Good:

There is no game I have played that plays as fluidly and excellently as Nights does. Mastery of controls and game mechanics create a highly replayable, incredibly gripping and unshakable gameplay loop. Music is perfectly fitting and graphics are fairly impressive for the hardware it was on. Just right length, as well.

Verdict:

Very fun and endearing. Free my jailbird yuji naka 9 / 10

Childlike wonder placed into a game, addicting bright lights that puts Cocomelon to shame.

The soundtrack and the visuals give this game a dreamy-like atmosphere. You're practically "Into Dreams" (get it?)

It's rewarding to get really good at this game. Seeing five As and then an overall A is probably the most satisfied I've ever been in terms of personal achievement via video game.

This game is so gorgeous. I recommend it to anyone who can breathe.

When I was a child, our family rented a Sega Saturn every now and then so that my dad could play NASCAR '98. I think if I had not already been introduced to Nintendo, I would have become a Sega kid, and my score attack game of choice would have been NiGHTS instead of Star Fox 64.

This game was surprisingly tough for me, but it always felt tough in a way that made me think "if I played this a LOT more, I could be really good at it." Which is just the right kind of tough to me.

I still sometimes wish I could be NiGHTS; the character designs in this game captured me as a teen and still interest me now. Plus the game is just SO colorful. Absolutely stellar art direction.

This game is a dream. If you're at all a fan of games like Star Fox (or any score attack game, really), definitely give this one a go.

One final note: my partner spectated and when we spotted Naka's name in the credits, we both said "He's in jail!" at the same time.

Dreams... why do we have them? Where do they come from?

They're many things. They often inspire us to create, mold and manifest those same dreams into reality. They give us a vision of what is to possibly come, or perhaps to remind us of simpler times that made our little hearts grow. Above all else, they serve as our home away from home, to escape from the troubles we face in our lives as we sleep through the moon's company, or look towards the sky as we lay on that peaceful hill and put our head in the clouds with the sun. To relieve us from all that stress and bad energy, and bring back that positive outlook that is so important to us as we live on this plane of existence. In a way, it is the most significant element for all of us. Without the ability to dream, what would we do aside from just exist? Where else could we go to get away?

...at the very least, that's my interpretation of them.

No one knows how they work, and we probably never will figure them out or who is out there trying to motivate and cheer us up. Is it a mystical property our bodies have? Is someone above looking out for us? Are they just... as they are? For all we know, we could each have our own personal rogue nightmaren that looks over us and tries to keep those night terrors at bay, and allow us to remain hopeful and optimistic. When we pass, do we meet them? The concept of dreaming in itself is a dream as my imagination runs rampant like the sheep that I count within my mind. It's more intriguing as I ponder on it, because I always find myself diving into that same realm to find my vision on creative personal projects, or to bring me strength to work toward a brighter future for myself and those around me. What about you?

Dreams of finally meeting that special someone online who lives many miles away? Don't worry, you'll see each other soon. Dreaming of finally making your own game and putting it on Steam? You got this. A dream of becoming a YouTube content creator? You can do it.

We can.

That is what matters. I'll always believe in you. Never doubt yourself.

Why the sudden burst of helpful optimism? Well, that brings us to you NiGHTS, the instigator of my sunny disposition. You offer me this flight through your world of colors and frolicking moody nightopians that grow with age as I play your game, challenging me to climb ranks and smash Sonic's records. I continue to be amazed at your poise and grace with your cat-like gaze. You're but an arcade game at your core, and yet you touch my heart with your musical score and the neverending warmth of your silent tale. It feels as though I had my emotions bottled up to keep myself professional like an adult as I went on my adventure with you, and yet... I left the experience feeling like a kid again, singing your tune to bring myself joy. With you, I touched the stars and felt the wind beneath my newly discovered wings.

If I may ask you, the reader...

Is it strange to be this full of cheer with tears in my eyes?

It's December, and that means I'm in the mood for games with a Christmas kind of vibe. NiGHTS into Dreams has always struck me at a very seasonal sort of game, and that's probably because I played Christmas NiGHTS first, but I can't deny that these games are perfect to play while enjoying a cup of nog and a plate of Christmas cookies.

I suspect if I played this game under any other circumstance, I would be much less forgiving. NiGHTS is one of the Sega Saturn's flagship titles. It's also kind of a mess. I suppose on some level that makes it the perfect Saturn game, as interesting and flawed as the system it's for.

