This week's box art features various animals. See which covers make the cut and which ones should go swimming with the fishes (sorry).

***

"Party Pigs Farmyard Games" (Wii)
What the Box Tells Us: A group of pigs wearing track uniforms charges forward. They seem to be on a farm.
Cons: Talk about bad timing. Is that dirt kicking up into the air or an airborne virus? Also, it touts the number of games: seven.
Pros: The anthropomorphic pigs seem to giving us the middle finger. Perhaps they're rebelling against our fear of the Swine flu.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"My Horse and Me: Riding for Gold" (Wii, DS)
What the Box Tells Us: A girl hugs her horse. A gold cup floats in the air and the bottom illustrates what you can do in the game: groom, train and ride.
Pros: I don't think I've seen a horse game with someone actually hugging a horse before.
Cons: I'm all for that, but it looks very uncomfortable for both parties involved.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Imagine: Music Fest" (DS)
What the Box Tells Us: A young girl holding a sparkly, sticker-covered clipboard and wearing a plastic headset smiles as she shows off her backstage pass; it proclaims she's the band manager. Meanwhile, an all-girl band plays in the background.
Pros: The name "Music Fest" isn't that clear as to what the game is about but a word bubble says, "Create a band. Run the concert!" That helps. And a game that encourages girls to go into management? Neat.
Cons: No one holds up their pass like that unless they're in Wayne's World.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Fantasy Aquarium World" (Wii)
What the Box Tells Us: There's one shark and one fish submerged in water. It says, "Use your Wii to create a virtual fish tank!"
Pros: Sharks are cool. Always good to have one of those on the cover of undersea games.
Cons: But just one shark and one fish? What kind of "fantasy aquarium" is this? When I dream, I dream big -- blue whales and such.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Velvet Assassin" (Xbox 360, PC)
What the Box Tells Us: A dark, shadowy figure holding a gun stands with back towards us amidst... more darkness.
Pros: The white text and outline on a black background emphasizes the title and the figure who is presumably said "Velvet Assassin."
Cons: However, the black obscures everything else. It's also be nice to see her face versus her behind. But maybe that's just me.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

This week's game covers have got it all. But do they impress?

"I Love Horses" (DS)
What the Box Tells Us: On one half of the box, two horses nuzzle noses. On the other half, on a pink background with hearts it says, "I love horses" really big.
Pros: There's no subtlety here. If you love horses, you can say it loud and proud. And unlike other equine-themed games, they don't clutter the box with a smiling little girl.
Cons: Why make it pink? Can boys love horses too?
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"101-in-1 Explosive Megamix" (DS)
What the Box Tells Us: Apparently, there's 101 things in one. And it's an explosive megamix of stuff.
Pros: 101 is a lot of anything; there's a lot of variety here.
Cons: But the objects seems completely random -- a tank, a car, a Sudoku board, a volleyball, a can of radioactive waste... what does it all mean? It's quantity vs. quality...
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"ExciteBots: Trick Racing" (Wii)
What the Box Tells Us: Cars looking like different animal forms -- a frog, a ladybug, a turtle, etc. -- soar through the air.
Cons: Not sure what the "trick racing" part of all this is. I'm guessing it has something to do with the soccer ball?
Pros: The white, blurry lines denote high speeds putting the "excite" in ExciteBots. The background also showcases different locations or the variety of things you'll see for courses.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Play!" (PC)
What the Box Tells Us: The "ultimate casual game collection" shows off over a dozen different covers for various games.
Pros: There seems to be quite a few different games included.
Cons: The covers are too small, but if you look closely, there's "Beach Party Craze," "Farm Frenzy 2," "Super Market Mania," "Fashion Craze," "Pet Show Craze" ... it's enough to make a person go insane.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"DT Carnage" (PSP)
What the Box Tells Us: A few missiles seem to be following a car at high speed, igniting crazy explosions as they go.
Pros: I always say explosions will help any box art.
Cons: But *yawn* there's not a lot going on here. Where's the carnage?
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

Not a whole lot came out this week, but that doesn't mean a game's box art is safe from our critique. Here goes...

