The GHZ Forum

Just in time for the holidays, too. All I had to do was write a paper for my buddy, and in exchange he said he'd give me the game. And he did.

How are things around here? I kinda forgot about this place but I guess I un-forgot it cause here I am! I am currently playing FFXII, a game which has really impressed me. I am currently just past the 100 hour mark and I don't think I'll be putting the game down anytime soon.

So, what's the haps?

Here's a true story.

Several years ago, I loaned my copy of Christmas NiGHTS to Johnny "Sonikku" Wallbank, the guy who made Sonic Robo Blast and Sonic Robo Blast 2, a couple of fangames that still follow a mysterious sort of following. After that, we fell out-- in a big way. And he never did send me that copy of Christmas NiGHTS back.

I think Martin still plays WoW with him.

Wow you guys lived near each other or something?

Christmas nights, I wish SEGA gave us more presents like that.

For a mini game it was quite fun, specially the Reala Gift.

See if Martin will do the assassin thing for you, Popcorn - not returning Christmas NiGHTS? That's a pretty serious offense. I seem to remember GG! stating he'd lick a public restroom clean before giving up his copy.

I bought Christmas NiGHTS on Ebay in 2001 for more money than I care to admit, but it was definitely worth it.

I have both the US and Japanese versions, meself. The US one is first hand merchandise. I might still have the issue of Next Gen I bought it with.

I've been unable to track down a US version. I do have a Japanese version thanks to the awesomeness of G.Silv, though.

more money than I care to admit

I found 'Holic's copy in Japan for roughly 40 cents.

How much did you sell it to him for?

I got it for a dollar at a blockbuster.

I got it for free at Blockbuster.

There's a US version? Did they dub the movies?

Yes, and the narrator is awful.

If I remember correctly the cut scenes are narrated in English by some woman.

I like her. Her smile is <i>audible</i>.

So... have Saturn emulators evolved to the point that NiGHTS and Christmas NiGHTS are actually playable yet?

Is there a transcription of the narration up somewhere? I got the gist of it, but always wondered what the details were.

I was delightfully surprised when I tossed it into my unmodded American Saturn and everything worked, except for the unlockable movie clips. Did anybody else try that?

Pepperidge wrote:So... have Saturn emulators evolved to the point that NiGHTS and Christmas NiGHTS are actually playable yet?

Yes. I hear SSF runs it fairly well, but you need a pretty hardcore PC to run that. It's quite playable on Cassini as well, but if I recall correctly, it accelerates the music for no good reason, and it gives you the most sadistic screeching sound effect at the stage intro screen. That, and I think it has issues with loading the cutscenes, but you can bypass those by rapidly pressing the start button. This issue might have been fixed, though I can't really check at the moment.

I have said beefy computer, and yes, SSF runs <i>NiGHTS</i> really well, with one problem: I can run most games at full speed, but <i>NiGHTS</i> seems to want to have some minor slowdown regardless, even with Frame Skip enabled. It's hardly game-breaking or anything (no, the fact you're playing it on a <b>keyboard</b> might be more so than anything else).

<i>Christmas NiGHTS</i> SHOULD work, although I don't know if I've actually tried in a good long while.

There's a US version?

It was distributed with the December '96 issues of Game Players and Next Generation, but only newsstand copies as I recall. Unlike the Japanese version, it doesn't come in a jewel case but a cheap cardboard slip.

I actually only just played the Japanese version for the first time a few days ago on SSF. It's just a little too slow to be playable on my computer, but my rig is pansy. While we're on the subject, can anyone get Sonic R to play on it? For me it just kind of chuckles condescendingly and tells me to go fuck myself.

Yes.

However, that person was not me. In fact, I tried it immediately after, and lo and behold... nope, not working that well. It's working BETTER now that I updated to the original version in the sense that the menus now work, more or less, and the race actually starts kinda. The problem comes when the track is being displayed - it glitches up like mad and the framerate would make Saturn <i>DOOM</i> cry.

So it only took me a couple runs to unlock everything but Reala, but I'm still really digging it. I like Elliot's first course, because it has pretty awesome link opportunities. Link Attack mode is also a fun diversion, and I like finally being able to check the status of my A-Lifes.

Anyway it was a good trade because that paper was way easy.

Xmas Nights is almost better than the full Nights game.