Final Zone | Wolf Team | 1990 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive, X68000.

Khamrai | Namco | 2000 | PS1.

Record of Lodoss War: Advent of Kardis | Kadokawa Shoten | 2000 | Dreamcast.

Macross: Do You Remember Love? | Bandai | 1999 | PS1, Saturn.

Quo Vadis | Glams | 1995 | Saturn.

Quo Vadis: Iberukatsu Ikusa | Glams | 1997 | PS1, Saturn.

Quo Vadis 2: Wakusei Kyoushuu Orphan Rei | Glams | 1997 | Saturn.

 

Hideaki Ebihara – 

Advanced Daisenryaku IV | Sega | 2003 | Windows.

Advanced Daisenryaku 98 II | Sega | 1999 | Windows.

Advanced Daisenryaku 2001 | Sega | 2001 | Dreamcast, Windows.

Advanced Daisenryaku: Europe no Arashi | Sega | 2000 | Dreamcast.

Giant Gram: Zen Nihon Pro Wrestling 2 | Sega | 1999 | Dreamcast.

Gojira: Kaijū Dai Rantō - Chikyū Saishū Kessen | Atari | 2004 | Windows.

Ultima Collection Nihon Ban | Locus | 2000 | Windows.

 

Hideaki Ishii – 

Wallaby!! Usagi no Kuni no Kangaroo Race | Masaya | 1990 | PC Engine.

 

Hidefumi Kimura – 

Battle Skin Panic | Gainax | 1990 | PC-98.

Battle Skin Panic 9821 | Gainax | 1993 | PC-98.

Crack Down | Sega | 1990 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

Mercurius Pretty | AV | 1994 | PC-98.

Mighty Battle Skin Panic | Gainax | 1993 | PC-98.

Space Harrier | Sega | 1991 | JPN ver. | Game Gear.

Super Battle Skin Panic | Gainax | 1991 | PC-98.

Vanark | Jaleco | 2000 | NA ver. | PS1.

 

Hidetaka Tenjin – 

After graduating from the Shibaura institute of Technology's Department of System Engineering, majoring in mechanical control systems, Hidetaka became a freelance illustrator. The artist has become well known worldwide for his mecha designs following a long line of esteemed Japanese designers (such as, Yoshiyuki Takani, Noriyoshi Ohrai, Shigeru Komatsuzaki, Yuji Kaida and Tsuyoshi Nagano, all of whom Hidetaka counts as influential).

His breakthrough into the video game industry looks to be for the AeroFighters box art. Shortly afterwards he produced his first for the Macross series, a series along with Gundam the artist has a long history of involvement with. All box arts will have undoubtedly been designed using a computer art package, but the artist is equally adept at traditional media pieces also.

Outside of video game box art, Hidetaka has many credits to his name in the anime industry as well as box art for plastic model kits and DVD’s.

AeroFighters Assault | Video System | 1998 | EU/ JPN ver. | Nintendo 64.

Gradius V | Konami | 2004 | PS2.

Macross 30 - Limited Edition | Bandai Namco | 2013 | PS3.

Macross 30: The Voice the Connects the Galaxy – Limited Edition | Bandai Namco | 2013 | PS3.

Macross Ace Frontier | Bandai Namco | 2008 | Sony PSP.

Macross Plus Game Edition | Shoeisha | 2000 | PS1.

Macross Triangle Frontier | Bandai Namco | 2011 | title art only | Sony PSP.

Macross Ultimate Frontier | Bandai Namco | 2009 | Sony PSP.

Macross VF-X 2 | Bandai | 1999 | PS1.

Mobile Suit Gundam Side Stories | Namco Bandai | 2014 | PS3.

Soukou Kihei Armodyne | Sony | 2007 | PS2.

Starhawk | Sony | 2012 | JPN ver. | PS3.

 

Hiroaki Hashimoto – 

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin | Nintendo | 2008 | Nintendo DS.

God Hand | Capcom | 2006 | JPN ver. | PS2.

King of Fighters XI | SNK Playmore | 2006 | PS2.

King of Fighters ’94 Re-Bout | SNK Playmore | 2004 | PS2. 

King of Fighters ’98: Ultimate Match, The | Ignition Entertainment | 2009 | EU/ JPN ver. | PS2.

King of Fighters ’98: Ultimate Match, The | Ignition Entertainment | 2009 | NA ver. | PS2.

King of Fighters 2000, The | Playmore Corp. | 2002 | Dreamcast.

King of Fighters 2002: Challenge to Ultimate Battle | Playmore Corp. | 2002 | Neo Geo AES, PS2 (EU ver.), Xbox.

King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match, The | Playmore Corp. | 2009 | PS2.

King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga, The | SNK Playmore | 2008 | PS2, Sony PSP, Nintendo Wii.

King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood, The | Marvelous Entertainment | 2003 | Game Boy Advance.

King of Fighters: NESTS Saga, The | SNK Playmore | 2007 | PS2.

Lord of Arcana | Square Enix | 2011 | Sony PSP.

NeoGeo Battle Coliseum | SNK Playmore | 2005 | PS2.

SNK Arcade Classics Vol 1 | SNK Playmore | 2008 | JPN ver. | Sony PSP.

Spikeout: Battle Street | Sega | 2005 | Xbox. 

 

Hiroaki Shioya – 

Bahamut Senki | Sega | 1991 | Mega Drive.

Jewel Master | Sega | 1991 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

Sangokushi Retsuden: Ransei no Eiyutachi | Sega | 1991 | Mega Drive.

Super League |  Sega | 1989 | EU/ JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

Vermilion | Sega | 1989 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

 

Hiroki Hayashi - Mugen Senshi: Valis / 夢幻戦士ヴァリス (MSX, PC-88 - Wolf Team - 1986)

 

Hiroo Isono – 

Dawn of Mana | Square Enix, Inc | 2006 | PS2.

 

Secret of Mana (聖剣伝説２) | Squaresoft | 1993 | Super Famicom, SNES.

Squaresoft (now Square Enix) had always made a habit of producing poignant and thought provoking box arts (see, Final Fantasy, Alcahest and Romancing SaGa), and Mana was no different. For a game so geographically lush and a story centered on mother nature, the choice of artist, the late Hiroo Isono, would be inspired.

Hiroo’s penchant for painting forests and paradise would bring the longing world of Mana to life, and the cover art for the Super Famicom version would beautifully depict the scale and gravity of the world around those marvelling heroes.

The western release would thankfully and surprisingly retain the Japanese original, but due to the SNES’s landscape box shape, it would unfortunately crop the magnitude and awesomeness of the tree.

 

Hitoshi Yoneda – 

The artist would start his professional career in 1980 drawing for Japanese magazine Uchuusen, a position he would hold until 1990. Throughout this period he’d also freelance designing Japanese novel cover arts.

His break in the video game industry would come through an illustration he did for a mook (Japanese magazine/ book) on Nihon Falcom’s Xanadu.  Getting the attention of company founder Kato-san, Hitoshi would design the cover art for Sorcerian on the PC-98 (1987), followed by the MSX ver (1987).  Both would be painted in watercolor, the artist’s favored art medium at the time.  His highest profile covers would be for Sega’s Phantasy Star series (1989-1993). For the rest of the 1990’s he would be involved in mainly obscure RPG and tactics game covers. Hitoshi has also character designed for games (Silent Bomber, 1999. Mystic Ark, 1995. Silva Saga II, 1993), and post 2000 has done mainly guest illustration work for Windows and IOS titles.

Early inspiration came from the sci-fi art of Tetsuwan Atom (Atom Boy), whilst later on Hitoshi would prefer the fantasy art of Moebius and Frank Frazetta. He also cites Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac as important influences in composition and colour techniques.

Other than the US cover for penultimate box art Elemental Gearbolt (1998) no other cover art Hitoshi designed was ever published overseas, something the artist finds regrettable.  This would be mainly due to many of the games he worked on being rather niche and not getting an international release. It has meant that the artist although very popular in Japan does have the kind of following worldwide such as contemporaries Amano, Suemi and Kojima.

Ayakashi no shiro | SETA Corp. | 1990 | Game Boy.

Dungeon RPG Tsukuru | ASCII | 1994 | PC-98.

Elemental Gearbolt | Sony | 1997 | JPN ver. | PS1.

Elemental Gearbolt | Working Designs | 1998 | NA ver. | PS1.

Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor | Ving Co. | 1994 | JPN ver. | PC-98.

Falcata | Gust | 1995 | PS1.

Lenam - Sword of Legend | Hertz | 1989 | MSX, X68000.

Lunatic Dawn III | Artdink | 1994 | FMT, PC-98.

Meru Purana | Gust | 1996 | PS1.

Minelvaton Saga: Ragon no Fukkatsu | Taito Corp. | 1987 | Famicom.

Phantasy Star II | Sega | 1989 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

Phantasy Star IV | Sega | 1993 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

RPG Tsukuru Dante 98 II | ASCII | 1996 | PC-98.

Silva Saga | SETA | 1992 | Famicom.

Silva Saga II: The Legend of Light and Darkness | SETA | 1993 | Super Famicom.

Sorcerian | Nihon Falcom Corp. | 1987 | JPN ver. | PC-88.

Sorcerian | Sega | 1990 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

Sorcerian | Takeru | 1987 | JPN ver. | MSX.