"The Dark Spire" (DS)
What the Box Tells Us: It's black and it says "The Dark Spire."
Pros: It is indeed dark.
Cons: But where's this alleged Spire? I see lines that make it look like bricks so it could be an extreme close-up. Still... boring.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Escape the Museum" (Wii)
What the Box Tells Us: A dinosaur skeleton looks like it's going to fall over amidst a disheveled museum. A magnifying glass icon reads, "Hidden Object Game."
Pros: This is no way meant to confuse consumers and look similar to the movie "Night at the Museum"!
Cons: Museums and dead dinosaurs sans Ben Stiller don't seem that exciting. Did they hide the fun, too?
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Demigod" (PC)
What the Box Tells Us: A large, rock humanoid creature swings a mallet at his diminutive victims. (Also, it looks we found some of the missing spires from "The Dark Spire"?)
Pros: The visuals are interesting and there's plenty of action going on. And it features a large castle-turned-monster type-thing.
Cons: I sure hope you get to be the big guy and not fight him.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Cooking Dash" (PC)
What the Box Tells Us: A woman in an apron is shaking a frying pan and stirring a pot that's about to spill. She's smiling.
Pros: This is no way meant to confuse consumers and look similar to "Cooking Mama"!
Cons: Dashing around the diner already seems dangerous enough, but the kitchen? I see nothing but dashing disasters. Not sure how this seems fun.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Book of Legends" (PC, Mac)
What the Box Tells Us: It's a book, filled with legends. It's also "An adventure game like no other."
Pros: If you're looking for legends and/or adventure, here you go.
Cons: Is it a book or a game? And the box text says, "6 adventurous modes of game play." What does that even mean? Show us! Don't tell us.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

Does the box art for this week's new releases make the cut? Find out.

***

"The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena" (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
What the Box Tells Us: A bald man with goggles wields two blades while some sort of alien apocalypse happens behind him.
Pros: The outer glow on the word "Riddick" helps it stand out from the rest of the cover.
Cons: Unfortunately, the rest of the cover doesn't stand out. The monochromatic tones are a bit bland. Plus, for some reason, this cover looks very familiar. Hmmm....
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Elven Legacy" (PC)
What the Box Tells Us: A woman with pointy ears looks alert as she holds a bow and arrow in her hands.
Pros: She's an elf all right. And she's got more clothes than most female elves I've seen in fantasy games.
Cons: But what is it with the sexy "armor" that only covers her chest and is somehow strapped to her pants? And the clubbing pants that show off the sides of her legs?
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Ninja Blade" (Xbox 360)
What the Box Tells Us: A presumed ninja flies through the air amidst tall buildings while fighting freakish alien things.
Pros: When you think "Ninja Blade" you don't think of a ninja surrounded by skyscrapers battling aliens. "A" for originality.
Cons: With the green font and the circular green thing on the ninja's back, at first I thought it was a TMNT game. It could use more variety in color to make it stand out.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Rhythm Heaven" (DS)
What the Box Tells Us: The gold box cover has the title in a huge black bubble with four little characters at the bottom. It also says, "Tap into the rhythm!"
Cons: While the box certainly doesn't look like most other DS titles, it doesn't tell you a lot, like why it's rhythmic or heavenly.
Pros: The title is huge; you can't miss it. And it does tell you what you have to do right off the bat: Tap into the rhythm!
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Hannah Montana: The Movie" (Wii, PC, PS3, Xbox 360, DS)
What the Box Tells Us: It's Miley times two: a blonde on top and a brunette on the bottom.
Pros: It's Miley!
Cons: All I see is a beach and some horseback riding. Is this the vacation I've been waiting for? (Probably not.)
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

Just because the game's good doesn't mean its box art is. See which boxes should get left on the shelf.

