Star Wars Game Boy Box art - Hand drawn vs Poster like

KhandreKhandre
in Collector's Corner
Can any one help me understand what is the story behind these covers?



I have both of them but have no idea if any is rarer than the other or if it has anything special about it.

Comments

  • Vectrex28Vectrex28
    Different publishers I'd say.

    Bronty and Buyatari might know better though, as they're the resident game cover specialists  
  • Trj22487Trj22487
    In USA the original was published by Capcom and the Players Choice was published by Nintendo.







  • KhandreKhandre
    Thanks. I thought it might be the case of different publishers as one is Ubisoft and I knew the Capcom US version of it.



    They both seem to pretty common although I have the impression that Ubisoft one it doesn't appear quite as often.
  • BrontyBronty
    One version (the second one in the OP) just re-uses the movie poster artwork. So even though those games came out in the early 90s, the illustration is from 1977 or earlier. See this thread: http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=176474 and this poster https://jeremiahsalamikc.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/star-wars-a-new-hope-1977-style-c-by-tom-chantrell.jpg



    The second illustration is much later, you can just tell stylistically, so its very likely from that early 90s period and done specifically for the game. I don't know anything else about that particular one though.
  • Koopa64Koopa64
    I thought this was the original Star Wars film poster.



    image
  • BrontyBronty
    there was more than one.
  • BrontyBronty
    If I can trust this link, there were these four http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/e948/



    Starting from the top and going clockwise they are by Tom Jung, Tom Chantrell, Tom Jung again, and Drew Struzan (collaboration with Charlie White).  



    image
  • Koopa64Koopa64
    Well, the poster I showed above is my favorite, I'd totally hang it on a wall.
  • BrontyBronty
    They had the hildebrants re-do that one a couple months later. Note the similarities.   Its the same scene.





    image
  • BrontyBronty
    Originally posted by: Koopa64



    Well, the poster I showed above is my favorite





    I really like the background on yours, its awesome with the Vader head and imperial fleet (?) etc but I find Luke and Leia a touch awkward, especially Luke.    They don't look to be in natural / comfortable body positions.    Its still a great piece but my eye is always drawn to that.    I like the Hildebrandt one for that reason as its the same basic scene with the figures have been slightly adjusted and look more natural.
  • Koopa64Koopa64
    That's precisely what I like about it, that early Star Wars poster has this old-timey feel, from the heyday of classic films. The overall composition is fantastic and the white bar at the bottom with the old logo completes it. What I notice especially is the lack of blue in its colors (at least in some versions and scans), it's mostly that dingy lifeless gray for the evil empire/death star and the dark sand tone for the desolate Tatooine, both of which occupy most of the film's runtime. That is one of my all-time favorite movie posters.
  • BuyatariBuyatari
    Drew gets a pass for likeness because he didn't have much to go on at that time. The alt gameboy box 20 years after the fact doesn't get the same pass.

    No idea who did that one.
  • BrontyBronty
    Yeah the alt gb box... not so good.



    As for your comment re Drew, are you referring to Drew's or Tom Jung's? I thought Drew's likenesses weren't that bad (and as you say he didn't have as much to go on either).



    To be honest I thought Chantrell's likenesses were the best out of these.



    this is the drew here http://www.drewstruzan.com/illustrated/documents/img/gm1201081416085267.jpg
Sign In or Register to comment.