Vandal Hearts | Konami | 1996 | EU/ JPN ver. | PS1, Saturn.

 

Gou Takeuchi – 

Pandora’s Tower | Nintendo | 2011 | by Gou Takeuchi | Nintendo Wii.

 

HACCAN – 

Seiken Densetsu Collection | Square Enix | 2017 | Nintendo Switch.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

 

Imaitoonz – 

Fighting Vipers II |Sega | 2001 | EU ver. | Dreamcast.

 

http://artas1.com/imaitoonz/

 

Itsuki Masaki – 

Deep Blue | NEC Technologies Inc. | 1990 | JPN ver. | PC Engine.

 

Jun Satoh – 

Ax Battler: A Legend of Golden Axe | Sega | 1991 | JPN ver. | Game Gear.

Golden Axe II | Sega | 1992 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

Ninja Gaiden | Sega | 1991 | JPN ver. | Game Gear.

Shadow Dancer | Sega | 1990 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

 

Katsuhiko Sigeri – 

Odama | Nintendo | 2006 | EU/ NA ver | GameCube.

 

Katsumi Yokota – 

Panzer Dragoon Saga (アゼル　パンツァードラグーンRPG) | Sega | 1998 | JPN ver. | Saturn.

Yokota-san would get the job of character designer on Saga after working on the previous game in the series, Panzer Dragoon II: Zwei’s (1996) cinematic end-credit sequence. The illustrator recalls that much of the character art had been sketched out when he joined the project - by Manabu Kusunoki, director and chief designer - and that he was responsible for refining and bringing them to life. The designs were deliberately anti what Japanese characters looked like in the late 1990’s (see Final Fantasy VII’s Cloud for a typical example), with an attitude of the avant-garde permeating the development team’s work.

The dragon design was the work of Satoshi Sakai who remembers that Katsumi took a print off of one of his 3D dragon models and painted over it.  Katsumi recalls that he was never a fan of Sakai’s dragon designs at the time - thinking that they looked too Kaiju (like Godzilla) - and so made them more elegant and fitting with the games overall feel.

Much like the rest of the development team Katsumi was influenced by artist Moebius, who was responsible for the first Panzer Dragoon box art.

Rez | Sega | 2001 | EU/ JPN ver | DreamCast, PS2.

Rez | Sega | 2002 | NA ver. | PS2.

 

Kazuhiko Sano – 

Last Express, The | Broderbund Software| 1997 | Macintosh, MS-DOS, Windows.

Return to Atlantis | EA | 1988 | Amiga.

Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi | JVC Musical Industries | 1994 | Game Boy, SNES.

 

Kazuma Teshigawa – 

Street Fighter x Tekken | Capcom | 2012 | JPN ver. | by Kazuma Norisada | PS3, Windows, Xbox 360.

 

Kazumi Kakizaki – 

Double Dragon | Technos Japan Corp. | 1990 | JPN ver. | Game Boy.  

 

Double Dragon II: The Revenge (ダブルドラゴンⅡ ザ・リベンジ) | Technos Japan Corp. | 1989 | Famicom, Mega Drive (JPN ver), NES, PC Engine.

Double Dragon II’s box art would be a classic example in urban, beat ‘em up cover design.  But where other early examples of the genre such as Renegade (1987), Shinobi (1989) and Bad Dudes (1988) portrayed their characters in drab tones, Kasumi, in a way only a golden age Mangaka would dare to, saw fit to bath his brawlers in vibrant pinks, purples and oranges.  It added up to an explosive montage that saw western appeal being released worldwide on the NES.

The American and European home computer versions would take direct influence from the original but would instead unclutter the scene, tone down the palette and Americanise the characters further.  It would add up to an OK interpretation of the original.

Kasumi would illustrate the Japanese Game Boy version of the first Double Dragon, and the Japanese arcade flyer for Double Dragon III, his work on the series would end there. Presently no other box arts are accredited to him.

 

Kei Furutsuki – 

Aleste | Compile | 1989 | MSX 2.

Aleste 2 | Compile | 1989 | MSX 2.

Shin Maō Golvellius Shin Maō Golvellius | Compile | 1988 | MSX 2.

 

Keita Amemiya – 

Aleste | Compile | 1989 | MSX 2.

Aleste 2 | Compile | 1989 | MSX 2.

Shin Maō Golvellius Shin Maō Golvellius | Compile | 1988 | MSX 2.

Rudora no hiro, Hagane: The Final Conflict, 

 

Kenichiro Yoshimura – 

Bayonetta | Sega | 2009 | JPN ver. | by Kenichiro Yoshimura | PS3, Xbox 360.

Bayonetta | Sega | 2010 | EU/ NA ver. | PS3, Xbox 360.

Bayonetta 2 | Nintendo | 2014 | Nintendo WII U, Nintendo Switch.

Okami | Capcom | 2006 | PS2.

Okami | Capcom | 2008 | Nintendo Wii.

Okami HD | Capcom | 2012 | PS3.

Okami HD | Capcom | 2017 | Nintendo Switch, PS4, Windows, Xbox One.

 

Kentarou Miura – 

Berserk | ASCII Corp. | 1999 | JPN ver. | Dreamcast.

 

Kimihiko Fujisaka – 

Drakengard | Square Enix | 2003 | PS2.

Drakengard 2 | Square Enix | 2005 | PS2.

Drakengard 3 | Square Enix | 2013 | PS3.

Drakengard 10th Anniversary | Square Enix | 2013 | PS3.

Last Story, The | Nintendo | 2011 | JPN ver. | Nintendo WII.

Last Story, The | Nintendo | 2012 | EU/ NA ver. | Nintendo WII.

Sands of Destruction | Sega | 2008 | Nintendo DS.

 

Kinu Nishimura –  

999: Nine Hours • Nine Persons • Nine Doors | Spike Co | 2009 | JPN ver. | Nintendo DS.

999: Nine Hours • Nine Persons • Nine Doors | Aksys Games | 2010 | NA ver. | Nintendo DS.

Blade Strangers | Nicalis | 2018 | Nintendo Switch.

Cannon Spike | Capcom | 2000 | EU/ NA ver. | Dreamcast.

Code of Princess | Agatsuma Entertainment | 2012 | JPN ver. | 3DS.

Code of Princess | Index Digital Media | 2012 | NA ver. | 3DS.

Code of Princess EX | Nicalis | 2018 | Nintendo Switch.

Culdcept Revolt | NIS America | 2016 | 3DS.

Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower | Capcom | 2004 | Sony PSP.

Dungeons & Dragons: Collection | Capcom | 1999 | Saturn.

Gaia Master | Capcom | 2000 | Game Boy Color, PS1.

Street Fighter Collection | Capcom | 1997 | JPN ver. | PS1, Saturn.

Street Fighter III: Double Impact | Capcom | 2000 | EU/ NA ver. | Dreamcast.

Street Fighter III: W Impact | Capcom | 1999 | Dreamcast.

 

Super Street Fighter II X: For Matching Service (スーパーストリートファイターIIＸ) | Capcom | 2000 | Dreamcast. 

Eschewing Street Fighters usual montage led box arts, Super Street Fighter II X: Grand Master Challenge, for Matching Service would instead depict the ever present Ryu shadowed by the mysterious – although maybe not so by 2000 – Akuma.  

Meaning devil in Japanese, Akuma would poignantly be upturned alluding the demonic connection both characters are consumed by. The two hand drawn black and white sketches were originally used in 1994 as promotional material for the release of Super Street Fighter II X, and were composed by Capcom steward Kinu as part of a collection of sixteen character artworks.

Along with artist Bengus, who provided the box arts for the worldwide 3DO versions, Kinu’s sketches would portray a grittier take on Ryu and company. It ended up being an abstract, and unique, styalistic blip in an otherwise usually formulaic sea of bold and colourful Street Fighter cover arts.

 

Super Street Fighter II X: Grand Master Challenge (スーパーストリートファイターIIＸ) | Capcom | 1994 | JPN ver. | 3DO. 

Exclusively used for the Japanese 3DO market, the box arts montage style would would be at odds with usual Street Fighter cover arts, but all the stronger for it. Drawn in pen and made up of a individual character artworks, the box art’s X would also add a stylized approach.

Street Fighter III: Double Impact | Capcom | 2000 | EU/ NA ver. | Dreamcast.

 

Kōichi Tokita – 

Barunba | Namco | 1990 | PC Engine, MSX. 

Battle City | Nova | 1991 | Game Boy.

Bravoman | Namco | 1990 | JPN ver. | PC Engine. 

Cosmo Gang: The Video | Namco | 1992 | Super Famicom.

Dragon Saber: After Story of Dragon Spirit | Namco | 1990 | PC Engine.

Dragon Spirit | Namco | 1989 | JPN ver. | Famicom.

Dragon Spirit | Namco | 1988 | JPN ver. | PC Engine.

Erika to Satoru no Yume Bōken | Namco | 1988 | Famicom.

Libble Rabble | Dempa Shinbunsha | 1993 | FM Towns, X68000.

Libble Rabble | Namco | 1994 | Super Famicom.

Mappy | Namco | 1991 | Game Gear. 

Mappy Kids | Namco | 1989 | Famicom.

Märchen Maze | Namco | 1990 | PC Engine.

