Below are user reviews of NiGHTS Into Dreams... and on the right are links to professionally written reviews.
The summary of review scores shows the distribution of scores given by the professional reviewers for NiGHTS Into Dreams....
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User Reviews (1 - 11 of 19)
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The Best Game Sega Ever Made?
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 17 / 17
Date: November 12, 2002
Author: Amazon User
A Game Informer Editor not all that long ago reviewed this game as part of their past reviews section. He said it was his favorite game of all time. When EGM magazine made their list of top 100 games of all time, this game was higher on their list than any other game by Sonic Team. I love this game, and would not part with my copy for anything. Why? SO glad you asked.
First of all, this game has some the prettiest graphics to be found anywhere. No, not the smoothest, not the highest polygon count, not the most astonishingly technically ect, ect. This game may be old, but the graphics have STYLE, they flow, and they are FAST.
Secondly, the music of this game is some of the coolest ever produced for a video game. From the neat intro to the music played after you defeat a boss or a level, the music in Nights is pure magic (except perhaps for the terrible end game music). And not only that, the music changes in the levels depending on how you interact with Nitopians and how well you do.
But of course the real thing that makes any game great is GAMEPLAY, and this is the area where Nights is mind-blowing. Every level is a 3d on tracks wild ride, morphing, spinning, zooming, and zipping. Through these levels you are constantly trying to at a brisk pace in order to keep from running out of time. And you are trying to rack of bonus points. And then, you reach the only part of the level and wonder...should I go around again for more points, or should I play it safe and exit the level now? You'll only get good points if you exit BEFORE time's up AND get tons of bonus points. And then there's the bosses. They may be pretty easy to beat, but you're timed. Beat them faster to rack up more points. Beat them slow to, well...lose points. It all becomes quite addictive, quite quickly. And controlling Nights is breeze with the Saturn 3d analog controller (I Do NOT recommend using the standard saturn controller for this game. It's not nearly as intuitive and just takes too much away from the experience.)
About the only major negative point that can be made in reguard to this game is that it's too short. If it had double the amount of levels it would be perfect. But even at it's tragicly short length, Nights is an undisputed classic. Every level has replay value galore, thanks to the grading system, and the previously mentioned interactive soundtrack. And even when you've long since beaten the game and played it to death, you'll find yourself picking it up once in while for one more try at breaking your highest score. All in all, it's worth buying a SEGA Saturn for this game alone.
No words...
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 7 / 7
Date: January 12, 2004
Author: Amazon User
...can describe this game. Anybody looking at this game at first glance, and I mean ANYBODY, would not think that this game would be entertaining for more than ten minutes. But take a second glance and you'll see something that borders on perfection.
This game takes place in a dream world, literally, known as Nightopia. The two "main characters", Elliot and Claris, fall to sleep and that's when this takes place. It's a strange story, as the evil Wizard Wizeman in Nightopia is after Ideya, which are orbs of power possessed by sleeping humans. There are five different kinds if Ideya, each representing a different trait: white for purity, green for wisdom, yellow for hope, blue for intelligence, and red for bravery. Red is the rarest of the five, and the two protagonists have it. And he's after it. Yeah, weird, huh?
Even stranger is how the gameplay is so incredible. You take form of a Nightmaren... creatures created by Wizeman to find Ideya. To his top two Nightmaren, Reala and NiGHTS, he has given free will. Reala follows Wizeman, but NiGHTS takes its own path, joining forces with Elliot and Claris to free the other Ideya from Wizeman's capture.
You do so by flying around a 2D 3D world. You ask, huh? You fly around a 2D path in a 3D world, but that path constantly changes angles and direction to lead you around the entire 3D arena. Pick up 20 blue chips and deposit them into Ideya Capture containers, or whatever they're called, and you'll break it open, freeing the Ideya. Deposit it back to a checkpoint and you'll take a new path to another Ideya Capture thing. There is no health bar, only a timer. If you run out of time your score gets reset and you have to start that round over. On completion of four rounds, you proceed to the boss of the level. After each round and boss you'll receive a grade based on your performance, and then an average grade for the whole level. If your grade is C or better, you'll proceed. Otherwise, you fail and have to try over again. Get an A on all levels, and you get the true ending.
Sounds really really really plain, right? Well, it can be, if you just go straight through each level not going for an A. Once you start shooting for a higher grade, though, is when you'll see why people rave so much about this game. The smoothness of your motion and the near-perfect design of the levels and rounds makes for a game that is beauty in motion, and challenging to perfect.
People who love this game call this game the Masterpiece of Sonic Team, rather than their other more popular and well-known work... like, uh... Sonic.
As for the graphics, well, they're smooth and flowing with cool effects. Excellent visuals.
Bluntly, this game can be close to perfection if you can handle it. Many may be turned off by the concept and gameplay, but those who can see further into it will get something more than a fun game out of this. It's an experience.
The one and only bad thing about this game is that Sonic Team is too scared to try to make a true sequel because of the standards set by the original. If you absolutely need more NiGHTS, look for the small extra Christmas NiGHTS.
Best Sega Saturn release
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 5 / 5
Date: July 24, 2002
Author: Amazon User
NiGHTS tells the story of two children named Elliot and Chris who fail miserably at their favorite hobbies. That night they have the same dream and meet each other and NiGHTS, a Nihgtmaren that lives in the Dream World. He needs their help because the two children possess red dream energy which is bravery.Together they set out to destroy Wiseman, creator of the dream world who wants to conquer the universe.
NiGHTS uses the system's power to the best of its ability with stunning 3-D graphics and colorful worlds. The game is very challenging at first but gets easier in time. Also their is another game in this game, if you know what I mean. This game is called A-life, or artificial life. You can breed 3 different types of Nightopians,creatures that inhabit the Dream World. The combinations are endless!
