Neil Gaiman happens to be one of my personal favorites. Right up there with Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Robert Aspirin and a select few others. In fact he probably even tops that list. So I’m always happy to post good news about him.

Based on the exciting new movie Coraline – the first-ever stop-motion animated feature to be made in 3-D – from Focus Features and LAIKA, the Coraline videogame is coming from D3Publisher (D3P). The game will let players take on the role of the adventurous heroine Coraline and interact with the wondrous characters from the movie while navigating the scheming Other Mother’s web of deceit in a fantastical adventure through two distinct and interactive worlds. Coraline is slated to ship to retail stores for the Wii system, Nintendo DS and the PlayStation2  in early 2009.

The only videogame based on the upcoming movie, Coraline will allow players to explore and interact with such immersive 3-D environments from the movie as the Pink Palace, its nooks and crannies and apartments, and the unpredictable Other World. Players will engage in unique mini-games and adventures with Coraline’s friends Wybie and Cat as they collect items that will unlock the mysteries of the Other World.

Coraline is under development for Wii and the PlayStation 2 system by Papaya Studios and by Art Co. Ltd., for Nintendo DS.