Review of Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection

A large and well-formatted collection of box art. Unlike most American video game box art in my opinion, the Japanese box art for this console was superb.

Each image in the book is basically life size, and very high resolution. You get to examine hundreds of examples of hand-drawn art, with some CGI examples. More than 250 Super Famicom titles are represented, including all the cult favorites. Kirby, Bomberman, Final Fantasy, and most likely a huge selection of titles you’ve never heard of. The text alongside each image is helpful for summarizing each game and pointing out the Easter eggs in the box art you would often miss.

Another luscious and rereadable Bitmap Book title, and one of their best. The very similar Game Boy Box Art title is one of the 10 Bitmap books I’ve currently collected, and probably my next read.

Due to its extra-large formatting, you will need a deep bookshelf for this. Unlike other publishers, this one changes the height and width of their titles to suit the content. To embrace my inner retro gamer I am devoting more time to my Super Console X to try out some old classics.

The Super Famicom was known as the Super Nintendo in the West. Not all Super Famicom games made it onto the American console. While this title lacks interviews and industry context, it makes for an excellent complement to their Super Nintendo: A Visual History book. Of course, I recommend both if you consider yourself a true dyed in the wool retro gamer.