"NiGHTS 1.5: We'Ve GoT ReVeRSeD LeVeLS NoW"

All has been quiet in the Saturn front lately, as the calm before the Christmas '97 storm is about to begin. Some of Saturn's best games ever will be released within the next two business quarters: "M.K.Rayearth", "Quake" and "Last Bronx" are the games I'm excited about, along with the recently announced "Burning Rangers" for next year. Yuji Naka and his Sonic Team better make this new title as good as their hype makes it seem, since nothing short of a miracle will equal (or surpass) the joys of their best game to date, "Christmas NiGHTS". So I'm playing a holiday title in the middle of September...big deal! Aren't we supposed to feel the Christmas spirit every day of our lives (excluding atheists, of course)?

I never cared to explore or thoroughly sample this Sega freebie that came packed with some magazines and Saturn games last Christmas. I just got it with my copy of "Next Generation", played it a couple of times and threw it in with my pile of sampler CD's. It wasn't until recently that I decided to give "Christmas NiGHTS" another shot, mostly because I played the original "NiGHTS" to death and was impressed with the stuff Sonic Team did with their "Sonic Jam" package. What a fool I was to let this magnificent piece of gaming software sit on my shelf! There is more effort, emotional/gameplay rewards and polish in this free Saturn sampler than in half the entire library of PSX CD's.

"Christmas NiGHTS" has a truckload of features that were supposed to ship with the original "NiGHTS" back in September of 1996, but were left out due to deadline constraints. Nearly everyone agrees that the game was a phenomenal experience that was dragged down due to the small number of levels (which were incidentally packed with high replay value). When the original and the sampler's features are put together, the original vision of Mr. Naka's team of developers becomes clear: a moving and dreamy playing experience that rewarded your repeated efforts with Easter eggs and tapped the internal calendar feature of the Saturn to the fullest. Along with improved scrolling, sharper graphics and new textures, "Christmas NiGHTS" feels like a mini-sequel. If you don't have it or can't get a free copy from the Sega of America folks, you must track down a fellow Saturn gamer who has a copy and borrow it for a try. Forget about asking someone to give you their copy, since this baby is destined for classic status (so is Nintendo's "Virtual Boy", but for the opposite reasons).

GRAPHICS/VISUALS: A-

Depending on what date your Saturn calendar is set to (more of that under "Gameplay/Fun Factor"), "Christmas NiGHTS" polishes the graphical look of the original game with a new coat of holiday textures: Santa suits for all characters, decorations on all trees in Nightopia (including the Ideya capsule), and bright new backgrounds. Remember how the background graphics would be drawn-in at the last second in the original "NiGHTS"? That effect has been severely minimized and is less noticeable in the sampler, with a higher level of resolution to boot.

Other small touches make a big difference when added up: the jumpsuits Claris and Elliot wear during Winter months not in the holiday schedule, the use of a modified Spring Valley for Elliot's dream (Claris' remains the same), the choice (with the internal clock) of all sorts of falling goodies to see when you play (candy, falling stars, etc.), the high-resolution stills used for the "NiGHTS MUSEUM" Easter eggs, the new hand-drawn intro/ending sequences, etc. I can't recall another sampler promoting the real game that is more fun to play than the game it is supposed to be promoting; Sega knew this one was for the fans.

MUSIC/SOUND EFFECTS: A+

All the sound effects (the paraloop music, the increasing tone as you fly thorough consecutive rings, the "Aptiva" yell, etc.) were recycled from the original, and were pumped up for the holiday motif. The stars that used to populate Nightopia have been replaced by bells, and the springs with party poppers; their sound effects have been, therefore, tweaked to sound accordingly. You'd be hard pressed, however, to pick any noticeable difference between the "Christmas NiGHTS" sound effects, and the original.

