Tim Burton is a creepy guy, but you have to admit there is a genius behind the madness. Nightmare Before Christmas is a perfect example of what spider webs and crawly things lurk in that brain of his. The 1993 children's movie has remained a cult classic for all of these years, but it hasn't garnered a sequel yet. Well, long time fans have finally had their call answered, because Jack Skellington is back, although this time its purely digital.

Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge is an interesting creature to tackle. On the surface it is obviously based off of the Burton universe of Halloween Town, but after playing the game I felt like I was playing a strange amalgamation of Devil May Cry and a gothic musical. The action is pretty surprising considering the game is based off of a twelve year old license, but it proves to be a worthwhile trip for anyone anxious to get back to the franchise.

The whole premise here is that Oogie Boogie is back and during Jack's absence has taken over Halloween Town. Newly renamed Oogie Town is populated with skeletons and ghosts that are up to no good. I suppose you could ask how this was any different from before, but whatever. Oogie has also kidnapped the leaders of several other holidays as well as Jack's girl, so naturally you have to take him down and save the day.

Gameplay:

I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised with the combat in Oogie's Revenge. I thought it was going to just offer up another bland experience and really thought that Jack was going to just be running around and punching things. Fortunately I was completely wrong and our hero gets equipped with a handy weapon known as the Soul Robber at the very beginning. It's basically a string of green slime that Jack uses as a whip to attack enemies from far away, grapple on to them and string together combos. This weapon also comes in handy for grabbing on to hard to reach areas and gaining access to new locations.

As the game progresses you'll also be able to change characters somewhat. Jack can eventually turn into the Pumpkin King to breathe fire or Santa Jack to throw presents at enemies. Even though there is some variety to the fighting itself and it can be rewarding to pull together large combos, the system is actually pretty simplistic. I guess one would expect that given the game's atmosphere and while it is entertaining, it doesn't stack up well against other action games.

There is a fair degree of puzzles that need to be solved in order for you to progress through the story, but they aren't anything all that difficult. If you care about unlocking extras and stuff though, you'll have to pick up the pace with fighting and puzzles, because at the end of every chapter the game grades you on several different facets. You can even revisit chapters if you feel that you could have done better, because some of the content you can acquire is well worth it, even if it mostly boils down to extra costumes.

Oogie's Revenge has a couple of irritating flaws that keep the game just barely at an above average experience (well, apart from the whole repetitive combat thing). First of all, the camera is stationary and is not adjustable which means that you'll find yourself fighting off-screen enemies and often walking past an area you need to be because you couldn't see it. The other negative grade involves quite a bit of backtracking. It's not uncommon that you'll have to go through the same area multiple times in order to get to another place that you need to go.

The gameplay in Oogie's Revenge is strong, but no up to date. Considering the game was actually announced back in 2003 for release in Japan and it was done by Capcom, it feels like a dated, twisted and watered down version of Devil May Cry. With over 20 levels to go through there is plenty to keep you occupied for a weekend, but some of the inherent flaws don't help the game out all that much.

Graphics:

Fans of Nightmare Before Christmas will be very pleased with the way that this game looks. It is easily recognizable as a part of the Skellington universe and even though the graphics are a little dated, just like the gameplay, they get the job done marvelously. Animations are very fluid, characters are detailed, environments are immersive and the lighting is pretty good as well. My only real beef with the game comes from some rough edges around characters, lengthy load times and a few very rare instances of a framerate drop.

Audio:

Yet again, fans of the film will absolutely love Oogie's Revenge. This is mostly due to the game's soundtrack which features Danny Elfman's musical talents. Many of the tunes are from the movie, though I swear I heard some new material tossed in, especially during some boss fights. The music actually becomes a part of the gameplay at points and once you've hit a boss enough to collect some musical notes another battle will commence and require you to rhythmically press buttons. It's an interesting tidbit that adds a fair amount of depth and variety to the game.

Voice acting is yet another strong point since most of the vocal talent from the movie has made a return in this game. My only real problem with this is due to some constantly repeated phrases from Jack, which really got on my nerves more than I'd like to admit.

Conclusion:

Oogie's Revenge is definitely an above average game based on a children's movie license. It takes enough liberties with the material to craft its own story and the gameplay is strong enough to warrant taking a serious look. The biggest problems with the game lie in the stationary camera and overall lack of gameplay variety, though I have to admit that it does try to spruce things up a bit at times. The graphics and audio are pretty good, but the game has some serious issues with repetitive voiceovers and music. If you're a diehard fan of the game I'm going to recommend a purchase, but if you're a casual fan or just have passing interest, I'll suggest a rental.