I can’t research it at the moment, but I want to say that was a common thing in the pre-NES days, and I think Nintendo required actual gameplay graphics to be shown on the box because of that.
Could be off on the specifics, but I do vaguely recall those kinds of non-representative box art having some controversy.
Nintendo of America often used pixel art for their own box art early on in the NES era. It was similar to the in game graphics, but usually more detailed. See Metroid’s original artwork. If there was a requirement for third parties, perhaps it could be met by simply including screenshots on the back.
I can’t research it at the moment, but I want to say that was a common thing in the pre-NES days, and I think Nintendo required actual gameplay graphics to be shown on the box because of that.
Could be off on the specifics, but I do vaguely recall those kinds of non-representative box art having some controversy.
Mega Man would like a word.
Just look at that sexy bastard.
Maybe they got a pass if the in-game graphics were better than the box art? 😆
What do you mean? This is the greatest art in the history of art. It makes me FEEL something. Those in game graphics don’t make me feel at all.
That feeling is called nausea
Mind you, that was only American artwork. Original Japanese:
That’s quite the banana hammock he’s wearing.
Wtf did they do to his legs??
Nintendo of America often used pixel art for their own box art early on in the NES era. It was similar to the in game graphics, but usually more detailed. See Metroid’s original artwork. If there was a requirement for third parties, perhaps it could be met by simply including screenshots on the back.
Even Nintendo’s black-box era was like, here’s the seventeen pixels that comprise a duck, but at a jaunty angle.