My biggest issue with NiGHTS is the camera, which hugs far too close to NiGHTS and makes it difficult to get a good read on what's coming towards you. In each level, NiGHTS must collect orbs to deposit into pods, but sometimes these pods can be located above or below you, or just out of view near boosters that send you careening into auto-scrolling sequences or through hazards that are harder to navigate backwards than forwards. This can cause you to miss them on a loop, or worse make you frantically hunt them down as the timer ticks to zero. Thankfully, if you're playing the game using a Pseudo Saturn Kai, then you can input an Action Replay code that pulls the camera out, making the game a lot more tolerable to play. You will, however, notice quite a bit of pop in as a result, which makes me wonder if the tight camera was a way to hide performance issues rather than a poor design choice.

My other gripe is with the controls, something else that could be potentially alleviated if you have the right tools, but unfortunately I don't have an analog pad for the Saturn. NiGHTS controls like a brick with the D-pad, it's genuinely unpleasant trying to get him to spin around, and he just lacks the finesse on the standard Saturn controller to line up flawless "links" through rings. Poor control can also make boss fights unnecessarily tricky, and if you get hit with a game over you're taken all the way back to the Sega logo, which is a bit harsh. Still, the game feels pretty good when everything clicks together, it just takes some work to acclimate to how NiGHTS controls and some cheating to make the levels navigable.

These are pretty major impediments to enjoying NiGHTS into Dreams, but even if you lack the means to skirt around them or are a NiGHTS purist and suffer through its problems, Naoto Ohshima's incredibly unique vision results in a charming aesthetic that will help carry you through the experience. In fact, there's a lot of NiGHTS that echoes into Balan Wonderworld. Both are interesting games that suffer from some poor design choices and baffling creative decisions, yet still have this undeniable vibe to them that's largely the result of Ohshima's artistic sensibilities. I suppose it goes without saying then that Ohshima is making my nice list this year, whereas Yuji Naka is in fucking jail where he belongs. And to all a good NiGHTS!

There's all kinds of games that are a piece of the creator's childlike wonder, glee, beauty, et cetera. I'd find it difficult to name one that has the same kind of resonance this emanates from start to finish. Gentle, elegant, earnest and bringing you along the ride through a wonderfully crafted landscape of dreams. Sour, dance, play and gymnastics your way through the circus stage made for you. Fears and anxiety are formed only to melt away in the light.

I'll keep thinking about it as the music swells and shifts over the coming days. A lasting impression, of which Oshima himself noted that above all else, they wanted a character and an experience that someone would look at and think "the future looks bright." I'll dance atop that spire of hopeful joy they made.

I think the premise is cool and far more interesting than the Sonic The Hedgehog games I've played. Very dreamlike and Klonoa-esque in its level design (even though that game obviously came out after this). The dual campaign choice is nice too, for a game of this nature.

Unfortunately, I couldn't even get past the first boss because I had no idea what to do and kept going all the way back after the timer ran out. Maybe it's a control thing. Really wanted to get into it, but I don't think I'll pick this one back up again.

Like many people, my age, my first interaction with the Nights franchise was the cameo in Sonic Adventure. As a kid, I had no idea what the heck a Nights was and why the music was so goddamn good. Most of my life later and I finally got around to playing the original game and it was better than I expected. Not only is it incredibly charming with its brightly colored levels and amazing soundtrack but the gameplay, even without a tutorial, is quick to pick up on and very satisfying to get the hang of. Mastering the movement to the point where you can quickly guide through the levels was a very magical moment experience.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this game to anyone as I feel it encapsulates a time when games weren't bogged down by all the changes in the industry over the past years. Despite its short length, the game captures childlike wonder in a way that leaves me smiling every time I play it. It really is something special.

This is a game that kind of goes beyond words. The game is abstract enough to keep me coming back to it, wanting to see how deep the game really goes. The game is fun and fluid to control, and just the simple act of flying around is fun. Learning to master each level and find the optimal paths through each route to maximize bonus time score is exhilarating. The A-life system is also curious and provides an interesting personalization to each persons game file (even if 99.99% of players have ZERO IDEA how that system works.) The plot is even a heartwarming story about overcoming anxieties and finding your way, even if the CG for the cutscenes is a little scary by todays standards. This is just one of those games that I adore from both a gameplay and vibe perspective. It probably isn't for everyone as I'm sure the abstract nature of literally everything would confuse people enough to stop playing, but it hit all the right notes for me. There is a modern port to PC that some diehard fanatics swear against because of control issues but ngl they feel pretty much identical to me so I think it's a solid way to play if you don't have a sega saturn lying around.