noiseredux vs.

Posted on Nov 23rd 2010 at 07:20:20 PM by (noiseredux)
Posted under Archiving, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance

[img width=600 height=300]http://www.thecoverproject.net/images/covers/gb_megaman3_2_thumb.jpg[/img]

The Cover Project is an amazing website that archives (you guessed it) covers for video games ranging the gamut of systems. However what's great about these covers is that they're not just straight up scans, they are actually reformatted to fit into different sized cases. For instance disc-based games are either available to be printed out to fit into CD jewel cases or DVD cases. Most cartridge based games are sized to fit into universal game cases. But of course what's most important to this blog is that there is an archive of Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance titles that are meant to fit into Nintendo DS cases. As you may be well aware DS cases have a slot to hold a GBA cartridge already. But three quick slices from a box-cutter can open it up to fit GB/GBC carts as well. This is great news for GB collectors as the great majority of GB/GBC/GBA carts found in the wild are just that: carts. No manual, no box. By visiting The Cover Project it's now possible to create an impressive looking library of games on a shelf that can be kept in alphabetical order with manuals packed-in. This certainly looks much better than piles of loose carts. Not to mention that once you hit the hundred mark and beyond, it gets exponentially more challenging to locate the cartridge that you're looking for in a pile.

[img width=700 height=393]http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z251/Lumberjack42_cjp/FFSpines.jpg[/img]

As you can see from the image above, the ultimate advantage is that you will have a great looking streamlined GB collection. One where GB, GBC, GBA and even e-Reader titles sit snugly together. I've personally been doing this myself for the past couple of years. Every now and again I order a few boxes of DS cases from the Nintendo store, pick up a fresh pack of paper and ink from the office supply store and spend a couple of hours getting more of my stray carts into cases. It's always really exciting to add more cased games to the shelves.

However there is a bit of a problem, dear readers. And that's where you all come in. Since the "death" of the Game Boy Advance in 2007 I've noticed a steady decline in new GB/GBC/GBA submissions at The Cover Project. To illustrate my point, currently there are 146 original Game Boy covers available. To put that in perspective there were 506 licensed carts released in the United States, so 146 is really a pretty small portion of the library, not to mention if you take into account unlicensed games and the vast array of imports available. I know I personally have somewhere in the neighborhood of at least fifty carts that have yet to be added to The Cover Project. And so far there have only been eleven new covers added to the archive for the Game Boy in 2010. That's one a month. Which means we're a long way off.

So I'm asking for all you Game Boy Player Land enthusiasts out there to go through your collections and see what boxes you have that you could possibly scan and add to the archive. You don't even need to be artful enough to reformat these scans to the DS cover template, though of course that's a plus. But even scanning the front, back, and spine of the box and uploading them to the archive for others to finish will be a huge help. I know there's a community of GB-collectors out there that wish that had a case to put their games in, so it would mean a lot to more than just me.

links:

The Cover Project: http://www.thecoverproject.net/index.php

GB Archive: http://www.thecoverproject.net/view.php?cat_id=12
GBC Archive: http://www.thecoverproject.net/view.php?cat_id=14
GBA Archive: http://www.thecoverproject.net/view.php?cat_id=13
GBAV Archive: http://www.thecoverproject.net/view.php?cat_id=20
e-Reader Thread: http://www.thecoverprojec...ums/index.php?topic=915.0

Scanning Guide: http://www.thecoverprojec...ums/index.php?topic=915.0
Templates: http://www.thecoverprojec...ms/index.php?topic=1610.0
DS Case Guide: http://www.thecoverprojec...ms/index.php?topic=1866.0


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Comments
 
I would be more than happy to do this, but all of my Game Boy games are already on The Cover Project. I don't see boxed Game Boy games often Sad
 
I've been using The Cover Project for my games as well and I'd like everyone with good condition boxes and a scanner to contribute to the site. This is an excellent solution for those with loose games and a great excuse to put away those filmsy cardboard boxes! Tongue
 
Thank you so much for bringing up The Cover Project, and helping me rediscover it! About a year ago I downloaded and printed several GBA covers from the site, but didn't bother to bookmark it. When I wanted to print some more covers a few weeks ago, I couldn't remember the URL, and had no success in my online searches for it. So thank you for sparing me further frustration!

Anyhoo: while I'd definitely like to help The Cover Project out, I neither own a scanner, nor do I have any boxes or covers that are not already on the site. But I'll definitely recommend it to others... especially now that I've bookmarked it.
 
That is an awesome site.  I don't have too many GB boxes however. Sad
 
Actually...
Heiankyo Alien isn't on there, which I own. Unfortunately, it's packed away.
 
@Sahdow Kisuragi: You should definitely add Heiankyo Alien. That's a great cult-classic, and should definitely be on there!
 
I found it at a local shop for $5, essentially brand new. It's the only Game Boy game I've found in the past 10 years with a box in the wild.  Sad
 
I love the Cover Project, it's kept a few of my disc only games from looking like crap on the shelf.

Question for those of you who use the DS case for GB games. Do you use the DS cases only when you don't have the original box, or do you prefer the DS cases to original boxes?
 
@NES_Rules: when I started collecting I preferred the DS cases, but now that I'm way more into collecting I only use them if I don't have the box.
 
I agree wholeheartedly - the Cover Project is an excellent resource.
 
Cool stuff, I really like the neatness of that example of Final Fantasy games. I personally buy all my GB, GBC and GBA games loose (as well as NES, SNES and N64) because I can't stand the super fragile cardboard boxes. They're hard to get open, get shelf wear before you know it and are hard to clean.
 
Hey noise, I love the notion of using the DS cases for loose Game Boy games. The guide though makes me cringe... that cut-in-half DS slot drives me crazy! I thought about doing this and trying to melt it basically into a flat surface.

Bummer I don't have any Game Boy boxes or I'd upload them, I do have some NES, Genesis and N64 boxes however that I may scan and upload. Thanks for the tips!

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