NiGHTS into Dreams is coming to the PS2

[Ngangbius]

Originally from neogaf's new famitsu thread:



Discuss.

[Cuckooguy]

I bet if Journey of Dreams flops then they'll cancel this.

[Isuka]

I wonder if it's part of the SEGA AGES 2500 series.
It looks like the release date is February 21, 2008. It's highly unlikely that, in case JoD results in a flop, they'd cancel this "port" (because I don't understand if they're talking about a straight port, an enhanced port or what).
So yeah, I'm fucking happy.

[Tsuyoshi-kun]

Finally I'll get to play this game. I hope the port isn't too screwed up..

[Locit]

It looks slightly enhanced or remixed or something. The Gillwing picture clearly shows a new model.

This is going to look better than the Wii game, isn't it?

[Shadow Hog]

I wonder if this is being included inside <i>Journey of Dreams</i> as an unlockable of sorts. I mean, it makes sense to me that Wii owners should get the original game to compare the sequel to...

[Popcorn]

It's strange, isn't it, how Sega at some point became the most boring company on Earth. Do you think if we did some research we could pinpoint the exact day it happened? We could add it to the Museum.

[Shadow Hog]

The fact that they're able to port Saturn games even still is actually somewhat exciting. Who knows, maybe they'll be able to port <i>other</i> classics, like the <i>Panzer Dragoon</i> series (barring the first, which is already ported), <i>Astal</i>, <i>Clockwork Knight 2</i> (the first is rather meh), and pretty much anything Treasure ever made (like <i>Radiant Silvergun</i> - in fact, ESPECIALLY <i>Radiant Silvergun</i>).

[Kogen]

Yeah Popcorn, releasing this on PS2 is so boring. Why can't they make some military simuilators like an exciting company would?

I'm mostly worried it is SEGA AGES 2500 and they'll be all faggy and not release it outside Japan.

[Pepperidge]

Well, this is good since I don't really have to give a shit about JoD anymore. But where's Burning Rangers?

[Popcorn]

Yeah Popcorn, releasing this on PS2 is so boring. Why can't they make some military simuilators like an exciting company would?

It's rare a post here leaves me speechless these days, but... what?

[Kogen]

You were saying SEGA is boring because they release games like NiGHTS.

[Senbei]

So, after years of searching pawnshops and second-hand game stores, I finally got my hands on both a Saturn and a copy of NiGHTS. Two weeks later this is announced. The irony, man, the irony!

I'm not upset though, since SEGA's recent track record speaks volumes about the likely quality of the game.

[Pepperidge]

How have the AGES games been, anyway, since we're assuming that's who's handling this?

[Frieza2000]

Porting this highly demanded and acclaimed game is not just a legitimate move, it's long overdue.

That said, Pop's observation is no less true and I'd direct our rhetorical search to somewhere in the vicinity of 2004, if Sonic's releases are any indication of the company as a whole. That year they ported SADX to PC, made Sega SuperStars for the eyetoy, repackaged Mega Collection as Mega Collection Plus, and ported Heroes to PC, and have since followed it up with Gems Collection, Shadow, Riders, a PC port of Mega Collection Plus, a dysfunctional GBA port of Sonic 1, a PC version of Riders, Rivals, Sonic X on Leapster, and now Olympics and Tennis. In fact, the only traditional Sonic games we've had in the last 4 years are Rush 1&2 and Sonic 2k6.

[Locit]

The fact that they're able to port Saturn games even still is actually somewhat exciting. Who knows, maybe they'll be able to port <i>other</i> classics, like the <i>Panzer Dragoon</i> series (barring the first, which is already ported), <i>Astal</i>, <i>Clockwork Knight 2</i> (the first is rather meh), and pretty much anything Treasure ever made (like <i>Radiant Silvergun</i> - in fact, ESPECIALLY <i>Radiant Silvergun</i>).

I know for a fact that Futatsugi has said the original source code for Panzer Dragoon Saga has been lost. I'm pretty sure Gametap already has Zwei in its library, though.

I must have rented Astal like a dozen times back in the day, but I always figured nostalgia was the main reason I had such fond memories of it. Does it really rock as much as I remember?

[Kogen]

Thankfully Sonic games do not represent everything that has a SEGA logo on it, as much of it is still just as good as it's ever been and only seems to be getting better.

Recent SEGA AGES 2500 games seem to either be hit or miss due to the games chosen and not the quality of porting/whatever. They're either the same as before with minor adjustments or just enhanced like they're doing with NiGHTS now; not budget remakes by the cheapest company they can find like when they started it on PS2.

[Esrever]

In the post-dreamcast days the only recognizable remnant of SEGA's glory days was Hitmaker. As soon as they stopped making Xbox games it was all over. I know it's a largely emotional distinction, but JSRF and Orta are -- in my mind at least -- the last two games produced by the 'old' SEGA.

[Mep]

I think most games by the AM department are still great, I've been having lots of fun with Rally Revo. Virtua Fighter 5 got good reviews. I'd also like to think Yu is still working on Shenmue Online considering he hasn't had a hand in any recent games, but maybe I'm just dumb...

