The Legend of Zelda’s simplistic golden box adorned with a coat of arms helped the game stand out when it hit shelves outside of Japan in 1987, and it is likely one of the most recognizable video game box art designs of all time. I have to wonder whether the game would have been as successful without this dress, and a recent Tweet by gaming preservationist Martin Lindell has boosted my gratitude that Nintendo went with the ultimate regal, refined look. Lindell posted an image of an early box art design for the game that featured an enlarged, smiling, pixelated Link along with a Small Key, Keese, and Gibdo atop a backdrop of an in-game dungeon.
Nice seeing these old early versions of packfronts for Zelda and Punch Out. pic.twitter.com/TUBWYHc0bi
— Martin Lindell (@martinlindell) October 8, 2022
The prototype cover comes from a Consumer Electronics Show kit introducing a handful of then-upcoming Nintendo Entertainment System titles with the tagline, “Introducing Four Good Sports and a Princess Named Zelda.” This early The Legend of Zelda cover conformed to the typical style of Nintendo “black box” covers at the time, like the iconic Super Mario Bros. packfront (examples pictured in the gallery below). The final box art for the games displayed alongside The Legend of Zelda remained much the same as they appeared on the Consumer Electronics Show page, so changing the Zelda one may have been a close call. But what a great call, kudos to whoever decided The Legend of Zelda’s packaging should reflect just how special it was (and is).
How do you feel about the old box art? Do you think having less unique box art would have impacted the sales-success of the game? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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