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@jp@polymaths.social

Post #1483072

2026-04-20 01:57 UTC

Anybody know of examples of video game box art featuring screenshots of cut content? For example, the back of the Twilight Princess case had a screenshot from a period of development when there was still a magic meter mechanic like Ocarina of Time. The back of the Half-Life 2 case clearly showed an early version of an area that got entirely reworked.

Replies (7)

  • @joel@polymaths.social 2026-04-20 02:03

    @jp time to make a very cool blogpost out of this

    Open ##1812163

  • @jp not cut content as such, but Ratchet and Clank Collection (2012) has screenshots of the wrong games on the back (In Europe). They were clearly placed in the wrong order for the titles. 3 and 1 are reversed. https://www.mobygames.com/game/56646/ratchet-clank-collection/cover/group-90842/cover-247843/

    Open ##1812173

  • @iyashikei_kris@mstdn.social 2026-04-20 03:58

    @jp The back of the Super Mario Bros 3 box had a level not on the final game

    Open ##1812174

  • @jp Dune II has some very mild examples. The European box art reveals some screenshots made before they finalised the in-game text - "CONSTRUCT" became "CONST. YARD", and the Harkonnen mentat wouldn't be describing his own people as cruel (or misspelling their home planet's name). The blurb text also roughly follows the narrated intro in the game, but doesn't match 100% to it. The "No carryall available for transport" text might qualify as cut content as that never appeared in the final game.

    Open ##1812175

  • @edinburgh_man@mastodon.scot 2026-04-20 07:24

    @jp For my sins I worked on Earthworm Jim 3D. The UK publisher wouldn't pay for new box art so they used a mockup from a few years before. The screenshots were from an early E3 demo that was entirely different. The US box art was new and used the correct images.

    Open ##1812176

  • @Dadaph@sakurajima.moe 2026-04-20 08:34

    @jp SMB3 on the NES had two screenshots that I always found fishy as a kid. First one showed the map from the first world, that was slightly different from the one that appears in the game. The second screenshot shows a level that doesn't appear in the game at all.

    Open ##1812182

  • @Htbaa@fosstodon.org 2026-04-21 05:49

    @jp if I recall the box of Kasumi Ninja for Atari Jaguar has a stage on it that isn’t in there. Either that or it was the Jaguar’s box itself.

    Open ##1812185