Best King's Quest 1 Cover?

[Tawmis]

Which is your favorite and why?

[Rath Darkblade]

Hmmm ... #1 and #3 are much-of-a-muchness, except that #1 is a little brighter.

#2 and #4 are also pretty much the same (but #4 is a little brighter).

#5 makes a change! But the knight in shining armour is confusing. I can't remember anything like that in the game.

#6 is also confusing. In KQ1, Graham doesn't have a big sword, or deals with a wizard, or has any dealings with noblewomen (as far as I know). What's up with that, SEGA?

#7 is the one cover that has something to do with KQ1. So I'll pick that one!

[Tawmis]

#6 is also confusing. In KQ1, Graham doesn't have a big sword, or deals with a wizard, or has any dealings with noblewomen (as far as I know). What's up with that, SEGA?

Let's think this through.

Graham is one of the King's knights, right? Knights usually have swords. Though Graham may never use it, it can probably be presumed he has a sword if it's out on a quest for the King.

The wizard, you'd be wrong - there's a sorcerer in King's Quest 1 - https://kingsquest.fandom.com/wiki/The_Sorcerer and https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/The_So ... 27s_Quest) - video shows him here: here

The noble woman is actually a hag (as seen on that cover) - because the King's Quest backstory is King Edward married a beautiful woman, who revealed to be a hag, and stole the chest of infinite gold. (Manual of the story attached as reference)

Who knew the lore was so deep, eh?

[notbobsmith]

Not a fan of 1 and 3 with the picture of the treasure. It looks like a real photo. I wonder where they got it from.

5 is just... wow. The drawing of the knight in armor is just terrible. It looks like someone took a primitive 3D model... and then hand drew it again. The rest of the box is drab grey. The title is just blah (Is that Times New Roman?). It doesn't grab your attention at all. The "IBM" is more noticeable, which might make one think this is a piece of business software at first glance. It looks like this might be the standard format for IBM software (scroll down a bit), but it does a really bad job of selling the game.

The Saga one is a bit odd. It does look like a bunch of random images thrown together. I like box art that "captures a moment" like...

2 and 4. Classic artwork, but I'm not sure I like how Graham is drawn here.

So #7 is my favorite. Nice rendering of "King's Quest" I really like the feather. And beautiful artwork on with the castle. All on that marble pattern. Very classy.

[Collector]

I have them all but the Sega one.

[goatmeal]

The title is just blah (Is that Times New Roman?). It doesn't grab your attention at all.

Yes, it is Times New Roman.

To be fair, we've had 32 years of it being the ubiquitous default serif font since 1992's release of Windows 3.1.

Its constant over-use in everyday life over the last 3 decades has deadened our senses and rendered us immune to the beauty and charms of its design...

[BBP]

Ahhh, Times New Roman, infinite grace at your fingertips... I'm so tired of fonts sans serif. Maybe I'll write a text adventure based around fonts someday. "Serif's Quest".

I like the atmosphere of the photos a lot, it manages to conjure up a sense of excitement and "gimmegimmegimme". I guess that, in the 80s, you knew that this was not what you'd get on your screen if you would actually buy it.

[Tawmis]

2 and 4. Classic artwork, but I'm not sure I like how Graham is drawn here.

What is the issue with 2 and 4 and Graham? Kneeling to a king?

I have them all but the Sega one.

You even have the one with the poorly drawn Knight?

Ahhh, Times New Roman, infinite grace at your fingertips... I'm so tired of fonts sans serif. Maybe I'll write a text adventure based around fonts someday. "Serif's Quest".

If you "I'm the Serif in these here parts."

(Pun on Sherrif)

[goatmeal]

Here it is using Papyrus:



And here it is with Comic Sans:



Much better.

[notbobsmith]

2 and 4. Classic artwork, but I'm not sure I like how Graham is drawn here.

What is the issue with 2 and 4 and Graham? Kneeling to a king?

I'm not sure really sure what it is. He kind of looks like a drawing of a person in a medieval play wearing a cheap costume. The tights. The page-boy haircut. I don't know. I can't quite describe it.

I just noticed the magic mirror is actually showing something. It looks like it from a cover of another fantasy game/novel.

Here it is using Papyrus:




Much better.

Not Papyrus!!! I know what you did!

[Rath Darkblade]

2 and 4. Classic artwork, but I'm not sure I like how Graham is drawn here.

What is the issue with 2 and 4 and Graham? Kneeling to a king?

I'm not sure really sure what it is. He kind of looks like a drawing of a person in a medieval play wearing a cheap costume. The tights. The page-boy haircut. I don't know. I can't quite describe it.

I just noticed the magic mirror is actually showing something. It looks like it from a cover of another fantasy game/novel.

I think it shows what looks like a brave knight, staring slightly upwards adoringly at a smiling woman. Possibly Graham's wife-to-be?

Here it is using Papyrus:




Much better.

Not Papyrus!!! I know what you did!

OK, I haven't seen that before. But now that I have, I can't unsee it.

It would be worse if it was Calibri. Or Atipo New. Or ... *shudder* Arial.

The horror.

Hand me the brain bleach, please.

[goatmeal]

Glad everyone likes!

[notbobsmith]

OK, I haven't seen that before. But now that I have, I can't unsee it.

It would be worse if it was Calibri. Or Atipo New. Or ... *shudder* Arial.

The horror.

Hand me the brain bleach, please.

They made a sequel just a few weeks ago.

Glad everyone likes!

Can you do wingdings?

Graphic design is interesting, even if it mostly goes unnoticed. Look how elegant the text for "King's Quest" is. Perfect for a fantasy adventure.

I'm still marveling at how bad that IBM cover is. Why is there a treasure chest in the background? Why does it look larger than the trees? And the knight The way he is holding the shield doesn't make any sense. It looks like he is missing his left arm and the shield is just attached somehow to his torso. What are the lines radiating from the center of the shield? I guess it's supposed to be a reflection from the sun, but you wouldn't end up with lines like that. The motion lines look like he has finished swing his sword, but the way his arm is positioned it looks like he is preparing to thrust. A piece of armor from his leg overlaps that medal "skirt" he is wearing. His waist is hidden by the shield, but must be super narrow, with much wider hips. His legs then seem to bow out from his hips.

[Tawmis]

Why is there a treasure chest in the background? Why does it look larger than the trees?

Because it's closer than the trees? The treasure chest could be 100 feet behind him off to the side, while the trees behind it could be 500 feet away.
Now if there were trees right next to it, casting shadows that were smaller, then... that'd be odd.

What are the lines radiating from the center of the shield? I guess it's supposed to be a reflection from the sun, but you wouldn't end up with lines like that.

I took it as just being a design indicating it's magical. Like fancy design.

The motion lines look like he has finished swing his sword, but the way his arm is positioned it looks like he is preparing to thrust.

He's swinging his sword, for sure, but it also looks like he's swinging it reversed (smaller blade is closer to the front of the swing).

But yes, it's a poorly drawn over all.

[goatmeal]

Can you do wingdings?

Your command is my wish...