NiGHTS into Dreams...

Moby ID: 7437
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It all started about two young kids. First there is this boy named Elliot Edwards who loves to play basketball, but then he was humiliated in front of his friends by a group of older kids who wants to play in a "friendly" game. Then there is Claris Sinclair, she loves to sing, but when she step on the stage, she felt so nervous that she ran out to the exit like a coward.

NiGHTS was a first class Maren together with Reala. They were both created by Wizeman. As day pass by, NiGHTS notice how his master becoming so evil. So when he started to refuse on obeying his master's evil deeds, Wizeman punished him by locking him up into an Ideya Palaces.

But NiGHTS found out that he has a chance to escape his prison by combining his body to a human dreamer. Those dreamers were Elliot and Claris. He also found out that those two have a Red Ideya within them. As he finally free himself out of the Ideya Palace, he will find Wizeman and destroy him with the help of Elliot and Claris.

Here you basically control Elliot, Claris and Nights. You start a level by choosing Elliot and Claris. Gameplay is similar to Sonic but unique in a way that it is best to use the special D-pad. As you fly through the levels you should pass through a certain number of loop rings to finish each level. You gain bonuses by dancing which can be easily achieved by using a D-pad.

Spellings

  • ナイツ - Japanese spelling

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Credits (SEGA Saturn version)

165 People (120 developers, 45 thanks) · View all

Executive Producer
Project Manager
Producer
Director
Lead Game Designer
Senior Game Designer
Lead Programmer
Senior Programmers
A-Life Programmer
Programmers
NiGHTS Designer
Character Designer
World Artists
A-Life Character Designers
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 91% (based on 23 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 78 ratings with 1 reviews)

Strange, but awesome.

The Good
This game is more or less a flying version of Sonic the Hedgehog, but instead of collecting rings, you fly through them.. sort of.

Alright, this game is impossible to fully describe. The basic premise here is that you fly around on a set path collecting things, and then fight a boss. You can choose between two characters: a little boy, or a little girl.

I'm still a little sketchy on the story, it's complicated and very conceptual. These children dream that they are Nights, and together they fly through different dream worlds.

This is one of the most original games I have seen before or since. The graphics make full use of the Saturn's hardware, and the music is spot-on for mood.

The Bad
If you don't have the special Nights controller, you're going to wear out your thumb on the D-pad. Nights has you performing lots and lots of circles. It's basically the only thing you do, and believe you me, you're going to get some blisters.

The Bottom Line
If you are one of the few to own a Sega Saturn, this is a must-have for your collection. It's original, it's beautiful, it's fun, and it's state of the art.. for the Saturn at least.

SEGA Saturn · by Nick Seafort (16) · 2004

Trivia

1001 Video Games

Nights Into Dreams appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Cameo Appearances

NiGHTS has made cameo appearances in Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2. In SA1, there's an entire pinball table in a NiGHTS theme (complete with a hidden area that takes you to Spring Hill!), and in SA2, he appears in the Radical Highway stage and on a couple of billboards.

Cancelled sequel

A sequel with the working title "Air NiGHTS" was in development for some time. Several different innovative control systems were suggested, such as the possibility of using a tilt sensor for the analogue pad or an entirely new control pad in the form of a wand. Unfortunately, the game never materialized, however it is speculated the some of the initial game concepts were later used for "Samba De Amigo".

Controller

The lead to the 3D pad could be disconnected from the actual pad which was never explained. It was probably to be used for some wireless sensor which would explain the whole 'Air NiGHTS' idea.

Extras

Put your NiGHTS into Dreams... Saturn CD into your PC's CD-ROM drive. There is a folder named "Extras" that has various images in both 16-bit and 256 color format.

Multiple endings

There are 4 possible endings to the game. Claris' ending, Elliot's ending, Claris and Elliot's ending, and the perfect ending (requiring an overall A score in each of the 8 dreams).

NiGHTS mini game

An unlockable NIGHTS mini game for the GameBoy Advance is available within Sega's Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg on the Gamecube.

Yuji Naka

Yuji Naka, the Producer and Lead Programmer for the original "NiGHTS Into Dreams..." has been noted of saying that he will not be involved in a sequel because he feels the game cannot be improved more except graphically.

Awards

  • Electronic Gaming Monthly
  • March 1997 (Issue 92) - Flying Game of the Year runner-up + Saturn Game of the Year (Readers' Choice) + Flying Game of the Year runner-up (Reader's Choice) +Best Graphics runner-up (Readers' Choice)
  • November 1997 (Issue 100) - ranked #70 (Best 100 Games of All Time)
  • Feb. 2006 (Issue 200) - named #160 out of 200 of the "Greatest Games of Their Time"

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  • MobyGames ID: 7437
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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Dwin1118.

Additional contributors: Satoshi Kunsai, Alaka, ケヴィン, FatherJack.

Game added October 12, 2002. Last modified March 4, 2024.