Rumorang: NiGHTS returning on the Wii
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Jan 3rd 2007 at 3:55PM }
This is one recurring rumor we'd rather not toss away, instead warmly embracing it and gently scratching behind its furry little ears. Unfortunately, much like realizing the kitten in your hands is actually a squirrel infected with rabies, the truth about a sequel to NiGHTS may just upset you. And tear your face clean off.If you follow the dubious rumor treasure trail, you're bound to end up at a Wii release list published on Japanese website, G-rev. Stashed between Animal Crossing and a Naruto game is the tantalizing mention of NiGHTS (or Naitsu), though no accompnaying release date can be found. It could be a remake, a sequel or an elaborate dance interpretation -- or a complete fabrication.
Is the modern Sega even capable of producing a good follow-up to NiGHTS? Would Wii controls shine through the possible dreck of NiGHTS 2: Into Dwiims, now with fly-by shootings and a talking rabbit? Perhaps, but they'll have to make the game before we know.
(In other news, G-rev's Xbox 360 page lists a Radiant Silvergun 3 ... )
[Via Siliconera, Insert Credit]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
wiik @ Jan 3rd 2007 4:01PM
Thanks Joystiq...now I gotta go home and find my RF adaptor for my Saturn because I wanna play NiGHTS....
Zertoss @ Jan 3rd 2007 4:04PM
If the Wii has taught us anything so far, it's that bunnies only fly downwards.
DAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Stranger @ Jan 3rd 2007 4:07PM
Nice Dream.
Any possibility it's just a typo? Couldn't NiGHTS theoretically be a Virtual Console release with Wii controls, and this site is misreprenting it as a retail release?
Mr. Khan @ Jan 3rd 2007 4:51PM
NiGHTS was a CD Game, CD's could hold up to 700 MB in those days, Wii's internal memory is only 512 MB, so it wouldn't be for VC (unless they cut all the cutscenes, which were pre-rendered, barebones game isn't probably any bigger than Super Mario 64)
But oh i wish this was true
I need to find my Saturn...
burninhell @ Jan 3rd 2007 4:48PM
Best case scenario: the upcoming Wii Sonic game doesn't suck, and then Sega unveils NiGHTS as a followup. Hey,
they did a kickass Panzer Dragoon on the Xbox, anything is possible...
NotAnElitistPrick @ Jan 3rd 2007 4:22PM
If you love NiGHTS, let it die.
There's no way this can be good again. It's not because Sega can't make it good, it's because NOBODY can.
The joy you felt flying around will just be crushed to dust when you get your hands on the new version and realize that it's now been reduced to a simple component of every other 3D game on the market.
Superman 64 had you flying through rings. We saw how well that turned out. If you want to play more NiGHTS, do what poster #1 suggested. Go find your Saturn and play some more NiGHTS, because it isn't getting any better than that.
mgroves @ Jan 3rd 2007 4:24PM
"NiGHTS theoretically be a Virtual Console release with Wii controls"
Wouldn't that be a Really Good Thing as well?
Allen @ Jan 3rd 2007 10:15PM
Put in on PS3 or I and millions of others will boycott Sega.
Jonathan Tran @ Jan 3rd 2007 5:13PM
There is no way it will be on VC... Saturn must be the least/hardest emulated thing going right now... well I'm no expert but there's a reason Guardian Heroes, Panzer Dragoon Saga and Burning Rangers cost big bucks on eBay.
Then again, if they could get these games on VC, I'm not sure if the original disc prices would plummet, or skyrocket!?!
Will @ Jan 3rd 2007 5:05PM
If it's going to be on the virtual console it's going to be in straight emulation only. No game has been altered as of yet and this one wont be any different. So far Nintendo hasn't done a tenth of what Microsoft has done as far as actual adding something.Let me know when they start to add value to these games and not just good old nostalgia.
Nick @ Jan 3rd 2007 5:07PM
Radiant Silvergun 3? They just decide 3 was cool and could skip 2? A sequel to radiant silvergun regardless of number is well appreciated though.
