NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams

[Teppo Holmqvist]

This is just a lie! I thought liars were extinct now that we have the internet to disprove practically anything.

 

Umm... there is actually two Saturn emulators that can run NIGHTS correctly, SSF and Satourne. But don't even except run them well with anything that has less than two cores and modern GPU. Here is few screenshots from Satourne version:

 

 

 

 

Notice that these shots take advantage of D3D, and have much better resolution and anti-alias than original Saturn version. Textures aren't filtered, as it is practically impossible due way how Saturn handles textures.

[pedrocasilva]

Back on-topic now; I seriously doubt that 2007 release date. Given the things we've seen so far this game is far from finished - that date seems way too optimistic.

 

In fact, it would be quite typically Sonic Team to release unfinished/faulty games seeing Sonic 360

I doubt they'll let it postpone 2007, but from what I've seen I wouldn't say it's in early stages, the sceneries (and boss battle) looked pretty finished to me just NiGHTS model obviously needed work.

 

Off course I could change my mind for the worse when i see videos in motion.

 

From what others said this game might have been in development since, at least last May 2006, that makes it about one year now, whereas Sonic and the Secret Rings took a full year to be made and released (apart from planning stages)... I think it could be well on schedule for release.

 

Let's hope Sega gets it right, and these guys can polish the game till release.

Anyhoo, indeed back on topic. NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams has apparently been in development for about a year already, and for a game on this relatively modest scale, two yearsish of development time should be enough.

 

Also, I don't think Sega sees a need to rush this out after 11 years, especially considering how highly regarded it is.

I think Sega board of directors wouldn't want to miss Christmas 2007 date, so I'm inclined to say they would pressure the team with that final deadline no matter what.

 

But they should be counting on that already so I hope they already have a good game there and will tune it further.

Umm... there is actually two Saturn emulators that can run NIGHTS correctly, SSF and Satourne. But don't even except run them well with anything that has less than two cores and modern GPU.

Does it feel the same though? gameplay control response-wise?

[Dante]

SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd. today announced NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams™, the long awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed NiGHTS franchise that gave gamers the freedom to fly in a world of dreams and imagination. NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams is being developed for Nintendo’s Wii™ video game console and is scheduled to be released in Fall 2007.

 

“We plan to deliver a gameplay experience never before seen on the Wii with NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. “The game takes full advantage of the unique Wii Remote controller enabling gamers to guide NiGHTS through spectacularly designed dream worlds intertwined with a story about hope and courage.”

 

As a fantasy jester called NiGHTS, players will fly through Nightopia, a rich and vibrant world where dreams come to life. With the innovative Wii Remote, gamers will experience a heightened sense of gliding, spiraling, and looping through seven mystical dream worlds packed with high-flying adventure. Players must find inventive ways to confront the “Nightmarens” from the neighboring dark world of Nightmare using amazing acrobatic skills, freedom of flight, and other special abilities to protect Nightopia. NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams is an adventure filled with courage, hope and inspiration that the whole family will enjoy this holiday season.

[Teppo Holmqvist]

)Does it feel the same though? gameplay control response-wise?

 

Pretty much if you use pad.

[ShadowV7]

Hopefull since this is SEGA,we will see this game in 2007 aswell since they are usualy good with translation times.

 

I will get this for Xmas to build up excitement instead of me buying it.Can't wait for this.But i'm sure I read from somewhere (Sponf probably) that it's been in development for a year or so as mentioned above.

[Dante]

Hopefull since this is SEGA,we will see this game in 2007 aswell since they are usualy good with translation times.

 

I will get this for Xmas to build up excitement instead of me buying it.Can't wait for this.But i'm sure I read from somewhere (Sponf probably) that it's been in development for a year or so as mentioned above.

 

NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams is being developed for Nintendo’s Wii™ video game console and is scheduled to be released in Autumn 2007.

[pedrocasilva]

Pretty much if you use pad.

Might try it when I get the chance.

 

I'm sort of tracking down a Saturn console now so I can add original NiGHTS (and Christmas NiGHTS) to my collection though, can't wait, can't wait (to play it again)

[SimonM7]

I know there are Saturn emulators, Teppo, we already established that, but they don't even make the games half playable. I've used some to make Guardian Heroes sprite rips.

 

ZeldaFreak is suggesting he's played an even remotely representative version of NiGHTS to base his opinion on, and that's a lie.

 

Unless of course he has a crazy powerhouse of a computer and makes due with a fourth of the framerate. (Doubt even that)

[Teppo Holmqvist]

I know there are Saturn emulators, Teppo, we already established that, but they don't even make the games half playable.

 

They do, especially in more recent versions.

[SimonM7]

Okay then, I stand corrected.

