If I told you this is a licensed game that was released twelve years after the movie
it�s based on, you�d probably expect the worst. If I told you it�s a platformer from
the same team that does the Starfy games, you�d probably expect the best. The truth
is, it falls somewhere in between. Too decent to be bad, too forgettable to be good.
It�s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King.
A jack-o-lantern that�s getting old, and kind of squishy, but...it�s still, like,
a week away from rotting.
So the game takes place prior to the events of the 1993 film. The Pumpkin King is basically
a prequel that shows how Jack became...the Pumpkin King. For fans of the movie, that�s
an awesome concept, but it�s never an awesome game. Honestly, The Pumpkin King suffers from
what so many licensed games suffer from.
Uninspired design, and unpolished gameplay.
Obviously, this is a side-scrolling platformer. You control Jack as he...platforms. It�s
basically Castlevania Lite, which is kind of fitting. Huge non-linear levels with hidden
treasures and different paths...even the mechanics are kind of similar. But there�s a difference,
too. It�s nowhere near as sharp as Castlevania.
And there�s no loin cloths. Which is always disappointing.
Actually, I found Jack plays like a bumbling buffoon. He kind of stumbles around, with
his lanky frame. The simplest things�like jumping and climbing ladders�are kind of
a hassle. Especially jumping from one ladder to another. And the levels are designed in
such a way that...a lot of the ledges and platforms are barely within reach.
So you need a perfect jump to get there.
And with controls like this? It�s like platforming with a stick bug.
There�s a lot of backtracking and exploring, which could be cool...but all the enemies
you killed on the way down that long passageway to grab that one thing? Yeah, they�re all
there again on your way back up. So there�s some old-school cheapness here, as well. And
what really sucks is that...it�s the same enemies over and over.
This army of, like, eight bugs. Which isn�t even an army, really.
It�s more like a club. A bug club.
But you know, I think the biggest disappointment is the style. Or lack thereof. This is a game
based on a movie that�s all about style, yet none of it makes its way into the game.
Instead, it has terrible cut scenes that look like fan art. It really just misses the movie�s
trademark style and charm, and as a fan of the film, that was a real bummer.
You could do a lot with a Nightmare Before Christmas game, but The Pumpkin King seems
to disagree.
I guess with games like this, the thought is...well, if people like the movie, they�ll
be pumped just to have a game based on it. And maybe that�s the case for, like, children.
I�m no child, Jack Skellington. I expect more! I demand more! Actually, I don�t expect
much from anything. But if you�re going to be in a platformer, you better control
tightly...and have some fun level designs.
This game doesn�t.
The Pumpkin King might keep kids happy, but it�s too generic and forgettable to be worth
anyone else�s time.
It�s a boring game! It�s a boring game!
Boring game, boring game!