The 50 worst pieces of video game box art ever

There's a knack to video game box art. 

With a few inches of canvas, a designer has to encapsulate the main thrust of the game and its themes in a manner that makes it look even better than the box sitting next to it. Too minimalist, and no one will know what it's about. Too much, and it risks looking like the love-child of a colouring book and an infomercial.

While the dawn of the internet may have eroded the importance of video game box art in the modern era, Twitter account @boxartscrewup does an admirable job of reminding us just how wrong some designers got it.

From bad thinking to just awful art, here are some of the worst offenders. 

Black Belt

Mega.

Street Sports: Baseball

ERMAHGERD, BERSEBERL

Eric and the Floaters

Floaters? 

Gummy Bears Minigolf

Another important lesson never to accept sweets from strangers. Because they're probably laced with LSD.

Dynamite Duke

ACTION.

Rollerblade Racer

Guys! On WHEELS guys! WHEELS!

OMG 26

Books! Choice! Dangerous Jewel! A spider with red eyes! OMG!

Street Racer

Nope, we've got no idea what 'Bugs Bunny on meth' is doing in the corner either.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo

Certified by nine out of 10 dentists!

Freestyle Metal X

The most needless infinity mirror effect ever seen in video game art.

Graffiti Man

Bowie? Is that you?

Jill of the Jungle: Jill Goes Underground

Not even Jill knows what's going on here...

Amnesia

Amnesia was a great piece of horror gaming. The artwork was a great piece of horrible gaming art.

Mole Hunter

"Oh no!" said the mole. "A transparent snake!"

Santa Claus saves the Earth

Sure.

Mobile Light Force 2

One vowel away from being a VERY different video game.

Druid: Daemons of the Mind

We can only assume the artist was copying his own face from the back of a spoon.

WWF In Your House

Did they pinch the font from that "You wouldn't steal a car" thing on rental DVDs?

Chuckie Egg II

We need an adult.

Tongue of the Fatman

Yep. This is a real game.

Heartlight

If you go down to the woods today, you're in for a big surprise...

PlayAround

A favourite of dodgy uncles across the world.

Paccie

Like Pac-Man, but not. For legal reasons. Which also makes it sound incredibly offensive. 

Yakuza Fury

Yakuza Fury - a game in which the criminals only deal in small change.

Metro Cross

We can only assume a dangerous amount of drugs were taken in the creation of this cover.

Pet Vet

"Do we want the perspective and scaling to make sense?"

"Meh, nobody will notice."

Karnaaj Rally

You have to say the name out loud before you realise what they mean.

Night Trap

Where the trap is paying for a designer.

Pinocchio

"Kill... me..."

Columns III

The sexy alternative to Tetris.

Fatal Frame

"Based on a true story."

And lies. Lots of lies.

Street Sports: Basketball

ERMAHGERD, BERSKETEBERL

Anticipation

And, on the basis of this cover, also their last video board game.

Why have they written the alphabet out in full? Why?

Super Bust-A-Move

This game doesn't actually feature a baby...

I did it Mum 2

They made two of these games.

Cinderella

Seriously strong eyebrow game. Seriously strong.

Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year edition

"Just buy the fucking game already."

Imagine party babyz

We'd rather not.

Night Trap (again)

No idea.

Baky Baky

Scary scary.

The Ballet Studio

Is this the girl Elton John wrote a song about?

Snood 2: On Vacation

The video game equivalent of "Could do better" on a teacher's report.

Hansel & Gretel

From an artist who once overheard a description of a gingerbread house and went with it...

Family Farm

First rule of Family Farm. Nobody talks about what happened on Family Farm.

Second rule of Family Farm. NOBODY talks about what happened on Family Farm.

Marine Rescue

Some harsh words have been exchanged between that seal pup and polar bear cub. Words like "My dad ate your dad".

Street Warrior

"We need it to look as masculine and aggressive as possible, without actually suggesting violence."

Cheggers Party Quiz

They couldn't stretch the budget to buy any actual images of Cheggers.

Yakuza 3

Features dragons. And faces.

The Adventures of Gilligan's Island

That 'Seal of Quality' isn't fooling us.

The Terminator

"Quick! The game is going to print in five minutes and we forgot about the cover design! Just use the film art, but do something a bit... different?"