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[Vilix]

NiGHTS Doubles Up
SEGA title to feature two-player mode and "Artificial Life."
by Bozon

September 14, 2007 - To coincide with pre-TGS coverage, SEGA announced today that NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams players will be getting a bit more content than they thought when the final version hits. According to SEGA representatives, NiGHTS "will feature a two-player mode and network support at launch."

While details are still sparse on this feature, the official Japanese site also refers to this addition as "duel" mode, implying that it'll be competitive and not cooperative. In addition to "duel" mode, we got official word from SEGA of America that the game will actually feature multiple two-player modes, some of which will be available only locally, and others that work the full potential of Wii with Nintendo WiFi Connection. Since details at this moment are still relatively secretive, we were able to confirm only one online mode of play, which is a two-player "race" competition. Details of whether or not you can play against only friends, or if a random matchmaking system will be included are still unknown.

As for other details, SEGA also plans to reawaken the Artificial Life (A-Life) feature in NiGHTS, which allows users to control and manage a sandbox environment where you can capture, raise, and combine animals from the Nightopia world.

Details on both "duel" mode and the A-Life system are still pretty sparse, but we'll know more once the Tokyo Game Show kicks off officially. More as it develops.

.

 

[cilonen]

"Artificial Life" = Chao garden.

Please, let this idea die Sega.

 

[B_Rik_Schitthaus]

a-life was so fun.
dont care about online but it might be nice to mess around with.

 

[PataHikari]

"Artificial Life" = Chao garden.

Please, let this idea die Sega.

Why?

It's a cute little side game.

 

[fernoca]

:O!
Glad to see Sega actually putting effort into this.

 

[Nexus Zero]

"Artificial Life" = Chao garden.

Please, let this idea die Sega.

Nights A Life > Sonic Adventure Chao


I was always looking forward to the new Nights, but I was never that optimistic. Now I'm cautiously so.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

"Artificial Life" = Chao garden.

Please, let this idea die Sega.

A-Life predates Chaos. This was a fun little side element to the original, I don't see why it wouldn't be welcome here.

 

[castle007]

Hopefully it will less frustrating than the chao garden in the sonic games

 

[B_Rik_Schitthaus]

"Artificial Life" = Chao garden.

Please, let this idea die Sega.

a-life shouldn’t be be room you go in it should go though all the levels naturally,
like in nights 1

 

[mollipen]

"Artificial Life" = Chao garden.

Ooooooooooooor.... it could be... and this is just me going out on a limb here... the next step to a feature that the original NiGHTs game had. What was it called... something starting with an "A", and something about "life"...

 

[EktorPR]

:O!
Glad to see Sega actually putting effort into this.

Indeed. It's cool to know there's going to be online multi modes and other things...makes the package much more "rounded".

Which reminds me, everytime I see your av, I snicker...in a good way.

 

[cilonen]

Why?

It's a cute little side game.

Because it's symbolic to me - the first instance I really realised Sega had lost focus. It's the beginning of the end. Next thing you know you'll play 75% of the game as a series of generic furry sidekick characters and suffering from horrendous collision detection.

 

[PataHikari]

Because it's symbolic to me - the first instance I really realised Sega had lost focus. It's the beginning of the end. Next thing you know you'll play 75% of the game as a series of generic furry sidekick characters and suffering from horrendous collision detection.

You do know that A-Life came first, don't you.

It was in the orginal NiGHTS.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

Because it's symbolic to me - the first instance I really realised Sega had lost focus. It's the beginning of the end. Next thing you know you'll play 75% of the game as a series of generic furry sidekick characters and suffering from horrendous collision detection.

Again, it was an enjoyed element of the original NiGHTS. Particularly if you had Xmas NiGHTS. Why shouldn't the sequel use it?

 

[OgnodoD]

A-Life is back! Good news for fans of the original NiGHTS.

 

[Rindain]

This game is looking better and better with each new pic/vid/feature announced. Hope they give it a good, long polish.

