Nintendo Wii Fanboy

We said we wouldn't get hung up on graphics if the gameplay was good. And, well, after watching these two videos of NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, we are feeling a sensation we haven't felt in a long time: real Sega love. You could put a copy of Sonic Shuffle in front of us and we'd totally play it. Our minds aren't changed about the textures, but we find it very hard to care right now.

What you see in the video is authentic NiGHTS. Sega hasn't changed it into a minigame collection or a training game or even a 3D platformer. They didn't give him a gun and a car. This is a real sequel to the Saturn game in 2.5D, just like God intended. Ignore the Disney-esque narration and flourishes in the trailer. They are irrelevant.

For some reason, these videos aren't embedded at Gamespot's NiGHTS page, despite using the Gamespot player. You can, however, download a high-resolution version of the gameplay video there. They are embedded after the break. Please watch them and improve your day!

[Via NeoGAF; embedded Gamespot videos found at GoNintendo]

Welcome to our weekly feature, Virtually Overlooked, wherein we talk about games that aren't on the Virtual Console yet, but should be. Call it a retro-speculative.

Workin' hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win
Some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the Atari 2600 game never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Disney announced a new line of video games today based on their popular Disney Princess merchandising. Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey, also being released on the PC and Playstation 2, will enable players to create their own Princess to fulfill the goal of "restoring order to kingdoms wreaked with peril." We're guessing 3D platforming, but we have no idea.

On the one hand, we bristle at the idea of "games for girls," but we can't deny that Disney Princess is already quite popular. We only hope that Disney doesn't betray their fans' love of the franchise with a junk game.

On a scale of one to whimsical, NiGHTs: Journey of Dreams is pretty high up there. A recent Sega event showed off some early gameplay footage, and those present scored a first-hand look at the upcoming flight ... adventure ... whirly ... whatever genre it is, anyway.

Apparently the presentation kicked off with a comparison between NiGHTs and the works of famous psychologist Carl Jung, who did extensive work on dream theory. The game will consist of seven dream worlds, each divided into the colorful Nightopia and the darker, sinister realm of Nightmare, in which the game's unique bosses reside. For those worried about an unnatural Wii waggle factor, the game will feature an alternate, analog stick control method for a more traditional experience. An interview with producer Takashi Iizuka can be found here for more information, as well as several first-hand experiences.

And just look at those silly clothes. What was he thinking that morning ...?

While we've been vocally (or textually) thrilled about a sequel to the sublime NiGHTS into Dreams coming to the Wii, our enthusiasm has always been kept in check by the possibility of Sega ruining it. They have a couple of different avenues to do so: they could turn it into a minigame collection for non-gamers, which must be quite a temptation for Wii developers, they could go the "edgy" route, or they could just be Sega and churn out a terrible game.

We're happy to report that, according to an NGamer interview with Sega Studio USA's Takashi Iizuka, at least the classic gameplay will be intact. Iizuka said that he decided to keep the game concept the same out of consideration for those of us for whom it's been a long eleven-year wait. Not only is the gameplay basically the same, but the composer for the original game is back.

Of course, all of this is very encouraging, but it doesn't eliminate the possibility of Sega pulling a Sonic 360 and releasing a game that is disappointing in surprising new ways. We hate that we have to add the "don't forget, this is Sega" disclaimer, but we do, especially with Sonic Team.

Brought to you by our good friends at 2-P Start, this image highlights exactly how Sonic Team USA, responsible for such crap as Shadow the Hedgehog, could crush the beautiful NiGHTs franchise into the ground.

You've voted on the polls, but more specifically, what do you think Sonic Team USA can do to screw this up? What should they change, what shouldn't they, and will cult-classic status translate into prolific sales figures? Is the main character a guy or a girl? Hmmmm.

This isn't some sick, delayed April Fool's joke. After endless rumors and speculation, Japanese gaming mag Famitsu has finally confirmed ONM's "world exclusive": the official sequel to NiGHTS into Dreams, tentatively titled NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, is coming to the Wii this winter. The Wiimote will be heavily utilized in the flying mechanics, which include soaring, tumbling, and freewheeling through an endless diamond sky. The producer of the title, Takashi Izuka of Sonic Team USA, has this to say about the title:

"In 1996, we created the NiGHTS character to achieve a concept of 'being refreshed from being able to fly in the sky'. 11 years later, at last, we have broken our silence. NiGHTS will now fly in a new dream world: new stages, new story, and on the new Wii platform. Please look forward to NiGHTS and friends exploring this brand new adventure."

Better news in the world of Wii does not exist, friends. What is it now, like, 264 days till the Winter Solstice?

[via Joystiq]

[Thanks to Dias and Creamsugar!]