Sonic Main Series Box Art Tier List

what's up everyone for a while I've been thinking about making a countdown of Sonic box art covers but then I thought nah tier list it's got to be a tier list I'll be ranking these covers from s to e just like in the games main series only for this video I am not covering every Sonic box art ever if you want to see me cover the spin-off box art covers let me know here are the rules I'll be judging these covers by style and creativity do they exemplify what each game is about I'll be including be releases remakes and remasters since they are part of the same game if the cover is the same in other countries I'll be counting them as one the games don't need physical box art covers to count I'm including key art as well and this is all my opinion if I give a low ranking to a cover you'll really like I'm sorry alright let's do this starting with Sonic 1 North America every 90s kid knows about this this cover says just about everything of the game the snarky Sonic there with his attitude that was such a buzzword back then and attitude VR work by gray gray makes them look a little glossy and it really shines here behind him is Green Hill Zone which I am sick to death of but this was the first time we ever saw it it is the first stage and it has the most Freedom giving you plenty of space to get used to Sonic's momentum and the Rings are in the background too putting this in a rank Sonic 1 euro I do like Sonic drawing by now to Oshima that's cool but what ruins this box are for me is the background we do have a flicky and a bunny willing Critters as Sonic does rescue in the game but what is with Eggman he's the main villain and here we have a doodle of him looking so innocent you could mistake him for a supporting character who helps Sonic eggman's way too cute here and the squiggles in the background if they make it look like this is purely a kids game that's not Sonic 1. uh C rank Sonic 1 Japan it has shapes in the background but unlike the European cover this one looks Dynamic and it really pops added hype Sonic up the most famous Hedgehog in the world damn straight and I love the message on the bottom don't just sit there and waste your precious time when you want to do something do it right away do it when you can it's the only way to live a life Without Regrets that's Sonic right there this cover really catches your eye and you're thinking man I gotta play this yep a rank behind the North American one though Sonic 1 Korea okay we have Sonic in front of a white background and surrounding him is a ring of other Sonics this cover is weird to be fair the other Sonics do show him having other personality traits he likes to explore he relaxes and yawns he's up for adventure pick one you pick one to convey what he's about that's what the other box art covers did this covers weirding me out too much d-rank and ending the Sonic 1 chapter is Sonic Genesis on Game Boy Advance which is the Sonic 1 box art in North America cropped out which is honest the game does have screen crunch it is a lesser version of Sonic 1 but it does remove a lot of the Sonic 1 cover so c-rank low C rank Sonic 2 Japan the All-Star Duo song and Tails in front of a white background with colorful shapes just like the first box art I like in the background where their names intertwine at the eye and right next to that is the same message from the first game yakabi paste but I do like it what weighs the cover down is how the title song of the Hedgehog 2 is used three times it's on the left it's on the top right it's on the bottom left written in katagana if they needed one for English and one for Japanese then keep one for English why do we have two of them it is an odd Choice it's going in a rank Sonic 2 North America oh yeah you want people to know your sequel is bigger and better you do it this way we have the lead Duo there with Sonic looking cool and Tails looking friendly and confident perfectly showing you what these two are about in this game and behind them that's where the real meat is that two over there it's huge and Eggman holding it you can see that rage in him the way his fingers are clawing on that too the cracks and the crumbles coming out of it and he is so pissed off look at that cringe look at those pure black eyes this tells you he is a much bigger threat in this game and you have no idea what's coming at the finale also I dig that beard he should have kept it this is an awesome cover yeah S rank our first s-rank Sonic CD Japan the background is akin to Sonic 1 and 2. but with this artwork it looks like it means business this is the first cover to have Sonic angry he is a fun-loving teen but if you push someone down if you try to ruin lives he won't stand for it CD is also the first game to show us how heroic Sonic is he can go back in time and make sure everyone in little planet has a good