***

"Imagine: Family Doctor" (DS)
What the Box Tells Us: A young, female Doogie Howser-like prodigy uses her stethoscope. A little girl looks up at her and smiles lovingly. As if the scene wasn't cheerful enough, a rainbow bursts out of nowhere.
Pros: This may be the first Imagine cover I've seen without contorted limbs or odd facial expressions. It's simple, cheerful and for a gender-neutral occupation -- even a curmudgeon like me can't poke too much fun. Extra points for diversity, too.
Cons: One thing though... Pretty sure that teddy bear won't have a heartbeat.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Backyard Baseball '10" (Wii)
What the Box Tells Us: Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz swings a bat alongside what looks like his in-game avatar on a baseball field.
Pros: Celebrities on the box should help pique consumer interest.
Cons: There's something creepy about the way Ortiz is Photoshopped onto the field. And that doesn't really look like a backyard (I was thinking more like "The Sandlot").
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Air Conflicts: Aces of World War II" (PSP)
What the Box Tells Us: Fighter planes fly overhead. The title of the game has bullet holes in it and is surrounded by cracks.
Pros: Using a propeller for the letter "O" -- at least it's trying to be different.
Cons: The cracks just at the top seem oddly placed. Also why are there cracks in the sky? Are we supposed to be looking from the inside of a plane going towards them?
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Guitar Hero: Metallica" (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii)
What the Box Tells Us: The names of the game's "over 20 guest artists" cover the front of the box.
Pros: You know who the guest artists are, and most of them are just awesome.
Cons: But the box looks cluttered and all I see are a bunch of words (which allows for spelling errors). Plus, it's Metallica. Do you really need to tout any other bands? That's what the back of the box is for.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Gardening Mama" (DS)
What the Box Tells Us: A tiny female character, presumably "Mama," has stars in her eyes, clearly overjoyed with working in the garden. She's surrounded by lush vegetation.
Pros: Colorful, bright, symmetrical: this cover is eye candy.
Cons: The gardening tools are pointing right at her head. Kind of weird.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

This round of box art reviews focuses on the big portable releases that came out this week. See how their covers stack up.

***

"Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars" (DS)
What the Box Tells Us: A guy on a motorcycle. Two angry dudes. A dagger. A guy with a freshly used gun. A woman with a sword. A guy getting kicked in the face. A guy with a gun.
Pros: Like other "GTA" boxes, this version sticks to the formula. It also means you can expect angry dudes, guns and the stealing of automobiles.
Cons: But what's different about this game besides the setting and the platform? Doesn't say much.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Resistance Retribution" (PSP)
What the Box Tells Us: A man with a gun and a badass leather jacket stands there facing the Eiffel Tower, the wasteland that was formerly known as Paris, and a dead alien thing apparently killed by a headshot.
Cons: Using the monochromatic color scheme makes me feel kind of blue.
Pros: But the monochromatic color actually works in that I can see all the detail in the artwork, including the aforementioned Tower, wasteland and dead alien.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure" (DS)
What the Box Tells Us: An old man wields a sword and a cup of tea while standing on a pile of colored blocks. A bridge is in the background with a purple thing on one end and an angry screaming man on the other.
Pros: The title says it all, but the box art designers at EA went the extra mile to show you a bit of the puzzles, the adventure and even more of Henry Hatsworth's hat, so aptly placed on top of his name. If I didn't know anything about this game, I'd buy it just for the fact that he's holding a teacup and a sword.
Cons: I might be encouraged to try to use my stylus and drink a cup of tea at the same time. Probably not a good idea.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Suikoden Tierkreis" (DS)
What the Box Tells Us: Absolutely nothing, with a bunch of words I can't pronounce or even read.
Pros: If you're familiar with the series, the name alone -- set on a black background -- will grab you.
Cons: If you're not, it's just a bunch of words on a black background. Not very exciting, and it seems like there was no effort made here.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Men of War" (PC)
What the Box Tells Us: A poorly lit soldier is in the foreground as tanks cause explosions, parachutes make their way down and planes fly overhead.
Pros: The game's all-too-literal title is portrayed quite literally.
Cons: Why is the soldier's face obscured by darkness? Is he a mannequin? A zombie? Something inhuman? The cover, like its title, evokes no other feeling than "Oh, another war game." And I only see one man, by the way.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

The reviews are in for "Resident Evil 5." The box art review, that is. The game might be awesome but see if its cover made the cut.