NiGHTS is a must have for Saturn fans. Also if you love NiGHTS, check out the sequel, Christmas NiGHTS!
An original and entertaining game.
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 4 / 5
Date: July 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User
This game is like no other. Gameplay is excellent, with good graphics as well. A definite buy.
Saturns best Title!
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 4 / 7
Date: May 31, 2003
Author: Amazon User
I used to have it, but i think i threw it away or something. But i want it back. It so much fun! You have to get this game now!
Extremely Simple, and yet, Fun in a Complex manner.
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 3 / 3
Date: April 25, 2002
Author: Amazon User
About a year after the release of The Sega Saturn, Sega was feeling the heat of the threat that Nintendo 64 presented and the threat of Super Mario 64. For quite a while, fans clamoured for a Sanic game in 3D. Seeing as this was basically impossible to do right on a machine on the Sega Saturn, Sega did the next best thing, they brought together all the original members of Sonic Team (plus a few more programmers and artist) and had them create a game that would easily be acomidated by the Sega Saturn's Hardware and be just as fun, if not more so, than Sonic The Hedgehog.
That's how NiGHTS came to be, and boy what a game it was ! Essentially, the game's most important aspect is it's extremely simple interface, like Sonic's. In this game, like in the Sonic games, all the player uses to control the game are a single button and the directional pad, oh and there are 2 buttons which are very rarely used (L shoulder and R Shoulder). Also like Sonic's games, all the player has to do is point in the direction he wants to go, No special button presses are required for flight, (sonic did not need to have a button pressed to accelerate although it was an option) The main button you press in this game is a dash button, in which NiGHTS will accelerate a spin as a form of attack and as a way to speed him up. The Shoulder button are used for acrobatic stunts, but these are not needed until you fly through a Stunt ring (more on that later).
The Basic goal of the game is to collect these things called "Ideya" which look like giant marbles, according to the story, these are the life blood of the dream universe which the evil Wiseman is trying to control. This is accomplished by picking up smaller blue orbs called "ideya chips" which are scattered around each level and which must be taken to the "Ideya Captures" where the Ideya are being kept, 20 chips destroys the capture and any leftover chips you have go towards the end of level bonus. Each level is divided into four courses with one Ideya Capture each. From the Begining of the level (and start of all courses) Nights must fly around through rings collecting Chips and Stars (for scoring purposes only) in order to destroy the Captures, and making as many laps as he needs to make to do so. Once he has the Ideya, he must take it back to the start of the level, and start a new course. During each course, NiGHTS has a time limit of 120 seconds counted down from the begining of the course, if he runs out of time, he loses the power of the dreamer, and the dreamer must destroy the Capture or return to the Starting point on his own if he has the Ideya, if this should occur, the score for that course is brought to zero. The dreamer must Avoid the Alarm Egg which will wake him up (more on that later). If NiGHTS takes damage, he loses five seconds from the Clock. After 4 Ideyas are collected, NiGHTS fights a Boss, known as a Nightmaren, One of Wiseman's Henchmen.
The Dreamers in the Game, Claris and Elliot, are mainly in the game as plot devices. But they also serve the pupose of a secondary game mode where the player can walk around the level in a sort of clumsy super Mario 64 fashion mainly as a way to avoid waking up. But it's Rather cool how every level begins with Claris or Elliot falling into the dreamworld and landing softly, and at the end of every level the screen fades white and the kids wake up.
All in all, my friend said it best when he said "NiGHTS is like a platform game without platforms". Jumping is not Neccesary, The game is pure motion and flight, and because of this, it is a timeless game which you can pick up after beating it and still play it even if it is only 7 levels long.
Amazing
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 4 / 4
Date: July 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User
Nights was made by the people who made Sonic, Sonic team and by many considered to be their best game.
Nights is an amazing, creative game and I wish they would have made a sequel. Nights is full of colorful levels and can be pretty challenging at times. The graphics really show off Saturn's power. As for play control, you need the 3D controller to play which looks like the Dreamcast controller where you use the analog controller to do moves that a regular D-pad couldn't do. The story line is confusing but interesting like the rest of the game.
Overall Nights is a captivating, original game that every Saturn owner should have.
awsome
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 3 / 3
Date: May 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User
this is one of the best games i ever played in my entire life to bad it was on a system that never lasted now the only question will there be a sequel on either xbox ps2 or gamecube
Very fantastic! The best fantasy-imaginably game I ever played!!!
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 29, 2005
Author: Amazon User
I truly love this game. I mean, Nights is better than his cousin, Sonic. His flying with sparkles are great, as so the environment and atmosphere of the game itself.
Gameplay:
In the game, you choose which of the two children you'll be in the dream. After that, the one chosen will transform into Nights. He or she will play in an odyssey of dreams. A starter like that will keep you playing until the end.
Sound:
The sounds are so fantastic, especially in the main menu, with charming melody and lovely children singing on background. There is also a song in the end entitled "In The Nights". So cute!
Graphics:
The graphics are outstanding. Very luscious. It is so peculiar in other games. When you look at it, it doesnt look like a dream, but a reality of your imagination! Full of magic too!
Replay:
The two paths will keep you coming back for more!
Step Into Their World, where there's countless things to see, endless possibilities, let them take you to a place where desires flow deep. See an odyssey of dreams and an exciting adventure of a very whymsical game! This is the best SEGASATURN GAME!
Nights into Dreams
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 23, 2002
Author: Amazon User
If there was only one reason to get a Saturn this it. Not only is it by far the best Saturn Game it ranks in my mind as one the best period. The visuals are great for the time and the control is outstanding.
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