WinterFest Round 1: Ladykiller vs. finalfantaseer22

[Nerdysimmer]

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w166/KoopaDasher/WinterFest-Banner.gif
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/3851/roundonemg7.png
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/8251/sponsoredbyiq7.png (http://cloudburstpictures.wordpress.com/)
Thanks to Koopadasher for the animated banner,
Thanks to IceFox for the Round 1 banner


Rules of voting:

- Every vote must have a explanation. It cannot be like "I vote for this guy's box because it looks better." Any vote that does not follow this rule will be ignored until it is changed to fit this rule.

- You may not bash other users' boxes for no reason.

The Boxes

Ladykiller
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa311/Ladykiller_photo/Bebop.png



finalfantaseer22
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m166/wapplejuice/caspianat70.png



The user who has eight votes or has the most votes by tomorrow at 7:00 pm est, wins this round and will advance!

Ladykiller: / / / / / / / / /
finalfantaseer22: / / / / / /

Ladykiller has won round 1 and will advance onto the next round!
finalfantaseer22 steps down with dignity, knowing he tried his best.
Ignored votes:

None

[E_G]

Wow, they're both pretty flawless in my opinion. I think FF22's box art makes excellent use of more dramatic images.

I vote for Finalfantaseer22.

[ELCrazy]

The match of the century has begun! :D

Anyway, both have their different style.

FF22's one is beautiful
Ladykiller's one is sleek and stylish.

But I'd have to go with finalfantaseer22. His box is more beautiful and well-organized.

[Ervo]

I'll vote for LadyKiller. I like his box more because of colors he used and how he put the pictures there. FF22's box is amazing too.

[darkwickus]

I would like to start by saying that both of these boxes are amazing. Simply amazing. Looks more like the final round than the first.

It was hard to choose a winner. I had to vote pretty much on design only since the source material for both boxes are completely different - animation vs. photo realism. Having said that...

1) Cowboy Bebop - The front is great. It's dark. It's monochrome. The design is slanted from top left to bottom right, and since that's how most people look at images, it's very easy on the eyes. In an age where most games have very bright and flashy covers, I think this game would stand out on a shelf among the rest. I dig the back. The same blues are there mixed in this time with some color from the characters. The text is clean. The border around the screenshots is very nice. The screenshots however are the only thing I'm not sure about on the back - looks like a different game in each one (could be me) and it's not really holding back the rest of the box, just something I thought I'd mention.

2) Prince Caspian - Wow. Okay, now that I got the beauty of the source material out of the way, I can talk about the box. The front... I dig the flowing mane over the castle, and I dig the little party going on at the bottom of the box. The thing I couldn't really get past though it that besides that, it's the theatrical poster for the movie. I know there are some sharpening or color/contrast alterations, and the logo is nicely placed to the image, but I can't get past seeing the movie poster when I look at it. It's an image I've seen many many times recently. The back of the box is stunning. The image of Aslan simply draws you to the center of the box, and makes a clean divide of the screenshots and the text, while still incorporating itself into the background elements. Very beautiful.

My vote goes with Ladykiller. (And no, Faye's breasts had no impact on my vote.) As much as I like finalfantaseer22's box, I simply can't get the movie poster design out of my head.

Seriously. It wasn't the breasts.

[Ladykiller]

Seriously. It wasn't the breasts.

lol.

First of all, very amazing box from ff22 as I expected.

However, I feel that my box definitely demands an explanation. The style is very different as you have seen and artistically a risky move especially as a comp box against seer.

The front might come as quite a shock to you, with the unorthodox slanted logo, dark silhouettes and midnight bluish monochrome, but I've struggled with a passion to really capture that very "cool, groovy and slick" feeling of the anime if you've seen it. I can say the same about the back.

In the end, however, I took the risk and am very much satisfied with it. thanks

-LK

[frenchboy1]

Both are awesome and I'll probably fav. them lol. I prefer Ladykiller's though. I like the mange style and I think he took the spirit of Cowboy Bebop well.

My vote goes to Ladykiller

[finalfantaseer22]

great box LK :]

i would just like to say that i made my box much higher quality, so if you would like to see the full version, i've uploaded it on the site.
http://vgboxart.com/boxes/360/12913_the_chronicles_of_narnia_prince_caspian-orig.png

[xIAMHUNTERx]

Mercy. They're both pretty damn amazing, but I'm gonna have to go with LADKILLER, because his box captures the feel of the anime beautifully and I think
he did a better job on the back. It looks more complete.