***

"Resident Evil 5" (PS3, Xbox 360)
What the Box Art Tells Us: A man and a woman stand back to back holding their weapons and poised to shoot. They stand amidst a flaming orange backdrop with illegible writing scrawled madly all over it.
Pros: Though simple, the cover stands out with orange on black, as well as a man and woman just standing there looking bad-ass. Also, the way the "5" was done looks cool and is subtle enough to not intimidate people new to the series.
Cons: What's this "Resident Evil"? I just see two good-looking people with guns. Nothing evil about that.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"MadWorld" (Wii)
What the Box Art Tells Us: A crazy-looking bald man grits his teeth and swings around a bloody chainsaw.
Pros: The black comic book-like drawing of the man stands out on the all-white cover. As does the blood-red... blood. I also love how "World" is wrapped by a chainsaw blade.
Cons: Needs more chainsaw. (You can never have enough chainsaws.)
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Dream Day Wedding Destinations" (DS)
What the Box Art Tells Us: The cover depicts the torso of a wedding dress-clad woman holding a bouquet of flowers... and standing in the middle of the ocean.
Pros: The wedding dress indicates matrimony, and the palm tree implies a tropical destination, so it's literal.
Cons: The gameplay is explained in a circle full of text, telling us that we can "find hidden items to complete this romantic adventure!" But there's nothing romantic, adventurous or interesting about the cover.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Boing! Docomodake" (DS)
What the Box Art Tells Us: A frowning, anthropomorphic fungus hauls ass, apparently running away from a village populated by other mushroom people.
Pros: I've expressed my love of anthropomorphic food before. This immediately caught my eye, along with the bright colors.
Cons: Is it a platformer? A puzzle game? There are a lot of DS games with cute but generic characters on their covers, so this wouldn't stand out among the rest.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Codename: Panzers Cold War" (PC)
What the Box Art Tells Us: The box tells us the title of the game, framed by tiny helicopters, planes, tanks and barbed wire.
Pros: It's not like other war games, where they simply show soldiers with guns or a giant tank blowing something up.
Cons: But the cover is still largely uninteresting. My eyes could easily glaze over this in a game store.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Halo," "Matt Hazard" and annual baseball titles return, but do their box art covers make the cut? Find out.

***

"Halo Wars" (Xbox 360)
What the Box Tells Us: Three soldiers backed by a huge army, both on ground and in the air, march during the night as snow falls.
Cons: From the box art, you wouldn't know that this isn't a first-person shooter like the other "Halo" games.
Pros: It's elegant, pretty, detailed. The soldiers marching in the night invoke a sense of purpose. It's almost patriotic.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Tom Clancy's HAWX" (Xbox 360, PS3)
What the Box Tells Us: Jets flight between tall buildings. Missiles explode.
Pros: It's clear this is a game that involves flying jets between buildings.
Cons: The close up on of the guy in the mask initially confused me; upon first glance, I thought it was some sort of alien ship. There's no reason for him to be that large; he obstructs the action going on behind him.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard" (Xbox 360, PS3)
What the Box Tells Us: Apparently, Matt Hazard is back. And he's the bald-headed brute holding the big guns with enemies standing behind him.
Pros: Aside from its title, "Eat Lead," you can figure that this game has guns blazing with the protagonist standing on a ridiculously huge pile of ammo. Not to mention the weapons protruding from the game's logo (and the bullet holes... nice). It also showcases the variety of enemies you'll face: zombies, cowboys, ninjas... and giant octopi?
Cons: It's definitely a shooter. If you don't like shooting titles, you'll know this isn't for you.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Major League Baseball 2K9" (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, PC)
What the Box Tells Us: A pitcher leans forward and stands on one leg, like he just made a pitch.
Pros: You get a nice clear view of the player in action.
Cons: I know he's on the pitcher's mound, but what are the gray swirling lines? Where's the baseball? (And how does one's body do that?)
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"MLB 09: The Show" (PS3, PS2, PSP)
What the Box Tells Us: A baseball player is contorted in a way that shows that he must've just hit a ball with a bat. He stands in front of a large stadium.
Pros: Having the player in color and the background in black-and-white gives it a nice contrast. It certainly pops.
Cons: The placement of the player is odd. It looks like he's running on top of the stadium and into the stands. Why would he hit a ball from there?
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

This week's new releases brings us a host of sequels and franchise additions. Here we judge the box covers for the return of "Killzone," "Star Ocean," "Dead Rising," and 50 Cent. See which franchises kept their box art in check.