future this shows how caring he is CD gives us that side of Sonic and the bugs aren't perfectly encapsulates that the cover is also the first to have Metal Sonic on it and the two are framed as opposing forces Sonic being one of Justice with an aura of cyan and Metal Sonic as one of evil with his Aura as a lighter Hue of red this artwork really pumps you up for a fight between the two ironically the two never fight in this game they race well metaphorically they fight below the title there's a long message there something that says a lot about Sonic to live a life of power you must have faith that what you believe is right rights even if others tell you you're wrong the first thing you must do to live a life of power is to find courage you must be ready to reach beyond the boundaries of time itself and to do that all you need is the will to take that first step the message has a hint of time travel and at the end there's an ellipses telling you that the message isn't really complete you have to play the game to see the rest for yourself the cover could have easily said Sonic is it an all-new time traveling adventure no it went for something ominous I love this box art and just seeing this makes me feel like playing CD again yep that's rank Sonic CD North America whoa whoa I don't know where to begin because it all looks so cool Sonic just destroyed UFO and got a Time Stone out of it the time stones made it to the covers before the chaos emeralds did and that Osaka is chasing after him but he can't keep up unlike the Japanese boxer this one frames Sonic as the one who has the most power here because he's you've got what it takes to save the world the sky in the background it's hellish red like Star Speedway bad future or one of the special stages there are Chrome skyscrapers on the bottom making this the first cover to take place in a city and in the background little planet the Serene beautiful little planet which we've gotta save the artist Greg Martin really outdid himself here S rank unquestionably S rank Sonic CD Europe yeah all right Sonic and Metal are too close to the camera or whatever you call it with box art so much of them has been cropped out there's no Aura on either of the two and what is with the background it doesn't reflect anything in the game it's just an ugly sloppy collage of colors the other two covers were Excellence what the hell happened here they really could have done better than this d-rank Sonic CD 2011. this is what the European box Stars should have been much cleaner and easier on the eyes and the background is a green checkerboard I'll take that over the puke that was in the European cover still Sonic and Metal are too cropped out so C rank Sonic 3 North America oh this is solid we have Sonic there holding up three fingers to celebrate Sonic 3. Tails is flying which you can finally do it started in this game within the bushes our eyes in the shadows hinting on Knuckles someone who knows Angel Island more than anyone else and speaking of Angel Island it looks so Lush and vibrant although Eggman is there with the egg scorcher Mark III torching the place hey uh Knuckles maybe turn around eggman's burning your home yeah what else can I say solid a rank Sonic 3 Europe we've got Sonic in carnival night zone of all places like in the North American cover Sonic is holding up three fingers and one on the other hand so when did that make it four Knuckles is there too making this the first cover to fully feature Knuckles and this artwork gave him black wristbands which we never see again I can do with her without and they could have used different artwork for Knuckles he's supposed to be the big rival of this game but on the cover he looks like an annoy supporting character yeah sonic a big paluka I'll give you a good Wallop this cover isn't doing it for me I don't hate it it just doesn't work for me c-rank Sonic 3 Japan like the other Japanese covers white canvas with shapes all around I think there was more work done there in the background we have Sonic there with three fingers again and beside him is Knuckles looking more heroic this time this cover makes it look like these two are friends which doesn't happen until the end of Sonic 3. complete Sonic 3 in the visual Sonic 3 it ends in launch based Zone and Knuckles still hate Sonic the cover also implies Knuckles is playable which didn't happen in Sonic 3 Solo but you could see it as false advertising at the time but musaka Knuckles came out you've got the full package then it does make sense on the cover for a few months this cover was but it's fine now it's fine now so like it's Brothers a rank let's end the classic ERA with Sonic and Knuckles this right here this is my favorite Sonic cover the Two Silhouettes of the heads of Sonic and Knuckles looking right at you as they're interlocking with each other like the lock on