Even though Sega's Sonic Team division never released a true Sonic the Hedgehog title on the criminally under-rated Saturn console, this wonderful game more than makes up for it!
All is not well in the dream realm of Nightopia. An evil being of nightmares, Wizeman the Wicked, is attempting to conquer the dream world and replace it with his own twisted nightmare world! However, one of Wizeman's minions, a being known only as NiGHTS, rebels against the evil nightmare ruler and seeks help to prevent Wizeman's terrible scheme from succeeding. NiGHTS finds it in the form of two courageous children, Claris and Elliot, and it is here that the player takes over.
By controlling either Claris, Elliot or NiGHTS, players must run or fly around a beautifully surreal and imaginative world of dreams, and must collect enough 'ideya' (dream energy) in order to battle one of Wizeman's henchmen and progress to the next stage. It may sound rather simple, but what makes the game so much fun is its addictive scoring system. When playing as NiGHTS, collecting two or more items in succession forms a 'link' (or combo), and the more links you successfully make, the higher your score. Many people also enjoy taking advantage of the game's unique 'A-Life' system, whereby the game is affected in different ways depending on the moods and feelings of the inhabitants of Nightopia. This was later enhanced by Sonic Team in their debut Dreamcast title, Sonic Adventure.
Overall, NiGHTS Into Dreams is a hugely original game that is still unique and immense fun to play even today, six years after its release. If you're a Saturn owner and do not own this game, you are depriving yourself of a brilliant piece of gaming history. And if you don't have a Saturn... what's wrong with you? ;-)
All is not well in the dream realm of Nightopia. An evil being of nightmares, Wizeman the Wicked, is attempting to conquer the dream world and replace it with his own twisted nightmare world! However, one of Wizeman's minions, a being known only as NiGHTS, rebels against the evil nightmare ruler and seeks help to prevent Wizeman's terrible scheme from succeeding. NiGHTS finds it in the form of two courageous children, Claris and Elliot, and it is here that the player takes over.
By controlling either Claris, Elliot or NiGHTS, players must run or fly around a beautifully surreal and imaginative world of dreams, and must collect enough 'ideya' (dream energy) in order to battle one of Wizeman's henchmen and progress to the next stage. It may sound rather simple, but what makes the game so much fun is its addictive scoring system. When playing as NiGHTS, collecting two or more items in succession forms a 'link' (or combo), and the more links you successfully make, the higher your score. Many people also enjoy taking advantage of the game's unique 'A-Life' system, whereby the game is affected in different ways depending on the moods and feelings of the inhabitants of Nightopia. This was later enhanced by Sonic Team in their debut Dreamcast title, Sonic Adventure.
Overall, NiGHTS Into Dreams is a hugely original game that is still unique and immense fun to play even today, six years after its release. If you're a Saturn owner and do not own this game, you are depriving yourself of a brilliant piece of gaming history. And if you don't have a Saturn... what's wrong with you? ;-)
