The return of the series showing off fantastic game box art from the past. This time around, I have some art whose makers I don't know. So, if you have an idea, please do tell me.
Despite some heavy googling, I've not managed to find out who is responsible for the cover art for Metabolis. I do know, that the game itself was designed by Chris Kerry and it was released by Gremlin Graphics. Based on the YouTube videos, as I've not played the game myself, Metabolis is an action/adventure/platform game, where you control a bird-like creature. You move from screen to screen, try to avoid enemies and apparently collect some stuff.
There's a story as well. It states, that the evil aliens have turned everyone into animals, but luckily, while you were turned into a bird, you still have your brains. So I'd assume, the ultimate goal of the game is to defeat the aliens and restore everyone back. On a side note, the bird in the game doesn't resemble anything like the birdman on the box. A shame, as I quite dig it. And based on the box, I did expect the game to be something else entirely.
Depending on the platform and where you live, you might have seen Rygar spring different box art, but this particular piece is what I drooled over from the magazine ads back in the day. I mean, look at it. Look at its splendour: a muscle-bound barbarian slicing and dicing enemies with a fucking saw blade attached to a long Yo-Yo string. If you don't like that, then there might be something wrong with you. Or maybe it's me.
Surprisingly enough, Rygar is exactly the kind of a game the box show insinuates. You play as Rygar, I assume his name is Rygar, a warrior slaying every enemy on his sight until he finds the lair of the demon who has conquered the land Argool (yes, I know). And, for a kicker, Rygar is actually an undead warrior, risen from his grave because no one else had the balls to fight the evil Ligar (yes, I know). Rygar was, originally, an arcade release, but it was later ported on a plethora of other 1980s home systems from NES to Commodore.
Oh, and interestingly enough, there was a sequel released in 2002(!?) for PS2, Wii and later, PS3. Better later than never, I guess.
Here's a box I found just recently while perusing MobyGames for some cool box art. Again, no idea who drew the box art, but the game was designed by Peter Killworth. I love the simplicity of it, really. Simple, nice line art with flat colours. I guess, it could be seen as boring, especially after the initial madness of Metabolis and the overflowing manliness of Rygar, but I find it intriguing. It promises exploration and adventure.
And that's all fine and good it does, as Countdown to Doom is a text-based adventure game. The story synopsis told me, that you've crashlanded on a planet called Doom and you have to find a way to escape before the atmosphere corrodes your protective suit. Not the first, nor the last, sci-fi tale to use the age-old trope of someone getting stranded to an alien world, but apparently this one managed to get two sequels as well.
In any case, the cover art, I like it. It has a pretty straightforward comic book style going for it. It's simple and clean and I'd even assume it is more or less descriptive of the game itself. The location doesn't look terrible hostile though. Then again, looks can be deceiving.
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