technology the way the cover frames both Sonic and Knuckles as equals they even put knuckles in the foreground Sonic has doomsday Zone but Knuckles has his own paths and he fights super mechasonic which Sonic can never do in this game this cover was such a turning point for Sonic's image the previous covers yeah they were cool but they were lighthearted cool positive and colorful but this cover this is timelessly cool it doesn't need shapes in the background or sonic wagging his finger it's played seriously without overdoing it this game is a bigger deal than the other ones and Sonic 3 overall has the most storytelling in the trilogy epic scales reaching all the way to outer space and a well-done character Arc that's never been done before this cover is so good there's no other version of Sonic and Knuckles Japan Europe they all use this no question S rank the highest S rank the 3D lineup has begun starting with Sonic Adventure Sonic is rocking that new Design By Yuji awakawa and the graffiti arcel of the late 90s is kicking in Sonic is back for a new generation new look but same personality he is way more expressive here than in the classic covers that pose is sick behind Sonic is Station Square the Mystic ruins the sky and water all Blended together with a ripple effect and seeing how water is a big deal in this game you gotta implement it in the cover the early 6th generation of gaming was the era of showing off water physics this game Final Fantasy 10 Kingdom Hearts 1 Wind Waker Mario Sunshine Metal Gear Solid 2 water water everywhere it's a sweet cover no matter what era S rank Sonic Adventure DX it has the same design philosophy as its streamcast counterpart if you look closely on the bottom you can see Station Square and on the left by Sonic's head you can see the a carrier and I think in the top left is Station Square flooded and just like the Dreamcast cover the ripple effect now for the elephants in the room this is the first cover for the 3D games in the main series to use 3D models with this game in particular it does show its age chaos doesn't look too bad but Sonic does look a little janky if this was an early Dreamcast game I'd be more lenient to it but this is a GameCube game released in 2003 3D models on the cover they got better by this point it is good don't get me wrong I remember when I was 11 and I saw this in a department store and I was thinking man if only I had a GameCube I would so play this I'll put it in b-rank now for my favorite Sonic game Sonic Adventure 2. this cover is perfect for this game continuing from sa1 Sonic is in the foreground making a sick pose and behind him once again is the sky the enigmatic super cool shadow is sharing the spotlight with Sonic setting the two as equals although there is a hint of Shadow being Superior to Sonic on Sonic's side is the sky but on Shadow's side is space and what's higher than the sky also on Shadow side is the earth surrounded in red it could be symbolizing Shadows hatred for the world and his desire for Revenge the dichotomy of good and bad is a constant theme in this game and maybe if there is a Sonic Adventure 3 in the future the cover could have the same design philosophy Sonic doing a pose in this kind of art style with a ripple effect in the background if there is one It's gotta do it that way enough said S rank Sonic Adventure 2 battle this one's a little personal for me since this is the earliest box I cover I remember seeing in person and damn is it a good one you could interpret it as an extended version of sa2 the dichotomy of good and bad both teams on opposing sides all six playable characters are staring down at their corresponding Rivals and the shower there too they don't matter to the story The Chow Garden is a side thing you can do but it is in the game and it does have the theme of good and bad in there the angel Chow on the left the dark Chow on the right and the neutral Chow in the middle that face it's making it's so cute it's like it's saying uh oh the only thing about the cover I would change is put Tails a little lower that way he and Eggman would meet at eye level because here it looks like Eggman is staring at the Chow I'll unlock the secrets of your power cheese what's a little disheartening about this is that this is the final cover for a 3D main Series game to use 2D artwork after this it's all 3D models maybe the star style will come back S rank how could it not be S rank Sonic Heroes Japan this is the only cover for Heroes to feature all playable characters the main Trio team Sonic is there in the foreground and behind them are the other three teams a little faded in the clouds having a sky theme in all so that makes this the only cover for the main series to feature cream big the chaotix and Omega they use a 3D model started to stick the landing where sadx missed the mark a little it's bright