Marvel Land | Namco | 1991 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

Ordyne | Namco | 1989 | PC engine, TurboGrafx.

Pocket Jansō | Namco | 1992 | Game Gear.

Powerball | Namco | 1991 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

Quad Challenge | Namco | 1991 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

Quest of Ki, The | Namco | 1988 | Famicom.

Rolling Thunder | Namco | 1988 | JPN ver. | Famicom.

Super Wagan Land | Namco | 1991 | Super Famicom.

Super Wagan Land 2 | Namco | 1992 | Super Famicom.

Tenkaichi Bushi Keru Nagūru | Namco | 1989 | Famicom.

Wonder Momo | Namco | 1989 | PC Engine.

Wagan Land | Namco | 1989 | Famicom, Game Gear.

Wagan Land 2 | Namco | 1990 | Famicom.

Wagan Land 3 | Namco | 1992 | Famicom.

 

Kumiko Suekane – 

Best known for her involvement with Capcom’s Ace Attorney series - she was the debut game’s character designer and also responsible for it’s anime, cel-shaded look - Kumiko’s box art portfolio appears to be centered around Capcom’s B-list superhero series Viewtiful Joe.  She designed every box art for the series along with other linked promotional artworks.

Outside of the Ace and Joe, Kumiko worked on Capcom’s Resident Evil series, Arc System’s Guilty Gear series and recently Nintendo’s Fire Emblem: Heroes (2017). She is also an established Mangaka.

Viewtiful Joe (ビューティフル ジョー Byūtifuru Jō) | Capcom | 2003 | EU ver. | pink and yellow covers | GameCube. 

Character designer Kumiko would be inspired specifically by 1960s and 1970s Japanese-costumed tokusatsu television shows such as Kamen Rider and Ultraman, when briefed with Joe. Her art has been the basis for the entire series.

Capcom of Europe would take the unusual step of releasing Viewtiful Joe on the GameCube with a pink background box art (shown) and also a yellow background box art. The same character art can be found on the US releases and the European PS2 version.

 

Viewtiful Joe | Capcom | 2003 | JPN ver. | GameCube.

Viewtiful Joe | Capcom | 2003 | NA ver. | GameCube, PS2.

Viewtiful Joe | Capcom | 2004 | EU ver. | PS2.

Viewtiful Joe 2 | Capcom | 2004 | JPN ver. | GameCube, PS2.

Viewtiful Joe 2 | Capcom | 2004 | NA ver. | GameCube, PS2. 

Viewtiful Joe 2 | Capcom | 2005 | EU ver. | GameCube, PS2.

Viewtiful Joe: A New Hope | Capcom | 2004 | PS2.

Viewtiful Joe: Double trouble! | Capcom | 2005 | Nintendo DS.

Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble | Capcom | 2005 | JPN/ NA ver. | GameCube, Sony PSP.

Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble | Capcom | 2005 | EU ver. | GameCube, Sony PSP.

Viewtiful Joe: Revival | Capcom | 2003 | GameCube.

 

Kunihiko Tanaka – 

Xenoblade Chronicles | Nintendo | 2010 | 3DS, Nintendo Wii.

Xenogears | Square | 1998 | NA ver. | PS1.

 

Mariko Hirokane – 

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword | Tecmo | 2008 | by Mariko Hirokane | Nintendo DS. 

Ninja Gaiden Sigma II | Tecmo | 2013 | by Mariko Hirokane | PS3, PS Vita.

 

Masaki Hirooka – 

Castlevania: Order of the Ecclesia | Konami | 2008 | EU/ JPN ver. | Nintendo DS.

Masaki would be commissioned after the fan backlash brought on by the change in art direction of the previous two Nintendo DS games, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin - both ended up very anime-lite in style.

The artist was also responsible for the North American cover which was used as promotional material in Japan.

Castlevania: Order of the Ecclesia | Konami | 2008 | NA ver. | Nintendo DS.

Suikoden Tierkreis | Konami | 2008 | EU/ JPN ver. | Nintendo DS.

Suikoden Tierkreis | Konami | 2008 | NA ver. | Nintendo DS.

 

Masaki Okumura – 

Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II | Nihon Falcom | 1988 | PC-88, Sharp X-1.

 

Masaki Yamanaka – 

Madworld | Spike Co, Ltd. | 2009 | Nintendo Wii.

 

Masanori Sato – 

Doshin the Giant | Nintendo | 2002 | JPN ver. | GameCube.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story | Nintendo | 2009 | 3DS.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time | Nintendo | 2005 | Nintendo DS.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga | Nintendo | 2003 | Nintendo DS.

Mario Strikers Charged | Nintendo | 2007 | Nintendo Wii.

 

Masashi Iwasaki –

AX-2: Uchū Yusōsen Nostromo (宇宙輸送船ノストロモ) | ASCII | 1982 | PC-6001.

A turning point in Japanese box art design, the AX series of games (ten volumes running from 1982-1985 and exclusively for the PC-6001) would help popularise Japan’s early period of home computing gaming, a period lawless and cheap in design quality.  

ASCII’s Matsuhiro Matsuda sought to challenge the low quality video games that was available at the time with the AX series. A part of this revolution would involve quality painted artworks and a quality box, that shipped in a book style packaging.

The AX series is also the earliest known example of a branded look in Japanese box art design, with its red logo and white border.

 

Legendary Axe | Victor Musical Industries | 1988 | JPN ver. | PC Engine.

Legendary Axe II | Victor Musical Industries | 1990 | JPN ver. | PC Engine.

Lord Over | ASCII | 1984 | MSX.

Space Harrier II | Sega | 1988 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

 

Masato Natsumoto – 

Gunbird 2 | Capcom | 2000 | Dreamcast.

King of Fighters Kyo | SNK | 1998 | PS1.

Mobile Light Force | Atlus | 1995 | JPN ver. | Saturn.

Record of Lodoss War | Entertainment Software | 2000 | JPN/ NA ver. | Dreamcast.

 

Michiaki Satoh – 

Altered Beast (獣王記) | Sega | 1988 | Genesis, Mega Drive, PC Engine. 

As one of the Genesis/ Mega Drives launch games Altered Beast’s cover would deliberately appeal to a maturer audience than what Sega had previously tried to with its SG-1000/ Master System.  The cover would also prove to be more gothic and horror focased compared to much of what Nintendo had allowed on its NES/ Famicom, again, to differentiate Sega’s audience from Nintendo’s.

 

Minoru Maeda – 

Excitebike | Nintendo | 1984 | JPN ver. | Famicom, Game Boy Advance.

Legend of Zelda, The | Nintendo | 1986 | JPN ver. | Nintendo Disk System, Famicom, Game Boy Advance.

 

Mitsuru Nakamura (326) – 

Gitaroo Man (ギタルマン, Gitaru Man) | Koei | 2001 | JPN ver. | PS2.

Gitaroo Man (ギタルマン, Gitaru Man) | Koei | 2001 | EU/ NA ver. | PS2.

Gitaroo Man follows what is seemingly a consistent trend within the rhythm game genre of employing impossibly wacky and exaggeratedly freaky looking individuals (see, PaRappa the Rapper, Elite Beat Agents and Space Channel 5). The series artist, 326, known for his ‘super kawaii’ or ‘cute’ characters would be drafted in on design duties for both promotional and in-game art. He’d come up with a cover brimming with childish innocence but devilishly laced with nightmarish robotic and patch worked details.

The artist’s self-taught style has always been shocking in its subtleties. The odd exposed brain here or randomly drawn genitalia there are mischievously woven amidst soft toy characters, and can be somewhat difficult to absorb.  In comparison, Gitaroo Man’s cover was a more toned down affair, but at some level still maintains these difficult and unsettling juxtapositions.

Gitaroo Man Lives! | Koei | 2006. | Sony PSP.

http://artas1.com/326/

 

Nao Q – 

Metal Slug 2nd Mission | SNK | 2000 | Neo Geo Pocket.

Puzzled | SNK | 1991 | Neo Geo AES.

Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy | SNK | 1994 | Neo Geo AES.

 

Naoki Ikushima – 

Octopath Traveler | Nintendo | 2018 | Nintendo Switch.

Octopath looks to be the first box art by Naoki. The artist’s video game resume includes monster designer for Square Enix’s Braverly Default series, a series that has ties to the Octopath world. This conection is further evident through the similar character art designs and also the choice of artist, with Naoki’s art style baring many marks of Braverly artist Akihiko Yoshida.

Alongside the main cover, Octopath shipped with eight alternative covers, each depicting the main character from the eight story strands. All were Naoki designs.

 

Naoyuki Kato – 

Gdleen : Digan no Maseki | Artec | 1989 | MSX, PC-98.

Ginga Eiyū Densetsu II: Space War Simulation | Bothec Inc. | 1990 | MSX, PC-88, PC-98, X68000.

Guardian Legend, The (ガーディック外伝) | IREM | 1988 | JPN ver. | Famicom.

The Japanese exclusive box art by famed illustrator Naoyuki Kato would prove an artistically complex and mature effort within the Famicom’s catalog.  The Guardic cyborg’s design would take inspiration from the fetish, steampunk world of H. R Giger and Europe’s pantheon of artist’s that made up the roster of 70’s magazine, Métal Hurlant.  It would interestingly pay little homage to the in-game character design, and because of this, could well have been a recommissioned job rather than an original. The title banner’s vibrant palette and metallic sheen added to the composite well, but would have benefited from being smaller and not drawing the eye so much.

