July 2011: NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (Wii)
Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 9:02 am
There's quite a few games, in my opinion, that have always warranted a sequel, but never got one. Chief amongst them was NiGHTS into Dreams..., a delightful Saturn gem that was featured as our very first Game of the Month four whole years ago (Link).
The original game was a fantastic slice of fun, and whilst I always wanted more of it, it was one of those games that looked destined to remain as a one-off. 11 years after the Saturn original, in Japan at least, wishes were granted, and NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams was released.
Only it never really felt like a sequel. There were a handful of differences between the Saturn and Wii titles, but the storyline was almost entirely the same, only enhanced and lengthened, as you naturally would in this day and age of gaming. You still controlled NiGHTS, flying through levels collecting enough blue chips to destroy capsules containing Ideya. Find them all, beat a boss etc etc.
There were a few differences in the gameplay, too. Certain levels transformed NiGHTS into a different form, such as a boat, but these took away from the original experience. It's also worth noting that the voice acting was generally awful, and some of the control schemes were more than a little confusing.
Audiowise, Journey of Dreams was as good as the original, with some songs actually being better than their Saturn counterparts, Dreams Dreams: Sweet Snow a particular highlight. As with the general storyline, however, the repetition in musical themes is noted, and also helps to reinforce the general feeling that JoD was more an enhanced remake than a sequel.
Still, if NiGHTS was a favourite of yours, and you'd been begging for a sequel, Journey of Dreams delivered in the areas it should, but did needlessly add bits that weren't really needed. Being too similar to the original game didn't help either, and as such it got left behind on its release.
There are better games on the Wii, and SEGA / Sonic Team have developed better games as well. But this month, NiGHTS turns 15, and seeing as we've already featured the original game, it was fitting that we should celebrate the second game in the series (not counting Christmas NiGHTS).
The original game was a fantastic slice of fun, and whilst I always wanted more of it, it was one of those games that looked destined to remain as a one-off. 11 years after the Saturn original, in Japan at least, wishes were granted, and NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams was released.
Only it never really felt like a sequel. There were a handful of differences between the Saturn and Wii titles, but the storyline was almost entirely the same, only enhanced and lengthened, as you naturally would in this day and age of gaming. You still controlled NiGHTS, flying through levels collecting enough blue chips to destroy capsules containing Ideya. Find them all, beat a boss etc etc.
There were a few differences in the gameplay, too. Certain levels transformed NiGHTS into a different form, such as a boat, but these took away from the original experience. It's also worth noting that the voice acting was generally awful, and some of the control schemes were more than a little confusing.
Audiowise, Journey of Dreams was as good as the original, with some songs actually being better than their Saturn counterparts, Dreams Dreams: Sweet Snow a particular highlight. As with the general storyline, however, the repetition in musical themes is noted, and also helps to reinforce the general feeling that JoD was more an enhanced remake than a sequel.
Still, if NiGHTS was a favourite of yours, and you'd been begging for a sequel, Journey of Dreams delivered in the areas it should, but did needlessly add bits that weren't really needed. Being too similar to the original game didn't help either, and as such it got left behind on its release.
There are better games on the Wii, and SEGA / Sonic Team have developed better games as well. But this month, NiGHTS turns 15, and seeing as we've already featured the original game, it was fitting that we should celebrate the second game in the series (not counting Christmas NiGHTS).