Welcome to World Zero - Reviews for the hardcore gamer

Man, to be a kid again... Our lives are idyllic, our optimism is peerless, and our dreams are unbreakable. I don’t want to come off sounding like some kind of a cynic, but childhood really is a grace period of sorts. No, this isn’t going to be a discussion about how growing up leads to a life of suck because that simply isn’t true. For every hardship we endure in our adult years, there will always be more reason for us to embrace life as long as we don’t give up on our ambitions and stay true to who we are. The point I really wanted to get across is that when we’re younger, it’s the only chance we get to revere our innocence. Because of that, we often perceive everything very differently from adults. Sure, we’re naïve and impressionable, but we’re also green with a zest for life. Part of what makes childhood such a joyful experience is not being so knowledgeable about what goes on in the world around us. Instead, we yearn to explore it -- all while depicting it with the facets of our minds. The power of a child’s imagination reaches farther than the heavens themselves, and with it, everything around us seems to possess this special “aura” about it. From the books we read to the movies we watch; from the music we hear to the aromas we smell; from the art we observe to the places we visit. There are just so many things, no matter how obvious or obscure, that all bring about all kinds of feelings that differ with each person. And ultimately, they serve as the catalyst to something greater. For adults, it’s a mnemonic device that brings back all their fondest memories. For children, it’s a whole new world of dreams and possibilities.

Our story begins one peaceful night in the city of Twin Seeds. We’ve fallen into deep sleep and in our dreams we unknowingly visit the world of Nightopia, born of our subconscious minds. The significant shadow of the villainous Wizeman looms over us, sending out his Nightmaren to capture the Ideya (dream energy) we emit in our slumber. Ideya consists of four energies, each representing a different color and signification; white for purity, green for wisdom, yellow for hope, and blue for intelligence. Absorbing all these energies continually, Wizeman grows stronger with each passing night. He continues to bide his time until his opportunity arises to break out of the human subconscious and rain doom on our world. As his plans come closer to fruition, Wizeman sets his sights on two sleeping children living in the suburbs of Twin Seeds.

Enter Claris Sinclair and Elliot Edwards; two heartbroken children who are severely lacking in self-worth. Using their diminished morale to his advantage, Wizeman turns their thoughts of despair into malevolent Nightmaren. The frightened children are chased through a seemingly endless corridor until they’re saved by a mysterious portal that transports them to into a void of the dreams. They are encountered by NiGHTS, a seemingly androgynous creature whose form resembles that of a jester. NiGHTS begs for the help of Claris and Elliot, for they possess the rarest of all dream energies; bravery (red in color). It’s the only energy that allows NiGHTS to enter their dreams, as well as the only energy Wizeman is incapable of stealing. Having once served as Wizeman’s right hand, this strange yet benevolent Nightmaren now chooses to rebel against its former master. But before long, Wizeman uses his omniscient powers to confine the wayward Nightmaren as punishment for its betrayal. As the fate of both worlds hangs in the balance, the children are suddenly fueled by newfound confidence. For the first time in their lives, they feel courageous enough to do just about anything. Claris and Elliot steadfastly search for NiGHTS as they prepare for the ensuing battle against the Wizeman.

Thanks to a truly enchanting premise and top-notch presentation, the game manages to reel you in from the moment you watch the opening FMV sequence and onward. By that time you’ll be greeted by one of the most attractive title screens to date, featuring NiGHTS shown prominently above the beautifully designed title logo while Twin Seeds is showcased in the background, glistened by its own city lights. I don’t know whether it's the stillness, the multitude of colors being displayed, or that mischievous grin staring back at you, but there’s this mysterious warmth about it that sets the mood for the rest of the game. You can rest assured that this is one dream you won’t want to wake up from. I can say with the utmost of confidence that nothing can prepare you for NiGHTS. It doesn’t matter if you’ve played every game in generations past and future; it’s a language all its own.

