Weirdly shaped game boxes

Bad Mr Frosty · 02 February 2004, 13:14

How rare is it for Amiga games to come in funky boxes? I`m not talking about special editions or anything, just the plain old standard release of the game. In my collection, the only game I have that is even close, is The Bards Tale which comes in a nice LP style box/sleave.

Are there any particularly good examples I should look out for?

fiath · 02 February 2004, 13:37

Amiga Karate - triangular shaped box
Dark Seed - just weird
Chessmaster 2000 - like your Bard's Tale box

killergorilla · 02 February 2004, 13:41

Faerytale Adventure came in the same style box as Bards Tale/Chessmaster 2000. Very nice it was too.

Can't think of any more that I had...

Dizzy · 02 February 2004, 13:57

Well my Faerytale Adventure came in a normal box.

But Legend of Valour look like a book (http://hol.abime.net/?id=866)

KombatSanta · 02 February 2004, 14:34

All my games are in normal boxes... but how gay is that picture of a guy in the bottom right frosty?!?

Bad Mr Frosty · 02 February 2004, 14:57

Quote:

Originally posted by KombatSanta
All my games are in normal boxes... but how gay is that picture of a guy in the bottom right frosty?!?

Looks kinda like a young David Hasslehoff (sp?), don`t know what the deal is with the ladder he`s resting on. Going for the painter / decorator look?

DrBong · 02 February 2004, 17:34

[Disclaimer: Possibly boring game box descriptions (with a few links to pics) follow, so you've been warned!

]

US publishers (e.g. Activision, EA, DigiTek, Microillusions, Accolade, Software Toolworks) commonly released Amiga games in LP style sleeves. Some were folder-like (e.g. One on One, Seven Cities of Gold, Earl Weaver Baseball, Mindshadow, Earl Weaver Baseball, Mean 18), while others were just simple sleeves (e.g. Turbo, Firepower, Footman). Some of these games made it to Europe in the early Amiga days when a US publisher either didn't have a base there, or hadn't struck a license deal with a European company to publish their games. EA was a good example of the first instance. Ariolasoft published their games in the UK from about 1985-87 and simply added their logo to the back of the EA sleeve releases. Ariolasoft then shutdown their UK offices, which prompted EA to establish bases in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. They adopted plastic cases for the UK/Euro market instead of sleeves (even for their back-catalogue of games), which is why two different releases of games like Marble Madness appeared in the UK.

Some early games released by US publisher, Mindscape, used a hardback A5 folder (e.g. Deja Vu, Uninvited, Shadowgate, Halley Project, Brataccas). The instruction book was slid into a large slit in the back inside cover of the folder. The game disk, reference & warranty cards etc. were inside a cardboard sleeve with a clear cellophane window, with the sleeve stuck to the front inside cover of the folder.

Infocom, at least for their early text-only adventures, used a hybrid A5 box folder (e.g. Hitchiker's Guide, Leather Goddesses of Phobos, Trinity). The instruction book was secured inside a slit in the front inside cover. The disk, warranty card, novelty items etc. were in a hollow boxed compartment in the back inside cover with a removable plastic cover keeping the contents from falling out.

As far as one-off games go, Amiga Karate (Eidersoft) and Eye (Endurance Games) have to be the weirdest ones in my collection. The Eye box is a bit hard to describe, but quite wonderful. Should get around to setting up my scanner again methinks!

thinlega · 02 February 2004, 20:14

I think Vaxine has a big round tin. Probably to help keep the crud game from getting out

Unknown_K · 03 February 2004, 03:26

I think 7 cities of gold is the same as your barb tales box.

I hate boxes that look like they were made to hold a VHS tape so that when you open them everything falls out.

I have a few non standard boxes, should dig out the scanner and post them here.

Mick_AKA · 23 February 2004, 11:08

Dragonsphere was in a bound hard back book.

The special edition of Wing Commander 2 was in a Hexagonal box that diddnt fit on my fecking shelf!

There were a few games just in ridiculously BIG boxes.

Other than that the only other thing I can think of is the limited edition versions of Rise of The Triad given away by PC Format in triangular boxes with the triad logo on the front, Damn I wanted one of those!

27 February 2004, 15:55

It wasn't an amiga game, but Commanche Overkill had a particularly stupidly shaped box. It seemed to be made entirely from pyramids and hexagons, and specific designed not to fit on any shelf in existance.

abelthorne · 27 February 2004, 16:12

Didn't somebody mentioned on this board that Darkseed came in a strangely-shaped box ? Or maybe it was on another board, talking about the PC version of the game.

-- EDIT --

In fact, it was on a french abandonware forum that someone mentioned the Darkseed box, which was made of two parts "imbricating" (don't know if that's an english word) in each other. I guess the Amiga version wasn't released in such a box.

02 February 2004, 13:14	#1
Bad Mr Frosty Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Praha / Ceska Republika Age: 45 Posts: 107	Weirdly shaped game boxes How rare is it for Amiga games to come in funky boxes? I`m not talking about special editions or anything, just the plain old standard release of the game. In my collection, the only game I have that is even close, is The Bards Tale which comes in a nice LP style box/sleave. Are there any particularly good examples I should look out for?

