NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams

We let Sharan out of his cage for this one.

G A M E   D E T A I L S
Format Wii	Developer Sonic Team	Publisher SEGA	Genre Action	Players 1

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Journey of Dreams supports a variety of control methods. Use the Wii Remote, the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, or a GameCube/Classic controller. Using just the Wii Remote brings up a cursor on the screen. You just have to point the Wii Remote in the direction you want to go and NiGHTS should follow the path. While this sounds simple, the Wii Remote is extremely inaccurate and causes nothing less than absolute frustration. We recommend avoiding this method at all costs.

The Wii Remote and Nunchuck combo gives much better control over NiGHTs. Use the analog stick to control movement, and the button to perform various tricks. While this control method isn't bad, something feels missing. The precision of the Saturn analog controller on the original game is still missing. Fear not, as this precision is restored when using a GameCube or Classic Controller.

The GameCube (or Classic) controller really is the most ideal way to play the game giving complete control over NiGHTs. With this method, the game instantly becomes much more fun to play.

On booting the game, you are presented with a shoddy menu with an extremely low frame rate that makes your eyes hurt to navigate. Once you select which child you'd like to play as, you'll arrive at the dream gate. No matter what control method you choose, playing as one of the child characters is always painful. Movement feels as if you're using a D-Pad rather than an analog controller, and jumping is asynchronous to the button presses. From this hub there is also entrance to a garden called "My Dream" featuring enemies you have interacted with during the game. The graphics in "My Dream" are some of the worst we have seen in a long, long time!

P L E A S E   V I S I T   O U R   S P O N S O R :

Any videos showing interaction between Will and NiGHTS allow you to hear Nights' rather feminine voice. This feels rather weird for a character we always thought was male (even though the documentation always said he had no specific gender). The story is atrocious too. This is all forgiven though, once you enter a level and start playing as NiGHTS himself - but it does affect the overall package of the game and enjoyment factor.

It would be great if everything but the levels could be stripped out in the way the original Sonic on the Mega Drive was done. It's a shame Sonic Team have pushed for so much of the unnecessary.

The game soundtrack is brilliant, featuring some remixes of tracks from the original game as well as some original material. The score is definitely one of the finest features of the game.

Fans that have waited over a decade years will not be disappointed. They have something refreshing yet familiar in a nostalgic kind of way. The package isn't anywhere as polished as the original, but beneath the surface, this really is NiGHTS.

T H E   S C O R E S

Graphics Sound Gameplay Depth Presentation Overall 7.0 10 8.0 6.0 5.0 7.0

The Final Word:  After some of the recent atrocities that have come out of Sonic Team, we have to say this is definitely one of their better efforts. Now Sega, how about a new Burning Rangers? "In a dream I can see, you are not far away..."