Is Nights overrated?

[IO Albina Neko]

NiGHTS overrated? Hmm... where did this come from? oO;; I thought almost nobody even knew about it anymore...

To start off with, I have never played NiGHTS into dreams. That doesn't stop it from being my favorite game of all time. Let me explain this...

I have looked up everything I could possibly hope to know about the game after randomly deciding that I was going to obsess over it for a while. I read several reviews, all of which gave the impression that this was the best game on the face of the planet, despite the weaknesses they found. So here's my opinion based on what I've heard but not experienced...

-Characters. To me, this is the most important aspect of ANY game. The character designs are some of the most interesting and dynamic I've seen. Even the two kids who help NiGHTS complete his quest have problems they must work out the likes of which seem far more solid than those of many other game characters. It makes it much easier to relate, which is key in captivating players. NiGHTS himself is actually one of those turned-against-his-old-master-who-is-the-main-bad-guy characters, which you would NEVER expect from looking at the bright, colorful images of him you see. Then you throw in Reala, who you could call NiGHTS's opposite, and you have an evil twin effect. Very nice character designs indeed...

-Plot. Many, many, many, many, MANY people have said the plot is corny. However, when looking at it, I see anything but corny. Maybe that's just me, or maybe, like usual, I see things in a different light. Let's break it down a bit.

-Wizeman wants to use the power of Ideya dream energy to break into the waking world and take it over. Typical bad guy fare, but think for a moment about the worst nightmares you've had. Can you think of a single thing you'd LESS like running your life? Didn't think so.

-He steals Ideya from humans to fuel his plans. However, since Ideya is what allows humans to dream, he is also taking that away from them and indirectly ruining their lives. Sure, it sounds stupid and over the top at first. But really - what are we without dreams, without aspirations, without the will to follow our hearts? Villains who want to rule or blow up the world are just insane. This one is pure, sinister EVIL.

-The rare Red Ideya is only possesed by the two children whom NiGHTS decides to help, and it's the last one that Wizeman needs to complete his plans! NiGHTS goes on a quest to stop Wizeman and free the stolen Ideya while protecting the Red Ideya! You're probably snoring. Yes, I know it's rather cliche. I don't care. What I care about here is the _idea_, no pun intended. The concept of Ideya working within the dream realm of the game is very original, never mind the methods by which Wizeman and his minions work.

-Game design. Right, so it's a level-based action game, much like Sonic Adventure 2 Battle (which I'm referencing only because that's the best example that I've played). However, there's a bit more to it than that - a time limit of two minutes as the fast-flying NiGHTS before you're dumped onto the ground as whichever of the two kids, and then you have to find NiGHTS again before the Alarm Egg gets you and gives you a Night Over. Plus you can link items together at insane speeds to skyrocket your score, and there is indeed a 2P battle mode hidden away in there. And flying isn't just functional - you can perform a myriad of tricks to score-boost as well. Plus, the Nightopians all around the level act as a quite literal in-game artificial life simulator, and how you treat them even affects the background music. From what I've heard there's always something new to discover, making it an extremely addicting game.

-Graphics. Okay, so we're on the Saturn, it's no PS2. But I've seen screenshots, and the last thing I'm looking at are jaggies and pop-up - I see design, color, and creativity. In this sense, graphically NiGHTS makes Chrono Cross look dull. Levels where you float between two planes of ground spanned by trees, darting around floating windmills... an underwater level where you actually morph into a kind of mer-person... places where snow drifts down in odd shapes... all as your smoothly animated character flies through them leaving glittering startrails in his wake. BEAUTIFUL. Utterly beautiful.

-Music. Now, I only know of what I've heard from midis I've found on various sites, but what I have heard is mystifyingly perfect. My favorite thus far is the Splash Garden bgm, which just sent me into a clear, calm, tranquilly liquid state of mind with the first few seconds. Now add in the fact that the music can range near infinitely depending on how you treat the Nightopians. That makes it some of the best game music I've ever run across.

-FMVs. It has FMVs. Yum. I buy. No more need be said.

-X-mas NiGHTS - there's an Xmas CD stuffed with a ton of extras, and I've even heard tell of a mode where you can play through as Sonic! Boo. Ya.

So... if you're still reading, I'm a bit surprised. oO;;; Babbling endlessly tends to be a bad habit of mine, so I apologize for aggravating anybody. But to answer your question, no I don't think NiGHTS is overrated. If anything, I believe it hasn't been paid ENOUGH attention to. I'll get back to you once I've actually played it, though... I've only recently even managed to acquire a Saturn.

Eh, I dunno if that helped, but I was bored anyway. ^^;;

[IO Albina Neko]

^ Don't forget about taking the Nightopian raising up a level! I love my lil' Chao to death... then again, I love ANY kind of critter-thing I raise in a video game to death... but anyway my point is that I know Sonic Team can make an insanely good (and ADDICTING) artificial life thingie.

And looking at all the NiGHTS references in SA2B, I'm REALLY wondering why they haven't made a new version of it yet. All I've heard is one vague rumor about a possibility of a NiGHTS game for GBA... and nothin' past that. (How would you even play NiGHTS on the GBA anyway, seeing as how it's kinda an analog-controller game?)

Io-chan will go take a nap before she passes out on the keyboard now...

[Greatluigi]

Yes, god damn it, yes!