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Welcome back to Nightopia

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 13 / 15
Date: December 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

It has been well over 11 years since the acclaimed cult classic NiGHTS into Dreams by Sega's Sonic Team debuted on the Saturn. And now after countless rumors, endless petitions, and a series of long waits, its official follow-up has finally arrived but this time on Nintendo's console Wii. Even with its glaring faults it can still manage to rekindle memories of the original and perhaps spark interest in those who have never played NiGHTS before. Two dreaming children, Will and Helen, have been having nightmares that have gotten in the way of their aspirations. They soon come across NiGHTS, a flying jester determined to rid the dream worlds of Wizeman and his henchmen, who wish to turn everyone's dreams into nightmares.

CONTROL
Players are given the option to choose from a few modes of play, either with just the Wii remote, Nunchuk style, Classic style, or with the GameCube controller (which I suggest using first, preferably the Wavebird). Your mission as NiGHTS is to fly through a series of rings and collect blue chips in order to break the capture chamber, which advances you to the bosses. You will also learn special attacks and moves that will aid you in your quests. Regardless of which control scheme you choose, the responsiveness of the controls feel glitchy at times. Controlling NiGHTS can occasionally be awkward and is missing the fluidity found in other Wii titles. Controlling Will or Helen in the platform levels can also be a bit quirky. However, no one should have any trouble adapting to any of the control schemes after a continuous amount of playtime.

GRAPHICS
When you first boot up the game you are treated to very well made full-motion-video opening cutscenes. The CG quality is definitely ranks among the best yet seen on the Wii. The graphics are also impressive in terms of level design. The designers over at Sega are definitely gifted when it comes to realizing dream worlds. Each level is quite creative. However, the framerate hitches on a frequent basis, especially during the real-time cinemas. There is also some considerable choppiness and blandness which becomes all too noticeable. Even though the whole presentation is incredibly colorful and dreamlike, it is all marred by annoying little blemishes. It makes you wonder why Sega's talented engineers could create such imaginative worlds yet not get over the technological obstacles. Still, the overall visual production is something to appreciate.

SOUND
Probably the best aspect of the entire game. The music tracks are fun to listen to. They are catchy and stick in your head most of the time, and they almost perfectly emphasize the gameplay. Fans of the original game will be happy to know that a few familiar tunes and jingles have made a return in Journey of Dreams. A lot of the same trademark sound effects have also come back. A new element added in the game is the use of voice acting. Yes, NiGHTS finally has a voice. It may be blasphemy to those who think the NiGHTS character should have stayed as ambiguous as possible and others may not agree with the voice that was chosen. But overall, the sound is still far away the most impressive part of the game and proves that Sega means business when it comes to quality sound.

CONCLUSION
The A-Life feature returns, allowing gamers to look after Nightopians/Nightmarens in their own personal garden, and a 2-player match where you can battle or race against a friend. Despite these additions, many inconsistencies prevent Journey of Dreams from being a solid title. A lot of components in the game interrupt the action, such as dialogue, cutscenes, bizarre objectives, and even platforming missions, which could turn off gamers who just wanted to enjoy the sheer sensation of flight. It's also fairly short in length. In the end, this is really a three-and-a-half star game (I thought rounding it to four stars looked overgenerous). Though not perfect, it doesn't mean it's not fun. There's more good than bad. It's not the masterpiece I was hoping for but it is still mostly a fun game nonetheless. My best recommendation is to simply play the game in any you can (whether buying, renting, etc.) if you are interested in it. Please do not let my criticisms discourage you from trying it. You may end up liking it more than I did, so just go give it a chance!

Another half-realized game from the folks at Sonic Team

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 19 / 33
Date: December 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

What is it with Sonic Team lately? First they dump on us the most embarassingly awful high-profile game in years with Sonic the Hedgehog for Xbox 360 and PS3. Now they've gone and managed to pretty much screw up the game that people have been waiting 11 years for: the sequel to Nights Into Dreams for the Sega Saturn.

I don't know if Sonic Team just gets pressured by SEGA to hurry the programming on their games so they get released in time for Christmas, or if they just cannot make a fully-finished, polished game no matter how much time they're given. The flying sequences in the new Nights game are fantastic. My question is, why aren't there more of them? Why limit the one feature of the game that people have lauded for the last decade? Why the insistence on poorly thought-out, tedious platforming levels? I don't want to walk around as Will or Helen; that does not make for exciting game play. With the myriad of possiblities available for a flying character, why limit the number of chances you get to use him/her/it? I simply don't understand Sonic Team's reasoning for this. Wasn't there any programmer in the room who said, "you know guys, maybe we should stick to our strengths on this one and give the fans what they want." I don't think there was a single Nights fan out there who was hoping that the new game would include more WALKING.

Then there's other issues like the non-skippable cutscenes that ruin any momentum the game might have. There's the ultra-confusing boss battles where, if you fail, you need to do the ENTIRE campaign over again. And there's the par-for-the-course cringe-worthy dialogue that Sonic Team has been known for since Sonic Adventure came out.

