NiGHTS
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NiGHTS E3 trailer flies high
Following the eventual confirmation of NiGHTS on the Wii, it's been a long road to getting something with those newfangled moving pictures -- somehow stills just don't cut it. So, here it is in all its glory, the NiGHTS E3 trailer. There is absolutely no indication on how the controls will work, so we'll hopefully hunt someone down with actual information instead of just eye candy during E3 this week. Is it everything NiGHTS fans dreamed of?
NiGHTS trailer and gameplay video warm our bitter hearts
We said we wouldn't get hung up on graphics if the gameplay was good. And, well, after watching these two videos of NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, we are feeling a sensation we haven't felt in a long time: real Sega love. You could put a copy of Sonic Shuffle in front of us and we'd totally play it. Our minds aren't changed about the textures, but we find it very hard to care right now. What you see in the video is authentic NiGHTS. Sega hasn't changed it into a minigame collection or a training game or even a 3D platformer. They didn't give him a gun and a car. This is a real sequel to the Saturn game in 2.5D, just like God intended. Ignore the Disney-esque narration and flourishes in the trailer. They are irrelevant. For some reason, these videos aren't embedded at Gamespot's NiGHTS page, despite using the Gamespot player. You can, however, download a high-resolution version of the gameplay video there. They are embedded after the break. Please watch them and improve your day! [Via NeoGAF; embedded Gamespot videos found at GoNintendo]
Sega reveals oodles of game dates
Yes, perhaps we have heard of practically all the games Sega says they're showing at E3, but we now know a bit more specifically when we'll get our soon-to-be-E3-cramped mitts on them. Due this fall are Bleach: Shattered Blade (Wii and DS), NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (Wii), SEGA Rally Revo, PS3, Xbox 360, PSP, PC) Sonic Rush Adventure (DS), Universe at War: Earth Assault (PC) and Virtua Fighter 5 (Xbox 360). In the holiday season, expect Ghost Squad (Wii), The Golden Compass (Multi), Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii, DS). Next year, look for Condemned 2: Bloodshot (Xbox 360, PS3) in February, Iron Man (Multi) in spring, Universe at War: Earth Assault (Xbox 360) in Q1, The Club (PS3, Xbox 360, PC) in winter, and Space Siege (PC) at some point during the year. If you want to learn more about any of these, we've taken the liberty of posting the whole release after the jump.
More like NiGHTS: Journey of Dreamcasts
Okay, before we start talking about these new NiGHTS screenshots, we'll preface ourselves. We are huge Sega fanboys from way back. We played hours of Penguin Land. We were excited about the bundled Altered Beast in the first Genesis boxes. NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams is right up at the top of our "most wanted" list, no matter what. We don't really care about graphics if the gameplay is good. We love Sega, and we aren't graphics snobs.But we have to say that these new screens of NiGHTS don't look that hot. Specifically, the textures are horribly blurry. This is pretty disappointing. NiGHTS should be a visual feast. It doesn't help that Jeux France's images are in double the Wii's native resolution. They look better in a more Wii-like 640x360 resolution, as they appear in our gallery, but even so, those textures are pretty dire. We know the Wii can do better than this, and we know that Sega can do better than this.%Gallery-4673%
NiGHTS: Magazine Scan of Dreams
A new scan of NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams has appeared, thanks to NeoGAF's tireless neo2046. It mostly contains too-small images of NiGHTS flying around, which-- thankfully-- look great. There's some kind of ... peacock creature, maybe?The page highlights NiGHTS' new human counterpart, Helen Cartwright, a young violinist. We assume that, like the previous game's children, she experiences performance anxiety and seeks solace in her dreams. Whatever the motivation, she frees NiGHTS so we can start playing the real game. And for that we must thank the frilly-jacketed, fictional child. The full page is after the break!
NiGHTS gets new subtitle for Japan
Remember when Sega changed the name of Sonic's Wii debut from Wildfire to Sonic and the Secret Rings? We really liked the first name, and quite frankly those rings were never that secret. (There's like hundreds always seemingly stretched along your path.)At a press conference yesterday, Sega Japan has announced a new title for the title formerly known as NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. Japanese gamers, behold NiGHTS: Hoshifuru Yo no Monogatari, roughly translated by IGN to be Story of the Night of the Falling Stars.Will other regions see a name change? We think Journey and Story share enough contextual similarities that Sega might end up keeping the previously-revealed title for North America and Europe. Or, at the very least, come up with a more concise translation than Story of the Night of the Falling Stars.
