AN UNEXPECTED RETURN

NiGHTS into Dreams was, and continues to be, a cult classic, many times misunderstood, and not even the ruin of Sega Saturn disturbed the hope of the fans to see this creature come back to Nightopia. With the arrival of the new console from Nintendo, a new window opens ...

A game clearly inspired from the harvest of 1996, it proved the talent of Yuji Naka and Sonic Team. It's called NiGHTS into Dreams, you do air acrobatics with your character, which resembles a jester, and the game has the most beautiful memories of the Sega Saturn. The game didn't prevent the failure of the console in front of the Playstation and Nintendo, but was and continues to be an awarded masterpiece by its gameplay and graphics. After years had passed, the possibility of a sequel seemed to fade away, few had accepted it was improbable, but Sega finally gave permission to Sonic Team, tranquilizing the company that, like us, had its hope fade away. Work of Takeshi Iizuka, Yuji Naka and one of the creators of NiGHTS into Dreams we could see that the sequel is coming, and that the chosen platform is the Wii, confirming rumors that it would be the successor of Saturn's classic. The characteristics of the console from Nintendo, the things that it allows with gameplay, are the reasons that awakened this sequel (without an official name) from it's long and cavernous hibernation, at the same it shows the reason of why it didn't appear on the Dreamcast or in another system of 128 bits - it's not about making a graphical revolution, according to Iizuka, but making the different experience of NiGHTS even more surreal, which is achieved with the interaction of the Wii Remote, not only a graphical update. In the next pages of the exclusive interview, you will know the little bits of the game. At least the ones that were permeable to the resistance of Takeshi, he has a big veil of secrecy -- because SEGA will only make an official announcement in the beginning of April. Even so, we could discover news that will certainly be sweet to fans of NiGHTS. Between many surprises, Nightopia will receive a change in its looks, more game modes are expected (one for two players and an online function which nature is unknown), new acrobatics with the Wiimote, enemies and bosses even more impressing, a bigger freedom in air movement and the possible presence of new human characters beyond Claire and Elliot, the two kids from the original game, whose dreams were visited by NiGHTS. The list of features will be complete few days before this edition of MaxiConsoles reaches the stores. Until then, we have enough dreams to celebrate the unexpected announcement and to be eagerly waiting what can be in the final product. This injection of self trust in Sonic Team, which had it's esteem disturbed by the recent succession of titles based in Sonic the Hedgehog (except the Wii title), they open the doors of our minds to even an eventual announcement of Shenmue 3 or another chapter in other classic of Sega Saturn, the shooter Burning Rangers - now everything seems possible.

Interview - Producer Speaks

We interviewed Takeshi Iizuka, one of the people responsible for NiGHTS into Dreams and the head of this sequel, trying to get some news.

The man of the moment - Takeshi Iizuka appeared reluctant to show his new project, which is easily seen because Sega didn't reveal it officially when the interview happened. At least, the creator didn't hide the intention of making this sequel a motive of pride to the fans of Sega Saturn's game, having announced new modes and argued about Nightopia, the fabulous world of dreams. For those who didn't play the masterpiece of the 32bits era, this programmer is know too for his recent works, namely Sonic Heroes, being the director of that game.

What new flight acrobatics can we expect from this charismatic figure in the new installment?

Takashi Iizuka: NiGHTS will have a considerable amount of movements, many of them really well thought-out, so the player can control them easily through the Wii Remote. You can count on loops, turns and other moves that for now will be filled with embargo.

In what way does Nintendo's new system, Wii, attract you?

TI: I'm particularly excited by seeing all this new technological advancement and knowing that I can finally, as a programmer, create new games in systems which years ago I could only dream about.

We're all fans of this nice character, but do you think that you can do the same with the general public, after all these years?

TI: I hope that, above all, NiGHTS fans will enjoy this title as much as the original... I'm confident about the fact that with the new features that I'm thinking about introducing, will attract also a new base of gamers that still do not know the world of this magical character.

What can we expect on the matter of gameplay?

TI: Besides a 1-player mode that we all know, there will be a 2-player made and certain special online features.

Do you intend to take the experience of NiGHTS into other systems?

TI: For now, this new NiGHTS game is Wii-exclusive.

What other classical franchise, developed by you or the Sonic Team, would you like to bring life to?

TI: At the time in which I created NiGHTS, I didn't envision it as a classical franchise, but I always had the hope of dedicating it a sequel when the time would come. For now this is the only series in which I'd like people to go back to talking about.