Why, Sonic Team, why? Why mix really good flying levels (with just ok controls this time around) with platforming and Tamagotchi-style features that only took your semi-talented programmers away from the task of MORE flying levels? I will never understand you, and that is why I may never purchase another Sonic Team-produced game again. For shame.

Very fun follow up to the original masterpiece

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 17 / 19
Date: December 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Has it really been over a decade since the release of Sega's original Nights? Hard to believe, but yes, and what's even harder to believe is that it took Sega all that time before coming out with a follow up to their cult smash. Anyway, Nights: Journey of Dreams is here for the Wii, and the game is a very fun follow up to the original masterpiece, and despite it's flaws, is a blast to play. If you've played the original Nights, you'll feel right at home here with the flight-based gameplay, wonderful soundtrack, and brilliantly realized level designs that populate the Nights universe. The game's artistic style is by far it's greatest strength, giving Nights an undeniable charm that is hard to top. Where Nights disappoints is with some of the Wii-mote controls, which come off as too cumbersome, but this can be fixed thanks to the fact the game supports the Classic and Gamecube controlers. Where the game also falls is with some of the on-foot platforming elements, which just aren't much fun at all. Not to mention that just like the original game, Nights: Journey of Dreams is too short. It won't take you long to get through the game, and once you do, as before, you'll be begging for more. Despite it's flaws though, Nights: Journey of Dreams is one of the better third-party Wii titles to see the light of day this holiday season. The charm of the presentation makes it worthwhile for children, and the addictive gameplay makes it worth playing for older gamers with fond memories of the original. For those longtime fans of the original Nights, you'll be pleased to see many references and homages to the original game peppered throughout Nights: Journey of Dreams, but the game doesn't do this enough to put off new gamers either. All in all, Nights: Journey of Dreams may not be as memorable or as close to a masterpiece as it's predecessor, but it is a very fun follow up regardless, and worth checking out for gamers of all sorts.

Solid Sequel

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: December 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I dont know what the 1st 2 reviewers are talking about nights is a solid release there is options far as the controller scheme so you arent stuck with lousy wii controls i prefer the classic controller the graphics are good game play is smooth bottom line this game doesnt dissapoint go buy this game you will not be disappointed.

The Best Game Out of Sonic Team in Years -- An Old-School Classic

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

First, the bad things about this game that nobody can seem to resist talking about. The Wiimote IR-cursor controls are a challenge to learn, although a Nunchuk; Classic Controller or Gamecube controller fixes that right up (my favorite's the nunchuk). Very occasionally, yes, the framerate does skip. Of course, the game has the crap-tastic dialogue and plot we've come to expect from Sonic Team. And yes, it does have platforming levels starring Will and Helen in there somewhere, although I've only played on such mission in three levels of play (where each level has four missions and a boss).

The levels themselves are works of art in graphics, music, and gameplay. Flying is fun and easy (even more fun and easy than my actual flight dreams, since those don't have dashes, paraloops, link rings, or blue chips), and variations on the theme add spice. This is a game of the old school of video games: you may pick the Wiimote up and learn to fly in two minutes, and you may beat each character's (there's only two) story in about a day of hardcore gaming, but this new entry to the "classics" shelf will keep you coming back time and time again to try to rack up higher link counts and high scores with complete disregard for its lack of moral philosophy a la Bioshock or overextended story a la Every Final Fantasy Game Ever.

My only real complaints are that it's too short and you can't skip cutscenes.

Solid Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Having never played the first NiGHTS on Sega Saturn, I was dying to know what all the hype was about. Right now I'm about 5 hours into NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, and I'm enjoying it a lot.

- The controls take a few minutes to get used to, but after that, everything's fine. I can tell that it's not as fluid as it should be though, but still, the game is more than playable.

- The graphics are gorgeous and full of color throughout most of the game, although there are some uglier moments (which are few and far between from what I've seen).

- MUSIC... the music in this game is amazing. Everything is orchestrated, full and fits each dream world perfectly. My favorite would have to be the music on the results screen although there were a few good jazzier tunes that surprised me.

- The best part of this game (besides the music) would have to be the boss battles (which there are a lot of). I won't spoil anything, but they are pretty creative.

- Voice acting overall is decent, although one of the kids seems like he talks like an American part of the time and British the other part (?).

- Multiplayer is another well-done aspect of the game. You can either Race or Battle your opponent, both locally (split-screen) and online (via Nintendo WFC). Since the controls are so simple to pick up (once explained), anyone can play and stand a chance against an experienced player.

If you have an open mind and are able to overlook a few things, then you'll have a great time with NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams.

My Score: 8/10

-PrarieD0G

Follow Up (1/20/08): Well I have just completed the game (with all 4 endings), and I have to say that it is my favorite Wii game so far. It's just so full of style--a level of its own really. If I could, I would edit my rating to 5 stars. I can't wait for a 3rd sequel (and a re-release of the original would be awesome, too.)

