News: NiGHTS Originally for X360/PS3? Page 1

NiGHTS Originally for X360/PS3?

07.01.2009

NiGHTS Originally for X360/PS3? on Nintendo gaming news, videos and discussion

According to TSSZ News, back in 2006 there was a series of blog posts from someone who claimed they worked within the industry. In Early 2007 he made a post discussing the next-generation instalment of NiGHTS, and how he didn't have much faith in the game - with claims he knew Sonic Team personally.

Shortly after his posts were removed, however as many will know - once something has been posted publically online it's hard to have it completely removed. An archived copy of the page reveals that the blogger had some link to Sega, and a strong one at that. At the end of the post (dated March 2007), he left a hint of things to come from the studio:

another Sonic game with a transforming Evil 'Night' Sonic who looks like a werewolf and can stretch his arms out Dhalsim-style. It will happen, mark my words.

Now over a year later, we've got Sonic Unleashed - exactly as described. Internet sleuths have found that the blogger is infact Ben Andac, who previously worked as Game Evaluator for Sega and Sony Europe. With that in mind it confirms the authenticity of his comments made on NiGHTS. Andac had played build of the game for Xbox 360, but with the success of the Wii Sega Japan had forced Sonic Team to rebuild the game for Nintendo's less powerful system - something which both the staff and producer Takashi Iizuka hadn't been happy about.

There's no doubt that Sonic Team have lost their quality touch. They are worse than talentless: they are without passion. Bored, weary, closed-minded and out of touch with any sense of what makes games good anymore.

This could perhaps explain the poor production values and reception for Journey of Dreams... Do you think Sonic Team should work on different franchises; or at least spend longer on Sega's beloved hedgehog?

Thanks to NeoGAF's Mama Robotnik.

NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (Wii)

Game Details

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Developer

SEGA

Publisher

SEGA

Genre

3D Platformer

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n/a

Reader Score

7/10 (4 Votes)

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JoshSL 07.01.2009#1

The new NiGHTS reaks of Sonic. The cheesy cutscenes, bad voice acting etc. I don't see it being much different on an HD console, and many fans did say they loved the idea of using the Wiimote to play it.

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dartmonkey 07.01.2009#2

There\'s no doubt that Sonic Team have lost their quality touch. They are worse than talentless: they are without passion. Bored, weary, closed-minded and out of touch with any sense of what makes games good anymore.

You don\'t need to know the team or be \'on the inside\' to realise that\'s been the case for a decade.

( Edited 07.01.2009 17:54 by dartmonkey )

Less posty, more gamey.

Ikana 07.01.2009#3

I've still barely played Journey of Dreams...been on my shelf for months. I adore the Saturn original so much, I don't think I can bring myself to play it. I did manage to get the original off ebay for under £5 though. Smilie

JoshSL 07.01.2009#4

Sonic Team needs to be closed, and Sonic needs to be given to another dev. NiGHTS too.

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RufDogRacing 07.01.2009#5

That's interesting. Although I guess there's no telling if they had to remove/alter components of Nights that would have made it play like a better game. Probably not. Smilie

Sonic Team being closed? I don't know. They've produced some appalling games as of late, but surely that's a bit rash. I got Unleashed today and I'm actually really enjoying it. The day time stages are amazing - the best Sonic since the original! If they hadn't dulled it up with the night stages, they could have had a real winner on their hands. I predict the next 360/PS3 Sonic to be a real standout game. Smilie

Tom Barry [ Reviewer - Editor - Resident Sim-Racer @ Cubed3.com ]

Martin_ 07.01.2009#6

Wow. Well, by the sounds of things Sonic Team weren't happy about ditching work they'd already done for PS3/360 in order to start again and re-make it on Wii. Maybe if they'd been allowed to finish it for the 360/PS3, then maybe it'd have been better. who am I kidding? Sonic Team are shit (nothing more than a name, these days), and any version of NiGHTS would have been pants.

meowthemouse 07.01.2009#7

well i wasn't surprised that the ps2 version of unleashed was more superior then the ps3 version..

"Sony always wins baby.. Sony always wins.." - Chad Warden on pstripple
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JoshSL 07.01.2009#8

meowthemouse said:
well i wasn't surprised that the ps2 version of unleashed was more superior then the ps3 version..

It's not though?

Also, Wii NiGHTS was very heavely asked for by fans, if Sonic Team had released it on PS360 I think many fans would have been even more upset, and I don't think it would have turned out any better. The Wii version's not unfinished, it's just bad game design.

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Martin_ 07.01.2009#9

SuperLink said:
Also, Wii NiGHTS was very heavely asked for by fans, if Sonic Team had released it on PS360 I think many fans would have been even more upset, and I don't think it would have turned out any better. The Wii version's not unfinished, it's just bad game design.

You can say that, but we'll never really know how it could have turned out had the developers been left to do what they wanted to do, rather than what they were told to do in order to maximise profits.

Wolvesgod 07.01.2009#10

Yeah because the Nights: journey of dreams games was plain Shitty.

When all is bad don't look for a easy way out. Because you wont know what to do once your out

Laurelin 07.01.2009#11

I just recently tried NiGHTS at a friend's place and was amazed how bad ti was, really... It's awful! *shudders* Ad I only played the Tutorial.

SuperLink said it was bad game design and this quote:

There's no doubt that Sonic Team have lost their quality touch. They are worse than talentless: they are without passion. Bored, weary, closed-minded and out of touch with any sense of what makes games good anymore.

is absolutely right! dartmonkey said it, they just are a guarantee for shit, not great games, anymore...
Secret rings was surprisingly good and almost excellent (the big bunch of levels I played, at least), i never played Unleashed, though. German magazine Gamepro liked the daytime levels but where taken aback by the werehog ones. And they rated the HD version of the game. Wonder how the Wii-version will do...

It's sad, but Team Sonic doesn't have it anymore. Shame. *sniff*

I find your lack of faith disturbing!

Super Sonic 07.01.2009#12

SuperLink said:
Sonic Team needs to be closed, and Sonic needs to be given to another dev. NiGHTS too.

I agree becuase lately they have been making a bit of a screw up with Sonic games before Sonic unleashed came out. But I think it was because Yuji Naka left and now it has gone down hill very badly

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JustJoe 07.01.2009#13

Weird that the last great game Sonic was in was a Nintendo game(Brawl), maybe Nintendo should develop a Sonic game.

( Edited 07.01.2009 22:49 by JustJoe )

ohm 08.01.2009#14

It wasn't really a sonic game though, just a cameo. And to be honest, Sonic was a pretty poor character. I don't actually care for sonic, he's a very outdated and cheesy character, and the funny thing is that sonic team doesn't seem to realize that. They take sonic and his stories way too seriously.

originaljohn 08.01.2009#15

I dont think i've anything against sonic team, fair enough most 3D sonic games suck, but thats because sonic is a hard game to make in 3D. I truely believe sonic team can make better sonic games, they just need solid management when developing the game. The same goes for a NiGHTS game