Story of the day when you found out the NiGHTS subtitle might change
It seems Japanese gamers weren't quite ready to jump into the Journey of Dreams, NiGHTS-style. Sega announced this week that the game's official (Japanese) title would be NiGHTS: Hoshifuru Yo no Monogatari, which IGN's Anoop Gantayat loosely translates as Story of the Night of the Falling Stars, or, This Really Long Subtitle is for Balancing the Game's Short but Iconic Name.How do you feel about the Journey of Dreams tag? Do you think it will change once NiGHTS heads out of Japan?
NiGHTs interview, details
On a scale of one to whimsical, NiGHTs: Journey of Dreams is pretty high up there. A recent Sega event showed off some early gameplay footage, and those present scored a first-hand look at the upcoming flight ... adventure ... whirly ... whatever genre it is, anyway. Apparently the presentation kicked off with a comparison between NiGHTs and the works of famous psychologist Carl Jung, who did extensive work on dream theory. The game will consist of seven dream worlds, each divided into the colorful Nightopia and the darker, sinister realm of Nightmare, in which the game's unique bosses reside. For those worried about an unnatural Wii waggle factor, the game will feature an alternate, analog stick control method for a more traditional experience. An interview with producer Takashi Iizuka can be found here for more information, as well as several first-hand experiences. And just look at those silly clothes. What was he thinking that morning ...?
NiGHTS into screens
Famitsu has posted a bunch of screens for Sega's NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. The screens, which are a mixture of the old and the new, showcase two levels we've already seen before: the underwater and pinball (we think it looks like the inside of a pinball machine) levels. No update on the game using the Forecast Channel, either, so there's really nothing else of interest aside from screens.We've gathered them past the post break, if you want to check them out.
Wii Warm Up: Yeah, that's the ticket
The following tale of Wii accessories is true. And by true, we mean false. It's all lies. But they're entertaining lies. And in the end, isn't that the real truth? The answer ... is no.While Nintendo generally makes a profit on every system sold, each Wiimote actually costs over six hundred dollars to produce. On top of that, Nintendo has to maintain an active connection with each controller-- the Wiimote works by sending extremely sensitive GPS data to Nintendo, who then calculates the approximate movement relative to their Wiimote-tracking satellite, and transmits the information to the Wii via an experimental super-high-speed long-range wireless Internet connection. Oh, and also NiGHTS 2 is going to be a pachinko game.We didn't feel like discussing real aspects of the Wii today. We do that every day. No, we just want to make stuff up. Let's discuss the really interesting things that are going on in the world of Wii-- the things that aren't actually going on.
New official NiGHTS screens
We know that NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams will use the Wii's Forecast Channel for seasonal effects in the upcoming game, and we know that multiple control styles will be available, but we hadn't seen much of the look of the game beyond a few scans. Now, all that's changed; official screenshots have finally been released, and you can stare and drool to your heart's content. Just try not to get it on the keyboard.
NiGHTS to offer up a pair of control schemes
Despite Sega's desire to ensure that NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams is faithful to the original game, it won't be in the controls department. That's just the nature of how we game on the Wii, no big deal, right? Well, Sega thinks so, as Takashi Iizuka confirmed to Ngamer that the game will feature two distinct flavors in the control scheme department. These control styles, which feature a more traditional set-up using the nunchuk controller and free-form control using the Wiimote exclusively, give us a small glimmer of hope that the game won't completely suck as Sega takes their time to carefully consider the end product here. Of course, if you read the entirety of the interview we posted about yesterday, you'd already know this, but based on comments in that post, we felt it needed to be pointed out again.With that in mind, what kind of control scheme can you envision being better for the game? Exclusive Wiimote control or something that pays homage to the gameplay of old, utilizing the nunchuk's analog stick?[Via 1UP]
NiGHTS to be faithful to the original game
While we've been vocally (or textually) thrilled about a sequel to the sublime NiGHTS into Dreams coming to the Wii, our enthusiasm has always been kept in check by the possibility of Sega ruining it. They have a couple of different avenues to do so: they could turn it into a minigame collection for non-gamers, which must be quite a temptation for Wii developers, they could go the "edgy" route, or they could just be Sega and churn out a terrible game. We're happy to report that, according to an NGamer interview with Sega Studio USA's Takashi Iizuka, at least the classic gameplay will be intact. Iizuka said that he decided to keep the game concept the same out of consideration for those of us for whom it's been a long eleven-year wait. Not only is the gameplay basically the same, but the composer for the original game is back. Of course, all of this is very encouraging, but it doesn't eliminate the possibility of Sega pulling a Sonic 360 and releasing a game that is disappointing in surprising new ways. We hate that we have to add the "don't forget, this is Sega" disclaimer, but we do, especially with Sonic Team.
