This is a  Nights Into Dreams review for the Sega Saturn By Guitarwizard.

NIGHTS INTO DREAMS

Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Sonic Team
# of players: 2
Released: August 1,1996


PREPARE TO FLY!!
Is there a more whimsical and wonderful world than the dream world of
Nights?  I think not.  Perhaps the single most original and memorable game to be had on the Sega Saturn is the Sonic Team masterpiece "Nights Into Dreams".  It was the best
selling Saturn game in the USA with good reason....it is extremely fun!!  Never before had a game taken us to such magical places as Nights...and some would say that none have sense.

CONTROL: 10/10

The 3D control pad was created especially for Nights, and it works flawlessly.  Loops, random tricks, just soaring...they are all a joy to execute when played with the 3D pad.  Nights gives you a true sense of the freedom of flight...when played with the standard control pad the game still controls very well, but the only way to experience this game to its full potential is with the 3D pad.

DIFFICULTY: 4/10

The learning curve for Nights is more of a gentle slope then a mountain.  To receive the C score needed in each level to reach the final stage of the game only minimal practice is needed...To receive straight A's is another matter.....

GAME PLAY: 10/10

Are you looking for great game play?  Nights has it up the yin yang.  To destroy your strange enemies you can either spin dash into them, or perform a loop de loop around them thereby creating a multi colored vortex into another dimension!  You can also uncover many secretes by looping in random places.  Since this is a "Time Attack" game, there is a time limit before nights runs out of power, and is returned to his captivity so spend your
seconds wisely.  The more points you score by collecting links, and chips will result in a higher grade...it may not sound like much, but it is a very fun!

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

You may be asking yourself "What's going on here?  Why am I doing these things?" The answer is simple...The Wizeman is trying to steal the dream energy (AKA Ideya) of all mankind so that he can enter our world!  It is your job to take the roll of either Elliot Edwards, or Claris Sinclair, who will in turn take the roll of "Nights," a rouge Nightmaren (the title of the most powerful henchmen of the Wizeman) who has been placed in captivity because he turned from doing the will of the evil Wizeman.  To defeat the other
Nightmaren you will first need to recapture the Ideyas that are stolen from you at the beginning of each level, and return them to the starting point in which you first merge with Nights, thereby giving him the power to escape his captivity...The stolen Ideyas are held in little floating shrines which you can only destroy by collecting twenty blue chips.  After collecting all of the stolen Ideyas and returning them to the place where Nights was held captive you then proceed to battle the Nightmaren that is native to the level you
have just played.  The Nightmaren vary in size and type from the huge, and slow (see Gilwing, and Puffy) to the small and agile (see Reala).

GRAPHICS: 9/10

Nights Into Dreams sports some of the best 3D graphics ever to grace the Saturn...that may not sound very impressive, but nights looks great!  The worlds are very detailed, and you can explore them completely with the children before you merge with Nights, or if you do not make it back to the starting point in time with an Ideya (in which case nights will return to his captivity, and all of your collected chips will be lost).  One of my favorite levels is the "Soft Museum" in which the ground will sink when you walk
on/fly near it.  Let those who say that the Saturn cannot do 3D look on Nights, and tremble!

SOUND: 9.5/10

Nights has one of my favorite soundtracks to be found in a video game.  Each level's music suits it perfectly.  The sound effects are clear, and appropriate...also they are very recognizable as the work of Sonic Team.  Overall the sound adds greatly to the surreal atmosphere of the game...Grade A!

ADDICTION FACTOR: 10/10

While rather short, Nights will keep you coming back for more.  I still play it on a by weekly basis after having owned it for years.  There is just nothing like a good session of Nights!