Although Jack Skellington has unwittingly become the patron saint of chubby, pasty-faced goth girls his crooked grin leering from cheap vinyl backpacks the length and breadth of Camden Market Tim Burtons slender hero has only ever cameoed in Kingdom Hearts in the video game realm. But his lead debut in Oogies Revenge was worth the wait.
Set shortly after the original film, Oogies Revenge beautifully captures the mood and style of Burtons twisted tale, adopting the grey, washed-out colour scheme that set Nightmare apart from the candy-coloured worlds of traditional family movies. The action itself also sticks closely to its source, allowing players to transform into Jacks Santa and Pumpkin King forms to unleash special attacks, or even sing songs to pacify ferocious enemies.
Fans of Capcoms Devil May Cry will soon realise that this is a simply dumbed-down version for younger players but, in terms of presentation and design, Oogies Revenge is still a sumptuous experience.