North America and Europe would both adopt a different box art on release - probably due to the different publisher in each region - with the latter's characterisation crossing the game’s heroine and Katoh’s design.  Neither would compare to the Japanese original.

Laser Squad - Uchuu Kaiheitai | C2 Bros | 1993 | PC-98.

Legion | Telenet Japan Co. | 1990 | PC Engine.

R-Type | IREM Corp. | 1988 | MSX.

Solstice: The Quest for the Staff of Demnos | Epic/ Sony | 1990 | JPN ver. | Famicom.

Super Aleste | Toho Co. | 1992 | JPN ver. | Super Famicom.

 

Natsuki Sumeragi – 

Sokaigi | Squaresoft | 1998 | PS1.

Xuanyuan Jian 3: Yun he Shan de Bi Duan | Softstar Entertainment | 1999 | Windows.

 

Nona - 

King of Fighters 2001, The | SNK | 2001 | Neo Geo AES.

King of Fighters 2001, The | Playmore Corp. | 2002 | Dreamcast.

King of Fighters 2001, The | Playmore Corp. | 2003 | PS2.

SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos | SNK Playmore | 2003 | Neo Geo AES, PS2 (EU/ NA ver.), Xbox (EU/ NA ver.).

SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos | SNK Playmore | 2003 | Neo Geo AES, PS2 (EU/ NA ver.), Xbox (EU/ NA ver.).

SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos | SNK Playmore | 2003 | JPN ver. | PS2.

SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos | SNK Playmore | 2004 | JPN ver. | Xbox.

 

Noriyoshi Ohrai – 

The artist would study oil painting at the Tokyo University of Fine art and Music in the mid-50’s, before dropping out and embarking on his illustration career. He’d start out as a cover artist for various novels and designed advertisement art for local newspapers throughout the 1960’s.  In 1973 Noriyoshi designed his first movie poster, The Sinking of Japan.  It would be the start of a long and prolific career in the movie business that would turn him into an internationally known artist through his works for the Star Wars and Godzilla franchises.  

His first video game box arts would be reused movie posters for The Goonies and King Kong 2 (both Konami, 1986); he’d shortly after start his career with KOEI designing the cover for Genghis Khan (1987).  His cover arts for KOEI - much like his film posters - would all be painterly, bold in their use of color and character led with worn, etched facial features.  His preparation for all his artworks was meticulous and would give an authenticity to his box arts, that along with his masterful style of art, proved globally appealing - to the point where not one of his artworks was replaced with another artists when KOEI published overseas.

His final cover, Teitoku no Ketsudan (1996), was a Japan only release.  Post-millennium, Noriyoshi worked with Konami designing the incredible posters that came with the Japanese Metal Gear Solid premium packages (from 2001-2006). He’d design a promotional poster for the PS3 version of Ni-oh (2005) and his final video game illustration was in 2012 for Konami’s Zone of the Enders HD.

Noriyoshi passed away in 2015, leaving one of the art world’s great legacies.

 

Bandit Kings of Ancient China | KOEI | 1989 | Amiga, Famicom, FM-7, FM-Towns, Macintosh, MS DOS, MSX, NES, PC-88, PC-98, PS1, Saturn, Sharp X-1, X68000.

Gemfire | KOEI | 1991 | FM Towns, Genesis, Mega Drive, MS-DOS, MSX, NES, PC-88, PC-98, SNES, Super Famicom, X68000.

Genghis Khan | KOEI | 1987 | Amiga, Famicom, MS-DOS, MSX, NES, PC-88, PC-98, X68000.

Genghis Khan II: Clan of the Grey Wolf | KOEI | 1992 | Famicom, FM Towns, Genesis, Mega Drive, MS-DOS, MSX, PC-88, PC-98, PC Engine, PS1, Sega CD, SNES, Super Famicom. X68000.

Genpei Gassen | KOEI | 1994 | PC-98, Windows.

Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters | Toho | 1991 | NES.

Goonies, The | Konami | 1986 | JPN ver. | Famicom, PC-98, Sharp X-1.

Inindo: Way of the Ninja | KOEI | 1991 | FM-Towns, MS-DOS, MSX, PC-88, PC-98, SNES, Super Famicom, X68000.

Ishin no Arashi | KOEI | 1988 | Famicom, FM-7, FM-Towns, MSX, PC-88, PC-98, PS1, Saturn, Sharp X-1, X68000.

Kamigami no Daichi Kojiki Gaiden | KOEI | 1993 | FM Towns, PC-98.

King Kong 2: Yomigaeru Densetsu | Konami | 1986 | MSX.

This artwork was originally the movie poster for the Japanese theatrical release of King Kong 2 (1986).  

L'Empereur | KOEI | 1990 | Famicom, FM Towns, MS-DOS, MSX, NES, PC-88, PC-98, Sharp X1, X68000.

Liberty or Death | KOEI | 1993 | Genesis, MS-DOS, PC-98, SNES, Super Famicom.

New Horizons | KOEI | 1993 | FM Towns, Genesis, Mega Drive, MS-DOS, PC-98, PS1, Saturn, SNES, Super Famicom, X68000.

Nobunaga no Yabō: Haōden | KOEI | 1992 | 3DO, FM Towns, Mega Drive, PC-98, PS1, SegaCD, SNES, X68000.

Nobunaga no Yabō: Tenshōki | KOEI | 1994 | PC-98, Saturn, Sony PSP, Super Famicom.

Nobunaga’s Ambition II | KOEI | 1988 | Famicom, FM-7, FM Towns, MS-DOS, MSX, NES, PC-88, PC-98, PS1, Sharp X-1, Saturn, X68000.

Nobunaga’s Ambition: Lord of Darkness | KOEI | 1990 | 3DS, Famciom, FM Towns, Game Boy Advance, Genesis, MSX, Nintendo DS, PC-88, PC-98, PC Engine, PlayStation, Sharp X68000, SNES, Super Famicom.

Operation Europe: Path to Victory 1939-1945 | KOEI | 1991 | FM-Towns, Mega Drive, MS-DOS, MSX, PC-88, PC-98, SNES, Super Famicom, X68000.  

P.T.O.: Pacific Theater of Operations | KOEI | 1989 | FM Towns, Genesis, Mega Dirve, MSX, PC-88, PC-98, SNES, Super Famicom, X68000.

P.T.O.: Pacific Theater of Operations II | KOEI | 1993 | FM Towns, PC-98, PlayStation, Saturn, SNES, Super Famicom, Windows.  

Rise of the Phoenix | KOEI | 1993 | FM Towns, MS-DOS, PC-98, PS1, SNES, Super Famicom, X68000.

Romance of the three Kingdoms II | KOEI | 1989 | Amiga, FM Towns, Mega Drive, MS-DOS, MSX, NES, PC-88, PC-98, PS1, Sharp X1, Super Famicom, X68000.

Romance of the three Kingdoms III: Dragon of Destiny | KOEI | 1992| FM Towns, Genesis, Mega Drive, MS-DOS, PC-98, PC Engine, PS1, Sega CD, SNES, Super Famicom, X68000.

Romance of the three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire | KOEI | 1994 | 3DO, FM Towns, PC-98, PS1, Sega 32X, Saturn, SNES, Super Famicom, Windows 3.x.

Taikō Risshiden | KOEI | 1992 | FM Towns, Mega Drive, PC-98, Super Famicom, X68000, Windows.

Taikō Risshiden II | KOEI | 1995 | PC-98, PS1, Saturn, Windows.

Teitoku no Ketsudan III | KOEI | 1996 | PC-98, PS1, Saturn, Windows.

Uncharted Waters | KOEI | 1990 | FM Towns, Genesis, Macintosh, Mega Drive, MS-DOS, MSX, NES, PC-88, PC-98, Sharp X68000, SNES, Super Famicom.

 

Pablo Uchida – 

Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience | Konami | 2016 | PS4, Xbox One.

Paying homage to the classic movie poster montage (popularized by the Blaxploitation subgenre of the 1970’s and still used today for the likes of the Star Wars series and the Marvel cinematic universe), Pablo’s cover oozes explosive beauty, through character heavy detailing and striking color. Cool gray tones color protagonist Snake as he merges into Metal Gear Sahelanthropus, a subtle reinforcement of the symbiotic relationship between Snake’s and Gears.  Only to be jarringly cut by the game’s roster intent on injecting vivid color and chaos.

The artwork was originally designed to promote the Japanese release of The Phantom Pain in 2015, where its deliberate movie poster quality stood out all the more and pronounced the horse’s symbolic flaming V to fuller effect.  

Japan’s box art version is worth noting.  Taking Takeya Inguchi’s original Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain cover, it near destroys all color and fills Snake’s head with characters as if to illustrate the burdening weight his mind carries.

Romancing of the Three Kingdoms: XIII | Koei Tecmo Games | 2016 | PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Windows.

 

Range Murata – 

Groove on Fight: Gōketsuji Ichizoku 3 | Atlus | 1997 | Saturn.

Power instinct | Atlus | 1994 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive, Super Famicom.

Power instinct 2 | Atlus | 1995 | PS1.

