Just in case you missed this yesterday, Sega has announced a new NiGHTS title, set for release on Wii in the Autumn. Subtitled 'Journey of Dreams', it's a follow-up to one of the company's finest console titles, NiGHTS Into Dreams, developed by Sonic Team and released in 1996 for the Sega Saturn. The mere mention of the game is enough to send shivers of ecstasy down the spines of Sega nuts, due to its perfect implentation of smooth, atmospheric 3D visuals with scrolling 2D gameplay and a wonderfully affecting story. From the press release:
"As a fantasy jester called NiGHTS, players will fly through Nightopia, a rich and vibrant world where dreams come to life. With the innovative Wii Remote, gamers will experience a heightened sense of gliding, spiraling, and looping through seven mystical dream worlds packed with high-flying adventure. Players must find inventive ways to confront the "Nightmarens" from the neighboring dark world of Nightmare using amazing acrobatic skills, freedom of flight, and other special abilities to protect Nightopia. NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams is an adventure filled with courage, hope and inspiration that the whole family will enjoy this holiday season."
A NiGHTS sequel has been rumoured for years, with several abandoned attempts, one of which - Air NiGHTS - was apparently intended to utilise the tilt mechanism in the Saturn's analogue pad. You got there in the end, Sega. Though we could have done with this on Dreamcast...
There's an official website here.
