Before the days of the internet providing you with a constant info-stream on any video game you could imagine, choosing your next purchase could be as simple as picking the game that looked the best on the shelf at the store. Of course, the very first thing you'd see would be the box art, making it crucial that it conveyed excitement and stood out from the pack. Many games failed to do this effectively, but there were also a whole bunch that did--and we still think about them years later.

The best video game box art doesn't have to be flashy. It can be, but it's oftentimes a simple design that can draw players in. Look at Super Mario Bros. 3, the Pokemon games, or Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for great examples of this. When flashy is in order, Rockstar Games remains one of the absolute best, especially with its multi-panel Grand Theft Auto covers. And when it comes to games where you're punching someone in the face, a certain lesser-known Capcom gem has you "covered." Sorry.

These are our picks for the best video game box art ever, dating back all the way to the NES era. Let us know in the comment what your favorite video game box art of all time is!

Super Mario Bros. 3

These days, video game box art can be really detailed, showing off a bunch of characters, weapons, and areas so you know what you're getting into. But back in 1990, Nintendo only needed you to know that Mario was back, and he could now turn into a fun little tanooki and soar through the air. After all, it wasn't really the kids eagerly waiting for the game that needed to be swayed by the box, but rather their parents. The giant "3" and Mario's cool new ability made it clear that this was a brand-new game, though we'll mourn for the kids who were told they "already have a Mario game."

Red Dead Redemption II

Rockstar Games knows how to do box art--see a little lower on this list for another example of that--and Red Dead Redemption II is one of its absolute best covers ever. With protagonist Arthur Morgan looming over the rest of his gang, shown in silhouette as they move on horseback, it captures the outlaw spirit of the game perfectly. It's just a handful of career criminals against a world that is moving increasingly toward industrialization, urban living, and the rule of law. Literally and metaphorically, the sun is setting on the classic Old West when Red Dead Redemption 2 begins, as you can see clearly in this artwork.

Nier Automata (Japanese version)

Considering the first Nier game's poor commercial performance in North America, it's not particularly shocking that the marketing team chose to emphasize the destruction and chaos of a post-apocalyptic world on its cover art for Nier Automata rather than showcase a somber moment. Japanese audiences, however, received a far more emotionally resonant cover. Now that the game is a smash-hit success story, it's easy to choose the better cover art. The Japanese version (available as a reversible cover in the West for certain editions) features the three protagonists standing together, hurt but unwilling to admit defeat. It's a simple, beautiful image that captures the game's essence far more than "fire and swords" does. You can see a very slightly altered version of it above, with the protagonists lacking their blindfolds.

Pokemon Red and Blue

Pokemon is one of the biggest franchises in the entire world today, but back in 1998, Western audiences were just getting acquainted with the battling monsters. The first games we got were Pokemon Red and Blue, which each featured an evolved starter Pokemon on their cover. They were simple designs--Charizard on a red background for Red and Blastoise on a blue background for Blue--but the covers remain timeless because of this. They're hand-drawn images with a sense of care and creativity that modern games--even modern Pokemon games--can lack, and they still give you a good idea of what to expect in the game itself. Just looking at the covers gets the Elite Four music playing in our heads.

The Legend of Zelda Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild offered unprecedented freedom not just to fans of the franchise, but to newcomers as well. Being able to "do anything" in an open-world game is often an exaggeration, but Breath of the Wild's freeform approach to progression and exploration truly comes as close as any game so far. The cover reflects this, with Link positioned on top of a mountain overlooking Hyrule. Anywhere he sees can be his next destination, and it's guaranteed to have something interesting, whether it be a group of enemies or a tricky puzzle. The glowing horizon only highlights this revelatory freedom, making it an easy pick for this list.

Borderlands

The first Borderlands game hasn't held up all that well--the second one is a better place to start with the franchise--but boy did its box art make a powerful first impression. Featuring a run-of-the-mill enemy rather than a player-character or boss on the cover usually wouldn't be a good idea, but you usually don't have that enemy pointing finger guns at their own head while the "brains" are splattered all over the place. It was such an effective choice that Borderlands 2 essentially copied it, just with two hands pointed at the head instead of one, and it set the stage for an irreverent and very hectic looter-shooter.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Nintendo had brought the home video game industry back from near-total collapse with its adorable characters, including the ludicrously popular Mario, so how could a competitor hope to differentiate itself. Well, by making a character with a whole lot more attitude, of course. Sonic the Hedgehog's cover tells you exactly what you need to know about the game. In the background is one of the game's stages, a full loop visible to let you know that you'll be going very fast. More important than that, however, is Sonic himself, complete with a rebellious smirk that lets you know this isn't for babies. No, this is a game for big kids, so grab a soda and turn your hat backwards.

