#myenemies

NiGHTS is a game series made by Sonic Team. The first game, NiGHTS Into Dreams, released on the Sega Saturn in 1996. It was one of multiple attempts to give the Saturn a proper mascot game since the system didn't have a mainline Sonic platformer. Unfortunately it didn't really catch on (just like the Saturn itself) despite the fact that Sonic Team absolutely cooked.

The basic gist of the story is this: there are two playable characters with their own stories. Claris and Elliot both start the game having gone through a distressing situation that's been eating away at them in the back of their minds. Upon going to bed, they each find themselves in a strange dream world where they meet the flying jester NiGHTS. NiGHTS is able to fuse with the kids while they're dreaming, and the game has you control NiGHTS as you fly around various stages that represent the kids' mindscapes (but in a super abstract colorful way). Each story ends with the kids and NiGHTS defeating the final boss, upon which they return to the waking world with the confidence to confront the problems in their social lives!

It's a very simple plot, and feels very kid-oriented. But I think that's part of the charm! The levels are so bright and colorful and the music is so catchy and upbeat that it's hard not to feel a bit like a kid again when I just fly around in the environments :D

As for the gameplay, well, it's pretty hard to explain. The gameplay doesn't really fit into any one genre. I guess you could call it like, a score attack/score chaser? Each level has you fly three laps around the environment while picking up collectibles to increase your rank. There is a timer that resets at the beginning of each lap, but you actually aren't intended to speedrun. To get an A or S rank (which is required to unlock the final boss) you have to spend as much time as possible racking up points, and ideally cross the finish line right before time runs out. It might sound simple, but in practice it's so much fun! Not to mention many levels have their own gimmicks and set pieces as well as branching paths and secrets to discover.

There are two other games in the series: first off, Christmas NiGHTS. Okay, technically it isn't a game. Technically it was a demo disc included with Sega magazines back in the day and contains the first level of the full game. But, calling it "just a demo" feels like a disservice because the devs went above and fucking beyond.

You see, there are two main gimmicks with Christmas NiGHTS: first of all, the game would read the Saturn's internal calendar and if you played on a holiday the level would be decorated accordingly! The main draw of the demo, though, are the unlockables. There's a sort of advent calendar where for each time you play through the level, you can open one of the doors. (There might be certain criteria beyond that but again, it's been a while since I last played.) These unlockables range from simple things like character art to stuff like, oh, I dunno, the first time Sonic the Hedgehog was ever playable in 3D!!!!

Yeah, I'm not kidding. Before Sonic Adventure, before Sonic Jam, there was an unlockable mode in Christmas NiGHTS where you could run around a 3D level as Sonic. They even reskinned the boss at the end to look like Eggman!

The other game is a proper sequel- NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, released over a decade later on the Wii. I don't have as much to say about this game, but I still really like it! It's a bit divisive in the fandom. There are way more cutscenes, multiple types of levels with different gameplay styles, as well as character redesigns that not everyone liked. What can I say, though, I like the platforming levels. Sue me :P Also, Journey of Dreams has an absolute banger soundtrack.

There was an HD remaster of the game available on Steam, but unfortunately Sega delisted it recently along with a bunch of other games. Which sucks, because it's my favorite version of the game! The visuals are even prettier than before. Unfortunately, while I really want to tell you to go out there and play NiGHTS Into Dreams, the only ways to do so right now are to buy an original Saturn copy or pirate it. (There was a japan-only PS2 port, but truthfully idk anything about it so I can't comment on it.) I reeeeally want Sega to rerelease the whole series (OG, Christmas, and JoD) in a compilation, but I would be shocked if that ever happened. The series is just too niche :(

All that said though, thanks again for the ask! I went a little overboard, so I hope you don't mind reading all that text XD I guess I'll leave you with the end credits song from the first game, because it's really great and I think people should listen to it: