View 12 The Guardian Legend Box Art - The Legend of the Guardian What game was the box image intended to promote? GigadeathWeapon #1 two years ago A pair of wicked eyes framed by a little face peering out over a lightning-ravaged landscape. Nevertheless, this Guardic Gaiden's box art was produced by Naoyuki Kato, a Japanese science-fiction artist. It shows the Guardian as a female cyborg. When translated, the Guardian Legend was released on the NES in North America in April 1989 by Brderbund; it was released in Europe in 1990 by Nintendo.
Guardic Gaiden's box art was produced by Naoyuki Kato, a Japanese science-fiction artist. It shows the Guardian as a female cyborg. Though it is a sequel to a Compile-developed and -published MSX game that features Compile's Lander characters, The Guardian Legend is an Irem intellectual property. I'm not sure who designed the box art for Broderbund, but the two pieces of art are so similar that they can't be coincidences. I adopted the term "inspiration" since it does not seem to be a straight rip from the Creature image, as opposed to the Contra cover, which has Schwarzenegger's body lifted directly from the Predator picture and replaced with Bill's head.
The US box art attempted to convey information about the game's genre; the Japanese box art attempted to convey information about the protagonist. Both omit information. Europe is unquestionably the victor. We have the Guardian, presented with tenderness. She's either a robot or wearing armor, and she's flaunting her massive weapon and wings to let us know she's a badass.
