After a short hiatus, I decided to return to this series covering old game box art. So, without further ado, here's volume 7 of old and fantastic artwork aimed to sell games when the computers weren't capable of showing more than chunky pixels.
The Lords of Midnight (1984)
Here's a game I tried to play multiple times as a kid, but I never got very far, as I didn't understand what to do in this multi pathed strategy game. You can get to the end in several ways, but in the end, you have to save your realm from the evil Doomdark.
I have always loved the cover art of the game. The Amstrad CPC 464 version we had had a nice, big box, which made the game jump out in contrast to many other titles in simpler and smaller cassette cases.
I am not certain who drew the box art, but it might actually be by the developer of the game itself, Mike Singleton. Then again, he isn't listed in graphics or art in his MobyGames credentials, so I may be way off. If you know otherwise, please do throw a note in the comments.
Pool of Radiance (1988)
The Goldbox series of D&D games from SSI are legendary RPG games from the past. Pool of Radiance was, for me, the first serious CRPG I ever played and while I did try to play it through several times, I only did so recently.
While the game is not necessarily the one I'd recommend new players to try if they are interested in the Goldbox titles, I've always liked the box art.
Like for many games in the series, the box art is done by Clyde Caldwell, an artist well known for his fantasy art. Like Larry Elmore, Caldwell has done a lot of work for Wizards of the Coast, the owners of Dungeons & Dragons.
The art used in the box of Pool of Radiance might not be among the best works of Caldwell, but he is a good artist. You can see more of his works, and perhaps even buy some of them, through his official page.
Hillsfar (1989)
Another D&D title in the Goldbox-series with cover art by Clyde Caldwell. I'd as far as to claim, that the game box itself is the best thing about the game as a whole.
Hillsfar is a bit of an anomaly among the SSI Goldbox games. While it is a part of the official D&D lineup, it also is more of a collection of different kinds of minigames, tied together with short storylines for different classes.
In the end, Hilsfar was never meant to be a serious CRPG title, as it is more like a character trainer. You can import your game characters from the other titles and get them to higher levels by completing the little missions and training sessions, like combating in the arena or archery range.
While some parts of it are fun, it is, as a whole, repetitious and a bit tedious game.
Eye of Beholder (1991)
For the final game, yet another SSI title, Eye of the Beholder.
While I didn't play Eye of Beholder until the mid-'90s, I have always loved the box art it has. Just like Clyde Caldwell, the artist Jeff Easley is a well-known fantasy artist, responsible for many pieces relating to Dungeons & Dragons.
What comes to dungeon blobbers, I was a relatively late bloomer as Eye of the Beholder was the first one for me. It is a fun game, where you descend deeper to the dungeons, your final goal being the evil beholder, who is controlling the evil beings threatening the city above.
If you want to see more of Easley's art, you can head down to his official web page.
Here's a game I tried to play multiple times as a kid, but I never got very far, as I didn't understand what to do in this multi pathed strategy game. You can get to the end in several ways, but in the end, you have to save your realm from the evil Doomdark.
I have always loved the cover art of the game. The Amstrad CPC 464 version we had had a nice, big box, which made the game jump out in contrast to many other titles in simpler and smaller cassette cases.
I am not certain who drew the box art, but it might actually be by the developer of the game itself, Mike Singleton. Then again, he isn't listed in graphics or art in his MobyGames credentials, so I may be way off. If you know otherwise, please do throw a note in the comments.
The Goldbox series of D&D games from SSI are legendary RPG games from the past. Pool of Radiance was, for me, the first serious CRPG I ever played and while I did try to play it through several times, I only did so recently.
While the game is not necessarily the one I'd recommend new players to try if they are interested in the Goldbox titles, I've always liked the box art.
Like for many games in the series, the box art is done by Clyde Caldwell, an artist well known for his fantasy art. Like Larry Elmore, Caldwell has done a lot of work for Wizards of the Coast, the owners of Dungeons & Dragons.
The art used in the box of Pool of Radiance might not be among the best works of Caldwell, but he is a good artist. You can see more of his works, and perhaps even buy some of them, through his official page.
Another D&D title in the Goldbox-series with cover art by Clyde Caldwell. I'd as far as to claim, that the game box itself is the best thing about the game as a whole.
Hillsfar is a bit of an anomaly among the SSI Goldbox games. While it is a part of the official D&D lineup, it also is more of a collection of different kinds of minigames, tied together with short storylines for different classes.
In the end, Hilsfar was never meant to be a serious CRPG title, as it is more like a character trainer. You can import your game characters from the other titles and get them to higher levels by completing the little missions and training sessions, like combating in the arena or archery range.
While some parts of it are fun, it is, as a whole, repetitious and a bit tedious game.
Eye of Beholder (1991)For the final game, yet another SSI title, Eye of the Beholder.
While I didn't play Eye of Beholder until the mid-'90s, I have always loved the box art it has. Just like Clyde Caldwell, the artist Jeff Easley is a well-known fantasy artist, responsible for many pieces relating to Dungeons & Dragons.
What comes to dungeon blobbers, I was a relatively late bloomer as Eye of the Beholder was the first one for me. It is a fun game, where you descend deeper to the dungeons, your final goal being the evil beholder, who is controlling the evil beings threatening the city above.
If you want to see more of Easley's art, you can head down to his official web page.
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