Nights: Journey of Dreams trailer released

[AndrewTS 0]

aka "Izuka please don't **** this up, like you did, well, basically every Sonic-related thing you've touched."

 

CHEESY MUSIC ALERT!:

http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?id=4819

 

It wasn't playable at Leipzig, but was presented. Here's impressions of a level shown there from GC '07:

http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/nightsj...tml?sid=6177427

 

Lots of actual gameplay footage shown, but it looks like a lot of it is going to be a behind-the-back view of Nights, tilting and maneuvering with the motion controls. The level shown at Leipzig seemed to be a side view, so I guess you'll be switching through the course of the level (much like in the original game--the views shifted, although it was mainly a side view). I feel there's lots of potential there, based on playing the flying sequences in Twilight Princess, but nobody outside of Sega has played this thing yet it seems, and its unconfirmed it if it will be playable at TGS (this month, BTW).

[LJSexay 0]

this one makes me nervous. I own the original (yeah, I own a Saturn!) and I don;t know what this game could really do to out-do the first one. The thing tat makes me the most nervous is that this is not the original Sonic Team doing this, right? I heard Yugi Naka (correct me if I'm wrong) was dead-set against making a sequel, and isn't a part of this one.

 

Looks like it's a big wait-and-see, from a team that has pretty much made lackluster Sonic games.

[AndrewTS 0]

Well, "not the original Sonic Team" in a sense. Some folks are there, but three main guys basically made Sonic and Nights into Dreams happen: Yuji Naka, Hirokazu Yasuhara, and Naoto Oshima.

 

Yuji Naka split off and formed his own studio last year, but he didn't really do jack crap in years recent except slap a producer credit on the 3D Sonics.

 

The original NiGHTs was the last hurrah for Sonic Team at its best. The director was Oshima, and level designs were done by Yasuhara. Oshima was canned by Naka (reported he called Oshima a useless hack, which is ironic) and formed Artoon, and Yasuhara joined Naughty Dog and was instrumental in making Crash Bandicoot a success.

 

Naka being gone isn't the problem. He turned into a glory-hogging, whiny bitch, sabotaged Sonic Xtreme, and drove basically the heart and soul of Sonic Team from the company. Oshima and Yasuhara being gone is the real tragedy of Sonic Team.

[LJSexay 0]

[AndrewTS 0]

Yeah, doesn't look good: original director, producer, level designer all gone; Sonic Team's last attempt at a similar game (Astro Boy on PS2) sucked; and the lead guy on this project made Shadow the Hedgehog.

 

So, hope for the best, but expect nothing.

[LJSexay 0]

I don't really know the significance of this, but: http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/777/777545p1.html

 

looks like Takashi Iizuka, one of the designers of the original you mentioned, is on-board as producer. I just really want a good game, so if this means I get one then huzzah!

[AndrewTS 0]

Izuka is the guy who designed and directed Shadow the Hedgehog, directed Sonic Heroes and SA2 and was one of the head guys on SA1. I referenced him in the first line of my first post. (The spelling can be either way)

 

So yeah, he did work on Nights, but he also worked on *those* games--with little (Naka) or no (Oshima, Yasuhara) help or guidance from those 3 pivotal figures I named previously. But, on Nights he was lead game designer. So the basic gameplay concepts and game mechanics likely are thanks to him. It's just his more recent work that is killing me. So many series have gone to hell just after losing a single lead team member. Nights' sequel has lost 3. The odds just seem against it.

[LJSexay 0]

haha yeah.... yeahh. Guess we really have to cross our fingers on this one then eh?

[AndrewTS 0]

Considering how close to release it is, we should have a better idea at TGS, where it *should* be playable. I'll admit it *looks* good at least, and doesn't have as many inherent problems as Sonic in 3D.

 

Nights was and is a 2D/3D combo, and was designed for a 3D machine. With similar core gameplay and updated graphics, with enough polish it could be a fine game.

 

Bringing Sonic to 3D was plagued with problems, as any of the poor STI folks who worked on Sonic Xtreme can tell you. You got to have speed but the hardware needs to be able to handle it. You need to allow the game to feel fast and fun, but not be too easy. You need to have obstacles, but you can't ones that are too difficult to handle with the speed of the game. Sonic and the Secret Rings (different director, btw) was conceptually solid, but in execution extremely poor. No game should make you EARN the right to have better control like that game did. Undoubtedly the next 3D Sonic is going to need to be re-re-invented, because everything up until now has been broken. Nights wasn't.

 

So basically, this shouldn't be as big a leap to be a good game.

[luke-o 0]

That looks like a Disney advert.

 

Saying that, I still think it will be a class game.

[AlexPuma 0]

I hope the game is a roaring success. Then again, this is the current Sonic Team we're talking about. They'll screw it up, like they screwed up S&TSR.

[Sideburnious 0]

I'll pick it up regardless. At worst it'll be an average game. At best it'll be on par with the first Nights.

[AndrewTS 0]

New trailer: http://media.wii.ign.com/media/873/873984/vids_1.html

 

(well, 2 days old...)

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

I just remember changing the date on the Saturn's internal clock so I could get Christmas Nights.

 

However, this game should be fine if they've just left it like it was and let you get some crazy combo and speed on.

[AndrewTS 0]

http://www.gamesradar.com/gb/wii/game/news...402143948293070

 

Two-player mode and A-Life features confirmed

 

NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, the motion-sensitive Sega dreamworld adventure, will feature a two-player mode and online play from the day it hits shelves. It'll also revive the Artificial Life system, last seen in the original NiGHTS on Sega Saturn, enabling you to capture, raise and combine creatures.

[LJSexay 0]

http://wii.ign.com/articles/821/821514p1.html

 

TGS Hands-on has me much more hopeful about this game. I'm such a Saturn sucker.. I'd probably buy it anywayif it was awful (it looks good though), but still - if the supposed framerate issue gets sorted out, this game can rock!

 

and multiple controller scheme is always a plus.

[AndrewTS 0]

Hands-on impressions from another site (one that I don't normally approve of, but it's a good read): http://www.seganerds.com/2007/09/25/tgs-20...-of-dreams-wii/

 

Seems like nunchuck style (or the rumored classic controller support) is going to be the best way to go with on this one.

 

[LJSexay 0]

either way sounds fun to me. I pre-ordered :-[!

[AndrewTS 0]

Bump because NiGHTs ships To-morroWii! for North America.

 

So, will this game be a brilliant update or expansion to the NiGHTs series, proving that Iizuka is good for something after all?

 

Will it be so godawful I'll simply have to get myself to update the Sega stupidity thread with this and a few more items, as I'd promised should it suck?

 

Or will it just be kinda ok?

 

Currently the only two reviews available are Nintendo Power and EGM, and one of them is a darn good looking 9.0 while the other is a TOTALLY NOT BAD ON THE EGM/1UP SCALE [ / delusional Sonic-Team-loving fanboy ] 7.2. Considering advance reviews tend to skew on the higher side, the jury's in deliberations.

 

Anyone brav--easily marketed out of 49.99 + applicable sales taxes enough to buy this on release? Or have you put it in your Gamefly queue/plan to rent ASAP? I'll be in the latter group.

[LJSexay 0]

IGN pretty much trashed the game for lack of polish; Bozon was a beast. Currently the game has a 74 on Metacritic, and with such diverse reviews (which is really really interesting)... I'm scared