Another year, another countdown, another birthday.  And I’m boxing it all up, tying a nice little bow around it, and turning the ripe old age of 32 with a celebration of 32 BRILLIANT examples of FANTASTIC video game box art.  Join me, won’t you?

Gran Turismo 2 (2000) – If there’s one thing you can say for Polyphony Digital’s approach to Gran Turismo, it’s that it aims to capture the beauty and elegance of motorsport.  The way it presents the most beautiful of machines spinning as if on a rotary display stand, illuminated by down lights which reflect off of the immaculate paintwork, all the while classy muzak plays in the background, is as luxurious as it is classy.  The way they turn the gritty world of motorsports, complete with the grunt of some of the biggest engines spewing exhaust into the air, all of which is pushed to the tyres which screech on the asphalt as they struggle to get traction, into a thing of beauty was not only miraculous but ahead of the curve.  And the games set that tone early on, with both the iconic blue and red GT logo juxtaposed again the tread of a tire, and then in the second game against an engine cover, juxtaposing class against power.   But for mine the symbolism of an engine cover hiding the power within, on the cover of a racing game that carried so much expectation on its shoulders, is just pure genius. Because I know from experience that walking home from the shops staring at the beautiful cover art for the sequel to what was at the time my favourite video game of all time, it was the not knowing just how good the game was that made that walk the longest 20 minutes of my young life.

Miss previous entries in the countdown?

Space Ace (1983) – Transylvania (1984) – Impossible Mission (1985) – Defender of the Crown (1986) – Faery Tale Adventure (1987) – F/A – 18 Interceptor (1988) – Blood Money (1989) – King of the Zoo (1990) – Lemmings (1991) – Pinball Fantasies (1992) – The Ren & Stimpy Show: Veediots! (1993) – Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land (1994) – Primal Rage (1995) – Wipeout 2097 (1996)  – Theme Hospital (1997) – Resident Evil 2 (1998) – Formula One ’99 (1999)