Shin Gōketsuji Ichizoku Tōkon: Matrimelee | SNK Playmore | 2003 | Neo Geo AES.

Shin Gōketsuji Ichizoku: Bonnō no Kaihō | Excite japan Co | 2006 | PS2.

Spy Fiction | Sammy | 2004 | JPN ver. | PS2.

Wachenröder | Sega | 1998 | Saturn. 

 

Runmaru – 

Ninja Gaiden | Tecmo | 1988 | JPN ver. | by Runmaru | Famicom.

Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos | Tecmo | 1990 | by Runmaru | Amiga, Famicom, MS-DOS, NES.

Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom | Tecmo | 1991 | JPN ver. | by Runmaru | Famicom.

Ninja Gaiden Trilogy | Tecmo | 1995 | NA ver. | by Runmaru | SNES.

 

Ryogi Minagawa – 

Live a Live | Square | 1994 | Super Famicom.

 

Ryuta Ueda – 

Jet Set Radio | Sega | 2000 | EU ver. | Dreamcast.   

Jet Grind Radio | Sega | 2000 | NA ver. | Dreamcast.   

Jet Set Radio | Sega | 2000 | JPN ver. | Dreamcast. 

JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future | Sega | 2002 | EU/ NA ver. | Xbox.

JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future | Sega | 2002 | JPN ver. | Xbox.

 

Sano Shinyo – 

Metroid Fusion | Nintendo | 2002 | EU/ NA ver. | by Sano Shinyo | Game Boy Advance.

Metroid Fusion | Nintendo | 2003 | JPN ver. | by Sano Shinyo | Game Boy Advance.

 

Senno Aki (TONKO) – 

As one of SNK’s many popular Illustrators, TONKO has had the opportunity to design box art for some of the company’s highest profile series’. Metal Slug, The Last Blade and The King of Fighters to name but a few have seen his masterful artwork promote them.

He looks to have joined SNK in the late 90’s and his first cover art was likely The Last Blade (1998) on the Neo Geo CD.  Working for a company that had been set apart since the early 90’s by Shinkiro’s designs it’s hardly surprising the style of TONKO’s The Last Blade arguably finds influence in his art (Shinkiro’s art would be used on The Last Blade’s Neo Geo AES cover released earlier in the year). TONKO would return late in 1998 and show off his versatility with the cute super-deformed styled cover for the Neo Geo Pocket release The King of Fighters R-1. It would be a style that was repeated for the game’s follow up The King of Fighters R-2 and Battle de Paradise.  

He would cement his reputation through the work he did within the Metal Slug universe. Starting with the 4th game in the main series Metal Slug 4 (2002) and up until the final to date Metal Slug 7, his art has helped define the series and give it the somewhat artistic continuity that was lacking over the first three games. In 2007 he would branch out into a new series for SNK designing the character art for dating sim Days of Memories. His art would be used on the Nintendo DS compilations and it would be very different from what he’d previously done, presenting a cuter, feminine and sexy approach to character art that he’s stated was difficult conceptualizing when aiming to please male gamers. More recently he’s returned to the Metal Slug universe designing promotional art for the mobile game Metal Slug Attack.    

His style is broad and versatile with realistic character and background art (The Last Blade, Garou: Mark of the Wolves) making way for comedic art (Metal Slug 4-7) and super-deformed art (The King of Fighters R-1), through to the Days of Memories more straight ‘sexy manga’ style.  The more realistic works can have a slight anime look to them but use more hushed tones and are not nearly defined as say Shinkiro’s line work.  The comedic/ super-deformed covers show off the artist’s crisp coloring and mastery at designing chaotic character assemblies.    

 

Bakumatsu Roman: Last Blade 2-in-1 (NeoGeo Online Collection the Best) | SNK Playmore | 2007 | PS2.

Days of Memories | SNK Playmore | 2007 | Nintendo DS.

Days of Memories 2 | SNK Playmore | 2008 | Nintendo DS.

Days of Memories 3 | SNK Playmore | 2009 | Nintendo DS.

Garou: Mark of the Wolves | SNK Corp. | 2000 | Dreamcast (NA ver.), Neo Geo AES.

Garou: Mark of the Wolves | SNK Corp. | 2001 | JPN ver. | Dreamcast.

Garou: Mark of the Wolves | SNK Playmore | 2005 | PS2.

King of Fighters 2000, The | Playmore Corp | 2002 | PS2.

King of Fighters 2001, The | Playmore Corp | 2003 | PS2.

King of Fighters 2002, The: Challenge to Ultimate Battle | Playmore Corp | 2004 | JPN ver. | PS2.

King of Fighters 2002, The: Challenge to Ultimate Battle (SNK Best Collection) | Playmore Corp | 2005 | JPN ver. | PS2.

King of Fighters R-1 | SNK Corp. | 1998 | Neo Geo Pocket.

King of Fighters R-2 | SNK Corp. | 1999 | Neo Geo Pocket.

King of Fighters, The: Battle de Paradise | SNK Corp. | 2000 | Neo Geo Pocket.

Last blade, The | SNK Corp. | 1998 | Neo Geo CD.

Last blade, The | SNK Corp. | 1999 | PS1.

Last blade 2, The | SNK Corp. | 1999 | Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD.

Last blade 2, The | SNK Corp. | 2000 | Dreamcast.

Last blade 2 Final Edition, The | SNK Playmore | 2002 | Dreamcast.

Last blade: Beyond the Destiny, The | SNK Corp. | 2000 | Neo Geo Pocket.  

Metal Slug 4 | SNK Playmore | 2002 | Neo Geo AES.

Metal Slug 4 | SNK Playmore | 2005 | PS2, Xbox.

Metal Slug 4 & 5 | SNK Playmore | 2005 | PS2, Xbox.

Metal Slug 5 | SNK Playmore | 2004 | Neo Geo AES.

Metal Slug 5 | SNK Playmore | 2005 | PS2, Xbox.

Metal Slug 6 | SNK Playmore | 2006 | PS2.

Metal Slug 7 | Ignition Entertainment | 2008 | Nintendo DS.

Metal Slug Anthology | Ignition Entertainment | 2007 | EU ver. | Nintendo Wii, PS2.

 

SENSEI (Haruki Suetsugu) -  

Legend of Zelda, The: The Minish Cap | Nintendo | 2004 | EU ver. | Game Boy Advance.

Legend of Zelda, The: The Minish Cap | Nintendo | 2004 | JPN ver. | Game Boy Advance.

Legend of Zelda, The: The Minish Cap | Nintendo | 2004 | NA ver. | Game Boy Advance.

Mega Man X4 | Capcom | 1997 | EU/ NA ver. | PS1, Saturn, Windows.

Mega Man X4 | Capcom | 1997 | JPN ver. | PS1.

Mega Man X4 | Capcom | 1997 | JPN ver. | Saturn.

Mega Man X5 | Capcom | 2000 | EU/ NA ver. | PS1.

Mega Man X5 | Capcom | 2000 | JPN ver. | PS1.

Mega Man X6 | Capcom | 2001 | EU/ NA ver. | PS1.

Mega Man X6 | Capcom | 2001 | JPN ver. | PS1.

Mega Man XTreme | Capcom | 2000 | Game Boy Color.

Mega Man XTreme 2 | Capcom | 2001 | JPN ver. | Game Boy Color.

Mega Man XTreme 2 | Capcom | 2001 | NA ver. | Game Boy Color.

Zak and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure | Capcom | 2007 | EU/ NA ver. | Nintendo Wii.

http://capcom.wikia.com/wiki/SENSEI

 

Shigeru Miyamoto – 

Super Mario Bros. (スーパーマリオブラザーズ) | 1985 | EU/ JPN ver. | by Shigeru Miyamoto | Famicom, Game Boy Advance, NES.

Debut box art for the Super Mario series and the only to designed by creator Shigeru Miyamoto. The box art would introduce stable series characters, Toad, Bowser, Koopers, Goombas and Peach. The character heavy art design would be replicated for both Famicom sequels - penned by Yoiche Kotabe - and would also influence the original Game Boy Mario covers.  Further influencing can be found in Rock Man’s Famicom box arts.

 

Shinichi Yoshimoto – 

Strider (ストライダー飛竜) | Capcom | 1991 | by Shinichi Yoshimoto | PC Engine, X68000.

“Despite it’s massive cult popularity, there’s surprisingly little art for Strider. This illustration (pictured) was lost for a long time, but we managed to find it for this book (Capcom Illustrations: GAMEST MooK Vol.17). It was drawn by the creator of Strider himself, Shinichi Yoshimoto. This was also Capcom’s first promotional poster to use a horizontal layout.” Shoei - Capcom creative head.

 

Shoei – 

Rising to fame in the early 90’s as one of Capcom’s leading artists for Street Fighter 2, Shoei has enjoyed a long career for the company providing scores of promotional artworks and character designs mainly within the company’s arcade department.  

He has also been responsible for the title lettering and logo’s of many of Capcom’s highest profile releases.

 

Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition (ストリートファイター2ダッシュ) | Capcom | 1993 | EU/ JPN ver. | FM Towns, Mega Drive, PC Engine, X68000.

