Cover Art Face-Off #2

Oh hey, what's going down? If you've visited this ridiculous page recently you might recall a post I made featuring the various famous Sega IPs that, for one odd reason or another, appeared on their own console's rival, the NES. They were mostly of reasonable quality, though of course inferior to the versions found on the mighty Master System, but it was interesting to take a look at them. While on the subject, however, I also looked into the cover artwork for the NES releases since they were unlikely to be using the MS's white grid covers, and indeed they were not. So I figured I might as well make a follow-up post about those too! Therefore, behold:

After Burner (1987/89)

This was one of the first ever games I had in my possession and therefore one of the first game covers to dwell on my shelf so it holds some nostalgic value for me, but let's face it - it looks like something a low-level factory worker doodled in his/her lunch break! The NES offering was for the US market and features a much more impressive-looking F-14 fighter front and centre. I'm not sufficiently knowledgeable about US military hardware to know how accurate it is, but it sure looks cool here, especially surrounded by tracer fire and explosions. It even has the title in its correct font! Though it pains me slightly to say it, there can only be one winner here...



Alien Syndrome (1987/88)

Aside from being another white grid cover generally, this game holds less nostalgic value for me as I didn't own it until many years after its release. The MS cover is certainly more striking than After Burner's, featuring what looks like an actual xenomorph from an Alien film taking a blast in the bread basket. Since the game does feature aliens that look a bit like that (on one stage), it's not an inappropriate cover, even if the artwork isn't first class. The NES cover, again a US one, features both player characters since, unlike the poor old MS version, it supports simultaneous two-player action, but not much in the way of scary alien scum. The quality of the artwork is again much higher though, and it's a more than decent effort overall. I guess that's another win for Nintendo's ghastly console then. Harumph!



Altered Beast (1989/90)

Along with After Burner, this was one of my first three games ever, but nostalgia or not, I rather like the cover art anyway. It shows the title in its correct font and the artwork depicts Dave's transformation process in a nice style. The NES, or should I say Famicom version was only released in Japan which would normally mean I would compare it to the Sega Mark III cover accordingly, but there is no such version to my knowledge. Quite why Sega wouldn't release a conversion of their own arcade game in home territory, only they can say. But anyway, the Famicom one is an interesting one too. The title is also in the correct font and the artwork shows the various 'beasts' that you can play as (including the new ones exclusive to this version). The actual standard of the artwork is probably lower but it's a cover that holds a certain charm if you ask me; certainly more than this version of the hideous game itself! I think this win has to go to the MS though.



Fantasy Zone (1986/87/89)

Yeay, another minimalistic white grid design, and it's another one I'm mighty fond of, probably even more so this time! Maybe that's because of how wonderful the game is, I don't care, but it shows Opa Opa and one of the amusing bosses from the game. It looks like Opa Opa is about to crash into it actually! They missed the opportunity to showcase some of the game's garish colours and backgrounds but never mind. I'm not sure what's going on with that NES cover though. The background is passable I guess, and the enemies are okay, but what the frickin' frack is going on with that ship? That's not Opa Opa! It's nothing like him! Why? I'm so traumatised by that abomination I'm awarding this round to the MS without hesitation!



Fantasy Zone II (1987/88)

As mentioned above, since the NES/Famicom version of this splendid sequel was only released in Japan, I'll be using the Sega Mark III cover for comparison with this one and... they are pretty similar actually. Except, like many Famicom games, the artwork is in landscape format. Both show Opa Opa correctly, both give a good impression of the kind of colourful worlds you'll find yourself in and the crazy enemies you'll be (hopefully) shooting. The Famicom cover shows the game's title correctly but I think I'll still give this one to the MS/Mark III since it's the right way around - tee hee!



Shinobi (1988)

Of all the games here, I think this one is the hardest to choose a winnner for since, to be honest, neither cover is very good! The MS game is one of my favourites and therefore, once again, has nostalgic value, but the more I actually look at it, the worse it seems. I mean, it doesn't really look like Joe is even wearing a proper ninja outfit (called a ninja-yoroi, I believe) - it just looks like he's in black spandex. Plus, he looks like a white guy. Not that white guys can't do ninjery stuff but the game is Japanese, the character's name is Japanese so... you know. He's surrounded by apparently-floating shurikens too. Okay, it does give you an idea of what the game's going to be like, which is it's job, but artistically it's pretty poor. The American NES one, on the other hand, is just a photo of a real guy dressed as a ninja. It's a pretty cool pose/move, admittedly, but I've never really liked actual photos as game covers. Hmm, I think I'll give this one to the MS for old time's sake but neither is brilliant...



Space Harrier (1986/88)

Good gracious me, what's this?! Both versions have the same cover - jeepers! It is a pretty good cover for sure, and the non-Japanese MS cover is a pretty poor one, but these two Japanese examples are colourful and depict the 3D, monster-filled world through which your floaty guy shoots them all very well. Not much to separate them then, but I think the MS/Mark III takes it for me since the Famicom one cuts the top and bottom off. I guess the MS one cuts a couple of corners too, but never mind...