Halloween Town

Halloween Town is a world found in Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts:Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts II. It is based on Tim Burton's classic stop-motion film, The Nightmare Before Christmas. According to the BradyGame's Kingdom Hearts II official strategy guide, The Nightmare Before Christmas world was added again simply because of the overwhelming fanbase.

Jack Skellington is known as the Pumpkin King, and despite the presence of The Mayor, seems to be the de facto ruler of the world.

The world also houses the Christmas Town, an expanded part added in Kingdom Hearts II, located through a door in the Hinterlands. Although it is a world of its own story-wise, it is recognized as a part of Halloween Town, as shown under the location title as the player proceeds through the areas.

As a special world, it represents the holiday of Christmas. Once a year, the ruler Santa Claus will travel throughout the universe to give presents to children named on his nice-list.

Halloween Town
Guillotine Plaza (called Town Square in Kingdom Hearts II) is named after the deadly guillotine in the middle of the area. There is also a fountain full of green water and various ledges to climb on. In Kingdom Hearts II, the area takes on a slightly different appearance, the fountain now squirts water that deals damage if hit, the guillotine can come down on characters for damage if they pass beneath it, one of the gates (with presents behind it) deals damage if Sora and company come near it, and nearby grates spew poisonous gas.

In both games, the Square links directly to Dr. Finkelstein's Lab, where much of the exposition for both games is initially given. In Kingdom Hearts, it also links to Guillotine Gate (called Halloween Town Entrance in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days), which serves as the entrance to Halloween Town.

Nearby there is a Graveyard that serves as a connection to the other places in both games. In Kingdom Hearts II, the gravestones can be knocked over for Drive Orbs and damage. In Kingdom Hearts, it leads to the Boneyard, which then leads to the Moonlight Hill (called Curly Hill in Kingdom Hearts II); with a sundae swirl hill that can uncurl in Kingdom Hearts to take the party to the next area. In Kingdom Hearts II, however, there's no Boneyard, and thus the Graveyard directly leads to the Moonlight Hill.

In Kingdom Hearts II, the left fork in the Graveyard also takes the party to the Hinterlands, a quiet wood that leads to the trees carved with various symbols of other holidays. They in fact lead to towns of varying holidays—Christmas, Easter, St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving, Independence Day and Valentine's Day—however, the one leading to Christmas Town can be entered.

In Kingdom Hearts, traveling over Moonlight Hill takes the party to the Bridge leading to Oogie's Manor and the Evil Playroom within that serves as the hideout of Lock, Shock, and Barrel, as well as Oogie Boogie's own Torture Chamber.

Christmas Town
In Kingdom Hearts II, the Hinterlands will take characters to Yuletide Hill, which they can travel down the Candy Cane Lane to reach Christmas Town. In Christmas Town, characters can visit with Santa Claus himself in Santa's House and explore the Shipping & Receiving and Wrapping Rooms of the Toy Factory. Late in the game, characters can also go by Christmas Tree Plaza to fight a boss battle.

Kingdom Hearts
Sora, Donald and Goofy arrive to see the roof of a building blow off and smoke come out of it; surprisingly, Search Ghosts appear in the square, but don't attack. Much to their shock, they find the Mayor and Jack Skellington working with them in a rehearsal for a Halloween festival. However, Jack finds that the Heartless' dance is poor and goes to consult Doctor Finkelstein about it. The Doctor said that he would need a heart to make the Heartless obey him, and then the group begins to search for the necessary ingredients.

However, once they retrieve all the ingredients, and make the Heart, Lock Shock and Barrel attempt to steal it for Oogie Boogie's plans. Sora and co. chase them to Oogie's Manor, where they fight the Trio and Oogie Boogie that, after his first defeat in the Torture Chamber, fuses with the manor to form a giant monster. Still, Sora and company discover a way to take down the Monster, causing the manor to crumble into dust and Oogie to fade into darkness. With the manor gone, moonlight shines on the spot it once stood, revealing Halloween Town's Keyhole; Sora seals it by reflecting a beam of light off the moon.

Back in the lab, Jack apologizes to Sally for not listening; she forgives him, encouraging Jack that they'll think of a new theme for Halloween together. Jack announces that since the Heartless can't be controlled, he'll have to postpone the festival, thanking Sora, Donald and Goofy for their help.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
The plot in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories oddly stays the same with some key differences.
 * Oogie Boogie isn't working with Maleficent.
 * Oogie doesn't fuse with his manor.
 * Zero, Lock, Shock, and Barrel are absent.
 * Instead of an artificial heart, Doctor Finkelstein creates a potion that awakens the "true memories" that are hidden in people's hearts, which Oogie steals instead.
 * Oogie steals the object in question himself and flees rather than having a minion get it for him.
 * Oogie's torture chamber is a square room (despite which version you play).
 * Halloween Town is being plagued with Heartless instead of trying to use them as the theme of their next festival.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, when Roxas first arrives in Halloween Town, he finds Jack Skellington pondering on how to make Halloween scarier and more shocking than ever before. Roxas leaves him there to think, and continues on his mission of collecting hearts. On Roxas's next few missions to Halloween Town he finds there are fewer and fewer Heartless, making heart collecting more difficult.