Shoei’s cover art has the distinction of being the first Japanese designed Street Fighter box art to be used in the European region. The artwork was a part of Capcom’s arcade promotional material and interestingly had eyes painted originally for M. Bison - only for them to be removed as it was felt that they were too imposing and detracted the viewers attention from Ryu.

The America’s would again use artist Mick McGinty for the Genesis and Master System version. It paid no relation to Shoei’s.

 

Ultimate Ghosts ‘n Goblins (極魔界村) | Capcom | 2006 | with Shinkiro | Sony PSP.

This would be artist Shinkiro’s second attempt at the Ghosts ‘n Goblins series artist after the Game Boy Advance game: Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts. Although all three regions use the same artwork both Europe and North America accentuate Aurther by either enlarging the character art or dulling the background.

The character-heavy montage used here could be argued a homage to the style seen in the original 1985 arcade artwork and was created using computer art.

 

Sohhei Oshiba – 

Gain Ground | Sega | 1991 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

Golden Axe III (ゴールデンアックスⅢ) | Sega | 1993 | Mega Drive.

The finished box art would take a rather transatlantic route, in that it was a reimagining of a Boris Vallejo original. At some point Golden Axe III was set to be released in North America and so Sega of America commissioned Vallejo - who had already done Golden Axe II’s cover. The game was then canned but Vallejo’s artwork went on to be used as the basis for Japan’s cover art version.  It is likely that the Japanese didn’t have the rights to Boris’ art.

As with many Vallejo paint jobs, the female warrior is his wife and fellow artist Julie Bell.

Pro Yakyū Super League CD | Sega | 1992 | Sega CD.

 

Takamasa Yamada

Capcom vs. SNK Millennium Fight 2000 | Capcom | 2000 | EU/ NA ver. | Dreamcast.

Capcom vs. SNK Millennium Fight 2000 | Capcom | 2000 | JPN ver. | Dreamcast.

Capcom vs. SNK Millennium Fight 2000 Pro | Capcom | 2000 | EU/ JPN ver. | PS1.

Capcom vs. SNK Millennium Fight 2000 Pro | Capcom | 2000 | NA ver. | PS1.

Capcom vs. SNK Millennium Fight 2000 Pro | Capcom | 2000 | EU/ JPN ver. | Dreamcast.

Capcom vs. SNK Millennium Fight 2000 Pro | Capcom | 2000 | NA ver. | Dreamcast.

 

Takashi Akaishizawa – 

Arrow Flash | Renovation Products | 1990 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

Phantasy Star Adventure | Sega | 1991 | Game Gear.

Psychic World | Sega | 1991 | JPN ver. | Game Gear.

Queens Road | Angels | 1997 | PS1. 

 

Takeshi Ugajin – 

Katamari Damacy  (塊魂 ) | Namco | 2004 | PS2.

Katamari Damacy in 2004 would defy the usual trends and deliver an experience that was unique and utterly Japanese. Its box art by artist Takeshi Ugajin would compliment the game’s carefree weirdness and abstract playfulness perfectly. It was a deliberately simple and humorous cover, with strong design tones over creative artistic ones, whilst sporting an excellent color palette.

The cover art would be used in both Japanese and American markets, but the game's “quirkiness” was deemed too great for Europe who sadly missed out on a release.

 

Takumi Wada – 

Legend of Zelda, The: Skyward Sword | Nintendo | 2011 | EU/ NA ver. | Nintendo WII U.

Legend of Zelda, The: Skyward Sword | Nintendo | 2011 | JPN ver. | Nintendo WII U.

Legend of Zelda, The: Breath of the Wild (ゼルダの伝説 ブレス オブ ザ ワイルド) | Nintendo | 2017 | EU ver. | by Takumi Wada | Nintendo Switch, Nintendo WII U.

Artist Wada-san would return to promotional and box art duties after leading them in the previous Zelda game Skyward Sword.  The art style here is seen as a continuation of Skyward Swords water-colour, pastel look, but Wada would drop the cel-shading in that game and use a more rough (‘wild’), painterly effect instead.

The motif for this box art and the JPN/ US version would be both the original Famicom cover and its depiction of the Hylian overworld - the game world Breath of the Wild’s (BOTW) is being compared to - and BOTW’s own vast lands.

The Link character’s pose from behind, again on both cover arts, is a first and deliberately shows off his unorthodox weapons and clothing.

Legend of Zelda, The: Breath of the Wild | Nintendo | 2017 | JPN/ NA ver. | Nintendo Switch, Nintendo WII U.

 

Tatsuya Yoshikawa – 

Breath of Fire | Capcom | 2001 | EU/ NA ver. | Game Boy Advance.

Breath of Fire | Capcom | 2001 | JPN ver. | Game Boy Advance.

Breath of Fire II | Capcom | 2001 | JPN ver. | Game Boy Advance.

Breath of Fire II | Capcom | 2002 | EU/ NA ver. | Game Boy Advance.

Breath of Fire III | Capcom | 2000 | JPN ver. | PS1.

Breath of Fire III | Capcom | 2005 | PSP.

Breath of Fire IV | Capcom | 2000 | PS1, Windows.

Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter | Capcom | 2002 | JPN ver. | PS2.

Devil May Cry 5 | Capcom | 2019 | PS4, Xbox One.

Mega Man X7 | Capcom | 2003 | JPN ver. | PS2.

 

Tetsuhiko Kikuchi (HAN) – 

Advanced Guardian Heroes | Ubisoft | 2004 | NA ver. | Game Boy Advance.

Advanced Guardian Heroes | Treasure | 2004 | JPN ver. | Game Boy Advance.

Guardian Heroes | Sega | 1996 | EU/ JPN ver. | Saturn.

Gunstar Heroes | Sega | 1993 | JPN ver. | Mega Drive.

Gunstar Super Heroes | Sega | 2005 | Game Boy Advance.

Mischief Makers | Enix Corporation | 1997 | JPN ver. | Nintendo 64. 

Rakugaki Showdown | Enix Corporation | 1999 | Nintendo 64.

 

Tomo Yamamoto – 

Gyruss | Konami | 1988 | NES, Nintendo Disk System.

 

Tomonobu Itagaki – 

Ninja Gaiden | Tecmo | 2004 | by  Tomonobu Itagaki & Hiroaki Matsui | Xbox.

 

Toshiaki Katoh – 

Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber | Nintendo | 1999 | JPN ver. | Nintendo 64.

Populous II: Trials of the Olympian Gods | Imagineer Co. | 1993 | JPN ver. | FM Towns, PC-98, Super Famicom, X60000.

 

Tsubasa Masao – 

After a brief stint working for Glams on Alice in Cyberland as a 2D artist (1996), Masao would join Konami in 1997 and be responsible for the CG design for many of the company’s rhythm action games (Beatmania, GuitarFreaks, ParaParaParadise).  

His first known cover is for Beatmania GB: GatchaMix 2 (1999), but it was 2003 when he was given his first shot at character design with Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (with Nobuyoshi Nishimura). This would lead to the famed Hideo Kojima offering him the lead character design job on the two Metal Gear Ac!d games, after which he left Konami for Square Enix.  At Square Enix he worked in a multitude of different design roles within the Final Fantasy series and took a lead design position on the Japanese only Lord of Apocalypse.

His art style can be diverse and rich in color. He credits his style as being influenced by Capcom’s fighting game artists (Bengus, Shoei, Akiman etc..) and American comics and cartoons over tradition Japanese manga and anime.  

Beatmania GB: GatchaMix 2 | Konami | 1999 | Game Boy Color.

Lord of the Apocalypse | Square Enix | 2011 | Sony PSP, Sony Vita.

Metal Gear Ac!d | Konami | 2004 | JPN ver. | Sony PSP.

Metal Gear Ac!d | Konami | 2005 | EU/ NA ver. | Sony PSP. 

Metal Gear Ac!d 2 | Komani | 2005 | JPN/ NA ver. | Sony PSP.

Metal Gear Ac!d 2 | Komani | 2006 | EU ver. | Sony PSP.

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (Anubis: Zone of the Enders) | Konami | 2003 | with Nobuyoshi Nishimura | PS2.

Director Shuyo Murata would team up newcomer Masao with veteran Nobuyoshi (character designer on the first Zone of the Enders) in a partnership that proved difficult.  Masao created the character designs, whilst Nobuyoshi finished them in an anime look, but the two artist’s divergent styles led to clashes on how the character art seen on the box art ending up - Nobuyoshi looks to have won the battle though.  

 

Tsuyoshi Nagano – 

Bandit Kings of Ancient China | KOEI | 1989 | Amiga, FM-7, FM Towns, Macintosh, MS-DOS, MSX, NES, PlayStation, Saturn, Windows.

Nobunaga no Yabou 2 | KOEI | 2015 | 3DS.

Nobunaga no Yabou: Ranseiki | KOEI | 2000 | PS2, Xbox.

Nobunaga no Yabou: Shouseiroku | KOEI | 1997 | PS1, PSP, Saturn.

Nobunaga no Yabou: Tendo | KOEI | 2009 | PS3, Vita, Windows, Xbox 360.

Nobunga’s Ambition: Iron Triangle | KOEI | 2005 | PS2, Windows.

Nobunga’s Ambition: Teishi | KOEI | 2015 | PS4, Switch, Windows.

