Summary
If there’s one popular video game series that perfectly exemplifies the importance ofreal, human-made art, it’s definitelyPokemon. Since 1996, the wonderful artists at Game Freak and The Pokemon Company have gone out of their way to utilize their skills to bring these unique and fascinating creatures, characters, and worlds to life.
ThePokemonfranchise has an undeniably charming and iconic art direction, which is especially evident in the beautiful cover art of its mainline games. Many talented artists have managed to make some of the best covers in the gaming industry, which are always full of color and feature Legendary Pokemon with impeccable designs that make them instantly recognizable. Naturally, this franchise has had multiple titles with incredible art on its covers, but the following eight are the absolute best ones so far.
As the first-ever remakes in the franchise, the covers ofPokemon FireRed and LeafGreenhad one important goal: to completely overhaul and revitalize the cover art of the Generation One games,Pokemon Red and Blue(Red and Green in Japan). Their original covers, featuring the Kanto starters, look great and are extremely iconic, but by 2004, they looked quite boring in comparison to other modernPokemontitles.
Needless to say,FireRed and LeafGreensucceeded in their mission, as this high-quality art of Charizard and Venusaur looks amazing thanks to their dynamic poses and colorful backgrounds that better represent their respective types. This cover art is still highly regarded as one of the best in the series, even more than twenty years after the game’s release.
2Pokemon Platinum
Features The Creepy New Form Of A Beloved Legendary Pokemon
The covers of third-versionPokemongames (likeCrystalorEmerald) are quite interesting because they usually give the spotlight to just one prominent Legendary Pokemon, instead of having two of them sharing a space at the same time. Furthermore,the third version from Generation Four,Pokemon Platinum, is a perfect example of this practice.
Giratina is the mascot of this game, which also introduced its brand-new Origin Form. So the cover perfectly reflects the role that Renegade Pokemon has in its plot, with a highly detailed illustration that makes it look quite intimidating, while also trying to grab the attention of potential buyers by putting this intriguing new form at the forefront. Additionally, the black, red, and platinum background really helps Giratina pop out more.
Ho-oh and Lugia were the first ever Box Art Legendary Pokemon in the franchise, which was a brilliant idea from Game Freak, seeing they both have excellent and recognizable designs. However, their original appearance in the cover art ofPokemon Gold and Silver, while undeniably quite solid, left a lot to be desired.
That’s exactly why the covers for their remakes,Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, are so satisfying in comparison, since they feel like they’re finally taking advantage of Ho-oh and Lugia’s incredible designs, by giving them better poses, better proportions, and more colorful gold and silver backgrounds that contrast better with their respective Legendary Pokemon.
Pokemon Black and Whiteare often considered two of the bestPokemongames ever made, for a multitude of different reasons, one of them being their impeccable Pokemon designs and their surprisingly deep narrative. Curiously enough, these two qualities are flawlessly represented in the game’s official cover art.
As expected, the cover ofPokemon Black and Whitefeatures detailed illustrations of its iconic Legendary Pokemon, Zekrom and Reshiram. But this is especially interesting because Reshiram is the mascot of the Black Version, while Zekrom is the mascot of the White Version, which works as a brilliant reference to the Yin and Yang themes and symbolism of the game. Sadly, its sequel completely ditched this concept by putting Black Kyurem on the cover ofPokemon Black 2and White Kyurem on the cover ofPokemon White 2.
Similarly to other remakes before it,Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphiretried to catch the attention of longtime Pokemon fansby prominently featuring the new forms of its two Box Art Legendaries, Groudon and Kyogre, on the cover. This tactic ended up working quite well, considering that the beloved mechanic known as Primal Reversion made its debut in this game, and these new forms look amazing on the box art.
Of course, the original cover art ofPokemon Ruby and Sapphirethat first introduced Groudon and Kyogre still looks great, but the remake is on a whole different level. Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre have superior designs, thanks to the patterns in their bodies and their diverse color palettes, and the detailed backgrounds do a better job of representing their respective elements.
The cover art ofPokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moonis ingenious in all areasbecause it features high-quality illustrations of Necrozma’s two new forms, Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings, that reference the appearance of Solgaleo and Lunala in the cover art of the previous game,Sun and Moon. Furthermore, the black stripes in the orange and purple backgrounds are another excellent detail that represents how prominent Necrozma is in this game’s story.
But the best part aboutPokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon’sbox art is that it actually hides quite a brilliant detail. When both versions’ covers are put side to side, it is revealed that the star-shaped lights in the middle form the head of Ultra Necrozma, the Legendary Pokemon’s powerful final form. This clever easter egg makes the cover art ofUltra Sun and Ultra Moonstand out from all the other ones in the series.
There’s no denying thatPokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!are some of the most distinct mainline entries in the seriesand, as a result, their cover art is quite different from their predecessors. Instead of featuring images of Legendary Pokemon in front of a colorful background,Let’s Gohas adorable illustrations of Partner Pikachu and Partner Eevee standing in a beautiful grassy field.
It’s a small change, albeit a very important one, because this cover art perfectly represents the laid-back nature of the game.It’s a very fun game worth picking up, for both seasoned gamers and more casual ones.
At the end of the day,Pokemon Legends: Arceusis even more distinct and beloved thanLet’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!,and many fans still regard it as the best modernPokemongame. This is a title that broke a lot of pre-established formulas and shook things up in interesting ways, something that is perfectly represented in its beautiful cover art.
Instead of featuring a Legendary Pokemon in front of a colored background, the box art ofPokemon Legends: Arceusis a painting that reflects the game’s wonderful sense of adventure, since it features the two protagonists, alongside the three starter Pokemon and other prominent Pokemon from Hisui, looking together at Coronet Highlands, which is one of the most important areas in the game’s narrative. This cover art is simply incredible, and the box art of futurePokemongames should be made in a similar style, so they can stand out more and grab the attention of even more potential buyers.
