Based on the Hit Film is a series of articles looking at the video game spin-offs and adaptations of popular horror and movies.
From Gremlins to Goosebumps, gateway horror is one of the most underappreciated niches of the genre. These movies might not be loved by all, but some directors like Henry Sellick seem to have specialized themselves specifically in creating entry-level scary movies meant to introduce newcomers to spooky new worlds while also entertaining veterans looking for less-extreme thrills. The Nightmare Before Christmas is arguably the most famous of these gateway productions, having developed a massive following that only seems to grow as the stop-motion classic is seasonally introduced to new generations.
Fans of the film, which was based on a poem and illustrations by Tim Burton (who, contrary to popular belief only produced the feature), have long been clamoring for a return to the spooky world of Jack Skellington and company. What most folks don’t realize is that we technically did receive a fully-fledged sequel, though not exactly in the manner which we were expecting.
Back in the early 2000s, the developers over at Capcom were gifted with the license to Burton and Sellick’s vision and tasked with creating a videogame that would serve as a successor to the wildly popular film. While Sellick would unfortunately not be involved with the game, Burton would occasionally be consulted by the Japanese developers as they came up with new characters and situations. Deane Taylor, the film’s original art director, would also join the project in the hopes of keeping the visuals consistent with the movie.
The end result of this unholy union of filmmakers and game developers would be The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge, an action-adventure title released between 2004 and 2005 (depending on the region) on Xbox and PS2. While the game wasn’t exactly a commercial failure, most critics agreed that the gameplay was far too simple and the supposedly new story wasn’t anything more than a rehash of the film. More recently, however, Oogie’s Revenge has developed something of a cult following, with fans claiming that it was unfairly maligned at the time of release simply for being a licensed children’s title.
The game itself plays like a simplified hack’n slash with light platforming and puzzle-solving elements (think of it as a child-friendly God of War or Devil May Cry), mostly taking place in a surprisingly large recreation of Halloween Town. Sporting the gooey Soul Robber, a new weapon created by Dr. Finkelstein, Jack Skellington must fight his way through evil minions and occasional giant monsters as Oogie Boogie unleashes a devious new plan to become the Seven-Holidays King.
Still impressive for a PS2 game.
During most of the game, you’ll be running around familiar environments with a fixed camera, fighting evil toys and creatures in impromptu combat arenas with the whip-like Soul Robber. Over time, players will complete fetch quests, boss battles and even take part in rhythm-game-like musical sections. While the chosen formula works, it’s quite clear that Capcom was aiming for a very young demographic here, as most of the game’s mechanics are heavily simplified and there isn’t much depth to these mechanics.
Paradoxically, however, Oogie’s Revenge is also insanely obtuse with some of its systems, giving you little to no explanation on how to progress through certain puzzles and even requiring repetitive treks towards the same town square every time you wish to replenish your health. The platforming and combat can also be a bit of a pain due to the fixed camera angles, which is kind of a big issue in an action-adventure title. These details add up after a while, which is why I mostly understand why critics at the time didn’t take too kindly to the game.
That being said, there is a lot to love here, especially if you’re a fan of Sellick’s film. Most of the original voice actors reprise their roles and the game oftentimes looks gorgeous with its creepy-cute designs and faithful recreations of iconic locations from the movie. Judging from the detailed rendering of Jack’s house and the iconic hills of Halloween Town, it’s quite clear that, despite the limited time and resources, the developers were dedicated fans of the source material.
The story itself might not be ground-breaking, serving more as a nostalgic coda than a true sequel, but these characters are as lovable as ever and the new songs are (mostly) entertaining. The new additions to the mythology are also very welcome, with Oogie’s plan to kidnap every Holiday leader serving as an excuse to dish out some more amusing designs and situations in an already fun setting.
It feels great to revisit this spooky world after all these years, and despite some of the minor frustrations, I admit that there’s a lot of fun to be had in simply wandering around the levels and taking in the carefully crafted sights. It’s kind of a shame that this much work went into the game’s visuals when the story and mechanics are so barebones, but I’d still recommend this title to die-hard fans. Having grown up with the film, I’m fairly certain that if I had played this as a child, it would have quickly become one of my favorite games, warts and all.
But wait, there’s more!
Curiously, another Nightmare Before Christmas game was released alongside Oogie’s Revenge, only this one was a prequel and a Gameboy Advance Exclusive. Tose’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King is a side-scrolling Metroidvania adventure chronicling Jack Skellington’s first encounter with Oogie Boogie, taking place long before he became known as Halloween Town’s scariest resident.
Like its home console counterpart, reactions to The Pumpkin King were rather mixed, with critics praising the designs but condemning the lackluster gameplay and story. In all honesty, despite the handheld hardware limitations, I might have had more fun seeing Jack setting up his relationship with characters like Lock, Shock and Barrel (not to mention a freshly-stitched Sally) in this prequel rather than in Capcom’s attempt at a sequel.
While both of these games have their merits, they were clearly hurt by a focus on making money off of a license rather than polishing up the gameplay and developing new ideas. Fortunately, licensed games are no longer doomed to fail like they often used to be, as smaller developers like Illfonic and Behaviour Interactive have found success in passionately returning franchises like Friday the 13th, Halloween and others to the world of videogames. While Disney was reported to have been developing either a stop-motion sequel or a (heaven forbid) live-action remake of the original film, maybe it would be more interesting to see another interactive return to Jack Skellington’s eerily compelling realm.