The entire game is played out through the dreams of Claris and Elliot, each representing a part of their dormant thoughts and feelings. These have to be the most imaginative children I’ve ever encountered, because let me tell you, the world they depict as Nightopia ranges from lavishly beautiful to downright bizarre at every twist and turn. If this is your first time playing, then you’re treading on very unorthodox territory here. And like that of a real dream, little of the events unfolding around you make any sense. I mean, you’re literally dropped into this strange, exotic world and all these things just start popping out of nowhere. Rams that inflate themselves into clouds, owls garbed in jester clothing, fishes with butterfly wings...It’s plenty screwed up, and to top it all off, these guys start stealing all your shit! Once you regain your footing and are finally able to take a good look at your surroundings, you’re confounded like there’s no tomorrow. Why is NiGHTS, the sworn protector of Nightopia, dancing in that shrine over there? And why is that giant alarm clock materializing behind you? Logic would denote that you’re probably better off just running over to that shrine before you receive a wholly unwanted “Night Over” screen.

Once you step into the Ideya Palace and come into contact with NiGHTS, everything changes. No longer will you need to plod your way across the land. You’ve been granted the ability to fly, and it’s one of the most freewheeling sensations you’ll ever feel. The slightest touch of the analog will cause your character to intricately bend, swerve and pivot with unbelievable fluidity; it’s as if NiGHTS dances through the wind. The sheer amount of tricks that can be performed here are insanely pleasing to the eyes, ranging from cartwheels to corkscrews. Backed by an outstandingly designed character, the subtleties of these movements are just as compelling to see in motion. In a particularly smart design choice, flying is kept strictly on a 2D plane. This perfectly captures the overall intensity of fight, not to mention makes for some dramatic camera angles. One awe-inspiring moment has you flying in a room of mirrors, all casting vibrant reflections of you and the objects you interact with. Another has the camera panning to a close semi-isometric view as you spiral around a group of floating rocks, flying through the series of rings that surround them. You can practically feel that wind hitting you as all these psychedelic colors and backgrounds are fleeting by. These wavy, undulating movements simply couldn’t be done on a 3D plane.

Further augmenting this thrill ride of a game is its marvelous Link system, seamlessly weaving together the fundamental mechanics and score tallies. Now I’ve never been a person who strives to beat his high scores, but this is a whole different beast. With the help of your trusty paraloop, gone is the tired method of bopping enemies on their head and passing through items to collect them. Instead, you fly around while trailing a constant stream of stars behind you. Fly around an enemy to draw a loop formed out of those stars, and you’ll send him to another dimension. Loop around a group of items and you’ll be able to collect them all at once, saving precious time and effort. Rings, colored chips and star chips are carefully laid throughout each stage to the point where linking is practically a game in itself. To be frank, you’re rewarded for being the best damn acrobat you can be. The more items you collect in succession and the more rings you move through in one pass, the higher your link indicator increases. And the higher that increases, the more bonus points you’ll receive! Everything seems to flow together in perfect harmony. There really is nothing quite like soaring through the open air, struggling to keep your link steady as it reaches the triple digits. It’s an immensely enjoyable and addictive form of score attacking that still has me hooked over ten years later.

While the game only packs a total of seven stages, the “quality beats quantity” analogy couldn’t be truer here. I’ve played games that feature ten times the amount of content, yet are nowhere near as fulfilled or realized as this one. Take Splash Garden for instance; you fly through a serene beach turned completely upside down, eventually leading to the watery depths of a lake where you’ll actually grow fins at will. In Mystic Forest, you’ll make your way through a lush environment where you’ll go from being flung around by giant vegetation to seeing traffic signs, light posts and cars scattered around for no other reason than to bewilder you. Then there’s the aptly named Soft Museum, an extravagant locale where you’ll traverse a museum that towers in the midst of a European-styled garden, all made entirely of elastic rubber! And let’s not forget the Nightmaren that inhabit these worlds, all of whom are just as perverse in appearance. You’ve got the evil counterpart of NiGHTS who takes the form of a freakishly masculine harlequin, an opera singer who wears a rabbit mask and has the physique of a beach ball, a giant tadpole that sports a spiked tail and batwings, and well over a dozen other remarkable designs. Everything about this game is just so odd and absentminded; I could go on and on! It’s like the guys at Sonic Team decided to expand on all their basic ideas and archetypes from previous games, stuffed themselves full of hash brownies and took everything from there. Their inspiration is clearly vivid and it shows. I can hardly imagine the conversations that took place when Yuji Naka and company had to articulate the creation of these outlandish worlds and characters.