***

"Killzone 2" (PS3)
What the Box Tells Us: A dude in a mask has menacing, glowing red eyes. A tiny smokestack billows in the background.
Cons: It's another game with a guy in mask on the cover (see "Fallout 3," "Haze").
Pros: This dude is in the zone. But the killzone? Yeah, he looks like he'd want to kill me. Isn't that all that matters?
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Star Ocean: The Last Hope" (Xbox 360)
What the Box Tells Us: God has boyish (or girlish? I can't see) good looks, just stands around the universe and holds a sword, which he may or may not use to hit planets like baseballs.
Cons: It is a God game? That person is huge. Maybe it's like Voltron.
Pros: But it's much better and more interesting than the previous "Star Ocean" titles released on the PSP. Also, it's a unique take on scale, that's for sure.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"50 Cent: Blood on the Sand" (Xbox 360, PS3)
What the Box Tells Us: A man we know as 50 Cent stands in front of an orange background, which seems to suggest it's a sandy area (hence the title) with explosions.
Pros: It's an idealized version of the rapper, replete with sour face, arms crossed and a bulletproof vest loaded with grenades. And in case you're not sure who he is, check the belt buckle.
Cons: But the real 50 Cent has bodyguards, women and Vitamin Water endorsements, as well as fancy cars and mansions. I can't reconcile the two 50 Cents here in my feeble mind. Sorry.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Dead Rising: Chop Til You Drop" (Wii)
What the Box Tells Us: A man covered in blood stands rather calmly inside a store. Despite all the dead, crazy-looking people trying to get in.
Cons: But the door's locked, even though the sign facing the zombies probably says it's open. False advertising! (No wonder they're mad.) And to ram the point home, the oddly-placed sticker on the door says "This door must be kept closed." OK, we get it, Capcom.
Pros: The cover is highly detailed, from the random blood splatter on the zombies to the hair on Frank's manly chest. The graphics for this game must be awesome.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"GTA IV: The Lost and Damned," arguably the week's biggest release, doesn't have box art. But we looked at the games that do. Here are the titles we think that you should pick up (or put down), when you see them at the store this week.

"Street Fighter IV" (Xbox 360, PS3)
What the Box Tells Us: Two men, one wearing red and one wearing white, are about to engage in fisticuffs.
Pros: The painted style of the artwork makes it look a lot different than any other ol' game cover.
Cons: The brushstrokes of the game name makes it look like "Street Fighter TV." It also might've been cool to see more characters.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Prinny: Can I Really Be The Hero?" (PSP)
What the Box Tells Us: A blue, wide-eyed bird-thing with bat wings holds a sword. He's wearing a red scarf/cape and a large fannypack (?), and he appears to be sweating as he's surrounded by menacing pigs in metal armor.
Pros: Prinny is just adorable. He looks like a penguin, and penguins are sooo hot right now.
Cons: Prinny is not the only one asking, "Can I really be the hero?" Because with peglegs and no fingers, I'm not quite sure he can be the hero either.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon" (DS)
What the Box Tells Us: The gold-ish cover, showing a mountain-filled map, is emblazoned with a sword and the "Fire Emblem" logo.
Pros: Little. Gold. Different?
Cons: Those unfamiliar with the series may think, "What the heck is a 'Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon'? This isn't Pokemon!" More images about the game might help.
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.

"Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II" (PC)
What the Box Tells Us: Red, mean-looking robots hold their guns and patrol a barren, war-torn area.
Pros: The robot front-and-center has his foot resting on the head of an alien corpse. Pretty badass.
Cons: If you're not playing the robots, it sucks to be you.
Love It or Leave It: Love it.

"Battlerage: Mech Conflict" (Wii)
What the Box Tells Us: Two robots duke it out amidst what appears to be a pit of lava -- or Hell?
Pros: Two robots fighting does equate to some sort of "Mech Conflict."
Cons: But "Battlerage"? The "Dawn of War II" cover has more robot carnage than this. *yawn*
Love It or Leave It: Leave it.