Nullsleep @ Jan 3rd 2007 5:30PM
Nick: Ikaruga was a pseudo-sequel to Radiant Silvergun, so the next installment in the RSG series would be the 3rd.
David004 @ Jan 3rd 2007 5:39PM
This has been a rumour for about a year now.
Jonah Falcon @ Jan 3rd 2007 5:31PM
I still have fond memories of turning all the lights out, jacking up my TV's volume, and playing Master of the Lamps on the C-64.
syco @ Jan 3rd 2007 5:28PM
Nick, Ikaruga was considered Radiant Silvergun 2. I believe they make references to it being done by the RS2 team or something in the credits.
Obviously I would do anything for more Ikaruga-like gameplay. Kinda wish I had a saturn, never played Nights or Radiant Silvergun (though legal copies of RS are like $100 or something...)
Miibody @ Jan 3rd 2007 6:00PM
Please God don't let Sega make another NiGHTS game!
Everything out of Sega is crap now and I would hate to see one of my all time favorites trashed.
btw wiik get an S-Video cable for your Saturn instead.
I have one and the game looks great on my upscaling TV.
I know Jandaman still sells them.
crono141 @ Jan 3rd 2007 11:13PM
"NiGHTS was a CD Game, CD's could hold up to 700 MB in those days, Wii's internal memory is only 512 MB, so it wouldn't be for VC (unless they cut all the cutscenes, which were pre-rendered, barebones game isn't probably any bigger than Super Mario 64)
But oh i wish this was true
I need to find my Saturn..."
Mr. Khan, what resolution did all those FMV's run at in NiGHTS? Can't be more than 320x240, and with modern video codecs could probably fit in a small fraction of the space they took up on the original disks.
Case in point: Rondo of Blood for PC Engine can be downloaded in a 56 mb zip, because all the tracks are on MP3 compression instead of CD audio. Similar advances have come in video compression as well.
So what I'm saying is, NiGHTS could easily be on the VC, movies and all, but it'll take a lot more work than SNES or NES VC titles to make.
inky @ Jan 3rd 2007 6:26PM
I will never understand the love for nights..
the capcom fighters were the only reason to own a saturn
sgt goomba @ Jan 3rd 2007 8:20PM
Nice thought. But no, the modern Sega can't pull this off. Please, don't even encourage them to make the game. They'll come out with something that'll just serve to massacre your fond memories. Hope Sega goes bankrupt and sells their ip's to Nintendo. Need proof? Play the new Sonic.
SpottedNigel @ Jan 3rd 2007 7:06PM
Played Christmas NiGHTS on Christmas day as Ive done since release...and damnit, all I could think about was the Wii. It didnt help that the graphics are getting to the point of painful everytime I turn the Saturn on... Just a cleaned up NiGHTS re-release with Wiimote interaction would do me fine.
Dave @ Jan 4th 2007 8:51AM
I think this could be good, if SEGA can manage to pull it off. I dont think they can emulate it on the Wii, but they could 'port' it over and re-work a few things. I'd love to see some saturn on the virtual console, SEGA would make a lot of money if they focus on making an emulator for the wii. maybe if they re-released there saturn/dreamcast collection in disc form that would be able to boot up on the wii *cracking idea. can only dream.
Sam @ Jan 3rd 2007 7:46PM
As far as I'm aware, it's Yuji Naka (or possibly Sonic Team) who owns the NiGHTS franchise, which means that the game wouldn't be made by SEGA, it'd be made by either Sora (Naka's new company) or Sonic Team.
Despite this, Naka has tried twice to create a new NiGHTS game. The first time, he decided that he couldn't make a game better than NiGHTS was the first time around, and no matter what he added to it, that to him it would only feel like a graphical update (this is also his current thoughts on new iterations of NiGHTS) the code they had spent on this was then cleaned up and given away for free as Christmas NiGHTS. The SECOND time a sequel for NiGHTS was attempted it also got a name change. Becoming Air NiGHTS, the game had you controlling NiGHTS through the use of a "motion-detecting tilt-sensing wand" which, in hindsight, sounds like a slightly less capable Wii Remote. THIS NiGHTS iteration was scrapped because the wand controller would have cost too much to produce to sell with it's one game. Considering now that this wand cost is removed, I wouldn't be half surprised if we finally saw Air NiGHTS.
