Review
Release Date: 08.1996
Platform:
Sega SaturnDeveloper:
Sonic TeamPublisher:
Sega of America, Inc.Reviewed by
Luke Campbell on 4.26.2003
| Review Rating: 9/10 | User Rating: 8.27/10 |
When the Nintendo 64 came out in Japan, Super Mario 64 was the system's killer app, and it topped the sales charts. Shortly thereafter, SM64 had fallen to number two on the charts, and the game that assumed top-selling status in Japan was Sonic Team’s underrated gem, NiGHTS into Dreams…
NiGHTS into Dreams... tells the tale of a young boy named Elliot and a girl named Claris. After suffering failures on the basketball court and at a singing audition, respectively, Elliot and Claris return home and go to sleep. In the NiGHTS universe, dreams are played out in a land known as Nightopia. Nightopia is being overrun by the evil power of Wizeman and his villainous Nightmaren. In their dreams, the kids each individually run into NiGHTS, an androgynous aerial acrobat who is clad in purple and mildly resembles a jester. The kids team up with NiGHTS in an effort to put a stop to the evil plans of Wizeman, and return peace to both Nightopia and their dreams.
This game uses both 3D and 2.5D styles to convey the feeling of being in a dream world. When controlling Claris or Elliot on foot, 3D movement is open. Once the player meets NiGHTS in the Ideya Palace, the game switches to 2.5D. NiGHTS is a flying creature, and the majority of the game is spent flying around the levels. The flying is done on rails, so while the player is confined to a set path, the path is fairly large and leaves itself open to much exploration.
The levels in NiGHTS are called Dreams. There are three unique Dreams for each character, with the fourth dream being identical for both characters. Each Dream is broken down into four stages called Mares. The object of each Mare is to fly around and collect Blue Chips, which appear as blue balls with a spark in the middle. Collecting 20 of these Blue Chips will allow NiGHTS to destroy the Ideya Capture, which contains stolen dream energy. Returning the four stolen dream energies to the Ideya Palace will send complete the Dream, and the player is then sent to a boss battle. Depending on the speed with which the boss is dispatched, a player will receive a point bonus which goes up to twice that of the score attained during the Dream.
Points play a large part in NiGHTS, as a grading system is in effect for each level. If a grade of C or lower is earned, the next Dream will not be opened. Earn a B or A grade, and the next Dream opens up, and earning all A grades will slightly alter the ending. The Dreams are timed, but speeding through the levels will not be as rewarding as utilizing as much of the time as possible before moving on to the next Mare. By flying through multiple loops, grabbing Blue Chips and Stars, a Link counter will begin counting up. The higher the Link, the higher the points received. Also, Stunt Loops are on some levels. Flying through a Stunt Loop causes a yellow ribbon to trail NiGHTS for a limited time, and acrobatics can be performed for extra points with the shoulder buttons. Acrobatics do not earn any points at other times, but more points can be earned by performing as many stunts as possible while the ribbon trails NiGHTS. If a player runs out of time, NiGHTS leaves and the player goes back to controlling Elliot or Claris, and will be chased by an alarm clock. If the alarm clock catches up to the player, the game ends.
NiGHTS was the first game to use Sega’s 3D control pad. The 3D control pad enables analog control over NiGHTS. While digital control works fine for this game, the analog control is just loose enough to provide a true feeling of flight. It is possible to make NiGHTS loop and turn any way that a player might desire. Thanks to some slick level design, getting stuck in a Dream is highly uncommon, and requires some real work on the player’s part to find a clipping error to get stuck in. Flight is simple and fluid, and the speed of the game is never slowed down as a result.
The Dreams in NiGHTS present a wonderful atmosphere. The Mystic Forest Dream "feels" like flying in a forest, the cold of the Frozen Bell Dream can be felt, and the Soft Museum Dream might be the most brilliantly designed level in the history of video games, with its rippling floors, mirrored interiors and haunting music. Boss battles are particularly odd, but convey an imposing sense that would be expected from a nightmare. Thankfully, none of the boss battles are terribly difficult, so no frustration occurs.
While the Saturn was not the biggest 3D powerhouse, it manages to handle the world of Nightopia nicely. The textures are somewhat blocky at times, but considering that 3D graphics were still relatively new in 1996, that is to be expected. However, the textures only look poor in screenshots, as the game looks great in motion. The camera is excellent in this game as well. While playing, the camera will change angles on the fly, but never to an angle which obscures the playfield from the player’s eye. The only real visual error in the game is when a player takes dream energy to the Ideya Palace, and then some flickering occurs for a second or two. A noticeable flaw, but not enough to take away from the gameplay experience at all.
The sound in this game is also excellent. Each Dream features music that seems to fit it well. The sound effects are also nice, with none of them being annoying, even after hearing it for the hundredth time. The opening and ending videos are standard Saturn quality: a bit blocky, but still very nice. Completing the game with one character opens a nice ending video and ending song, while completing the game with both characters will open a longer video that brings the two character’s stories together. Completing the game with all A grades will alter the ending slightly... no spoilers here, as this game is worth tracking down and earning all A grades on.
The only real negative factor working against NiGHTS is its length. A game can be completed from start to finish in about 25 minutes, counting the length of the ending. For some players, this could be a turn-off, but given the way NiGHTS is played, the length is just right. Once the endings are opened and A grades are attained, it goes back to the old-school focus of getting the highest score.
Players looking for an 80 hour epic should look elsewhere, but anyone interested in something different should definitely check out NiGHTS. Saturn consoles are fairly cheap on eBay, and a copy of NiGHTS with a 3D controller is also relatively easy to find as well. Sadly, this game did not get the kind of success that it deserved in the US, and a sequel has yet to be announced. However, the forthcoming version of Phantasy Star Online for the Gamecube will have a NiGHTS mini-game that can be downloaded to a Gameboy Advance… perhaps if we are lucky, that is an indicator that a market does exist for a NiGHTS sequel, and one day NiGHTS will fly again onto consoles.