[Star89er]

That girl on the back of LK's needs to put some clothes on... or not.

I vote for FFseer because his box really captures the feel of the book. Plus it's jaw-droppingly good.

[Ayron]

omg.. this is pretty damn hard.

Ladykiller:

pros:
-Nice colour scheme
-great composition of art
-repetitive imagery nicely covered.
-Fitting font and nicely placed text.

Cons:
- the thing with numbers on the back [ 28,9, etc] is pretty blurry, whereas it isn't when used on the front.
- big black space on the front.. might've been better with another pic.


Ffseer22[ you have such a long nickname, so i'll just abbreviate it from now on,k?]

Pro's:

-Amazing effects
-nice imagery
-Great tricks used on the images.
-nice use of different art styles [ front is real life-high def back has a picture with a slight drawn style.
-nice text placement and style.


Cons:
-obvious use of smudge tool on the back [ behind the text ], it looks kinda bad TBH.
-Lion is tó visibly not part of the other images[ if you get what i mean ]
-the front is a bit too over-lighted, resulting in me not seeing some of the people on the main character's left.


Overall, i must compliment both members on their amazing works of art, and tell them that i truly appreciate the effort put into them.
I do not want to make a choice, but if i won't, i would've wasted 15 minutes typing this.. [ and listening to music, gaming,chatting.. you know the drill ..

I really like Ladykiller's box because of the art and style, but i believe FFseer has a nicer lay-out.

finally,
My vote goes to Ffseer22

[jevangod]

This is one of the best winterfest contest boxes ive seen so far I vote for Ladykiller cause I love that show and he made the clors blend good

[Tales of Symphony]

i think that both boxes are amazing, but i have to vote for ffseers
the amount of detail put into this box is amazing. and i really like the colors used. it looks like it could seriously have come off the shelf. it fits the movie very well.

lks is also amazing, but i dont know how some of the characters blend together on the front. i know thats the look you were going for but it just isnt working for me.

although both boxes are amazing, in the end i must vote for FFSEER

[Destined Reality]

Amazing boxes...as expected from highly respected vets. Well...LK isn't really a vet, but in design he is, I'm sure everyone agrees. It was a difficult choice, but I put my vote in LK. In my opinion, ffseer always designs amazing boxes...but has a consistent style. Like, I can go on a page and just pick out the boxes that he makes without even looking at the name of the artist. By no means I am not saying that is a bad thing at all, of course not, but with LK, his style always greatly differs at every box and it still never fails to be amazing. This box is truly original and he has stepped forward to the unknown to try to make yet another unique style and I must say it was executed brilliantly. Overall, my vote goes to LK.

[Moogle]

Im going to vote for LADYKILLER the design is flawless the color really captures the aspect of the show and it looks clean and amazing.

[dmshaposv]

hmm...excellent boxes, and a tricky one.

I know seer's style, and he sticks to it well.

Ladykiller, however has frankly shocked me. In a good way. Intially his style was a sort of a cross between seer and gunslinger, but in his past few boxes he has shown distinctness - and this box, as he told me earlier, was certainly a risky one, but you pulled it off. Almost. I think it would've been perfect had it not been for the front. The silhoutte idea doesn't carry off too well.

I like seer's box, perfectly executed however I dont quite like the excessive glow on the front cover and the glow on the lion at the back also sticks out a bit sourly. Never the less, no other flaws what so ever.

So in terms of execution seer wins, as he pulled off his traditional style in flying colors. However, I can't ignore Ladykiller's risk. I like risks, and to me they are important..

There is my critical commentary. I chose not to vote because where one box lacks, the other makes up for it. So they are pretty much a draw.

[IceFox]

I like both of them. They are both incredible and just - wow. In the end, I vote for Ladykiller, and here is why:

While FFseer22's box is amazing, it feels like I've "been there, done that." It's spectacular but feels run of the mill. What I am trying to say is Ladykiller's is more original, unique.

But in the end, it has to come down to nitpicking and I, to be honest, see no flaws with Ladykiller's box. I personally find the sillouete idea perfect and presented flawlessly.

The main image on FFseer22's box is mostly the poster. Compare & Contrast: Link to poster click here (http://www.product-reviews.net/wp-content/userimages/2007/09/prince-caspian-poster-large.jpg). There are some edits obviously but it seems mostly to be the poster with a few extra images blended in.

