Summary
LEGOrecently announced an official set based on Disney’sThe Nightmare Before Christmas, delighting fans of the classic movie. With the new set confirming LEGO’s continued partnership with Disney,LEGOgames fans are hoping for a bit more to come.
Disney and LEGO have a strong partnership, delivering fans sets based on several classic Disney movies. The latest building set to come from their partnership is based on the fan-favorite movieThe Nightmare Before Christmas. Well regarded as one ofthe best Halloween movies ever made, and topping many fans' Christmas movie list as well, it’s almost a surprise it took LEGO this long to bring the world of Jack Skellington into their signature style. While many fans are delighted at the news of the upcoming LEGO set, some have their hops set a bit higher. It’s not uncommon for LEGO games to follow the movies that have sets based on them, andThe Nightmare Before Christmashas the makings of an incredible LEGO game.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is no Stranger to Video Games
Despite never receiving a direct video game adaptation of the movie,The Nightmare Before Christmashas plenty of experience in the interactive world. In the mid-2000s, almost a decade after the release of the movie, two games were released that acted as sequel stories for Jack and company,Oogie’s Revengeon the PS2 and Xbox, andThe Pumpkin Kingfor the GBA. Both games were met with middling reviews and have mostly been forgotten to time.Kingdom Hearts 2was also released in 2005 and featured a world based onThe Nightmare Before Christmas. Halloween Town is also arguably one of thebestKingdom Hearts 2worlds. Still, fans remain waiting for a proper video game adaptation of the movie.
Throughout the years, Jack Skellington has become a go-to character for Disney crossover games due to the cult popularity of his movie. He was one of the earliest characters added toDisney Infinity, Disney’s entry in the toys-to-life genre. Being introduced in the 1.0 version of the game shows that Disney had faith in the character’s ability to draw in new players. Disney is fond of featuring him in their crossover mobile games, such asDisney Crossy RoadandMirrorverse, as well. More recently, he has appeared as one of themost popular villagers inDisney’s Dreamlight Valley, and also became a purchasable skin inFortnite. With all these appearances in various games, it can only be a matter of time before Jack gets a starring role.
A New Nightmare Before Christmas Game could give LEGO Disney’s Reputation a Boost
The LEGO games made by TT Games are a massive series, covering dozens of IPs and popular characters, but their Disney-centric games somehow end up at the bottom of most fans' lists. Aside from theLEGO Star WarsandLEGO Marvelgames, which technically fall under the Disney umbrella after their acquisitions, LEGO has made games based on two other Disney properties.
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbeanwas somewhat disappointing when it launched alongside the physical sets released with the theme. Although the movies lend themselves well to action gameplay, the LEGO games aren’t known for their combat. The more recent release ofLEGO The Incrediblesfared slightly better but still wasn’t a fan favorite. Many saw the game as a missed opportunity to include more Pixar titles and wished that it had beena stepping stone to a more successful LEGO/Disney partnership.
Despite their struggles in the past though,TT Games was planning a large-scale Disney crossover gameat one point. It would have included classic Disney characters and movies such asFrozen,The Jungle Book, andThe Nightmare Before Christmas. The most common theory is that this game proved too difficult to develop alongsideLEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. But now, with LEGO renewing its interest inThe Nightmare Before Christmas, TT Games might finally get another chance to bring Jack’s story to theLEGOgames world.
