The visual evolution of game logos

See how your favourite games' logos have changed over the years

Words: on February 19, 2009

While game content, design and technology constantly change year after year so does game packaging and design. This interests us. So we've taken 10 major game series and visually charted their logos' progression to see how they've evolved. We've even added comments.

Be aware in most cases we've gone for 'canon' games rather than offshoots or side projects. Also, the images aren't supposed to represent every title from a series, just the ones which show the logo design evolving the best, in case you were wondering.
General theme? Adventure, stencil typeface, tomb textures

How's it changed? Intially choosing to represent the fact that tombs are made of rocks by re-using the same stone effect, Raider's logo design changed tack with the launch of new Lara in Angel of Darkness.

The new direction represented the mid-2000's obsession with brushed metal and incorporated an element of the Star Wars 'A long time ago' fading-into-the-distance effect.

Is it better today than before? Definitely - they made the first one by  throwing a copy of  PhotoShop 1.0 at a wall.

 


General theme? Blue, the S is a bit like a tube that Sonic might go through, this is harder than we thought

How's it changed? Amazingly, given that Sonic has always been about going really fast, none of the logos attempted any sort of motion-blur. That's a FACT that you can't argue with.

Sonic wins hands-down in terms of brand consistency - the font has never changed. The designers have settled into a pattern of just changing the inner texture of that font in recent iterations. Which in some indeterminate way is like  Sega's approach to the Sonic game series.

Is it better today than before? Not really, we quite like the stark, business-like nature of the original Master System logo.

 Next up: Metal Gear and Metroid

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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)

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Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PS3)

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Tomb Raider: Underworld (Xbox 360)

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Platforms:

Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PC, PSP, DS, Xbox, GameCube

37 Comments
Order Comments: Newest First | Oldest First
  • samownzsnake

    samownzsnake  - 2 years, 11 months ago  - Report

    hate to tell you jimmy jammy, but twin snakes does exist. all it is is a better version of the origional MGS. my friend hates nintendo (dont ask). he refuses to play twin snakes even though it more than a teaspoon of blood actually comes out when you shoot someone in the face, and that its graphics are way better, and the stinger missiles arent little 32 bit squares. and while we're on the topic of solid snake i would just like to say that Sam Fisher could own Snake in an armed duel. and his games are better.
  • nitrocole

    nitrocole  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    Sorry to post again, but i agree with Cernunnos, no Final Fantasy!?
  • nitrocole

    nitrocole  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    Logos have changed quite a bit... but Metal Gear logos are the best!
  • KHfan

    KHfan  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    @ cernunnos

    the ff series hasnt changed in 20 years lol
  • Craza

    Craza  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    I gotta say that I absolutely still love Ocarina of Time's logo. I grew up with a giant poster of it on my wall, so I have an obsession with it, hahaha.

    And Lmao at Womb Raider.
  • superninja

    superninja  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    u missed Metriod prime
  • Orange

    Orange  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    Im totally convinced activision never actually sold proving ground. I have never seen it, ever.
  • noobeater

    noobeater  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    i loved mario galaxy's and twilight princess' the best...the early zeldas were simply ugly but especially the oot one
  • iKOemos

    iKOemos  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    @ Bronzus: Womb Raider??? I wanna play that game!!!
  • newton

    newton  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    What about Super Mario Rpg's logo?
  • konaskyy

    konaskyy  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    Smackdown=very creative...
  • JSC31994

    JSC31994  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    Haha the first Metroid logo looked like it took ten seconds to make.
  • GamesRadarBrettElston

    GamesRadarBrettElston  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    To be fair, we stuck to mainline entries, that's why there's no Mario Tennis, Party, Sonic Riders and such.

    Though Phantom Hourglass and Zero Mission shoulda made the cut too.
  • animeman

    animeman  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    I don't even think that they used half of the Mario logos.
  • FrozenImplosion

    FrozenImplosion  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    every single legend of zelda and metroid logo look great, they just get better and better :)
  • Bronzus

    Bronzus  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    Notice how the last two Womb Radars are focused on ass and boobs?
  • Clownsarescary

    Clownsarescary  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    The Street Fighter: Double Impact logo looks like a Memphis Tombstone. I imagine it would be flanked by flamingo lawn ornaments. If the person was buried in the front lawn...
  • RebornKusabi

    RebornKusabi  - 2 years, 12 months ago  - Report

    Sorry to post again, but I gotta say this is a pretty cool article!

    Nostalgia is fun!
  • Picnic1

    Picnic1  - 2 years, 10 months ago  - Report

    The Sonic Adventure logo is great, as are the logos for Super Mario World, Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy. If I had to choose one Mario logo, I would choose Super Mario Sunshine's, because of the Shine and Sun additions to it, although Super Mario Galaxy strikes a good balance by keeping the world 'Super' in plain white, accentuating the other words.
  • Counago21

    Counago21  - 2 years, 11 months ago  - Report

    I hate Pro Evo...
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