"Publisher's Logo". Was there a chance of THQ or someone else getting this one at some point, or were the artists just trying to cover all their bases? edit: What surprises me more is that they seem to have known the rating before they knew the publisher. Unless they decided from the start that they'd do whatever they had to in order to squeeze in an E rating.
RE: Giant-ass watermark. Does Assemblergames always do that? Ugh. Another complaint, I never liked the nike-mouth Sonic model that was in Heroes. Interesting idea for box art, seems a little more... artsy? It is a little confusing. (I assume it's a reflection in his eye, which makes it seem like they're posing for Sonic...)
It would be interesting if the box art was one of those 3D boxes, and the face changed between Sonic, Tails and Knuckles. Though to be honest, it wouldn't have surprised me if this ever did get to final design.
KILL IT WITH FIRE. That is one piece of absolutely awful box artwork. The final box-art is much better in my opinion - it is clear that the game is based around the three-man team concept and it even incorporates the iconic blue skies from the first two game stages (or technically three if you count Sea Gate). This on the other hand isn't appealing. The box shows one character's face, large with little free space (the empty space can make or break a game cover). The reflection in the eye would not adequately explain the difference in the gameplay mechanics or the shift of focus in an effective way. When I'm on the fence about a game, the front cover of the box is the absolute final clincher. With Dead Rising 2: Off The Record, the box artwork is so disgusting and mish-mashed that it offers little in the way of appeal. I would say the same for this prototype art, too. I'm glad they changed it.
God that looks horrendous. I always hated that render of Sonic (hell, I recall being in an edit war on Wikipedia many years back trying to prevent its use, it's that hideous). It's not quite as bad as EU Sonic 3D cover, but still pretty awful - that shit-eating grin, the constipated pose... Never clicked with me, and never will. Greatly prefer the jumping pose they opted for in the end.
It's not a bad picture...but considering the game focuses on being teams and all, and the cover puts focus on mostly Sonic, bad idea.
Eh. It might have looked either good or bad -- I suppose it woulda depended on the way it woulda been colored/rendered.
