This game looks phenomenal

also jeux-france got those scans off of neogaf, as far as i know

http://jodyanthony.deviantart.com

This has been a very, very, very good week for Wii owners, I'd say.

online capabilities?? now i KNOW its an april fools joke hahaha.

oh, they should make Lego NiGHTS since everyone loves freakin legos.


Lego my ego!

5: Yeah... Sorry if I don't understand a word you just said but hey.

Heh, wouldn't take a genius to mock up something like this, but I do believe it's the geniune article we're looking at.

Every week is a good week for Wii owners as more developers jump on the rocket train to success, and when you live within walking distance of a Blockbuster like I do. This summer I'll probably rent at least a game a week, and then this Christmas I guess I'll have to join GameFly before my wallet explodes.

Initially i was skeptical, until i saw all the scans

And who said it couldn't have Online play? Nintendo seems to be playing favorites with SEGA in respect of Online play

In Japan SEGA is making a pachinko game that features both Miis and Online play, features Nintendo has explicitly denied to other devs

If they go with the concept of Elliot and Claris, Online co-op doesn't seem too much of a stretch

Plus, it looks like they used Sonic and the Secret Rings' graphical engine, which is a plus as far as taking advantage of the Wii's computational/graphical capabilities

Can someone explain to me what made nights good in the first place? I never had a saturn so, obviously, I never played the game. Watching you tube videos of it, I'm still not sure what makes it so great or what will make this version so good o.o Thanks in advance

Anyone else get the feeling they are going to lift the control scheme straight from Flow? Seems like the way to go since flow is the first motion sensetive game i've played that I thought justified the controller (although its still not necessary).

It seems to me like these games play similarly enough to be controlled in exactly the same style.

But Im leaning towards april fools joke on this one. I wouldn't be surprised although if eventually we saw a sequal.

NiGHTS was awesome because

1. One of the first games with 3D analog control (yes that's right, eat it Mario)
2. Graphics were amazing
3. Game is addictive and fun as hell
4. Advanced world effects, the mood of little background characters could change based on things you did as you owned the game over years (ALIFE)
5. Awesome music and touching story
6. Really gave the sensation of flying, just as Echo got praise for giving a great swimming as a dolphin feeling.

Anyone else want NiGHTS to be packed in with NiGHTS 2?

Do they even have April Fools in Portugal? Or France? Perhaps it goes by its literal translation: Completely Unfunny Lying Assholes Day?

@Jonathan Tran

Sounds like most of the things that made it great had to due with the time it was released. No wonder I never understood it. Sorta leads me to believe it won't age too well. Well, good luck with this one Sega :) Maybe it'll be a 3rd party Wii game worth purchase XD

yes we have ^^ and it's called 'dia das mentiras', which translates into 'lies day' :P but the article seems authentic imo.

and yes we do have Aprils foul here in portugal.

To #11

Super Mario 64 released in Japan June 26, 1996.
Nights released in Japan July 5, 1996.

Mario was first with analog control.

Guess what my apple ][ had an analog joystiq back in 1977...sorry mario.

Thanks Ross for posting this up! We were starting to get some trouble at P-N because people were starting to take the interview and claim it as theirs - as well as on Digg. =P

But going back on topic, I just hope this isn't a fake, for the simple reason that the more online for Wii, the better. I personally have to say that I haven't played the original, but it is looking good so far and may consider it later on when it launches.

@ 13
Fun Fact: April Fool's may have started in France. Over there they call april fools "poisson d'avril" or April fish.

And this is totally an April Fools joke. Looks like Joystiq is this year poisson d'avril.

@ 21: Why the hell would April Fool's have started in France when it's not even that far into March 31st there (if it's even left the 30th at all)?

Seriously, all these "April Fools'!" comments are getting annoying. It's not a hoax. Mario & Sonic is not a hoax. Nothing is a hoax until an announcement is actually made on April 1st - because THAT is April Fools' Day, NOT several days ahead of time.

The screenshots have appeared on GameSpy as well. This may be for real:
http://media.wii.gamespy.com/media/873/873984/imgs_1.html

From Wikipedia:

The first analog stick was on the VC 4000 by Intertron in Germany in 1978.

The first potentiometer-based analog stick was on the Atari 5200 in 1982, but it was non-centering so it sucked.

