The original NiGHTS on the Saturn was one of the few refuges of the dying Sega fanboy back in the day; here was a 3D game that looked beautiful, and featured an artistry and elegance that virtually nothing on either of the competition’s consoles could match. It was the first time I ever used an analog stick and knew that what I was doing control wise would not be remotely possible with a digital pad (and it probably didn’t hurt that my silly teenaged ass tried to be traditional and play it with a D-pad first). It was possible to play with the pad, but the artistry of the title didn’t really click until the smooth lines you’d draw in the air with analog stick were visible. Gameplay dependent on elegance is something that I don’t think I’ve ever seen to that degree again. But I’m also getting old, so nostalgia could admittedly be playing a large part in my fond remembrance of a title that I think fewer than 200,000 people west (or east) of Japan ever played.
So with that in mind, I meet the coming out of a NiGHTS sequel with some trepidation. It will likely be on the Wii, and I actually do feel that controlwise, this is a good fit to move the game forward, rather than treading overmuch on previous ground. Graphically, well, I worry, but the recent Sonic Wii game, as well as new footage of Mario Galaxy, lead me to believe that so long as Sega relies on artistry over graphical bells and whistles, it could be tarted up quite nicely (or at least compare favorably to my fuzzy recollection of the original).
However.
If the teams responsible for any Sonic game since the original Sonic Adventure get near this, I will find something important to Sega and burn it to the ground. So help me. I’m one of the few that actually played the original NiGHTS, with analog controller, on the Saturn. Sega, you’ve shit all over my pre-adolescence; please don’t move into my adolescence as well.
-Aegies