positive and everyone's invited a high B rank Sonic Heroes North America this covers keeping it more simplistic it's only team Sonic but they're still pumped for Action that's all fine and good the only blemish with this cover why is this here all new Sonic no it's all new it was all new for a time or how would they put that on the cover a magazine as sure but on the boxer it's there forever it doesn't have that on the PS2 or PC covers and on the Xbox cover it says Sonic's Xbox debut that helps it age much better than all new Sonic that stamp in the GameCube version that should not have been there I give it a b lower than the Japanese cover Sonic Heroes Europe I like the European version the most two main reasons unlike the other covers that had giant Sonic and his two lackey's Tails and Knuckles at his side this cover makes all three the same size they're on equal footing and that tri-color streak in the background each Hero has their own set of skills and this streak is a subtle way of showing us how different they are from each other it does have that all new Sonic stamp in the GameCube version but I can let it slide b-rank and higher than the other two versions on to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 with Sonic 06 for a game that is stuffed is 06 you think the Box star would have more going on no Silver Shadow Elise Iblis no okay on the surface it could come across as plain just Sonic running but if you look closely you can see a blur effect on Sonic around his head and hands in the foreground there's that blur effect clueing Us in on the mock speed sections which were terrible but they're here and this has got to be the first cover to utilize Sonic's speed and the textures on the 3D model look really good the way his gloves look photo realistic in the glossy polish on a shoe it's the seventh generation of Home consoles and we're gonna show it off behind Sonic is either Sylveon or Castle town or Kingdom Valley so Sonic is most likely on the edge of soliana forest it's been a while since we had a main series cover within an environment so yeah this cover is great A rank Sonic Unleashed North America The Duality between Sonic and his Werehog form takes center stage in each side showing the emphasis on where they're the strongest for Sonic's daytime form his foot is in the foreground showing off his speed and for his Werehog form his claws in the foreground showing off his strength this model has a composite B-movie monster vibe to it and the textures are top-notch you can see the dirt on the soul of Sonic's shoe and the fur on his Werehog side man that looks incredible on each side is day and night on Sonic's side the sun is shining and on the Werehog side there's a full moon and on the bottom the Earth cracking open just like in the opening I'll give this a rank Sonic Unleashed Japan AKA Sonic World adventure oh I like this one more the model's the same but the big difference here is the background there are screenshots of the countries we visit in this game both during day and night it is Sonic World adventure so you gotta show the world and they all looks so good ah Sonic Unleash was made way too early it should have been for PS4 or Xbox One but nah we couldn't wait another Edition the tagline on the bottom within the sun icon it says shogeki meeting shock or impact and my Japanese for the rest might be a little off but I think it says Sonic versus something quite the hint towards Dark Gaia and if I mistranslated please let me know better than the North American version yep a rank now for the color Zera starting with Sonic the Hedgehog 4 episode 1. Deja Vu much I said in my Sonic Frontiers video that I would stop ripping on these games you know being angry about it so I'll provide more level-headed commentary here this is a flat out copy of Sonic once cover Sonic's in front of Splash Hill Zone just like how he was in front of Green Hill Zone it wants you to think of Sonic 1. Sonic 4 Episode 1 has no real substance it's banking on your classic Nostalgia which is accurate the game is that and this isn't false advertising if this was a remake of Sonic 1 I wouldn't mind it is an updated version with a lot of Polish and the 3D model doesn't look too bad the problem is that this game loudly called itself a sequel for what we got it is a lazy cover for a lazy game d-rank any future box art that copy Sonic 1 d-rank Sonic Colors North America without the u the Wii and DS covers are basically the same with their own exclusive wisps and this cover tells you everything it is showy it is cheerful it's in a music Park set in outer space and you're along for the ride Sonics and tropical resort which is the perfect entry level for this kind of game the cover exudes positivity and that feels right this is the right boxer to use for colors uh-huh a rank Sonic Colors ultimate um the models from the