Transparent PNG TurboGrafx-16 and PC Engine box art templates.
The initial goal is to create a set of TurboGrafx box covers that match, that look good, that look OEM. My opinion is that initial US Turbo releases represented the best design that NEC was using, not the actual cover art, but the branding design elements. The European design was a reduction in design quality, in my opinion. Then the Japanese design, I don't think they had boxes. They had nice text printed jewel case sleeves.
A secondary goal is to create a set of matching format box art graphics for PCE games. We want to take the TG16 box formatting and create a set of PCE designs that more clearly identify system branding. Due to the nature of PCE emulation, when you're looking through a list of title thumbs, you don't often know what actual hardware the title uses. I think it would be good for this to be more obvious.
Templates are created as needed. Don't edit these templates. Please create an issue to request a new template.
The swatches project is where color issues are addressed: https://github.com/vinceroni/TurboSwatches
This is the big question, I suppose. I make a case for use of the original US box design. However note, I think the actual cover art is better in the Japanese versions.
- US box design for all games released outside Japan
- Duo box design for all games released as DUO
- Two PNG files for each design: 1288x1512 and 644x756
- Art 1000x1000 and 500x500
- The TG16 center logo version is the preferred version: *-1.jpg and *-4.jpg
- Create a PCE template that removes the aspect ratio disparity between the TG16 design versus the PCE jewel case art.
The PCE design is the biggest departure from canon. I'm not going to start distributing new PCE art right now. I think it's a good idea, but I can imagine it being a contemptuous move in the PCE community. I need to have prepare a demo set. I think the strongest argument for making PCE boxes is for disambiguation of the title's hardware requirement, and for adding additional visual prominence to SuperGrafx and Arcade Card games. The second argument is aesthetic. I don't like the Duo design, and I've always felt that PCE titles needed a box design, something to frame the art and brand it more obviously.
Save as JPEG 100% quality. The 2x size design is designed to be reduced by half, though we've already provided these renders. Reduce flat graphic using Bicubic Smoother. Reducing flat graphic images with Bicubic Sharper creates a halo effect around the contrast edges. Reduce continuous tone images with Bicubic Sharper.
The naming convention includes 3 designs for each genre - 1) Center logo 2) Corner logo 3) No logo. Then, there's an additional set of the same files at 1/2 scale. These are numbered 1-6. CD games use their own templates, using the TG CD logo.
Includes a proposal for a PCE box design. The naming convention includes the system card and genre. A simplified approach, compared to the TurboGrafx solution. HE Red CD2 Green SCD2 Blue ACD Red
Includes a proposal for a Duo box design. The naming convention currently attempts to simplify, as the design doesn't currently use a genre element. Many Duo games do include a genre in the cover the art, so this may need to be reconsidered. Color is currently arbitrary. There is, however, a version for HE and one for SCD2. US Duo titles were distributed by TTI, not NEC. US Duo titles adopted a CD and HuCard tiled background pattern as the only hardware indicator, but we'll continue the system card approach used for PCE above.
Includes a proposal for a SG box design. The naming convention attempts to continue the simplified Duo approach, particularly as there are only about 8 titles made for this system. I think they should all just get the blue SG color, with the only variation being the system card badges.
Unfortunately, 14 updated covers were released prior to finalization. We'll correct these later. They're close, but not the final design. The updated design is 4px wider and 6px taller (small size) to allow for proper centering of the TurboGrafx dot pattern.
- 15-in-1-u-box-fr.jpg
- air-zonk-u-box-fr.jpg
- alien-crush-u-box-fr.jpg
- bonks-adventure-u-box-fr.jpg
- bonks-revenge-u-box-fr.jpg
- devils-crush-u-box-fr.jpg
- forgotten-worlds-u-box-fr.jpg
- jj-and-jeff-u-box-fr.jpg
- keith-courage-in-alpha-zones-u-box-fr.jpg
- neutopia-ii-u-box-fr.jpg
- neutopia-u-box-fr.jpg
- prince-of-persia-u-box-fr.jpg
- r-type-u-box-fr.jpg
- fantasy-star-soldier.jpg (wrong tpl.)
Now go, fix all of the databases, fly my hawkmen!