Please ignore those who are being downers!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: January 15, 2008
Author: Amazon User

NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams is absolutely wonderful game. I can't believe there are people that say it's dumb and not worth picking up!!! Someone even judged it by just looking at it's strategy guide (he even gave the guide a one star rating)and says that it shouldn't even be picked up! Journey of Dreams is a spectacular game with a wonderful soundtrack, great storyline and spectacular gameplay! What ever short commings the game has doesn't distract from the fact that this is a wonderful game and great sequal to the original Saturn game. I'm actually hoping for a third NiGHTS game to follow this one.

3.5; as beautiful as it is flawed

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: January 16, 2008
Author: Amazon User

The original Nights for the Sega Saturn, like Panzer Dragoon Saga, was one of those cult classic games that many people still refer to when they talk about their favorite games but for the most part, most of us have only heard of it rather than actually played the thing. With massive demand and finally an announcement, players got excited that there was going to be as sequel, titled Journey of Dreams. But given Sonic Team's strange track record lately as well as the huge hype, could this really live up to the hype? Well it doesn't completely deliver so much as it delivers and then drops the ball then delivers again.

Story: Will, an aspiring soccer player, and Helen, a practicing violinist, are pulled into Nightopia, the land that's created when people dream. But the evil of beings called Nightmaren want to rid the world of Nightopia so it's up to Will, Helen and our favorite flying jester, Nights, to gather up Ideya, the components that make up Nightopia, and rid the dream world of Nightmaren.

Graphics: Recently I bought a component cable for the Wii which allows 480p resolution and Nights was one of the first to be tested and even without it, the game would still be amazing visually. With a bright color palette and lush looking levels, the game is a great example at how you don't need realistic skin tones to create great graphics and with 480p going, the game is even beautiful still. The cutscene graphics are okay but the opening cinema and the levels though are just vibrant and colorful.

Sound/Music: Normally in these kind of games, I just put on my own music but the music in Nights is very lively and filled with memorable, upbeat tones and is the kind of soundtrack that you'd very well consider buying. The voice acting, however, is not horrendous a la Sonic's 3D adventures but they're still unfortunate since the British accents are quite off and the readings are kind of stilted and awkward.

Gameplay: I had read several reviews where people found the Wii controls awkward so I thought I'd start right off the bat with a good-ol' Gamecube controller and controlling Nights wasn't even that much of a problem. While initially awkward to get the feeling for how it works, it soon became a breeze but when I thought I'd check out the Wii ones, I found them awkward as well and went back to the trusty Gamecube controller. The game also lets you use the Classic controller, Wii-mote by itself or standard Wii controls. Nights acts as a kind of rail shooter/Sonic the Hedgehog combo where Nights flies in the air and you control her direction from diving, climbing, doing loops (called Paraloops which act as a vortex sucking in important items within its radius) or dashing to gain speed and crash into stuff.

The big minus is the platform-style parts where you physically control Will or Helen (they "dualize" with Nights for the flying stuff) and with the normal controllers they're fine, the Wii controls just don't feel right, not to mention the very notion of having platforming in the game when it was doing just fine with being a rail shooter hurts it. The other negative is the checkpoint system or rather its lack of one as when you progress through the story levels, you get a cutscene, play a level than the stage boss but should you fail against the boss, you have to start the level over complete with cutscenes and the level you just killed. It's quite a buzzkill when you're playing and unless you're a pro that could get through the game without failing once, it's quite a downer when you have to replay what you just beat with no checkpoint in place.

Some are quite disappointed while others think its flawed but a good game overall. I'm in the second camp since I felt compelled to play again when I turned off the system but you kind of hope certain things are corrected for the hopefully-done 3rd game.

Rent before you buy

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I have never played any of the Nights games before, and maybe that's my problem, but I had no idea what was going on in this game. Unlike many Wii games that overdo the tutorials, this one explained how to fly and then left me very confused as to what else I had to do. This took the fun out of the game, as it's not really a strategy/puzzle game as far as I could tell. As other people have mentioned, it's frustrating to have to re-do a level if you fail to beat the boss the first time around. I gave up after a couple attempts at my first "dream" level (so glad I rented it!).

The controls for flying are a little off, but the graphics are excellent. I think giving it 3 stars is a little generous, but other people seem to like it. So I'd rent it before you buy it just to make sure you'll like it before you spend $[...].

On Rails Bird Chasing game

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 25, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Having enjoyed the first Nights the few times I was able to play it, and reading the considerable hype around the release (mostly from Nintendo Power who seem to be fully blind to this game's faults)I was excited for this release. What I found in this game was basically an on-rails bird chasing game... sure they throw in some other levels... like an on rails octopus chasing level or two...
Actually the boss levels are fun and unique, but they are over far too quickly and you are back to chasing birds around... The levels may look lush and fun... but you will be too busy chasing down birds to notice. There may be some neat places to explore and hidden items to find... but you won't get to them... you will be too busy chasing birds around...

If more of the game were like the boss fights, or some of the other unique and fun levels, It would be a great game... or if there was time to really have some free roaming fun in the lush environments... but there isn't... you just have to chase birds...
This game is too difficult for children and too tedious for adults... Those with an irrational nostalgia for Sega's hey day (yes... I'm talking to you Nintendo Power) might pretend this is a fun game... but I was disappointed. Rent before you buy... the boss fights are really fun.

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