Nintendo is most likely the most iconic video game company in the history of ever. After screw-ups from the forefathers of videogames that consisted of oversaturation, mediocre products, and bad advertisement Nintendo showed up with the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES to save the day.
However, this iconic company was host to some of the ugliest box art in the history of videogames. This pretty much comes due to the sheer amount of games that came to the system as well as the time being an experimental period for games. Nevertheless, here are some of the weirdest pieces of box art for the NES.
10 AMERICAN MEGA MAN
Everyone knows of the super fighting robot due to the fact that he was once not only Capcom's poster boy but because he was the main face of some of the best games to ever grace Nintendo's iconic system back in his A-day. However, not only was he the face of some great games but the face of some of the weirdest box art.
While the Japanese box art for Mega Man's first title was fine the opposite went for his American appearance. Not only does this Mega Man look nothing like Mega Man but the world behind him is... Just what exactly is going on with this art and who thought this up? It was so bad in fact, that Capcom parodied this Mega Man in the game Street Fighter X Tekken by making him a playable character.
9 FESTER'S QUEST
The Nintendo Entertainment System came out during a time where every IP out there felt it was necessary to have a game created for the most successful videogame console. Yes, this includes the comedic horror sitcom of the time, The Adam's Family. This resulted in the infamously bad game starring the character Uncle Fester, Fester's Quest.
Part of the infamy of this game comes from the very odd box art that accompanies the horrible game. Just what the heck is going on with Uncle Fester's expression there? What exactly is he looking at? Just so many questions are raised from this bad box art.
8 DANCE AEROBICS
Everyone knows that Nintendo is the big game company when it comes to innovation in the videogame field. From the Nintendo Wii to countless successful handhelds, to the new highly successful console hybrid Nintendo Switch, they've always loved venturing to new fields. This all started with the Nintendo NES Power Pad which was required for the game Dance Aerobics.
Not only was Dance Aerobics a bit of an odd game but the box art was ridiculous as well. Just a bunch of kids in typical "rad" 80s gear ready to do some aerobics. Who exactly is this art meant to excite? A kid looking for a fun game or their mom looking for a workout?
7 TABOO THE SIXTH SENSE
Many know the company Rare for creating amazing games for Nintendo consoles such as the Donkey Kong Country series, the father of the first-person shooter genre Golden Eye 007 for the Nintendo 64, and the Banjo Kazooie duology. One game most probably has no clue they created for the NES is Taboo the Sixth Sense.
Not only was the game itself already weird, being a taboo adult party game and tarot card reader, but did it need to have such creepy box art as well? Some poor kid had to run across this and get freaked out.
6 BUBBLE BATH BABES
From one adult NES game to another. Bubble Bath Babes is a title that will spell controversy from a mile away. Like many adult games of the age, the game nowadays is pretty tame and mostly laugh-inducing, but back then this game was pretty raunchy. It's also a Bubble Bobble ripoff and an unlicensed game for the console.
The box art, of course, had to be as odd as possible due to it needing no approval from Nintendo. There's a cartoon bubble bath, there are real babes, and for some reason, there's renaissance statues and the sun gazing creepily on said ladies.
5 PANIC RESTAURANT
Panic Restaurant is one of the most unheard-of Nintendo games for the casual fans of the console that simply grew up with it. However, for those that are hardcore fans of the console that live and breathe it this game is one of the holy grails of the collecting scene, going for over $1000 dollars for a good copy of it.
One thing that isn't doing any favors for this price is the absolutely crazy box art for the game. The art is actual nightmare material, featuring a detailed and superdeformed chef chasing living cooking ingredients.
4 CLU CLU LAND
Clu Clu Land is one of the most popular puzzle games for the console and is most likely a fond memory for plenty of past owners of the console. It is also another title that has some great and charming box art when it comes to the Japanese version but some absolutely absurd box art for American audiences.
While the Japanese art features some cute chibi box art America's version just raises questions. The main question being, "Just what exactly am I looking at here?"
3 METRO CROSS
If you thought that the comparison between the Mega Man box art from Japan and the US was offputting, then you've never seen Metro Cross. Metro Cross is a standard game of running through an obstacle course in a set amount of time. Think of a 2D Temple Run for home consoles.
While the Japanese box art is pretty cool and tells what exactly players are in for the US one is just... Why exactly was this ultra 80s art used instead of sticking with the original?
2 BOMBERMAN
Bomberman is one of the more popular game franchises out there. It's been going since the 80s and continues even into the present day. One thing that not many know though is that Bomberman has had a few ugly redesigns. Not only did he go through a bad look in the Xbox 360 days but on the NES as well.
Much like other games on the console, in the US it was apparently necessary to replace the nice original box art with something a lot edgier. How was this differing appearance of the main character from box art to actual game explained? Who knows.
1 MEGA MAN 2
It all comes full circle. Mega Man 2 may have had the usual great box art when it came to the Japanese version but it received two, yes two, horrible versions to accompany it.
In the US there was a very questionable version of Mega Man on the front using an actual gun that he literally never uses in the series battling against ugly and realistic versions of the in-game robot masters. In the UK for some reason, Mega Man is given a silver makeover and the box is composed in epic movie poster style. It's weird but it's at least better than the American version.