 

[cilonen]

You do know that A-Life came first, don't you.

It was in the orginal NiGHTS.

Yeah, but I didn't spend a hell of a lot of time with a Saturn, so I got to really play Sega games properly with Dreamcast, Sonic Adventure was the first one since about Kid Chameleon on the Genesis I took time to invest in. I went through a big lapse period around about the Saturn, maybe spent a couple of hours on the original NiGHTS, certainly not enough time to do it justice.

 

[levious]

cilonen didn't play NiGHTs - edit: enough...

 

[B_Rik_Schitthaus]

Because it's symbolic to me - the first instance I really realised Sega had lost focus. It's the beginning of the end. Next thing you know you'll play 75% of the game as a series of generic furry sidekick characters and suffering from horrendous collision detection.

It was in the first game, Nights is one of the best games ever

 

[evilromero]

This game will have to do gangbusters in the review circuit for me to plop down some cash. Solid isn't enough with a game that visually looks identical to its predecessor. Two player? Maybe. Some online chao garden shit? Better than nothing.

 

[BobJustBob]

Chao Garden is the reason Sonic Adventure was awesome. That and Big the Cat.

 

[cilonen]

Chao Garden is the reason Sonic Adventure was awesome. That and Big the Cat.

I'm willing to admit I may well be mistaken about my rash assertion tarring A-Life with the Chao Garden brush; but just no. It's one of the reason Sonic Adventure sucks.

 

[later]

Solid isn't enough with a game that visually looks identical to its predecessor

Ban worthy.

 

[evilromero]

Chao Garden is the reason Sonic Adventure was awesome. That and Big the Cat.

Big had the best theme song. It had something to do with living in a swampy area and getting blow jobs all day.

 

[schuelma]

Wow, SEGA is really trying to take my money

 

[evilromero]

Ban worthy.

Not really. Graphically the games are different. NiGHTS II slightly benefits from the increase in power. But visually, in terms of art, they just look identical. Hence people asking if it's a remake.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

This game will have to do gangbusters in the review circuit for me to plop down some cash. Solid isn't enough with a game that visually looks identical to its predecessor. Two player? Maybe. Some online chao garden shit? Better than nothing.

Well, I doubt it's going to do any better in the review circuit than the original, which didn't do all that great.

Not that you hadn't already resigned yourself to hating the shit out of this game virtually since it was announced.

 

[leroy hacker]

Because it's symbolic to me - the first instance I really realised Sega had lost focus. It's the beginning of the end. Next thing you know you'll play 75% of the game as a series of generic furry sidekick characters and suffering from horrendous collision detection.

A-life wasn't in any of their games after Sonic team's quality plummeted off a cliff last generation following the death of the Dreamcast. To me, that disappearance was a sign of their decline in creativity and vision.

 

[PataHikari]

This game will have to do gangbusters in the review circuit for me to plop down some cash. Solid isn't enough with a game that visually looks identical to its predecessor. Two player? Maybe. Some online chao garden shit? Better than nothing.

???

 

[levious]

Well, I doubt it's going to do any better in the review circuit than the original, which didn't do all that great.

yeah, that game got Lair-like scores back then, and was blasted for "not even being real 3D." Years later it's almost universally hailed as a classic. Wierd.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

yeah, that game got Lair-like scores back then, and was blasted for "not even being real 3D." Years later it's almost universally hailed as a classic. Wierd.

Ehn, it didn't do LAIR-bad, but it really didn't bust out of the 7.5 range from most of the reviewers at the time.

 

[evilromero]

Well, I doubt it's going to do any better in the review circuit than the original, which didn't do all that great.

Not that you hadn't already resigned yourself to hating the shit out of this game virtually since it was announced.

Whoa whoa whoa. I said nothing of the sort. I love NiGHTS. Love the soundtrack, the Xmas edition disc and the wonderful feeling it evokes. I'm just skeptical based on Sega's track record. I'm preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. Don't read me wrong.