[Shino]

The problem isn't the emulators, the fact is, some games don't age well as we've observed recently with Mario64, that whilst being a good game it isn't the same experience as it was 11 years ago.

[SimonM7]

Sure, but if you can play it like it plays on Saturn and he takes issue with the gameplay there's really nothing you can say, because the gameplay is just as good today, honestly.

 

The thing that didn't age well with NiGHTS is some of the graphics for sure, most notably the clipping and the transparency, but apart from that gameplay should be intact as long as you play it with an analogue pad and know what to do. (Get the orb, then freak out during bonus time for gigantic Links and scores before JUST making it to the goal in time).

[Shino]

Sure, but if you can play it like it plays on Saturn and he takes issue with the gameplay there's really nothing you can say, because the gameplay is just as good today, honestly.

 

The thing that didn't age well with NiGHTS is some of the graphics for sure, most notably the clipping and the transparency, but apart from that gameplay should be intact as long as you play it with an analogue pad and know what to do. (Get the orb, then freak out during bonus time for gigantic Links and scores before JUST making it to the goal in time).

 

I'm talking gameplay wise too. Games now consist of so much more than before, that if you went back in time telling it they wouldn't believe. Sure, going through hoops and racing to the finish doesn't seems that thrilling anymore, but back then people would go batshit over a game that lets you FLY with 3D graphics in an analog controller.

[pedrocasilva]

The problem isn't the emulators, the fact is, some games don't age well as we've observed recently with Mario64, that whilst being a good game it isn't the same experience as it was 11 years ago.

Thing about Mario 64 for me isn't the aging of the software, it's really how it was surpassed...

 

Mario 64 was surpassed to my eyes since Banjo Kazooie came out all these years ago, it didn't even take a full generation; yes it was a revolution, but it was done better afterwards.

 

NiGHTS to this day is dificult to describe for me as a game other than "it's NiGHTS", there weren't NiGHTS clones that I know of in these 11 years, so I'd be willing to risk that perhaps it hasn't aged as much as Mario 64.

[SimonM7]

Well I guess what I'm saying here is that if he didn't like the Saturn game then he wouldn't like a pretty version of the same game either, but that doesn't mean it wasn't brilliant.

 

I mean I know I rate it higher than any game I've ever played, but I think it's simplifying it a bit by saying "it's old so it's rubbish now, of course you don't like it."

 

That works in many cases, but as Pedro says, I think NiGHTS has aged pretty well gameplay wise, and provided you are playing a representative version of the saturn game, I think his opinion is legit.

 

Even though he's far from good at expressing it in a manner that doesn't suggest it IS shit and that everyone else is stupid.

[Shino]

Just to clear things up, I don't know if NiGHTS is actually good or worth of all this attention, I'm just giving a possible good explanation for his opinion. And dispite of how unique it is, it was surpassed (by my little understanding of the game) by games such as Pilotwings.

[pedrocasilva]

I'm talking gameplay wise too. Games now consist of so much more than before, that if you went back in time telling it they wouldn't believe. Sure, going through hoops and racing to the finish doesn't seems that thrilling anymore, but back then people would go batshit over a game that lets you FLY with 3D graphics in an analog controller.

I think while that holds truth it's also a little subject to discussion, evolution always turns things more complex but, it must also give off solutions so these things don't get that much harder once the market adjusts to it.

 

Examples are how years ago nobody used proprietary middlewares they weren't needed, now we're getting flooded by them in order to shorten a game development cycle, Wii's concept itself for some games lends to a simplification of the gameplay so "even a 65 year old can play" using little to no buttons and being intuitive, although it could turn out to be hard to implement for developers, that said there's tools coming to help in that too, so could turn pretty painless later on.

 

I can't say Wii Sports is more complex gameplay-wise than some NES games, nor that lumines needs a load more buttons than tetris needed (and so on) so I guess while some games are bound to try and always add more to their formula, there are also games that are bound to try to simplify and that's legit too...

 

Two sides of the same coin and things that should really be considered by the developers, for example I think 3D Sonic's benefit from the Sonic Wii formula more than the Sonic Adventure formula they were aiming for before, Sonic Wii is simpler but also more truthful to the core of the series, speed.

 

NiGHTS was already pretty simple back then (IMO) that's part of why it was so cool, while flying it was sort of on-rails, no changeable camera angles like mario 64, etc... It just worked.

 

I don't think they have to make it much more complicated, they might spoil the original formula in doing so. (that said I want to see the formula expanded and evolved as well)

Just to clear things up, I don't know if NiGHTS is actually good or worth of all this attention, I'm just giving a possible good explanation for his opinion. And dispite of how unique it is, it was surpassed (by my little understanding of the game) by games such as Pilotwings.

