TGS 2007: NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams hands-on

That being said, the control lacks the tightness and fluidity that the first NiGHTS had, and many other gaming press and industry members we spoke with agreed. While the Saturn NiGHTS control was almost instantly accessible, the Wii NiGHTS seemed to have a bit of a learning curve, and it seems like it has something to do with the analog control. The degree of movement seems more constrained, and NiGHTS seems to be a bit less capable than before. After some time with the game, the control begins to set in, but the Wii version lacks that ease that made movement seem like flight. That's a real shame, seeing as how the game is about flying.

After selecting a character, one of two siblings are dropped into the dream world, where they will eventually transform into NiGHTS and take flight. The gameplay has changed very little since the original version. Players guide NiGHTS over obstacles, around enemies, and through series of rings, all the while collecting enough orbs to progress to the next stage. Other than a few new tricks, the basic premise is still the same, and players will find themselves flying through circular courses to meet stage requirements, eventually moving onto a boss battle.

After moving through three courses that were very similar to the original NiGHTS' first level, I encountered a floating balloon-like boss that was also very similar to one of the original game's bosses. And again, like the levels leading up to it, the strategy to defeat this boss was very similar to the first game. I flew around to throw the floating boss into walls, eventually taking her down.

While the levels and enemies were very similar to those of the first game, everything looks better in the Wii version. We were relieved, as some of the game footage we've come across didn't seem like much of an improvement. We're glad to say that the levels are full and lush, and have much more visual depth than the original -- this is a great looking Wii game.

From what we saw, this Wii version of NiGHTS seems like an upgrade, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. The later levels we saw (but did not play through) did seem a bit more advanced and challenging, but for us to play through levels and a boss so similar to the first game was a bit underwhelming. The good thing is that we've been asking for a new NiGHTS, and Sega delivered. We're hoping that more time spent with NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams will reveal something a bit deeper and challenging.