 

[Dave Long]

Not sure why graphics would be an issue for people with this game. It looks pretty good already. Lots more detail of course.

The real win is the controller. If they do it right, this game will feel even more like flying than the original did, and that was the real meat of what made Nights so great the first time around.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

Not sure why graphics would be an issue for people with this game. It looks pretty good already. Lots more detail of course.

The real win is the controller. If they do it right, this game will feel even more like flying than the original did, and that was the real meat of what made Nights so great the first time around.

The point n' click seems ill-fated, but the other control option looks great. Analog to move, "B" to dash, waggle the wiimote to do acrobatics. Honestly the Wii feature that's helping NiGHTS the most is that it can be done on a reasonable budget on Wii.

 

[schuelma]

The point n' click seems ill-fated, but the other control option looks great. Analog to move, "B" to dash, waggle the wiimote to do acrobatics. Honestly the Wii feature that's helping NiGHTS the most is that it can be done on a reasonable budget on Wii.

Yeah, the main controls option actually sounds logical and well thought out.

Any concerns from the design perspective- is it looking like the original enough in terms of being able to do combo's, etc.?

 

[PowerSmell]

The point n' click seems ill-fated, but the other control option looks great. Analog to move, "B" to dash, waggle the wiimote to do acrobatics. Honestly the Wii feature that's helping NiGHTS the most is that it can be done on a reasonable budget on Wii.

Doesn't it also support Classic Controller?

 

[schuelma]

Doesn't it also support Classic Controller?

I think the analog option is the closest thing to it. (just guessing).

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

It's down to the level design now. I'm confident about all other aspects, but the level design is something none of us will know without playing it, and probably playing it a bit at that. Not all the levels in the original NiGHTS are amazing for replays, but most of them are. We need to see that here.

 

[[Nintex]]

Wow, SEGA is actually making decent/good games these days.

 

[Oreoleo]

Chao Garden is the reason Sonic Adventure was awesome.

QFT IAMWTP ETC ETC. It's embarassing how many hours I wasted in the Chao Garden, AND raising them on my VMU

 

[schuelma]

It's down to the level design now. I'm confident about all other aspects, but the level design is something none of us will know without playing it, and probably playing it a bit at that. Not all the levels in the original NiGHTS are amazing for replays, but most of them are. We need to see that here.

Thanks. I'm feeling a lot better about the title lately.

 

[Batongen]

In addition to "duel" mode, we got official word from SEGA of America that the game will actually feature multiple two-player modes, some of which will be available only locally

Mini games bitches! This is what concerns me; SEGA needs to concentrate on the main game.

 

[Prime crotch]

This makes me happy inside, good to see original ideas can still have a place in in-house Sega games.

 

[Phife Dawg]

Sounds great but I hope they don't forget to add extensive online leaderboards - I'd easily swap duel mode for that.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

Sounds great but I hope they don't forget to add extensive online leaderboards - I'd easily swap duel mode for that.

I loved the duel mode in the original. So I hope we get both.

 

[gwiz210]

OH SHIT ONLINE OH SHIT A-LIFE

Excuse me, but day 1 purchase. I'm so glad this game is starting to look better.

 

[GoofsterStud]

Ehn, it didn't do LAIR-bad, but it really didn't bust out of the 7.5 range from most of the reviewers at the time.

What are you talking about.

Nights averaged to 9.2 out of 10 back in the day.

IGN gave it near a 9.5, Game Informer gave it high scores, Gamesspot said though they preferred Mario 64 true 3d the night experience near perfect, Next Generation gave it a 9.8...etc.

 

[TheGreatDave]

Don't have it come out right next to the fucking Godfather of platformers and I'll buy it day 1.

 

[Y2Kev]

I thought Gamespot 6.8'd nights.

 

[Tristam]

I thought Gamespot 6.8'd nights.

Actually, GameSpot 6.1'd NiGHTS. The original scored decently, but certainly not spectacularly. I think everyone was too focused on "OMG TRUE 3D!!" and NiGHTS was docked as a result.