Box Art Reviews: The Death Of Fun Edition

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Video games are supposed to be fun, right? But in this week’s round of box art reviews, where we look at the covers of new game releases, we wonder if the box art designers forgot that fact…

Learn Science (DS)
What’s on the box: Some test tubes filled with colored liquid, a telescope, a dinosaur skeleton, Einstein’s relativity equation and the title of the game, “Learn Science.”
What’s good: Yes, these are all things related to a generic definition of science. Good job.
What’s bad: Even though it’s technically a video game, giving this to a kid for Christmas is as exciting as giving them tube socks. Also, I don’t remember learning about the theory of relativity in grade school. Maybe I was slow though, and probably needed this game back then.
Verdict: Fail. A science text book seems more interesting than this.

Th!nk Logic Trainer (Wii, DS)
What’s on the box: On the Wii version, a family holds Wii remotes while in some sort of battle stance. The females are smiling and the males look solemn. The DS version has just their heads staring awkwardly into space. The name of the game is also in a talk bubble even though it’s “Think Logic Trainer.”
What’s good: If they wanted to convey that this is a family game, they’ve got that down pat.
What’s bad: I don’t know how this game trains anyone in logic. The cover makes no sense! What do you do in this game?
Verdict: Fail. For a game about logic, this has a whole lot of confusion.

Storybook Workshop (Wii)
What’s on the box: A woman sits with two children holding a big storybook and a Wii remote. The background shows a colorful forest and perhaps Little Red Riding Hood on the way to her grandmother’s house.
What’s good: I get that it’s a storybook game with fairytales.
What’s bad: But the children don’t seem interested in the storybook at all. They’re not even looking at the storybook or the busy background — they’re staring at something else.
Verdict: Fail. This cover fails to convey that the game deserves more attention than an actual storybook… or a shiny object for that matter.

Picture Perfect Hair Salon (DS)
What’s on the box: A girl holds a DSi amid other images of women whose hair is being primed by various gadgets. Oh, and did you know it’s a DSi exclusive?
What’s good: It’s got all the right images to associate the game with being about a hair salon. It also makes sure you know that it only works on the DSi.
What’s bad: The DSi in the girl’s hand looks obviously Photoshopped, and the other pics look like stock photos from a ’90s hair magazine (leopard print, anyone?).
Verdict: Fail. For a game called “Picture Perfect,” what’s with the horrible photos?

Rec Room Games (Wii)
What’s on the box: A rec room with a bowling lane, a skeeball machine and a foosball table. The bottom half shows a hockey rink with players.
What’s good: It’s colorful and illustrates everything you need to know about the game, like what kinds of games you can play, how many there are and that it works with the Wii MotionPlus controller. The logo of the game with the dart board is a nice touch.
What’s bad: Spell check! It says “Wii MotionPlus Compatable!” But the correct spelling is “compatible” with an “i” not an “a.”
Verdict: Win. We’ll forgive the typo because this box is more interesting than all of the aforementioned box art combined.

More on Time.com:

Tech Buyer’s Guide 2009

Holiday Movies: Previewing the Season’s Hot Tickets

Time.com’s Holiday Gift Guide 2009