PlayStation 2

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge

Raziel used a Soul Reaver in his last adventure. Samonosuke used his own soul-sucking device in Onimusha. Dante, the gun-toting star of Devil May Cry, collects glowing orbs that are left behind by fallen enemies. Clearly the gaming community is trying to send a message: to make a good action game you must let players take home a piece of the dead, whether it's their soul, a body part, or an orb that's left undefined.

Néanmoins, Nightmare Beforce Christmas est un jeu parfaitement jouable, avec de jolis graphismes qui respectent à merveille l’univers si particulier du film, bien que les environnements ne soient pas très diversifiés (je trouve toujours quelque chose à redire). Ce jeu est donc, malgré son manque d’originalité, loin d’être mauvais, et on s’amuse comme des petits enfants. Pari gagné pour Capcom.

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.

Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge is a recommendable buy for fans of the film, and a decent pick for action gamers in search of a lighthearted single-player adventure with lots of character. This B-grade game isn't going to win any awards, but as far as movie-related video games go, it's one of the better entries.

This game is pure Tim Burton. Oogie’s Revenge does an excellent job of continuing The Nightmare Before Christmas movie. The movie did alright domestically, but it was a smash in Japan, and this game originally came out in Japan last year. It wasn’t until Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride came out in theaters that the game was even considered for a US release.

Träges Gruselabenteuer mit biederer Technik, schrägen Figuren und wunderbarer Musik.

It's really too bad about how Oogie's Revenge turned out, because were it not for the part where you actually have to play it, fans of the film could have had a conceivably great time with it, as so much attention has been paid to the details of the movie's universe. Between the musical numbers, the detailed character and environmental designs, and the quality voice acting, it all adds up to create a great sequel--that is, a great sequel if it were some kind of animated film, and not a game. The fact of the matter is that very little of Oogie's Revenge plays that well, and the few parts that do aren't enough of a factor to make the game itself recommendable. If you loved The Nightmare Before Christmas, there might be a rental's worth of enjoyment to be found in Oogie's Revenge. If you're anything but a diehard fan, though, then you're better off spending your time elsewhere.

Now doesn't that sound cool? I thought so too! It's not your typical 3rd person game. Actually it reminds me a whole lot like some of the older Sega CD and SNES action platform games like Earthworn Jim, just with more of a 3D aura to it. The game so far has been quite simple to play. You use the left stick to move, and you don't use the right stick for anything and you have a jump button. You have two Soul Robber attack buttons, one which whips and one which grabs on to baddies and lets you fling them around the screen. And which can both be used in tandem for combo moves. You can pick up a monster with the Soul Robber, then repeatedly slam him either into the ground, or into another monster. You can use the Soul Robber for many other different things; such as whipping it around like Indiana Jones taking out baddies, grabbing bad guys and objects with it and throwing them around, or using it to whip up to high places and grab on to swinging points.

Tim Burton and Henry Selick's The Nightmare Before Christmas might have hit theaters more than a decade ago, but if the shelves of Hot Topic are any indication, it remains as popular as ever with the young 'uns and Goth kids alike. And with Halloween right around the corner and Burton's second stop-motion masterpiece, The Corpse Bride, doing respectable business in theatrical release, there's no better time for Capcom to bring the Japanese Oogie's Revenge across the Pacific for a U.S. release. Unfortunately, the timing of its release is by far the most impressive thing about Oogie's Revenge. This flawed action-adventure title kicks the long, spindly legs right out from under the Nightmare franchise and threatens to disappoint young and old gamers alike.

Life is going great for the Halloweentown King, Jack Skellington. His girl Sally is one foxy doll, his arch nemesis Oogie recently fell into a giant blender, and through a fair bit of trial and error old Jack even discovered that the home and loved ones he had been taking for granted were far more important than the changes he had always been longing for. Good times!

Although it's the pseudo-sequel to the film fans have wanted for years, Oogie's Revenge stacks up against the original about as well as Devil May Cry 2 or Blues Brothers 2000.

Without ruining any of the game’s story elements, Jack Skellington is going on an adventure to rid Halloweentown of Oogie (again) after some vile little kids stitch Skellington’s arch nemesis back up and unleash him upon the land. After Jack returns from trying out his new item (Dr. Finkelstein’s soul robber), he discovers that Halloweentown’s denizens are scared to death and the doors leading to other holiday towns have vanished. So Jack sets out (with soul robber in hand) to stop the terrible Oogie once and for all.

Taking everything into consideration, it doesn't strike me that Capcom was the right developer to be doing this franchise any sort of gaming justice. A team that specialises in interactive fiction could work wonders in a world such as this. Capcom, in trying to shoehorn one of their hack-and-slashers into this world, have produced something which is beautiful, but incoherent and ultimately rather average.

There's no reason not to recommend Oogie's Revenge to the Nightmare Before Christmas fan base; they're a rabid, Hot Topic-loving group who, despite its flaws, will really enjoy this. Oogie's Revenge isn't a particularly great action game, the story's hackneyed beyond belief, and there are plenty of reasons to be upset about the game's music, easily one of the reasons people are so crazy about the original film. In the end, though, it is a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas, and if this and the GBA game are successful, maybe Capcom will have another go next-gen (just imagine the visuals!). Until then, though, this reviewer waits for the return of the true Pumpkin King.