02 February 2004, 17:34	#7
DrBong HOL / AMR Team Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Australia Posts: 2,632	[Disclaimer: Possibly boring game box descriptions (with a few links to pics) follow, so you've been warned! ] US publishers (e.g. Activision, EA, DigiTek, Microillusions, Accolade, Software Toolworks) commonly released Amiga games in LP style sleeves. Some were folder-like (e.g. One on One, Seven Cities of Gold, Earl Weaver Baseball, Mindshadow, Earl Weaver Baseball, Mean 18), while others were just simple sleeves (e.g. Turbo, Firepower, Footman). Some of these games made it to Europe in the early Amiga days when a US publisher either didn't have a base there, or hadn't struck a license deal with a European company to publish their games. EA was a good example of the first instance. Ariolasoft published their games in the UK from about 1985-87 and simply added their logo to the back of the EA sleeve releases. Ariolasoft then shutdown their UK offices, which prompted EA to establish bases in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. They adopted plastic cases for the UK/Euro market instead of sleeves (even for their back-catalogue of games), which is why two different releases of games like Marble Madness appeared in the UK. Some early games released by US publisher, Mindscape, used a hardback A5 folder (e.g. Deja Vu, Uninvited, Shadowgate, Halley Project, Brataccas). The instruction book was slid into a large slit in the back inside cover of the folder. The game disk, reference & warranty cards etc. were inside a cardboard sleeve with a clear cellophane window, with the sleeve stuck to the front inside cover of the folder. Infocom, at least for their early text-only adventures, used a hybrid A5 box folder (e.g. Hitchiker's Guide, Leather Goddesses of Phobos, Trinity). The instruction book was secured inside a slit in the front inside cover. The disk, warranty card, novelty items etc. were in a hollow boxed compartment in the back inside cover with a removable plastic cover keeping the contents from falling out. As far as one-off games go, Amiga Karate (Eidersoft) and Eye (Endurance Games) have to be the weirdest ones in my collection. The Eye box is a bit hard to describe, but quite wonderful. Should get around to setting up my scanner again methinks! Last edited by DrBong; 03 February 2004 at 05:25.

02 February 2004, 20:14	#8
thinlega .:Part-Time Winner:. Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: UK Posts: 531	I think Vaxine has a big round tin. Probably to help keep the crud game from getting out Last edited by thinlega; 02 February 2004 at 20:37.

27 February 2004, 16:12	#12
abelthorne Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: France Posts: 142	Didn't somebody mentioned on this board that Darkseed came in a strangely-shaped box ? Or maybe it was on another board, talking about the PC version of the game. -- EDIT -- In fact, it was on a french abandonware forum that someone mentioned the Darkseed box, which was made of two parts "imbricating" (don't know if that's an english word) in each other. I guess the Amiga version wasn't released in such a box. Last edited by abelthorne; 27 February 2004 at 16:17.

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02 February 2004, 13:37	#2
fiath Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: South East / UK Age: 46 Posts: 1,930	Amiga Karate - triangular shaped box Dark Seed - just weird Chessmaster 2000 - like your Bard's Tale box

02 February 2004, 13:41	#3
killergorilla Lesser Talent Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: UK Age: 42 Posts: 7,957	Faerytale Adventure came in the same style box as Bards Tale/Chessmaster 2000. Very nice it was too. Can't think of any more that I had...

02 February 2004, 13:57	#4
Dizzy Pirate Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 3,395	Well my Faerytale Adventure came in a normal box. But Legend of Valour look like a book (http://hol.abime.net/?id=866)

02 February 2004, 14:34	#5
KombatSanta Pipboy approved Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Karlstad, Sweden Age: 48 Posts: 460	All my games are in normal boxes... but how gay is that picture of a guy in the bottom right frosty?!?

03 February 2004, 03:26	#9
Unknown_K Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ohio/USA Age: 55 Posts: 1,380	I think 7 cities of gold is the same as your barb tales box. I hate boxes that look like they were made to hold a VHS tape so that when you open them everything falls out. I have a few non standard boxes, should dig out the scanner and post them here.

23 February 2004, 11:08	#10
Mick_AKA crusader of light Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Stone, Staffordshire. Posts: 1,151	Dragonsphere was in a bound hard back book. The special edition of Wing Commander 2 was in a Hexagonal box that diddnt fit on my fecking shelf! There were a few games just in ridiculously BIG boxes. Other than that the only other thing I can think of is the limited edition versions of Rise of The Triad given away by PC Format in triangular boxes with the triad logo on the front, Damn I wanted one of those!

27 February 2004, 15:55	#11
Jon-Vortexone Posts: n/a	It wasn't an amiga game, but Commanche Overkill had a particularly stupidly shaped box. It seemed to be made entirely from pyramids and hexagons, and specific designed not to fit on any shelf in existance.

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