Pokemon Box Art

[Megan]

One interesting aspect that people seem to overlook most of the time (although, you can't really blame them, as it's not part of the games) is the cover art that every Pokemon game has. Usually that's the place where you get a first glimpse on what legendary mascott you're going to face, except for the very first generation and their respective remakes.

Do you like that kind of setup, or would you rather see something else on these boxes (landscapes, different Pokemon, etc.)?

 

[esperance]

I like the current box art setup they've got going on. It's cool being able to see the legendary Pokémon of the game right on the cover. I'll never be able to forget receiving that glittery Platinum version box with the cool Giratina. :)

 

[Drayton]

I just wish the coloring it different on the background on 3rd gen consoles. I simply adore my Pokemon Y game box. I adore Yveltal very much :3

 

[Lycanthropy]

It's simple and clear, yet shows effectively which version it is. Some landscape would be nice, but shouldn't have more purpose than just background. The box legendary should stay the main focus.

 

[mikey]

I love the box arts. Its the reason I buy physical copies instead of digital copies. I think the legendary pattern is a good one, and one they most likely won't ever change. I think the Gold and Silver covers are still my favorite after all these years. Not sure why, just love them.

 

[Hikamaru]

I always love staring at the Legendaries on the boxart. I remember the very first time I got some of my fave games and I always adored the beauty of the boxart, some notable ones for me were X/Y and B2/W2. They did a good job on those ones.

 

[Meng Jiaxin]

I love Black and X's box art mainly for Reshie and Xerneas being on the cover!

 

[fenyx4]

(Handy list for reference!) - https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pokémon_games

The Pokemon core series game boxarts are just beautiful; I love the simple formula of "logo + version mascot Pokemon + pretty abstract background"; even the Generation 1 games did great with their simplified designs. Not a single core series boxart has been "bad", in my opinion (although there is the lack of an English Pokemon Green Version and the quirk of Suicune being strangely pitted against the ranks of Lugia and Ho-Oh).. Even most of the spin-off games have beautifully rendered artwork.

Going onward, I hope that the Pokemon core series boxarts just use legendary Pokemon for the "version mascot" role (as started by Generation 2's main pair of Pokemon Gold and Silver and subsequently codified by all of Generation 3's non-remake games, Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald). While starter Pokemon were fitting for Generation 1, it would just look weird now, especially as the "version mascot" legendary Pokemon these days are intertwined in terms of lore, comparison, and contrasting. Also, the use of "unique" artwork rather than the stock promotional artwork (like what Pokemon Emerald did for Rayquaza)

As for fonts, the majority of them have been great (although somewhat hard to identify at times {XD}).. I adore the usage of the "Futura Bold" font for the subtitles of Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum Versions; it just seems so fulfilling! Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver Versions also win points with their incorporation of the "Eurostile" font, and the Pokemon Black 1/Black 2/White 1/White 2 font is amazingly futuristic.

 

[Poké Bean]

It's really exciting when they unveil the newest box art! The corresponding Legendary on the front has become iconic now and I can't imagine it any other way. I usually throw boxes away because of lack of space but I keep the Pokemon ones because they're so beautiful and special!

 

[Sydian]

Surprise! I'm going to be different here! While I don't think there's anything bad about the box art per se, and I do love how they're designed usually, I don't really like the legendary Pokemon always being the one featured on the front. This is going to delve more into story reasons for my train of thought on that though, so I'll keep it brief. I get that legendaries are supposed to have great backstories and lores and don't get me wrong, I like that. But I'm just really tired of that being the main focus on the story. There are games that come along like Black and White that change up the typical format and do provide a more thought provoking story, but I really feel that straying away from the "this legendary causes x to happen and x is gonna do x with it and you need to stop and capture x in the climax of the story!" is getting old. I would be fine with returning to a starter for a mascot with less of a focus on the legendaries, like the original games and even Gold and Silver. Hell, Gold and Silver have the legendaries on the box and they're not even a part of the main story line. You have to go out of your way on your own to get them.

I realize this is more of a gripe with the stories rather than the boxes, but I think the fact that legendaries keep getting stamped on boxes just adds to my disdain for it. Overall, I think the boxes are nice and simplistic and each generation has its own flair, which I really like! I just wish that legendaries weren't always the ones plastered onto the covers...especially when sometimes, I feel that their designs can be a little off-putting, like Diamond and Pearl's. So yeah, don't devour me for diving a little off course here, just my personal thoughts!