As if the wonderfully oneiric visuals aren’t already enough, they’re also complemented by an equally captivating soundtrack. Actually, make that brilliant; this is the kind of stuff that resonates in your ears. It’s a monumentally exciting blend of jazz, world music, orchestra, and rock with various effects thrown in. It’s very catchy and uplifting stuff, so don’t be too surprised if you find yourself hopelessly humming as you play -- I know I usually am. The one theme that undoubtedly stands out to me most is the first one you’ll often hear (if you skip the opening introduction, that is). Upon pressing start at the title screen, you’re treated to what’s probably the most effective player select music you’ll ever hear in a game. Imagine a calm and soothing theme playing in a dreamlike tempo while a starry sky serves as the backdrop. Protagonists Claris and Elliot stand idly by, waiting for you to choose their dreamscape. In unison with the various jingles and wind instruments playing in the background, the playful banter of children can be heard expressing their halcyon youth. Every so often, you can also hear the sound of a train chugging along the railroad. It’s almost spellbinding, really. I never quite understood it completely, but it manages to be strangely endearing, putting me in a trance of sorts. It’s almost as if my inner child is somehow able to free itself from the depths of my soul. It’s a blooming light that enwraps me all around with this warm, nostalgic feeling. This gleeful, surreal ambiance can be felt throughout the entire game.

I tell you, the first time I ever touched a video game was what I’d consider a very pivotal moment in my life. If there was any way I could ever describe it, I’d go so far as to call it an epiphany that changed the course of my life forever. Why? It’s incredibly difficult for me to explain outright, but when you have a strong “affinity” for a certain thing, and are given absolute control over a manifestation of your thoughts and desires, it can influence your imagination in many ways -- to the point where it starts to grow like wildfire. You start seeing beyond the image in front of you, your perceptions of reality and fantasy go hand in hand, and you’re suddenly intoxicated by this unspeakable euphoria. No, you’re not just playing a mere simulation anymore; your fantasies are being brought closer to home than ever before! You illusion the fact that you’re even holding that controller in your hands, and instead become one with your alter ego, traversing wondrous worlds filled with possibilities that defy the realm of physics. Experiences like this are the reasons why video games have the potential to make other mediums of entertainment appear antiquated in comparison. The mark of a truly great video game doesn’t lay in its technical merits, but in its ability to establish a real emotional connection between the player and his (or her) onscreen persona. I’ve experienced many a game in my time, and I can wholeheartedly say that while many of them strive to take on such a lofty task, few manage to succeed as magnificently as NiGHTS Into Dreams...

Rating	The rating scale in detail
9.0	+ Graininess aside (the widescreen option helps rectify this a bit), this is one of the few games from the 32-bit era that still manages to impress. I still consider it beautiful. ++ The most incredible animations to be witnessed on the Saturn, bar none. I didn’t think the system was capable of such spectacular display. -- Short spurts of polygonal break-up, flickering and slowdown occur every so often. They’re nothing game-breaking, but clearly show that limits are being pushed on the system’s hindering dual processors.
10	++ Some of the most profoundly endearing music I’ve heard in a video game. If you don’t feel anything by the time you reach the heartwarming finale, you have no soul. + The omission of voice acting was the wisest decision they could have made. If Shining Force III was any indication, then it was probably for the best.
10	++ Simply breathtaking. Not even the renowned wing cap from Super Mario 64 could convey such an exhilarating sensation of flight. ++ Thanks to the brilliantly conceived Link system, this is the most fun I’ll ever have score attacking any video game. ++ The Saturn’s 3D Control Pad gives a whole new meaning to the word “immersion.”
10	++ Unprecedented artistry. This is the sole reason why NiGHTS remains a technical marvel after all these years. ++ When God created color schemes, this is probably what he had in mind.
10	++ Again, I’m still playing this game ten years after its release. What does that tell you? +/- There’s a novel take on versus mode, but it probably won’t hold your interest for long. My brother and I must have played it together...twice? ++ Regardless of that irrelevant piece of information, this is the quintessential desert island game.
10	++ Sega’s finest hour.

	NiGHTS Into Dreams...
	Platform: Sega Saturn • Developer: Sonic Team • Genre: Ecstasy • ESRB Rating: K-A • Words: Rianu