Watch the Whimsical Opening Movie for Balan Wonderworld

Way earlier last year, Square Enix revealed Balan Wonderworld, a child-friendly platformer in the vein of NiGHTS, which is appropriate as it was created by none other than Yuji Naka, the guy who created both that and Sonic the Hedgehog, which is arguably more impressive. While the game's release date is still a ways off, set to come out on March 26th of next year, we've already seen trailers and even gameplay of the future title, which reeks of that good ol' fashioned 3D platforming magic.

But today, something special was released: the frantic, high-energy, whimsical, and slightly scary opening movie for the game. And you owe it to yourself to give it a look.

The BALAN WONDERWORLD Opening Movie sets the stage for Leo and Emma’s adventure in Wonderworld. Watch as the Balan Theatre comes to life in this wondrous action platformer adventure. Twelve different tales await our stars in Wonderworld, each with their own unique quirks. They will explore all corners of these labyrinthine stages, filled with a myriad of tricks and traps, to get to the heart of each story.

The trailer, for lack of a better word, is perfect. It's got bright colors. It's got imagination. Balan clearly murders two children, but in a family-friendly way that doesn't detract from its charm. Next year might very well suck as much -- if not worse -- than this year has, but at least we've got one bright spot to look forward to.