Another nitpick is the border on the front. It touches the top and bottom but not the sides and something doesn't feel right about it. I don't know why but it really takes away from the box for me.

SUMMARY:
While both boxes are amazing, FFSeer's box is very run of the mill and has some minor nitpicks while Ladykiller's box, I honestly see nothing at all wrong with it. I tried to nitpick it but I can't. I honestly think I have found the perfect boxart.

[Star89er]

I honestly think I have found the perfect boxart.

Nah, his Twilight Princess box was the perfect boxart. ;)

[xIAMHUNTERx]

Nah, his Twilight Princess box was the perfect boxart. ;)

Quote fer truth. Best one on the site by far.

[Nerdysimmer]

The votes have been tallied up, and the winner of this round is Ladykiller! Congratulations!

[xIAMHUNTERx]

How many more matches, NS? I'm itching to find out who I'm going up against in Round Two.

Congrats, LK!

[Ladykiller]

The votes have been tallied up, and the winner of this round is Ladykiller! Congratulations!

Thanks Nerdysimmer and to everyone who voted as well.

I must admit, I am truly honored to face off against a skillful vet such as you, finalfantaseer22. A more than worthy opponent.

I guess some risks are worth taking after all and once again I really appreciate having this match with you seer. Much thanks ;)

-LK

[finalfantaseer22]

well i wish i could've been in the competition longer, especially seeing how this was quite the intense match and how other artists---no offense, don't exactly deserve to progress through the competition due to the lack of challenge in the first round for some pairings.
i'm not criticizing the arrangement of the tournament, i guess this is the fairest way to include many different artists and give everyone a chance, but personally in a more serious competition a match like this would have been better fit for a later round rather than the first one.

however if i had to lose against someone i guess i would chose LK.
congrats.

[xIAMHUNTERx]

So, you'd rather have steamrolled someone inexperienced than lost fairly to someone who's about your skill level and legitimately produced a better box?

[Ninjamojo27]

So, you'd rather have steamrolled someone inexperienced than lost fairly to someone who's about your skill level and legitimately produced a better box?

Hes talking about in the first round.

[xIAMHUNTERx]

Hes talking about in the first round.

I know. Hence my question.

[Ninjamojo27]

Exactly, hed rather steam roll someone in teh first round then lose to a great artist further on.

[xIAMHUNTERx]

I disagree with his thinking... I think the matches should be fair from the first round on. It's good for variety and it makes the contestants give their all on every box.

[jevangod]

Ohh snap ladykiller won

[Techne]

Is there not a losers round!?

[frenchboy1]

Is there not a losers round!?

No there isn't... I already asked Nerdy :(

[Destined Reality]

well i wish i could've been in the competition longer, especially seeing how this was quite the intense match and how other artists---no offense, don't exactly deserve to progress through the competition due to the lack of challenge in the first round for some pairings.
i'm not criticizing the arrangement of the tournament, i guess this is the fairest way to include many different artists and give everyone a chance, but personally in a more serious competition a match like this would have been better fit for a later round rather than the first one.

however if i had to lose against someone i guess i would chose LK.
congrats.

Well I actually thought so too. That the so called "Battle of the Millenium" as Nerdy called it should have been reserved sometime later in the competition. But that was a pretty heated match, it was pretty hard for most of us to decide on a vote. But yeah, no shame losing to LK, and vice versa, so all's good :)

[finalfantaseer22]

So, you'd rather have steamrolled someone inexperienced than lost fairly to someone who's about your skill level and legitimately produced a better box?

if i thought that i would've said that.
but i don't and i didn't so i guess not.

[Radioactive Bob]

Congrats on the victory, LadyKiller! :)

Both boxes were fantastic.

[Ladykiller]

Thanks man ;)

And I agree with seer, I personally think it would be better if this was saved later. I mean others could argue it's not fair, but then again, it wasn't fair for us...so......

but yeah...I think I'll change my username to "LadyKiller" now...as that's how everyone spells my name XD

mememememememem

[Chibi Cloud]

Wow. Both boxes are extremely amazing. It's a tie! Congratulations.

[rekiller51]

Wow. Both boxes are extremely amazing. It's a tie! Congratulations.

both boxes are amazing and this a heated match. but it looks like it's not a tie.

Congratulations on the victory, Ladykiller!