Exclusive: Nightmare Before Christmas Interview Feature

Itâ??s exciting times at Capcom for they do appear to be one of the few video game publishers which are trying to include lots of variety and innovative games in their release schedule and none come stranger than The Night Before Christmas.

Originally released in cinemaâ??s ten years ago, the story, original character design and production for this highly innovative, academy award nominated movie were overseen by esteemed film director Tim Burton. On release, the film received global critical acclaim for its richly colourful visuals, distinctive world, unique characters and inspirational music. â??Tim Burtonâ??s The Nightmare before Christmasâ?? was the first ever feature length-animated film to be shot using the technique known as stop motion.

Now gamers will have a chance to soak up the essence of this great movie.

Taking its inspiration from the animation technique employed in the film and the uniqueness of the characters, the storyline is brand new and intended to take up the action where the film left off. Gameplay will be a mixture of action and adventure, with the player progressing the story by interacting with the eerie Halloween world and its bizarre characters. Players will take control of Jack Skellington, the spindly gothic hero from the film. Jack has the use of a brand new whip like weapon, which has the ability to capture souls; this weapon has been created by Capcom especially for the game.

Those who have managed to see sneak peaks of the game have been impressed not only with its stylised looks but the eerie ambient feel that the game throws off. TVG managed to set up a quick fire Question and Answer session with Hironobu Takeshita, Producer from Production Studio 3, working on the project.

TVG: The Nightmare Before Christmas game/storyline takes place a year after the events of the film. How true to the film essence will the game be?

Essentially the game can be viewed as a sequel to the film so it is essential that we remained true to the world Tim Burton created and the wonderful characters that inhabit it. That said, an interactive game delivers a different experience to a film so we had to make subtle changes.

TVG: What interaction has there been from Capcom, if at all, with Disney or even Tim Burton and are there a set of guidelines the team is working with?

We have received great support from Disney including a visit to the studio and had access to the original models from the film so we could be certain the in-game characters were just right.

TVG: The game is based on very stylised looks and characters. Will the game feature most of the characters from the film and also mirror its ambient look and what is the hardest facet in putting the game together?

Yes, all the characters that made the film so special will appear in the game and we have worked extremely hard to ensure they and the environments keep the look and feel of the movie.

TVG: What are the objectives from the playerâ??s perspective?

Well, Oogie Boogie is back and he wants revenge. So, it is up to Jack Skellington to thwart Oogieâ??s plans and restore harmony to Halloween Town.

TVG: Will you give the readers an insight into Jack Skellington - some of his traits, foibles, and characteristics and is he an endearing character?

In the game Jack has three forms â?“ the default character in his trademark black suit; Santy Claus and The Pumpkin King and the player can switch between them at any time he wishes. Now while Jack assumes all three of these personas in Tim Burtonâ??s film we had to come up with original attacks for each. Jackâ??s weapon is called Rubber Soul and as you will have seen from the screenshots this allows Jack to â??whipâ?? his enemies and also pick them up and throw them around! Santy Claus has a sack full of presents which deliver a nasty surprise and finally The Pumpkin King has a fire attack.

TVG: This is an action game so could you give us a little insight into just one diverse or favourite action event in the game that really encapsulates The Nightmare Before Christmas?

I am really pleased with the Rubber Soul weapon as I think it suits Jackâ??s personality really well.

TVG: What locations will be on offer and will each location offer up ideas and events specific to that theme? Highlight briefly one innovative one.

The Nightmare Before Christmas features a number of different environments including naturally Halloween Town as well as Christmas Town. Also in addition to new stages you will find some new areas that didnâ??t appear in the movie. For example, in Christmas town you can visit the â??Big Pumpkinâ?? and even â??Draculaâ??s castleâ??.

TVG: How focused is the team in creating unusual effects and even lighting for the game?

Probably working with Disney has helped us the most when achieving some fantastic effects. After all itâ??s the combination of Capcomâ??s graphical â??know-howâ?? and Disneyâ??s artistic excellence that makes The Nightmare Before Christmas the game it is. If I were to list one effect that has helped us achieve the â??Disney feelâ?? the most I would have to say it is the glow filter. Most filters fit over the entire screen but the â??glow filterâ?? is a sectional filter. Placing it on lighted items helps them give off a glow that contrasts with surrounding dark areas. All of this gives the game a magical â??Cartoonyâ?? effect.

TVG: The original motion picture certainly featured very stylised animation; how have you gone about capturing this?

Tim Burtonâ??s The Nightmare Before Christmas was the first feature length film to use the Stop Motion technique. This painstaking process involves making minute movements to the various parts of the intricate models, taking a still image and then repeating the process. The stills are then put together and when viewed in a sequence show perfect movement. The challenge for us was to recreate these fluid movements in a video game. Our starting point was to examine the actual models from the film from which we created plasticine models and from then went on to create the 3D rendered models. It took a long time, but we are really pleased with the results.

TVG would like to thank Hironobu Takeshita and all those at Capcom involved for taking the time to answer our questions; we'll have a closer look at The Nightmare Before Christmas soon.