original box are here with the addition of the Jade wisp which was new and ultimate what I don't like about this cover is the background too abstract for my tastes and it feels like a void I liked it better when we were in an amusement park we were in the area this feels too off-world why couldn't the artwork be set in Planet wisp that is a famous stage thanks to this game in generations and team Sonic racing I'll give this a low B rank Sonic Generations HD this cover screams celebration Sonic meets his older self from the early 90s and the two are on an adventure together while I have a bias against this kind of classic Sonic I'm fine with it here since this was the first time since the late 90s to use the classic design for a new game's cover behind the two is Green Hill Zone which we just saw a song for episode 1 but what makes this one different is that it's more faded the sonics are in the white world and they're slowly returning everything to the way they were my favorite detail here is the metaphor for a timeline the older Classic Sonic on the left and the newer modern Sonic on the right left to right like a timeline and the two are looking at each other both past and presence respecting each other a rank Sonic Generations 3DS the crappier version of the cover like how the 3DS version is crappier than the HD one it feels way too obvious that we got two pngs slapped on the cover and the two Sonics don't look at each other that mutual respect from the HD version not here also we have Mario Sonic on the left and classic on the right so the timeline metaphor doesn't work here a lot less care was put into this put it in C rank Sonic the Hedgehog 4 episode 2. stock and Tails are doing the same pose straight out of the title Banner of Sonic 2. like I said with episode 1 if this was a remake of Sonic 2 that'd be a different story but Sonic 4 is a sequel for the sequels key Arts you gotta do something different this game is a wannabe of Sonic 2 but a wannabe in a remake aren't the same it is good to have tails back on a main series cover for the first time since Heroes behind the two is Sylvania Castle Zone the opening stage yeah that makes sense and behind that is little planet from Sonic CD which we never visit little planet is barely a factor in this game it does the bare minimum with it the cover relies on Sonic 2 and oversells the relevancy of little planet or lack thereof going right behind its brother d-rank Sonic Lost World we see Sonic doing parkour which is the new gameplay style you should put that on the cover the platform in Windy Hill is tube shaped which we see in abundance of in this game after Sonic 4 Episode 1 and generations putting green hill on the cover it's been getting weaker and weaker by this point Windy Hill is the opening stage and I guess they wanted to do it the same way the classics did the Sonic 1 and 3 Box aren't they were set in the opening stages and knowing Lost World there are a lot of callbacks to the classic era I should not ignore the Deadly Six on this box sorry they're kind of crummy they're supposed to be Sonic's new foes but here they look like bumbling comic relief this box art is fine not good just fine sea rank Sonic Lost World Deadly 6 bonus edition better so much better we still have Sonic doing parkour and Windy Hill the stage isn't as obnoxious here because we have the deadly 6 breaking in they look a lot more credible here even though it's the same artwork they each have their own slide with black strokes this cover tells you that these six guys they're a big deal a major upgrade from the standard edition I'll put this in low B rank Sonic Mania something inspired by the Japanese covers of the classic games you know with Sonic on the left and Tails and Knuckles on the right you could see it as the classic version of the heroes box art behind them is a yellow background with multi-colored shapes just like in the debut trailer of this game if there was one word to describe this it would be celebratory Mania celebrates the classics and this cover this has got it a solid a rank Sonic Mania collector's edition we have Sonic standing in front of Green Hill Zone reminiscent of Sonic 1. I meant what I said Sonic Mania plus reversible cover this is a sweet bonus if you have Mania plus physically unlike the off-world yellow background cover Arts we have the three Heroes within one of the new stages and studiopolis is the right one to pick so much detail in the background Eggman grinning in one frame Club spin ages with that Sega font egg TV sign Sonic is running tails is flying and Knuckles is gliding which I don't think we've ever seen on a cover before they put a lot of work into this and the fact that you can have this just for fun that says a lot about the dev team my only problem here I'm with some call me Johnny on this that should not say Genesis if you've played