From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!
Ye old Scots relied on that old ditty in the days of yore to keep the spooks and spirits of Halloween at bay. Here in 2005, we have something called a "fire button" and boy, is it far more effective than say cloves of garlic, silver bullets or holy water.
Just in time for All Hallows Eve, there are a number of ghastly releases that will have children's spines a tingling when they've finished ransacking the neighbourhood or run out of candy to hand out to those other pesky little gremlins that come a calling.
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge - Xbox
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Jack and his nifty Soul Robber. |
Fans of Tim Burton's 1993 haunting and freakish masterpiece can rejoice. 'Oogie's Revenge' is just as innovative as the awe-inspiring film it is based on. Continuing from where the motion picture left off, the game finds our undernourished hero - Jack Skellington - returning to Halloween Town to discover that his beloved home is in utter chaos. Those exasperating ankle-biters Lock, Stock and Barrel have resurrected the wicked lord of the creepy crawlies: Oogie Boogie. Outfitted with the ultra cool "Soul Robber" weapon - the major selling point of the game - Jack and his pals fight to take back Halloween Town and foil Oogie Boogie's insidious plans.
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The shape-changing Soul Robber whip is one fine weapon. Given to Jack by Dr. Finkelstein, it is better than owning a Swiss Army knife or a set of Ginsu Knives in Halloween Town. It can whip opponents, grab them and slam them onto the ground or nearby enemies, spin around Jack to deflect attacks and allow Jack to swing like Tarzan. To top it all off, the Soul Robber is upgradeable too.
Just like the Soul Robber, Jack can transform too. As the foreboding Pumpkin King, he has a flamethrower and a firebomb. As Santa Jack, an assortment of presents can be tossed about.
Although not for the really wee ones, 'Oogie's Revenge' is a welcome addition to the 'Nightmare before Christmas' lore. The gorgeously detailed graphics are striking and the gameplay is incredibly taxing. It's a howling good time to be sure.
WHAM! Rating: |
8 out of 10 |
ESRB Rating: |
E 10+ (Everyone 10+) |
Official Web Site: |
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Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit - Xbox
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Look over your shoulder, Gromit! |
Just like your trick or treat bag at the end of Halloween night, 'Wallace and Gromit' is a mixed blessing. There is a lot that is enjoyable and a lot that is just downright maddening.
As in the movie, our two oddball heroes must unravel the mystery of the giant vegetable competition and unmask that creepy Were-Rabbit by completing a host of missions around their hometown. However, this time the two pals are not alone. Wallace's goofball experiment creates a humanoid bunny named Hutch who becomes Gromit's companion during the nighttime missions.
Like 'Oogie's Revenge', 'Were-Rabbit' has an exotic weapon: the BunGun. The multi-purpose hand-held vacuum sucks up pests and other objects, acts as a mini personal helicopter (Think Batman's Penguin) and permits the characters to swing from ropes and chains. You can also clobber people and your surroundings with it. Younger players and off-kilter parents like myself, will take pleasure in swatting innocent bystanders with the BunGun and firing objects like milk bottles and vegetables at them too.
While the off-the-wall humour and the free-roaming environment are charming, the developers have made the game far too complex for the target audience. Many of the missions and simple game mechanics like bringing up the town map are way too tricky for the wee ones to puzzle out on their own. Luckily there is a co-operative mode so that adventurous parents can give their kids a helping hand when they need it. Be afraid, mom and dad. Be VERY afraid. You are about to learn a lot about the world of Wallace and Gromit whether you want to or not. It is either that or just let your child wander about the town on their own which is actually more satisfying for them than tackling the arduous missions on their own. In this instance, the treats are way better than the tricks.
WHAM! Rating: |
4 out of 10 |
ESRB Rating: |
E (Everyone) |
Official Web Site: |
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Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King - Game Boy Advance
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Jack cleaning up Halloween Town. |
Here's a twist. While 'Oogie's Revenge' is a sequel to Burton's film, 'Pumpkin King' is a prequel. Through it, we learn about Oogie Boogie's past. Having failed to create a holiday of his own, Oogie Boogie and his bugs have overrun Halloween Town sending all of the inhabitants into hiding. It is up to our emaciated pal to do some pest control and set Halloween Town free.
Normally, one can expect the GBA version to be a side-scrolling adventure and 'Pumpkin King' is but it does mix things up a tad such as when you play from a first-person point of view as Jack's faithful pet Zero. On the whole it is far more demanding too and has a wider scope than most GBA releases on store shelves. In fact, some of the areas are so large, the developers put in checkpoints along the way so you don't grip the Game Boy in your hands so tight that the screen cracks when you happen to flub up. Shrunken heads and electric chairs are used to regain health points? Insert evil laughter here.
WHAM! Rating: |
7 out of 10 |
ESRB Rating: |
E 10+ (Everyone 10+) |
Official Web Site: |
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