EuroLamer @ Jan 3rd 2007 8:22PM
Sam: Isn't Naka's company called Prope?
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/08/yuji-naka-confirmed-to-be-leaving-sega-to-form-prope/
Angelo @ Jan 3rd 2007 9:05PM
Speaking as a (hardened, embittered) veteran Sega fan since the golden days of the Genesis, I honestly don't quite understand the amount of attention NiGHTS receives. It's an excellent title, one that deserves to be remembered, but really, the best way to experience the title is in its original form--no sequels.
And #19, Nintendo is the absolute last company I'd want to see Sega's IP with. The amount and variety of content that Sega has produced over the years is simply outside of Nintendo's relatively narrower scope (but still quite good) range of titles.
Now that I think about it... I don't think any single company could.
Steve2 @ Jan 3rd 2007 9:09PM
I was going to post my thoughts, but NotAnElitistPrick got them right.
NiGHTS was a good game, but the gameplay aspects that made it work won't work nowadays, they'd be seen as too limiting.
Let it remain where it was, a landmark, but something long surpassed.
rluvah @ Jan 3rd 2007 10:21PM
They should let NIGHTS rest in peace. Even though I love Nintendo, I dont think the Wii would do the game justice in the graphics dept. In order to please todays gamer, they would have to make the game like 30hrs long and make it boring and free roaming were your floating around aimlessly finding a key or something. Thats why I still play my Saturn and have classics like Radiant Slivergun and Gardian Heroes. Nights wouldnt convert well with todays gamers..look at SONIC, it should have statyed 2D.
Kido1986 @ Jan 3rd 2007 10:41PM
Maybe a small NiGHTS game demo (like Christmas NiGHTS) is in order at least? NiGHTS is about gameplay, not length so a downloadable NiGHTS at say 1500 points would be a good thing I think. It would do good for the people who want a new NiGHTS and not completely tarnish the NiGHTS name if it fails.
JammY @ Jan 4th 2007 8:58AM
Theres always that Nights minigame in that Sega Eyetoy collection on PS2. Hold your arms out and wheeee! You look more of a tard than playing on the Wii and your arms tire even quicker... but Nights none the less.
I also remember downloading a Nights minigame to my GBA through Phantasy Star or something on the Gamecube. The folks at Sega seem to have fond memories of Nights too.
Spencer @ Jan 4th 2007 2:29PM
Saturn's NiGHTS will not run on the Wii, regardless of space issues. Go find a Saturn emulator for your PC, and try playing a game. The system was complex enough and had sufficiently unique architecture that emulation just doesn't really work, even on systems whose CPU's are 10-20 times as fast. SEGA and Nintendo would have to work together to emulate it properly and it'd be quite difficult if it's even possible.
I tend to agree with "letting it die" though. As much as I like the game and would like to see it refreshed, it won't hold the same impact it originally did. The environments that it opened were farther ahead of its time than those that could be reasonably accomplished now.
Joe @ Jan 4th 2007 2:49PM
@#6: Nope, sweetheart. *puts nights cd into pc* just 450 MB. Should fit nicely.
insertnamehere @ Jan 6th 2007 2:52PM
18:
Sora is the company of the SSB and Kirby creator Sakuri.
wizard @ Mar 29th 2007 2:35PM
The recent rumour mill is an April fools gag. Two magazines have already said they will unveil Nights 2 for the WII in their April issues. Smells rather fishy to me.
Josh @ Mar 31st 2007 12:44AM
@7 Compression is done much more efficiently these days, the release would NOT be 700 mb (and anyway, it's not as if they all had to fill the disc)
It's actually 79.7 mb big as a rom, and so far all of the virtual console games whose sizes i've seen, have been very close in size to their rom counterparts
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