Anyways this is good news. I doubt that they're going to touch anything but the graphics considering its just a port and Sonic Team has no say in it. I'm definitely going to buy it.

[Kogen]

How could games like Outrun2(and it's varients), After Burner Climax, House of the Dead 4, Virtua Fighter 5, Yakuza, and SEGA Rally Revo not be like the 'old' SEGA? I still think AM2, who are making the most classic franchises just like they've always been, is just as good as they ever were and are one of the top game developers. Creative Assembly, while new to SEGA, makes great games as well. Anyone who thinks SEGA are dead just aren't that much of a SEGA fan to begin with and are probably just seeing Sonic as bad and assuming everything else is.

Shenmue Online is most likely dead. The studio was even closed. Though it's not as if that game was going to be in any civilised countries anyway; I'm fairly sure it was for the Chinese/Korean market.

[Isuka]

Well, this is good since I don't really have to give a shit about JoD anymore. But where's Burning Rangers?

Same here. And they must be waiting for a crappy Burning Rangers sequel to release it (the original) somewhere else.

That year they ported SADX to PC, made Sega SuperStars for the eyetoy, repackaged Mega Collection as Mega Collection Plus, and ported Heroes to PC, and have since followed it up with Gems Collection, Shadow, Riders, a PC port of Mega Collection Plus, a dysfunctional GBA port of Sonic 1, a PC version of Riders, Rivals, Sonic X on Leapster, and now Olympics and Tennis. In fact, the only traditional Sonic games we've had in the last 4 years are Rush 1&2 and Sonic 2k6.

And Advance 3. It was sooo crappy.
Panzer Dragoon and Dynamite Deka were all right, though I still have to try Virtual-On to say if it was successfully translated to dual-analog land (because I just can't find Marz anywhere by here).

Oh, and now this game is a candidate for most goddamn expensive beta in history.

[Ritz]

I recall hearing of one Super Mario Bros. beta that sold for, like, $12,000+.

[Esrever]

Outrun2(and it's varients), After Burner Climax, House of the Dead 4, Virtua Fighter 5, Yakuza, and SEGA Rally Revo

Good examples! Obviously the company still manages to get it right on occasion, there is no denying that. And these are probably the best games of SEGA's recent years. (I also really liked Sonic Rush Adventure, if we're going to go there.) Yet, at best, these are all highly polished variations of formulas well-established in previous SEGA games from years ago.

Which is fine for some of your software library! But certainly not for all of it, especially when you're only managing to scrape together six decent titles in nearly as many years. For awhile you could count on SEGA for both quality sequels and cool new ideas. Now you only get a handful of one, and pretty much none of the other.

There are no new good ideas coming out of SEGA anymore, unless you count some of the titles they publish that are developed by other companies. Instead we get piles of garbage accompanied by the occasional successful new iteration of a classic.

[G.Silver]

The Virtual On port is quite excellent. The graphics are spot on, the control is as authentic as the dual shock allows (which is pretty authentic), load time is almost nonexistent (I've never said that about a PS2 game before) and the attention to detail like the inclusion of a "pure" credit-inserting arcade mode, or the secret extra options (SD mode, playable Jag and Z-Gradt, special moves for all characters, etc) just shows somebody involved really gave a shit. Actually, the manual is about 60 pages long and over half of that is developer commentary (in Japanese, of course..).

In the post-dreamcast days the only recognizable remnant of SEGA's glory days was Hitmaker. As soon as they stopped making Xbox games it was all over. I know it's a largely emotional distinction, but JSRF and Orta are -- in my mind at least -- the last two games produced by the 'old' SEGA.

BTW you meant Smilebit, right?

[Kogen]

I was just listing the new stuff from older franchises or something similar like Yakuza. I bought most of the stuff Creative Assembly has made and lots of their good but not great games, for examples. Personally I'm fine with them releasing older games in collections/enhancements since I don't own most of them. About half the games I buy are from SEGA now, which is certainly an improvement to anything in the last 12 years or so, and ignoring 2-3 years the Dreamcast made good games. Not that I had one, anyway. Basically what I mean is they're not going downhill in quality, they're only going up, even if it is slow.

Also not personally liking certain games doesn't make them garbage. I don't like Virtua Tennis 3 but most people say it's a great tennis games. This can be said for Football/Soccer Manager too, which beats all others like the FIFA games. Again I couldn't give a shite about this, but it's still a quality game developed by SEGA that sells well. I don't have any issue with old games being made instead of a constant stream of new franchises either; I honestly don't want more rapping rollerskate teens, retards in taxis, or emos flying dragons. I'd rather Hang-On, Streets of Rage, and NiGHTS on the PS2 with better graphics.

Also which large publisher doesn't make crap along with their good games? SEGA is just doing what other third-party developers do like EA, Ubisoft, Activision, and THQ. They have to since horrid things like Bleach on the Wii sells better than most of those games I listed before.