The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past

Less flashy, more classy. The Legend of Zelda series--at least until Twilight Princess--featured extremely simple cover art that makes them feel timeless today. In the case of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, that cover consists of only a shield, a sword, and the game's title elegantly wrapped around the hilt and blade. It tells you almost nothing about the game, which is exactly what you want in a game built on the thrill of discovery and exploration. Nowadays, A Link to the Past stands as an all-time classic, and so does its cover.

Luigi's Mansion

For too long, Luigi had been left on the sidelines in favor of his brother, but that changed with the GameCube game Luigi's Mansion, and its iconic box art remains one of Nintendo's best. You see, unlike the brave Mario, Luigi is a bit of a scaredy cat--or perhaps he's more brave because he's still willing to enter dangerous, spooky areas despite his fear. Regardless, he looks like he's about ready to faint from sheer terror on the game's box art, which includes a selection of adorably creepy ghouls and ghosts behind him. Few covers have better captured the essence of a game, and Nintendo continued with this trend for both sequels, which feature an equally terrified Luigi.

Super Mario Strikers

One of the absolute coolest game covers of all time--and one that Nintendo emulated for both sequels--Super Mario Strikers leans into the fantasy of Mario sports games. Rather than even include an in-game version of Mario or a 3D render, Nintendo opted for a drawing-like design. It's as if a kid was distracted during a class at school and doodled Mario playing soccer in their notebook with colored pencils, and the result is glorious. It captures both the explosive, silly play of the game and the flair that Mario brings with him to everything. Occasionally, like in Super Mario Strikers: Battle League, you can even see this art style briefly appear for special abilities.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

The Grand Theft Auto series has always had great covers--even dating back to the top-down games of the '90s, but there's something especially satisfying about Vice City's. The individual panels each feel like a slice of a Michael Mann movie, as does much of the game, with its cast of goofy characters mixed with brightly colored buildings, speedboats, and a big explosion. Fewer games show you exactly what you're getting yourself into than Vice City via the box art alone, and it certainly plays as advertised. Of course, that's minus the great '80s soundtrack you'll have to actually play the game to hear.

Kingdom Hearts

The original Kingdom Hearts released in 2002 and seemed like the most bizarre of crossovers. Why would original Square Enix characters and Disney characters team up in an action-RPG? It was something that had to be played to be understood, but its box art certainly made a great (game) case, as well. Set in front of a heart-shaped moon, the art features Sora, Riku, and Kairi on a rooftop, with Donald Duck and Goofy both at their side. It's an oddly emotional image for a concept that is very silly at its core, and one that would be a clear callback for Kingdom Hearts 3's box art so many years later.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

The Splinter Cell series has gone in a few different directions with its box art over the years, including the action-focused Conviction and Blacklist covers and the cool-guys-don't-look-at-explosions Double Agent cover, but its finest was Chaos Theory. It's a simple and very effective image that feels like it was pulled from any number of moments in the game, with Sam Fisher rappelling upside down behind an unsuspecting guard, ready to send him to an early grave--or a nap, but his knife is out, so we're not so sure. The rain and green glow in the sky behind him only add to how badass this cover is, and it's also very fun to flip it upside down and wonder how the guard ended up like that.

God Hand

After directing Resident Evil 4, Shiji Mikami could have gone the logical route and continued on with Resident Evil 5, but the legendary developer did something else entirely: he led development on God Hand, a game about punching people in the face. Naturally, the game's cover art--which emphasizes the titular, supernatural God Hand--features someone getting punched in the face, with zero context for why they're getting punched or who they happen to be. That's exactly how you sell a game like this. Do you like punching people in the face? Would you like to punch this guy in the face? We bet you do, and God Hand is just the game to let you do it.

Resistance: Fall of Man

One of the most iconic game covers of the early PlayStation 3 era, Resistance: Fall of Man let you know that this wasn't the old Insomniac Games with just one image. A World War 2-era GI helmet on top of a skull that was very much not a human being sits in a pile of rubble, with barbed-wire barricades and crumbling buildings all around it. A full-scale invasion has begun, with the fate of humanity in the balance, and it's unclear if a dead alien wearing a human's helmet is a good sign for the war or a bad sign. Many more twists and turns would come over the course of the series, which stayed remarkably grim before Insomniac eventually transitioned back to making colorful action-adventure games like Spider-Man and Sunset Overdrive.