The Organization reports that the Heartless population in Halloween Town is unusually very low, so Roxas is sent to investigate. When he arrives at Guillotine Plaza, a Heartless appears, fleeing from something. A Tentaclaw sprouts from the ground and swallows the Heartless, a Creepworm. Roxas searches for the source outside of town and sees Lock, Shock, and Barrel escaping over the wall to Boogie's home.

He defeats the Tentaclaws at Curly Hill, before taking on the source of the cannibalistic appendages, the Leechgrave. However, Jack—watching from outside the zone of battle—likes the idea of a Halloween with "a black cloak and black tentacles". As he leaves Halloween Town, he stumbles upon Jack's great idea: a scarecrow that looks just like Roxas. As he leaves, Roxas mutters, "I'm really not seeing it".

Sometime later, Roxas is transported here by Xion at the Manor Ruins. Xion uses the Organization's device to summon a sword to attack Roxas. However, Roxas manages to destroy the sword. Xion then transports herself and Roxas to Agrabah to continue the fight.

First Visit
In Kingdom Hearts II, Jack wants to take Santa's place. While at the same time, Maleficent has revived Oogie Boogie (although suffering from amnesia), and has him remake Santa's present-making machine into a Heartless-making machine. Maleficent has Lock, Shock, and Barrel assist Oogie, even letting them use a fearsome Heartless. Sora, Donald, and Goofy stop the Prison Keeper, and later Oogie from ruining Christmas.

Second Visit
Sora, Donald, and Goofy learn from Jack that Christmas presents are being stolen, and resolve to find out who and to what end, the quartet visit Santa to request making Dummy Presents to draw out the thief, they end up hiding in a huge box (accompanied by some humorous dialogue) and surprise the thief, only to find, as Jack's realization so clearly states, "Doctor Finkelstein's Experiment did it!" After a long fight, the Experiment is defeated, and Jack learns from Sally what true matter in the present, the principle of giving.

Puppies

 * 40, 41, & 42 - On the steep bank in the Bridge area.
 * 64, 65, & 66 - Return to Moonlight Hill after locking the Keyhole and go in the door to the right. The chest will be right in front of you.
 * 67, 68, & 69 - Under Jack's house in Guillotine Plaza.
 * 70, 71, & 72 - In Guillotine Plaza, on the high ledge with the two jack o'lanterns to the left of Guillotine Gate. Glide is required.

Trinity Marks
Note: in Kingdom Hearts Final Mix the Red Trinity has been moved to the gate near to Oogie's Manor. This way, it can be activated at any time in the game after gaining the access to this area.

Halloween Town
Many characters that visit Halloween Town changes, at least sightly, their outfit. Sora turns into a vampire, but with a pumpkin mask on the right side of his face The pumpkin mask changes color when you change form in Kingdom Hearts II. (Like red for Valor Form, blue for Wisdom Form, etc.) Donald turns into a mummy, with a huge gap between the bandages, showing that there's nothing beneath them. Goofy turns into a kind of Frankenstein's monster, with a giant screw mirroring his hat coming out of the top of his head. Also, Riku and Mickey Mouse, in Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, and Maleficent in Kingdom Hearts II take on a slightly darker look when they visit this world. In Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, the Heartless also take on a look similar to the puppets used in the movie.

Christmas Town
In Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, Sora, Donald and Goofy lose their Halloween Town garb and gain Christmas-themed forms instead. Sora retains his vampire form, but the garb is replaced by a black Santa suit and his mask is replaced by a Santa hat by the same color, although it retains the shadows. Unlike Sora, however, Donald and Goofy completely lose all traces of their Halloween Town forms, becoming a snowman and reindeer, respectively.

Origin
Halloween Town is a world based on Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is in turn based on the traditional American holiday of Halloween. Like the latter, Halloween Town shows many spooky features taken from the movie, like the trio Lock, Shock, and Barrel, kids dressed up like a devil, a witch, and a skeleton, and Dr. Finkelstein, a zombie scientist who is always making experiments, which usually involve life or bringing life to things.

Based on the holiday of Halloween, Halloween Town is in a constant state of night. The main source of light is the everlasting full moon overhead. The theme for the area is a twisted, Gothic, and creepy appearance. This same creepy appearance is seen in the changes on the costumes of the visitors, like Sora, Donald, and Goofy, that are turned into famous Halloween cliches. Additionally, Heartless in here are usually related to Halloween themes, such as the Hover Ghost, Wight Knight, and Graveyard.

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Halloween Town