mania's special stages then you should know this belongs on the Saturn not the Genesis the Genesis cannot handle these special stages a rank Sonic Mania plus Japan the same artwork has a standard version but a big difference is in the background white canvas with multi-colored shapes of Plenty something we haven't seen since the Japanese cover of Sonic 3 way back in 94. a good return to that and if this is the first classic style cover in Japan to have all three Heroes on it it's superb everything about it a rank Sonic forces unlike the other Heavy Hitters in this era forces only has one cover and it's my least favorite I do like the fire around the logo that is pretty cool Eggman and infinite do look intimidating setting them up as powerful forces of malice even though they are easily beaten in the story everything else about the cover sucks looking at this cover you'd think the five Heroes on the bottom are all playable nope only three of them so putting Tails and Knuckles there true the two are somewhat important to the plot Knuckles is the commanding officer of the resistance tails is well he's basically Classic Sonic sidekick following him wherever he goes but when you pair the two up with Sonic people will assume they're playable if they're not playable then don't put them right next to Sonic on the box Arts behind him has a looming threat fine but these two are close enough to be by his side this part of the cover it's a lie I don't mind the Avatar there they are one of the big heroes Classic Sonic on this cover he looks more like a kid brother other than ever terrible and on to the villain side why is illusion Metal Sonic there it doesn't matter that much in the story they could have put illusion zavac there I'm surprised they didn't the background has a city on fire with its ethnic robot Sentinel but this is really overselling forces I hate this box art too cluttered two-tone deaf and it promises way too much e-rank and lastly the era we're in right now the frontier Zera kicking off with Sonic Frontiers North America I dig this cover letting Sonic's coolness with the Serene nature of Chrono silent all those obstacles you can do in this area and Sonic goes through them like a pro this might be the first cover to have him grinding even though the game was inspired by breath of the wild the cover wasn't Sonic is living it he's having fun here for an open world or open zoned game this cover works for that a rank Sonic Frontiers Japan you really see the breath of the wild influence here and I like this a little more than the other cover while the other cover was more lively this one feels more ominous mystical not too different from the opening of the game when you're first running in Kronos Island it looks peaceful but there's a hint of danger must be the sky the dark clouds surrounding the sunlight we see some of the architecture left behind by the Ancients the Tower and the flying pyramid Sonic is taking this 100 seriously while the North American cover shows how fun the gameplay is the Japanese cover shows how gripping the story is pick whichever one suits you for me this is a rank a little more than the North American version and the final box are for this video the Bucks are for a game that has not been released yet a game with a soundtrack I can't use because we don't have access to the songs Sonic Superstars it's okay I just think it's okay the main four are in Bridge Island Zone the opening stage of this game and I appreciate them not using the Green Hill themed checkerboards in the background that must have been really tempting giving major points for putting classic Amy on the cover Amy has not been on a main series cover since Heroes and that's only the Japanese version something else I really should mention here Sonic is holding a Chaos Emerald a Chaos Emerald has finally made it to a main series cover 30 years after the time Stones beat them to it better late than never I'll give this B rank and there we have it seven Forest rank 15 for a rank 7 for B rank six for C rank five for d rank and one for e-rank with Sonic there are way more good covers than bad this part of this franchise's style I'm glad I got to appreciate these awesome covers and I'm looking forward to seeing more in the future thanks for watching do you agree with the tier list which cover is your favorite till next time thank you [Music] [Music] foreign

Channel: Characters In-Depth

Views: 10,252

Keywords: Sonic Main Series Box Art Tier List, sonic 1, sonic 2, sonic 3, sonic & knuckles, SA1, sonic adventure, SA2, sonic adventure 2, sonic heroes, sonic 06, sonic unleashed, sonic world adventure, sonic 4, sonic colors, sonic frontiers, sonic mania, sonic forces, sonic generations, sonic lost world, sonic superstars

Id: wbv8KiVfizk

Length: 29min 26sec (1766 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 07 2023