NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams – WII – Review

Long ago when Sega was still
a console manufacturer, they were constantly faced with the threat of
first-party competition. Sonic the Hedgehog was born after Mario became a hit
for Nintendo. In 1996, Sega introduced a new mascot to compete with the plumber
brothers: NiGHTS. The game, titled Nights Into Dreams and released exclusively
for the Sega Saturn, was an inspired adventure without the typical
two-dimensional limitations. Players could fly anywhere in every stage. The game
was so unique that it came packaged with a new controller, brining the first
thumbstick to the North American market before Nintendo and Sony released
theirs.

Considered an instant
classic from day one, Nights Into Dreams has been one of those games that spent
years (over a decade!) on the “Will we ever get a sequel?” list. After years of
speculation, Sega confirmed that an all-new Nights would be coming to Nintendo
Wii. And finally, after almost 10 months of additional waiting, the game has
flown into retail.

Nights: Journey of Dreams
contains the same kind of two-dimensional aerial gameplay that was featured in
the original. As NiGHTS, the Cirque du Soleil-looking heroine who can fly,
players will dualize (merge) with one of the two main characters, Will or Helen,
who enter the dream world of Nightopia during one frightful slumber. Using the
Wii remote or nunchuck/Classic Controller thumbstick, players will guide the
path they wish to fly in.

Newbies and returning fans
alike will appreciate the latter setup, as it allows you to pick up and play the
game with little resistance. There isn’t much of a learning curve involved,
especially if you’re used to navigating 3D worlds. This game doesn’t contain
actual 3D gameplay, just the perception of it, along with some of the
best 2D designs in the biz. Using several camera transformations, Journey of
Dreams changes the perspective frequently to impress players and entice further
exploration.

While most side-scrollers’
quality is based solely on its ability to consume the player with addictive
gameplay, this game is very much an aural and visual experience. The music is
beautiful, and though the graphics lack the eye-popping effects of Mario Galaxy
or Twilight Princess, they are still impressive at making you feel like you’re
flying.

In addition to the side-scroller
view, the game also takes on a behind-the-character perspective, as well as a
top-down view that alters the way you’ll move through the stage. It’s somewhat
surreal and undoubtedly joyous – Journey of Dreams has its share of imperfect
moments, but during these scenarios, players will be transported to a dream
world unlike any they have seen since 1996.

Will’s intro shows his father leaving home (permanently, perhaps?). Helen, on
the other hand, is upset after abandoning her mother to hang out with friends.

While soaring above each
world, various goals must be completed in order to reach the next stage. They
include enemy destruction, ring formation, and Nightopian salvation. Nightopians
are the local pint-sized citizens of Nightopia. They’re peaceful, helpless
creatures that whine in the face of danger. They also die easily, which is where
you come in. By flying in a complete circle, NiGHTS will perform a Paraloop, a
special move that absorbs Nightopians (as well as objects) to rescue them before
they’re sucked into a black hole. In one scenario, players will have to Paraloop
as many of these creatures as possible before the time runs out. No more than
five Nightopians can be lost in the battle – lose six and the game will end.
Continues are unlimited though, and your progress is automatically saved after
every accomplishment.

Rings have been a big part
of the Sonic games from day one. They are also a big part of the Nights series,
but in a much different way. In this game the rings are twice the size of the
main character, allowing you to fly through them to increase your Drill Dash
ability. Drill Dash is a special move that increases your speed and attack
capabilities. It also determines how long you are able to use a character
transformation. NiGHTS can take on three forms that differ from her normal
appearance: a rocket, a sea creature, and another rocket. The first rocket lets
you travel the fastest and is practically a necessity in defeating the final
boss. The other two aren’t anything out of the ordinary, but they will also
provide some help during certain bosses and/or stages.

