Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King

“Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King” is a platform game released in 2005 for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Tose. The game serves as a prequel to the beloved film, setting its events one year prior to those of “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

In this game, Jack Skellington is busy preparing for the upcoming Halloween festivities. However, trouble starts when Oogie Boogie, feeling threatened by Jack’s scarier reputation, instructs his minions Lock, Shock, and Barrel to kidnap Jack. The trio mistakenly kidnaps Sally, a rag doll-like creature and the new assistant of Doctor Finkelstein, who secretly harbors feelings for Jack.

As Halloween approaches, Jack discovers that the town is eerily deserted. He learns from the Mayor that the townspeople are hiding from a massive bug infestation, a chaos stirred up by Lock, Shock, and Barrel. As Jack navigates through the game, he aids the townspeople, who in return provide him with weapons, upgrades, and crucial information about the unfolding events.

The game’s exploration gameplay bears resemblance to the Castlevania series, involving a blend of combat and platforming challenges. Jack ultimately learns that Oogie Boogie is the mastermind behind the turmoil, aiming to transform Halloween into “Crawloween” and take over Halloween Town.

In a climactic showdown, Jack battles Oogie Boogie, defeating him and thwarting his plans to turn the town into “Bug Town.” After securing Oogie’s promise to remain out of sight, Jack rescues Sally, marking their first meeting, which sets the stage for their relationship in the film. Despite his defeat, Oogie Boogie vows revenge, hinting at the continuation of their rivalry.

“Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King” not only expands the story of the original film but also provides fans with an engaging backstory filled with adventure, intrigue, and the whimsical charm characteristic of Halloween Town.

Bosses

• Mega-Spider – Lock, Shock, and Barrel’s enormous mutated pet spider. It is fought in “Halloween Madness”.
• Giant Snake – An artificial, bug-filled snake. It is fought in “The Doctor’s New Pet”.
• Mother Locust – A locust with an abdomen swollen with bug eggs. It is fought in “search for the melting man”.
• Rolly Polly – A large but somewhat weak pillbug. It is fought in “Mushroom Mania”.
• Enormous Polly – The offspring of Rolly Polly and is larger than the original. It is fought in “Mushroom Mania”.
• Colossal Moth – A huge moth that has super acidic saliva and exhales poisonous fumes. It is fought in “Blah, Blah, Blah”.
• Zombie Centipede – A huge centipede with wings brought back from the dead by Oogie. It is fought in “Crawloween”.
• Lock, Shock, and Barrel – Oogie’s henchmen, who are just three brats in an automated bathtub. They are fought in “Unpleasant Surprises”.
• Oogie – The main villain. He is fought in “Boogie Time.”
• Oogie Icky – A colossal beetle that serves as Oogie’s ride. It acts as a motorcycle-esque mode of transportation for Oogie, Lock, Shock, and Barrel. It (along with Oogie, Lock, Shock and Barrel) is fought in “Bug Town VS Halloween Town”.

Weapons:

• Frog Gun: It resembles Sally’s “frog breath” from the movie. It is your main weapon. It is given to you by the Mayor at the beginning of the game, and is powered up by Doctor Finkelstein later.

• Bat Boomerang: Given to you by Doctor Finkelstein and later powered up by him.

• Pumpkin Bomb: A grenade shaped like a pumpkin. Powered up later by the Clown.

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