More NiGHTS scans gracefully twirl into your eyeballs
French gaming site Jeux-France has the skinny on new NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams images, which come from Swedish magazine Game Reactor. Jeux-France is reporting that, according to the magazine, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams is actually a remake of Sega's original game. Frankly, we don't know whether to be angry or happy about this idea. On the one hand, should it be true, we're almost guaranteed a good game since the original title was, well ... just so awesome. On the other hand, Wii owners don't really need any more remakes.What say you all?
Samba de Amigo coming to Wii? [update 1]
There's a genius in the higher management of Sega who recently came to a revelation. "My God," he said, "we can make a crapload of money by bringing back popular franchises that find suitable uses for the Wiimote." And lo, his word became gospel, and now there's a tasty rumor on the horizon that his teachings are spreading far and wide: the classic arcade rhythm title Samba de Amigo may be coming to the Wii by year's end.We don't need to tell you, of course, that the Wii was originally designed for the express purpose of shaking maracas. It's brilliant. If you're wondering how this title can compare to more traditional rhythm-based games, here are some wonderful YouTube clips for your enjoyment. Here's to you, Sega executive guy.Update: Sorry, pesky little typos broke out of their cage.
Wii Warm Up: Our worst NiGHTmare
Brought to you by our good friends at 2-P Start, this image highlights exactly how Sonic Team USA, responsible for such crap as Shadow the Hedgehog, could crush the beautiful NiGHTs franchise into the ground. You've voted on the polls, but more specifically, what do you think Sonic Team USA can do to screw this up? What should they change, what shouldn't they, and will cult-classic status translate into prolific sales figures? Is the main character a guy or a girl? Hmmmm.
Readers pick best webcomic: the real winner
Proving that the quality of clever observation can trump the importance of finished, colorful artwork, Scott Johnson's Extra Life took first place in this week's webcomic wrapup for understanding the real winner of the so-called "console wars." Second place goes to Ctrl+Alt+Del and third place goes to 2P Start. (Yes, Ray and Tim, we also wouldn't be surprised.) Thanks to everyone who voted and be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomic you stumble upon this week!
Gamestop visits the future and brings back a list
Feel like planning your game purchases for the rest of the year? We can help, with this list of release dates and prices from EB/Gamestop's point-of-sale system. There's some reasonably exciting stuff on there, like Manhunt 2 (August 1st), Dewy's Adventure (September 3rd), and NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (October 1st), as well as stuff that is slightly less mass-appeal, like Escape from Bug Island and CSI 4: Hard Evidence. There's a large cluster of EA stuff marked as being released on November 1st, but we suspect that date is a placeholder. For that matter, don't take any of these release dates as ironclad.The full list is available for browsing after the break. It's still useful even if you don't plan to go into Gamestop for some reason.
Poll results: How excited are you for NiGHTS?
It's been a week since we polled you all on the latest news regarding a new NiGHTS game hitting the Wii and, according to our poll results, our readers don't feel like voting in polls. Seriously, only 1,400 votes? We thought more of you out there would have something to say on the subject (perhaps our poll answers were a bit off?). Regardless, looks like a lot of you out there never even played the first game, which is a shame (it was pretty darn good, folks).
NiGHTS to utilize Forecast Channel for weather effects
With the confirmation of the long-awaited sequel to the Sega Saturn game coming to the Wii, many perhaps wondered what the game would offer to improve upon the already stellar game that came before it. Finally, we have some answers and, upon glancing over some of the deets for the game, we're very excited for where this game is headed.Not only will the game feature seven different dream worlds, but the player will also be able to utilize three different masks (Dragon, Dolphin and Rocket) that bring shape-shifting abilities to the table. On top of that, it's also confirmed that the game will feature the Wii's WiiConnect24 service, allowing players to "exchange items with friends." And, of course, there's the use of the Wii's Forecast Channel to determine scenery and weather.[Via Joystiq and Sega Nerds]
