Okay, so maybe we're not great at making our own box art (hey, you try squeezing in as many names as you can), but we do regularly take it upon ourselves to judge new releases solely on their appearances, regardless of their content.
First up, the much-talked about "Too Human" ...
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"Too Human" (Xbox 360)
What the Box Tells Us: This guy isn't just human, he's too human. So much so that his eyes and the veins in his forehead glow bright blue. Wait, what?
Pros: The glowy blue veins are a point of interest...
Cons: But nothing else is. I can barely see the shadowy figure and the mountain/Cloud City background.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.
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"Smash Court Tennis 3" (Xbox 360)
What the Box Tells Us: The faceless tennis player on this cover is doing what looks like a full 360 swing. Meanwhile, little squares of other tennis players, who are clearly more important because they get some face space, are strewn across the box.
Pros: Generous use of lime green. Can't miss it.
Cons: Nothing "smashing" about this cover. Just lots of lens flare.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.
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"MindHabits" (PC, Mac)
What the Box Tells Us: All the other brain games train you to be smarter; this game promises to help you "reduce stress" and "boost confidence." It's even won awards, including a "First Prize" one.* There's also a giant blue brain surrounded by... more blue.
Pros: Key words are highlighted in green -- "feel better," "think better" and "award-winning."
Cons: *The prestigious "First Prize" award isn't listed on the front of the box (so what is it?). The lack of different colors makes me yawn.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.
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"Super PickUps" (Wii)
What the Box Tells Us: Instead of a clean, static and sterile cover like the last "NASCAR" game, "Super PickUps" goes for bright and blurry with cars whizzing by in the night.
Pros: Good use of bright, pretty colors; the light trails look as if you took a photo using a long shutter speed.
Cons: It's still a box featuring sports cars racing.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.
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"Shattered Suns" (PC)
What the Box Tells Us: It says, "The sky is no limit." Meanwhile, a pair of omniscient eyes overlooks battling spaceships that are about to blow each other up.
Pros: Laser beams? Explosions? Spaceships? Good.
Cons: Creepy, slightly bloodshot eyes? Bad. Also, where are these so-called suns that are being shattered? This sky seems pretty limited to me.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.
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