Nobunga’s Rise to Ambition | KOEI | 2003 | PS2, Windows.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms VII | KOEI | 2000 | Macintosh, PS1, PS2, PSP, Windows.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII | KOEI | 2002 | PS2, PSP, Windows.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms IX | KOEI | 2003 | PS2, Windows.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms X | KOEI | 2004 | PS2, Windows.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI | KOEI | 2007 | PS2, Wii, Windows.

Sangokushi V | KOEI | 1995 | Mega Drive, MS-DOS, PC-98, PS1, PSP, Saturn, Windows.

Taikō Risshiden III | KOEI | 1999 | PS1.

Taikō Risshiden IV | KOEI | 2001 | PS2, PSP.

Taikō Risshiden V | KOEI | 2004 | PS2, PSP.

 

Yasushi Nirasawa – 

A-Rank Thunder Tanjouhen | Telenet | 1993 | Mega CD.

Beast Warriors (ビースト・ウォリアーズ) | Renovation Products | 1991 | Genesis, Mega Drive.

Designed by model maker Nirasawa of Hobby Japan Magazine, the character act would exude the artist's usual penchant for ghastly, hellbound looking creatures.

 

Yasushi Suzuki - 

Ikaruga | Atari | 2003 | EU/ JPN ver. | GameCube.

Ikaruga | ESP | 2002 | JPN ver. | Dreamcast.

Ikaruga | Infogrames | 2003 | NA  ver. | GameCube.

Sin & Punishment | Treasure | 2000 | Nintendo 64.

Sin & Punishment: Star Successors | Nintendo | 2009 | JPN ver.| Nintendo Wii.

Sin & Punishment: Star Successors | Nintendo | 2010 | EU/ NA ver. | Nintendo Wii.

 

Yoichi Kotabe – 

Yoichi Kotabe was an active employee of Nintendo Company Limited from 1985 until 2010. Kotabe was one of the first animation legends from Toei Animation to crossover into video games by joining Nintendo.

Yoichi Kotabe became a fan of art during his early school years when his mother introduced him to flipbook animation (the act of flipping through pages, each page with an image that progressively changes, to make it look like it's moving). His father was an artist, though ironically the person who didn't draw much at all was the one who made him interested in animation (his mother). According to him, his mother drew a stick figure in a text book of his at the corner, and on each page the stick figure would be in a slightly different position. As he recalls the stick figure was exercising, but it made him interested enough to try himself.

Kotabe worked closely with the Entertainment Analysis & Development Division but also was involved with several other departments internally at the company. Despite Kotabe-san's retirement from Nintendo, he still acts as an advisor for the company. Via the Kyoto report.

The artist would be instrumental in redesigning the Super Mario characters from Miyamoto’s original designs, starting with Super Mario Bros. 3.

 

Donkey Kong ‘94 | Nintendo | 1994 | Game Boy.

Game & Watch Gallery 4 | Nintendo | 2002 | with Yasuko Takahashi | Game Boy Color.

Legend of Zelda, The: A Link to the Past | Nintendo | 1991 | JPN ver. | Super Famicom.

Legend of Zelda, The: Link’s Awakening | Nintendo | 1993 | JPN ver. | Game Boy.

Legend of Zelda, The: Link’s Awakening DX | Nintendo | 1998 | JPN ver. | Game Boy Color.

Super Mario Bros. 3 (スーパーマリオブラザーズ３) | Nintendo | 1988 | JPN ver. | Famicom.

Super Mario Bros. 3 (スーパーマリオブラザーズ３) | Nintendo | 1990 | with GIRVIN | EU/ NA ver. | NES.

For gamers in 1990 this cover was hard to ignore with the heavy promotion Nintendo put behind it.  It is arguably, and much like its predecessor, an Iconic example of 90’s box art and characterisation.  

The Mario art would be lifted from the Japanese version - a cover too chaotic of western taste - and it would be design studio GIRVIN who brilliantly emblazoned the plumber against bright yellow and applied the logo.

The cover would cap off Mario’s three NES efforts, all of which have stood the test of time.

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe (スーパーマリオブラザーズデラックス) | Nintendo | 1999 | Game Boy Color.

Possibly the artist’s final Super Mario box art to date. The game would not see a physical release in Japan making it the only game in the series to miss out on a Japanese box art.

Super Mario Kart | Nintendo | 1992 | SNES, Super Famicom.

Super Mario Land | Nintendo | 1989 | Game Boy.

Super Mario Land 2 | Nintendo | 1992 | Game Boy.

Super Mario USA (スーパーマリオUS) | Nintendo | 1992 | by Yoichi Kotabe | Famicom.

The well-documented history of Super Mario Bros 2 had Nintendo of Japan (NOJ) take its abandoned attempt for Mario’s first sequel and fashion Fuji TV’s then mascots into it calling it Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (1987). These changes were made only for Nintendo of America to request it be made into Super Mario Bros 2 (1988) after the Japanese release of that game (The Lost Levels) was deemed too challenging. Subsequently, after the game’s success in the West, it was brought back to Japan as Super Mario USA (1992).

Interestingly, NOJ would take Doki Doki Panic’s original box art, with character art by Tadashi Sugiyama and an unknown Fuji designer, redraw the piece, so it would be more in line with Mario’s previous box arts, and replace Fuji’s characters with Yoichi Kotabe’s Mario designs.  

Being of Mario heritage Doki Doki Panic and Mario USA share obvious design traits with other Famicom Mario cover arts such as bold coloring, distinctive line work and chaotic characterisation (see Super Mario Bros 1 and 3 on the Famicom) while the box layout is vertically designed instead of horizontally as found on a majority of Famicom releases. To finish, its pink border (which also extends to the game’s cart) is a stark reminder of how daringly colorful Japanese box art can be.

Super Mario World | Nintendo | 1990 |JPN ver. | Super Famicom.

Super Mario World | Nintendo | 1991 | EU/ NA ver. | SNES.

 

Yoji Shinkawa – 

The artist would start his video game career by joining Konami and working on Policenauts in 1994. After that project he would art direct Metal Gear’s resurrection to the Solid series in 1998 and worked on every game in the series up until 2015’s Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. His art would adorn the mainline game’s box arts, whilst off shoot games such as in the Ac!d series would be artistically directed by him but use other artist’s designs.  

His distinctive organic, free-flowing brush work is created use ink pens and Pentel Brush Pens on canvas before being transferred to an art package and digitally finished.  He first and foremost sees himself as a character designer over an illustrator or painter and has been influenced by such pedigree as Amano, Moebius and Pogany.

After leaving Konami in 2015 he would follow designer Hideo Kojima to his new studio, again taking up the role of art director.    

Fu-un Shinsengumi | Genki | 2004 | blue cover. | PS2.

Fu-un Shinsengumi | Genki | 2004 | red cover. | PS2.

Left Alive | Square Enix | 2019 | PS4, Windows.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - Special Edition | Konami | 2013 | PS3.

Metal Gear Solid | Konami | 1999 | EU ver. | PS1.

Metal Gear Solid (Metal Gear: Ghost Babel) | Konami | 2000 | EU/ JPN ver. | Game Boy Color.

Character designer Yoji would take a more anime/ cartoon approach to the Game Boy Color’s ‘Solid’ game, arguably targeting Nintendo’s younger gamers (as was often the case when more mature games received Game Boy versions).

North America would receive a more traditional take on Yoji’s Solid Snake.

Metal Gear Solid | Konami | 2000 | NA ver. | Game Boy Color.

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes | Konami | 2004 | EU/ JPN ver. | GameCube.

Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions | Konami | 1999 | NA ver. | PS1.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | Konami | 2001 | EU/ NA ver. | PS2. 

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | Konami | 2001 | JPN ver. | PS2.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance | Konami | 2002 | PS2, Xbox (EU ver), Windows.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance | Konami | 2002 | NA ver. | Xbox.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater | Konami | 2004 | JPN ver. | PS2.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater | Konami | 2004 | NA ver. | PS2. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater | Konami | 2005 | EU ver. | PS2.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence | Konami | 2005 | PS2

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots | Konami | 2008 | EU ver. | PS4.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Special Edition | Konami | 2008 | PS4.

Zone of the Enders HD Edition | Konami | 2012 | JPN ver. | PS3, Xbox 360.

Zone of the Enders HD Edition: Premium Package | Konami | 2012 | PS3, Xbox 360.

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – MARS | Konami | 2018 | PS4, Windows.

 

Yoshihiro Hashizume – 

Gradius Gaiden | Konami | 1997 | PS1

 

Yoshiyuki Takani – 

Takani would find fame through his box arts for Gundam and military hardware inspired model kit packaging by TAMIYA. The artist is perhaps best known internationally in gaming circles for his work on Konami’s Metal Gear Solid series where he provided mecha and character artworks.  In his native Japan he is also well known for his cover arts on the long running Power DoLLs series.    

The artist appears to have always used traditional paints for his box arts.

Advanced Power Dolls 2 | Kogado Studio | 1996 | PC-98.

Edo no Kiba | Micro World | 1993 | Super Famicom.

Genocide 2: Master of the Dark Communion | Zoom Inc | 1991 | Super Famicom, X68000.

Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise from the Ashes | Bandai | 1999 | JPN ver. | Dreamcast.

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake | Konami | 1990 | MSX.