I know, I'm really liking this discussion now, very polite and balanced. Always good to see and participate.

[ZeldaFreak]

I know there are Saturn emulators, Teppo, we already established that, but they don't even make the games half playable. I've used some to make Guardian Heroes sprite rips.

 

ZeldaFreak is suggesting he's played an even remotely representative version of NiGHTS to base his opinion on, and that's a lie.

 

Unless of course he has a crazy powerhouse of a computer and makes due with a fourth of the framerate. (Doubt even that)

 

I do actually have a bit of a powerhouse computer it has a faily decent new computer you see. Oh well guess I am not a liar then :awesome:

[Shino]

I think while that holds truth it's also a little subject to discussion, evolution always turns things more complex but, it must also give off solutions so these things don't get that much harder once the market adjusts to it.

 

Examples are how years ago nobody used proprietary middlewares they weren't needed, now we're getting flooded by them in order to shorten a game development cycle, Wii's concept itself for some games lends to a simplification of the gameplay so "even a 65 year old can play" using little to no buttons and being intuitive, although it could turn out to be hard to implement for developers, that said there's tools coming to help in that too, so could turn pretty painless later on.

 

I can't say Wii Sports is more complex gameplay-wise than some NES games, nor that lumines needs a load more buttons than tetris needed (and so on) so I guess while some games are bound to try and always add more to their formula, there are also games that are bound to try to simplify and that's legit too...

 

Two sides of the same coin and things that should really be considered by the developers, for example I think 3D Sonic's benefit from the Sonic Wii formula more than the Sonic Adventure formula they were aiming for before, Sonic Wii is simpler but also more truthful to the core of the series, speed.

 

NiGHTS was already pretty simple back then (IMO) that's part of why it was so cool, while flying it was sort of on-rails, no changeable camera angles like mario 64, etc... It just worked.

 

I don't think they have to make it much more complicated, they might spoil the original formula in doing so. (that said I want to see the formula expanded and evolved as well).

 

Complex doesn't mean more complicated, I think Wii sports illustrates that well, you have some complex functions and more deep ways to play it, but thanks to Nintendo (and this is where the Wii really shines), it still feels easy and natural to play.

 

Of course some genders take more advantage of this complexity (such as Civ and RPG) to add more fun to the gameplay, while others use this simplicity for the same effect (such as Sonic Wii). It all depends on the devs.

 

What I'm trying to say is, NiGHTS can be a complex and evolved game while keeping its simplicity, otherwise, if they keep the same formula as previously, more people will say "it's crappy".

 

Maybe thats the reason they delayed it until something like the Wii arrived. :p

 

I know, I'm really liking this discussion now, very polite and balanced. Always good to see and participate.

 

Lets see how long it lasts.

[pedrocasilva]

Fall 2007?

 

 

Source: http://www.sega.com/games/game_temp.php?game=nights

 

EDIT:

 

 

ZOMG!! No they didn't!

[DCK]

From the makers of Shadow The Hedgehog - yeah definetely a must buy now

 

Meanwhile, any idea of how the Wiimote will be used now? I'm still in the dark of the exact gameplay mechanics of this game and its sequel too.

 

Journey of Dreams is a nice title though.

[SimonM7]

@ ZeldaFreak

 

No, I was wrong. I got annoyed and carried away, I apologize.

 

 

In regards to "Journey of Dreams";

It's especially nice considering the first was called Into Dreams, and the subtitle could be significant in describing a fundamental direction this will take, theme wise.

 

The first game took place inside Claire and Elliot's dreams, making the story rather confined to those two, but if the subtitle isn't engrish and actually means a journey of dreams, I think it's possible that this will involve more people.

[ZeldaFreak]

@ ZeldaFreak

 

No, I was wrong. I got annoyed and carried away, I apologize.

 

 

In regards to "Journey of Dreams";

It's especially nice considering the first was called Into Dreams, and the subtitle could be significant in describing a fundamental direction this will take, theme wise.

 

The first game took place inside Claire and Elliot's dreams, making the story rather confined to those two, but if the subtitle isn't engrish and actually means a journey of dreams, I think it's possible that this will involve more people.

 

Its all right SimonM7 - like I stated previously I thought the previous NiGHTS game was beutiful. I just thought the gameplay wasn't upto much when comparing it agaist games from the same time frame.

[flameboy]

Seems to make sense we will get this Fall/Autumn as well to be honest. Mario and Sonic Olympics will likely get a free run at Xmas time I think and thats been confirmed for xmas.

[ShadowV7]

But least we know for sure that we're gonna get this in '07 now.

 

Seriously,there's a lot coming out this year now,i'll have like 20 games for the end of '07.