The first centering potentiometer-based analog stick was on the Vectrex, also in 1982.

Then Nintendo made the D-Pad for the Game & Watch and then the NES and the whole industry switched over because it was the perfect control scheme for 2-D games.

Then 3-D gameplay was on the horizon, so Sony, Nintendo, and Sega all created the new and improved 360 degree analog control sticks AT THE SAME TIME. All 3 came out in 1996.

The Sony Flightstick was made by Sony for games like Descent, had a very limited run and is super rare and nobody remembers it, and it was the first new analog stick, released to Japan in April 1996.

Then Mario 64 rocked it in Japan in June 1996 and NiGHTS rocked it in Japan in July 1996.

Of course, nobody remembers the VC 4000 or cares about Atari's non-centering one, so basically Vectrex started it and then Sony/Nintendo/Sega revamped it to 360 degrees all at the same time.

CASE CLOSED.

OMG OMG OMG!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NiGHTS2!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's Maxi ConsolaS. With a "S" at the end. lol

I was surprised when I saw "Maxi Consolas" at Kotaku... Because it's a crappy mag... Not for this time. lol

April Fools, douchebags!

Takashi Iizuka had more than "a hand in" the original NiGHTS. He was the Lead Game Designer.

With Yuji Naka and Naoto Oshima gone he is probably the best person Sega has for deploying a new NiGHTS game.

@9 What's exciting about Nights? Nothing really. I had it for Saturn with the analog controller years ago. The game gets really boring after about 10 minutes. It's the 2nd most overhyped Sega game of all time. Next to Shenmue of course.

The original NiGHTS was developed with the analog control in mind. If Sega only releases the sequel for a Nintendo console and ignores PS3 and Xbox 360, it would solidify my belief the Sega I loved since the Master System days, is gone forever.

I never thought I'd say this, but I hate Sega.

@22
The April Fools tradition was thought to have started in France

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_fools#Origin

NiGHTS is certainly looking nice on Wii. First we got new screenshots of it, then a new video of WWE Smackdown! vs. RAW 2007 for Wii, and coming in April will be even more Nintendo goodness. Back to NiGHTS though, I'm really excited for this title and sure hope that Sega delivers.

Oh, THAT kind of "started". I thought he was saying it was April Fools' already in France.

The rest of my comment should still be valid, however.

I wish this was coming to the Xbox 360 and it utilized the power of the Xenon. I really don't care much for the Wii mote or the Nunchuk. I like the tight feel of two triggers behind my controller, and the position of the analog stick on the Xbox 360. Its a derivative of the old Sega Saturn Analog Thumb Pad, kinda. Hopefuuly they either port it or have a specific version that utilizes the 360 hardware.

If this does well on the Wii, I wouldn't be surprised if they start whoring out the franchise to the DS, PSP, cell phones, Happy Meal toys, and yes, all the other home consoles.

I'm excited. Hope this ain't a hoax...

I just started screaming when I discovered this on GameOver (a portuguese website about videogames). I was so young when I first played NiGHTS, that the idea of a dreamy gaming world with dreamy and sweet musics was something that I would never find again. God, I'm so getting a way of having a Wii...
I really don't think that it gets boring, at all. Some people may think the same about Katamari, such a nonsense and out-of-place game; but reality is, you get addicted really quickly and you don't want to ever stop playing. Well, NiGHTS is as addicting and as beautifull to watch as katamari.
But regarding Shenmue, one my favourite games, it was one of the most inovative games I ever played: the story is not one of those that aren't original at all, and it's very deep. Well, of course guys don't get emotional that easy, but what the hell, they feel too. A good game that suits everyone that likes investigation, adventure, fights and extra games =DD

Since Dreamcast's failure that Sega has been a little down, but it's making efforts to improve. I'll just root for them like I've always been, like I do for Nintendo, 'cause both of them provided me such wonderfull times that I'll never forget... times when I was old enough to hold a controller or a keyboard.

I'm portuguese and indeed the screens talk about a new NiGHTS and show an interview that doesn't go to far into the game, it only talks about the will of the developers to create the game and how the Wii will have the exclusive since it allows for a control revolution.

Still this is the april edition and I don't really know whether to believe a 2 page article on maxi consolas or not.