In general, enemies are
defeated with a Touch-Dash. This is initiated automatically by making contact
with an enemy. NiGHTS latches on and begins to spin in a circle. Push the dash
button (A or B depending on the control style) to strike the enemy from this
position. This is fun but cannot compare to the depth of some of the boss
battles. When NiGHTS faces her nemesis, she can use this move to grab and throw
boulders across the sky. The performance is 2D – the entire stage takes place in
a giant (and misleading) circle. But the graphics lead you down another path,
allowing the boulder to cross over into the third dimension and potentially
strike the opponent from outside the two-dimensional boundaries.

During another boss battle,
players will use the Touch-Dash and Drill Dash to push the balloon-shaped baddie
through its trap-filled stage. The camera stays behind NiGHTS for this one,
making you re-think how to maneuver without moving too far from the familiar.

Are we supposed to assume that something bad happened to
these kids’ parents after the intro? That’s the vague indication. By entering
the dream world, they’ll get the chance to make things right, while the player
is left wondering: was it all just a bad dream?

Journey of Nightmares

When the action/adventure
genre began, the games were short but challenging. Without much storage space
(or a budget) for something longer, developers hoped to extend their games’
lifespan with replay value. Though we did begin to see a change with games like
Mario 64, the genre has since returned to its short, replay value roots.

More than half of Journey of
Dreams’ stages are worth playing through multiple times. Unfortunately, there
are a few stages that you won’t care to revisit. It’s not that they’re
significantly bad, but they’re not much fun either. They lack the excitement and
awe-inspiring feeling that the rest of the game offers.

One of those stages involves
a three-dimensional, on-foot search for the level’s exit. Your only goal is to
get from point A to point B, and to do that you must find and hit a number of
switches. The game is somewhat clever in its way of keeping you from the exit –
to reach the end, players must activate and cross several transparent platforms.
The platforms must be turned on in a specific order; touch one that isn’t
activated and you’ll fall right through, ending the game. You can re-try
repeatedly, but you’ll have to start from the beginning every time you
die. The same goes for the final boss stage. It isn’t very difficult but it is
very long. No direction is provided in how to defeat the boss, that’s a task
you’ll have to figure out on your own. Screw up and you’ll regret it.

And while the original
Nights game was innovative for its time, you won’t find anything groundbreaking
in this sequel. The Wii remote motion controls don’t feel right, and with
multiple control options available (including the option to use a GameCube
controller), I must not be the only one who noticed.

Nights: Journey of Dreams
isn’t the perfect, Mario-class game that the original was in 1996. But it’s a
mostly fun experience with inspired levels, amazing camera tricks, and excellent
controls (if you exclude the motion elements, which don’t have to be used).

Review Scoring Details for Nights: Journey of Dreams

Gameplay: 8.2
Aerial gameplay from
a multitude of perspectives, Nights: Journey of Dreams is an inspiring fantasy
world of magical proportions.

Graphics: 7.9
Journey of Dreams
isn’t the most beautiful Wii game – some levels are gorgeous, others are
somewhat bland – but its camera adjustments are out of this world.

Sound: 8.5
Hey, I don’t
remember ordering a game with extra cheese. But if you ignore the lousy
voice work and annoying story sequences (which can’t be skipped), you’ll be
immersed in Journey of Dreams’ incredible soundtrack. There aren’t many
different tunes, but the few that are there are amazing.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Mostly easy. The
boss battles provide a slight challenge, but it’s nothing you won’t be able to
conquer in a few tries or less. 

Concept: 7
A straight sequel to
one of Sega Saturn’s most revered action/adventures.

Multiplayer: 7
The two-player race
and battle competitions are standard game fare.

Overall: 8
Nights: Journey of
Dreams delivers a second dose of the classic, 2D meets 3D gameplay that made the
original Nights a success. It has its share of flaws – the lack of innovation is
surprising, and the motion controls are the worst of the bunch. But as a whole,
Journey of Dreams is a great adventure that will take you to a world you won’t
want to leave.