NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams
Preview
Journey to your dreams... and beyond?
by Vyle
previewed on WII
A Little Bit Revolutionary
There was a time when any game released by Sonic Team was a sure fire classic – a monumental release for gamers to salivate over.
That was a long time ago.
Around the start of the Dreamcast's life, something went horribly wrong, leaving Sonic Team's golden reputation tarnished and its releases are met by trepidation. The studio that gave us Sonic the Hedgehog (ground breaking 16 bit platform game) now gives us… Sonic the Hedgehog (disturbing 3D platform game that promotes interspecies erotica).
For all of Sonic Team's missteps, it could be said that the Saturn's seminal release, NiGHTS: Into Dreams was their last great game. In step with Sega's current trend, Sonic Team are giving their classic release a 'next gen' sequel in the form of NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams on the Wii.
The original NiGHTS on the Saturn was released in 1996 and proved to be something of a paradox. In a world waking up to the potential of 3D environments, and soon to experience Super Mario 64, NiGHTS used 3D graphics, but was proud to play almost exclusively like a 2D game. And yet, it didn't shy away from being a little bit revolutionary. Aside from being something of a genre of its own as an airborne stunt racing platform game, NiGHTS was also one of, if not the first console game designed with analogue control in mind.
This time round, Sonic Team is yet again producing a decidedly last gen game, with a revolutionary control style. If the current build is anything to go by, Sonic Team may be in with a chance of rebuilding its reputation.
'Next Gen' Sequel
NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams has always been beset by questions about its control scheme, leaving many to wonder if the transition to 3D would harm the purity of the original, prompting fans to ponder the many exciting ways that the Wii-mote could be used to control the flying. The developer seems to have considered all the possible control preferences and has decided to support them all – so far Sonic Team's opus supports the Wii-mote and Nunchuk in two control setups, as well as both the Classic and Gamecube controllers.
The Wii-mote itself can be used to guide NiGHTS like a pointer (think Metroid Prime 3's aiming system). While this is a fluid control method, it does make looping more difficult, and lacks the immediacy of guiding an analogue stick. As a compromise, the Nunchuk can be used to control NiGHTS, while the A button of the Wii-mote provides a speed boost.