The music, however, is heavenly sent, beautifully composed and is one of the best videogame soundtracks ever! Most of it was in the original "NIGHTS", but is far more accessible and fun to play them with the Jukebox (which must be earned as a present) than straight from the CD (which is OK). All the tracks from the original game are here, as well as a couple of new songs exclusive to the sampler; the haunting one minute loop that plays during the "Press Start" screen (Winter months that are not holidays) is stuck in my head, and is one of the most beautiful tunes I've ever heard.

There are remixes of Christmas songs like "Jingle Bells", as well as an acappella version of the "NiGHTS" musical theme ("Dreams Dreams" I believe it's called, but I'm not 100% sure). This theme, written and composed by Tomoko Sasaki, has got to be one of the most enjoyable pop songs I've ever heard (and I despise that s@%^ like you wouldn't believe!), nicely fitting the surrealistic world of "NiGHTS". The Karaoke present features two versions (instrumental and with lyrics), and it makes dorks like yours truly wish they had an understanding girlfriend sitting next to you when you're singing stuff like: "Love can come...through an open door...just be strong..." But not everyone can be an EASTMAN (Boo Boo-hoo!).

GAMEPLAY/FUN FACTOR: A+

Those not familiar with "NiGHTS" will scoff at the fact that the game only has two levels (one for each of the kids, although Elliot's is a modified mirror version of Claris', "Manx TT"-style), and that after you go through it a couple of times there is really nothing new to see (except the presents). True, but for those caught in Sonic Team's spell, the game becomes an involving experience in which playing isn't a matter of scoring the most points or beating the level faster (although you can make those your motivators if you so choose). You don't play "Christmas NiGHTS" (or the original), you live it! The Christmas holiday aspects fit into the emotional feel the character and its environment populate: hearts that don't feel warmth, lack of spirit in people's holiday routines, etc.

If you check this site's "Tips & Tricks" section you'll have access to the key information needed to get the most out of this sampler: the dates that must be entered into the internal calendar/clock of the Saturn. That will give players a chance to admire how this underappreciated and barely-explored feature of Sega's system can make a world of difference. And the best part of the CD are the many Easter eggs Yuji Naka and Co. packed into the game's presents feature, which must be accessed through a Concentration-type game of matching cards. The frustration you'll feel when you've played for fifteen minutes to get to the matching-card game and get a Reala card first (you lose your earned picks for that attempt) cannot be minimized. But if you persist, you get little rewards like:

-a hidden Sonic game with the blue one running in full 3D through the Spring Valley, collecting blue orbs and avoiding the clock in order to go one-on-one with Dr. "Puffy" Robotnik;

-high-resolution stills of everything "NiGHTS" related you could think of: mouse pads, dolls, artwork for all characters, etc. Think of a stripped-down version of the Museums in "Sonic Jam";

-mini-games with different challenges, like "LINK" and "TIME";

-videos from early Beta versions of the original "NiGHTS", including one from the Tokyo Toy show in 1996, where the game pretty much had its worldwide debut.

There are lots of other stuff, and each one of those you earn by perfecting the "NiGHTS" routine over and over again. By tweaking the clock and the calendar, "Christmas NiGHTS" cannot be the exact game twice if you so choose.

OVERALL: A+ (It's free!)

Can't say enough good things about a title that showed Saturn supporters that Sega cares for its gamers. It didn't make an impact with the casual gamers, since Saturn fell behind PSX and N64 during Christmas '96 (and it will probably happen again in 1997). As a morale booster, "Christmas NiGHTS" keeps the faithful happily holding onto the Saturn cursing the injustice destiny has perpetrated to Sega's fortunes. We can only hope a fleshed out sequel (with more levels, PLEASE!) will materialize either as a Saturn-exclusive last hurrah, or as ammunition for the next-generation console. But "Burning Rangers" is up next, and since it uses a modified "NiGHTS" engine we can pretend it is a spiritual follow-up of sorts to Sonic Team's greatest creation to date (sorry Mr. Hedgehog).
- J.M. Vargas