Metal Slug Complete | SNK Playmore | 2007 | JPN ver. | Sony PSP.

Omega Boost | Sony | 1999 | JPN ver. | PS1.

Phalanx (ファランクス) | Kemco | 1991 | by Yoshiyuki Takani | X68000.

The veteran illustrator of TAMIYA military model-kit box arts would beautifully depict Phalanx’s star-fighter in an uncommonly calm setting for a shoot ‘em up cover art. Very much in line with the style of illustration Shigeru Komatsuzaki, Yoshiyuki’s delicate brush strokes, soft palette and detailed realism would be a welcome artistic change to the more common anime style seen in the Super Famicom’s equivalent release.

In the US, publisher Kemco would infamously create the equivalent SNES box art. Bereft of any quality, it depicted a banjo-playing hick. Whilst certainly achieving the tongue-in-cheek recognition, and notoriety, the publisher set out to garner, it was a depressing alternative when Takani’s artwork was available.

A hidden gem of a box art, Phalanx is another classic work from one of Japan’s old guards in the art of painted war.

Power DoLLS | Kogado Studio | 1994 | JPN ver. | FM Towns, PC-98.

Power DoLLS 2 | Kogado Studio | 1994 | FM Towns, PC-98.

Power DoLLS 2 Dash | Kogado Studio | 1995 | PC-98.

Power DoLLS 3 | Kogado Studio | 1999 | Windows.

Power DoLLS 4 | Kogado Studio | 2000 | Windows.

Power DoLLS 5 | Kogado Studio | 2002 | Windows.

Power DoLLS 6 | Kogado Studio | 2004 | Windows.

Sōkō Kihei Votoms | Family Soft | 1988 | PC-98.

Strikers 1945 | Atlus | 1996 | JPN ver. | PS1, Saturn.

Strikers 1945 II | Psiyko | 1998 | JPN/ NA ver. | PS1, Saturn.

Verne World | Banpresto | 1995 | Super Famicom.

 

Yū Kinutani – 

Dinosaur | Falcom | 1990 | FM Towns, PC-88, PC-98.

 

Yu Yamamoto – 

ARMS (グリーンベレー) | Nintendo | 2017 | Nintendo Switch.

ARMS was Yu’s first box art. The artist would be responsible for the overall character design models, logotype and promotional art accompanying the game.

The artist has explained that because ARMS was a new Nintendo property the character art was changing daily, and so a close working relationship with the development team was required.

The artwork took into account the Switch’s vertical case dimensions (that were still undecided when the game’s graphic design had started) and was designed to show depth, that the game is a 3D fighter and to promote a ‘hot competition’ (the artist’s words).  

 

Yuji Kaida – 

The famous Godzilla and mechanical designer would start a long career in the video game industry by creating the promo poster for a young Hideo Kojima’s cyberpunk adventure Snatcher (Yuji’s art would also be used on the instruction manual for the 1988 releases and as box art for the 1994 Sega CD version).  

His first high profile cover which saw a globally release on the still new Sega Mega Drive would be Ghouls ‘n Ghosts (1989). A generation of gamers would would be inducted into Yuji’s art through this cover and its masterful take on gothic-horror.

Into the 1990’s he would do a slew of mechanical themed covers that would be Japanese exclusives and finish, thus far, as a box artist with Ultra Seven (1993) - a reissued original piece of his.  Throughout the rest of the ’90’s he would be involved in arcade and magazine illustrations, and post 2000 he would do a glut of card illustrations (popular in Japan, see Culdcept and Ateil series) and monster designs for various browser and IOS games.

 

ESWAT: City Under Siege | Sega | 1990 | Genesis, Mega Drive.

Ghouls n’ Ghosts | Capcom | 1989 | Genesis, Mega Drive.

Kiaidan 00 | Telenet Japan Co. | 1992 | PC Engine.

Nexzr | Naxat Soft | 1992 | PC Engine.

Snatcher | Konami | 1994 | Mega CD/ Sega CD.

Soldier Blade | Hudson Soft | 1992 | PC Engine.

Ultra Seven (ウルトラセブン) | Bandai Co. | 1993 | Super Famicom.

Originally a promotional piece for the Ultra Seven brand and then re-issued for the Super Famicom box art.  It is Kaida’s final box art to date.

Whip Rush | Renovation Products | 1990 | Genesis, Mega Drive.

 

Yuji Uekawa – 

Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg | Sega | 2003 | GameCube.

Samba de Amigo | Sega | 2000 | Dreamcast.

Samba de Amigo | Sega | 2008 | Nintendo Wii.

Samba de Amigo ver. 2000 | Sega | 2000 | Dreamcast.

Sonic 3D: Flickies Island | Sega | 1999 | Saturn.

Sonic Advance | Sega | 2001 | Game Boy Advance.

Sonic Advance 2 | Sega | 2002 | Game Boy Advance.

Sonic Advance 3 | Sega | 2004 | Game Boy Advance.

Sonic Adventure (ソニック　アドベンチャー) | Sega | 1998 | Dreamcast.

Sonic Adventure would mark the start of Sega’s final foray as a publisher on it’s own hardware. The character art would be the first major revision that Sega had made to Sonic. The hedgehog was now more slender, with long, exaggerated limbs and with arguably a more Japanese-anime look to boot.  

Sonic Adventure also marked the first time in the series that the cover art was used across the globe and unchanged in anyway - a testimony to the confidence Sega had in Uekawa’s designs.

Uekawa’s Sonic art would go on to be used for the best part of a decade after this, and well into Sega’s new phase as a developer/ publisher only.  

Sonic Adventure 2 | Sega | 2001 | Dreamcast.

Sonic Adventure 2 Battle | Sega | 2001 | GameCube.

Sonic Adventure DX | Sega | 2003 | GameCube.

Sonic Heroes | Sega | 2003 | GameCube, PS2, PS3, Windows, Xbox.

Sonic Mega Collection/ Plus | Sega | 2002/ 2006 | GameCube.

Sonic Rush | Sega | 2005 | Nintendo DS.

Sonic Rush Adventure | Sega | 2007 | Nintendo DS.

Sonic the Hedgehog | Sega | 2006 | PS3, Xbox 360.

Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure | Sega | 1999 | Neo Geo Pocket Color.

 

Yukio Kitta – 

Illusion City: Gen’ei Toshi (幻影都市)  | Micro Cabin Corp | 1991 | FM Towns, MSX, PC-98, X68000.

Yukio’s grandiose and melancholic window into the future, would be imposingly possible due to the space available on Japan’s home computer casings.  It wouldn’t represent the in-games bleak artistic direction, but, the lamenting architectural facade would sorrowfully tell the game’s fated tale brilliantly.

Illusion’s artistry melded both classic anime with delicate ligne claire styles of art.  Inspiration can be seen from artist’s Moebius and Jean Giraud, and even though sci-fi isn’t Yukio’s normal genre, Illusion does still sit comfortably within the artists portfolio.

Sega’s Mega CD would be only console graced with a port and would switch front and back covers - complete with 1980’s style Manga characterisation by Mangaka Koji Nakakita - but in doing so offered a far inferior box art both visually and emotionally.

 

Yusuke Kozaki – 

Fire Emblem: Awakening (ファイアーエムブレム 覚醒) | Nintendo | 2012 | 3DS.

Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright | Nintendo | 2015 | 3DS.

Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest | Nintendo | 2015 | 3DS.

No More Heroes | Marvelous Entertainment | 2007 | EU/ JPN ver. | Nintendo Wii.

No More Heroes | Ubisoft | 2008 | NA ver. | Nintendo Wii.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle | Marvelous Entertainment | 2010 | EU/ NA ver. | Nintendo Wii.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle | Marvelous Entertainment | 2010 | JPN ver. | Nintendo Wii.

No More Heroes: Heroes’ Paradise | Marvelous Entertainment | 2010 | PS3, Xbox 360.

No More Heroes: Red Zone | Marvelous Entertainment | 2011 | PS3.

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together | Square Enix | 2011 | PSP.

 

Yusuke Nakano – 

Legend of Zelda, The: A Link Between Worlds | Nintendo | 2013 | 3DS.

Legend of Zelda, The: Ocarina of Time | Nintendo | 1998 | JPN ver. | Nintendo 64.

Legend of Zelda, The: The Twilight Princess | Nintendo | 2006 | EU/ NA ver. | Nintendo Wii.

Legend of Zelda, The: The Twilight Princess | Nintendo | 2006 | JPN ver. | Nintendo Wii.

Legend of Zelda, The: The Twilight Princess HD | Nintendo | 2016 | EU/ JPN ver. | Nintendo Wii U.

Legend of Zelda, The: The Twilight Princess HD | Nintendo | 2016 | NA ver. | Nintendo Wii U.

Legend of Zelda, The: The Wind Waker | Nintendo | 2002 | JPN ver. | GameCube.

Legend of Zelda, The: The Wind Waker | Nintendo | 2002 | EU/ NA ver. | GameCube.

Legend of Zelda, The: The Wind Waker HD (Limited Edition) | Nintendo | 2013 | Nintendo Wii U.

Super Mario 64 | Nintendo | 1996 | EU/ NA ver. | Nintendo 64.

Super Mario 64 | Nintendo | 1996 | JPN ver. | Nintendo 64.

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 | Nintendo | 1994 | Game Boy.