While technology is constantly advancing and giving gamers everywhere a more immersive experience, sometimes a retrospective look back in time is the breath of fresh air everyone needs once in a while. Everything about the evolution of video games is can hold sentimental value; especially something as simple as an art style. Here are some of the things everyone misses most about retro video game cover art.
7 Hand-Drawn Touch
Of course in the modern age, there are a ton of great examples of cover art that is skillfully rendered with 3D models or drawn digitally, but there’s just something about that traditional “done on paper” hand-drawn art style that gives a game a polished touch.
Whether it be a hand-drawn sketch or a retro-style painted piece, these kinds of game covers aren’t seen around nearly as much these days. That clear “done by hand” aesthetic gives retro games that surreal feel that in a sense, isn’t just selling a simple video game, but selling an immersive, interactive experience, and truly brings its story, world, and characters to life.
6 Geometric Art
The aesthetic in the ’80s-’90s had a very distinct feel and was near impossible to mistake for another era. The aesthetic of any games that came out in that time frame usually had a large focus on geometrical shapes; an absence of organic shapes in favor of rigid straight lines to create dimension, space, and forced perspectives.
This era considered this aesthetic to have a futuristic feel, doubling down on the hype and rise of electronics, new technology, and later, the internet. It’s a bit ironic that this “futuristic” look this era created for itself is now what makes audiences feel nostalgic!
5 Console Exclusive Borders
Although console branding is still very much present in games today, there was something special about the way retro game covers advertised their consoles back then. Console branding on game covers is much more subdued in today’s age, focusing on the art itself rather than what system the consumer needed to own in order to play it. Console exclusive branding today is mainly reserved for the spine of the game case and serves simply as an indicator for which system the game is compatible with.
However, back in the day when video games were relatively new and the general public didn’t know which fancy new system to commit to, it was absolutely imperative for games to unapologetically advertise their home console as much as they could. Keeping that vibrant “Super Nintendo” or “Atari” branding front and center was the best way to keep a console’s company alive and in turn, was one of the most iconic aspects of retro video game covers.
4 Vivid/Primary Colors
Many modern-day games choose a much more subtle/subdued color palette; keeping tones and shades a bit on the dull side to allow the minimal pops of color in the title itself and main focus of the piece to easily stand out.
However, many retro games had cover art full of color, bursting with bright reds, yellows, and blues, allowing the entire cover to act as a focal point rather than focusing attention on one, smaller, specific point. It seems that because a large portion of video games was initially introduced and marketed to children, the colors were more lively; and as the world of gaming grew to audiences of all ages, they began to adopt a more mature color palette to appeal to older audiences as well.
3 Extremely Detailed Character Art
A few years back, technology wasn’t quite there yet when it came to realistic video game graphics. Although these games still performed well for their time and were indeed entertaining, it was rather difficult to establish easily recognizable characters that could act as the face of a franchise. One of the best (and most hilarious) things retro game covers often had in common was the weirdly detailed character art that often never even appeared in-game!
This made sense as the low fidelity of graphics at the time didn’t allow players to ever get a good glimpse of the beloved characters they were playing as or against in-game; so the creators often resorted to using the cover art as a means to show off their characters in full. Although a bit unnerving at first glance, those uncomfortably detailed and surreal portraits of Mega Man and Pac-Man that looked absolutely nothing like their in-game models were hilariously endearing.
2 Kitschy Title Fonts
Perhaps at the time, these fonts really screamed “extreme gaming” but now, it’s a bit on the cheesy side. However, just because something is cheesy doesn’t mean that it’s objectively bad. These game cover fonts fall into that endearing “kitschy” category; something with a cheesy aesthetic that is almost tacky, but in the end still somehow looks stylish in its own unique way.
These kitschy fonts often include contrasting colors, sharp rigid lines and corners, and in some cases, two completely different fonts that purposely clash. Nowadays, many art directors prefer much “safer” fonts that aren’t flashy or too unconventional (often to help with legibility). It gives modern-day games a nice polished look, but it would be refreshing to see some newer games revive the use of kitschy title fonts every once in a while.
Shout out to Hotline Miamifor being one great example!
1 Feeling Like A Kid Again
Above all else, the main thing everyone misses the most about retro video game cover art is the nostalgia. Everyone that grew up in that golden age of the rise of video games remembers that amazing feeling of being a carefree kid, browsing the video game aisle, and picking out which title to bug mom and dad to buy.
Just the simple sight of these retro gaming covers is enough to ignite a whole wave of cherished childhood memories and in the end, no matter how sappy or sentimental it is, that nostalgia is the biggest factor everyone seems to miss.
