Line #146 VideoGame/NiGHTSIntoDreams


1	%% Box art selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1515233777094318700
2	%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
3	%%
4	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nights_into_dreams.png]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:[[{{Tagline}} It's a Dream Paradox.]]]]
6	->''As you wander through the nightmare world, you recall all of your exciting experiences.\
7	You remember floating freely, smiling as you drifted through fantastic and beautiful lands.\
8	But you also recall fleeing in terror from the nightmare master.\
9	''[=NiGHTS=]'' is an unfolding stage, a breathtaking adventure through fantastic and dangerous places.\
10	Courage and skill determine the outcome of your incredible dream.''
11	-->-- '''Text on the Japanese box art.'''
12
13
14	A unique game developed by Creator/{{Sega}}'s Creator/SonicTeam for the Platform/SegaSaturn in 1996, ''[=NiGHTS=] into Dreams...'' is the system's KillerApp and one of Sonic Team's more noteworthy attempts at breaking away from their flagship ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series.
15
16	''[=NiGHTS=] into Dreams...'' features a [[{{Minimalism}} minimalist]] story revolving around two children, Claris and Elliot, both of whom have something troubling them. Claris is [[PerformanceAnxiety extremely nervous]] about her upcoming performance at a talent show, and Elliot had a nasty encounter with the local [[TheBully school bully]]. Uneasy, both children go to sleep that night and in their dreams they discover [[DreamLand Nightopia]], where they meet [=NiGHTS=], a playful spirit that has been imprisoned by the God of Nightmares: Wizeman the Wicked.
17
18	The main objective of each level is to collect enough Blue Chips in order to recover objects known as Ideya from Wizeman's minions, the Nightmaren. Claris and Elliot can only walk on the ground and are constantly chased by an Alarm Egg, which will [[CrashingDreams wake them up]] and end the game if it catches up to them. [=NiGHTS=] is able to [[FusionDance dualize]] with one of the children; doing so will allow [=NiGHTS=] to leave the prison temporarily. [=NiGHTS=] can fly, perform complex aerial acrobatics, and drill through the air very quickly. After all the Ideya in a level have been recovered, [=NiGHTS=] will be teleported to a boss fight, and good rankings in all stages are needed to access the final boss and ending.
19
20	After the initial game's success, a [[SelfContainedDemo demo]] disguised as both a spinoff and [[BonusMaterial bonus disc]] titled ''Christmas [=NiGHTS=] into Dreams...'' was released, featuring an extensive HolidayMode remix of the game's first level and an exclusive mini story serving as a minor epilogue for the original game. A [[ComicBook/NiGHTSIntoDreams six-issue miniseries]] by Creator/ArchieComics was published in 1998, and "The World of ''[=NiGHTS=] into Dreams...''" made an appearance in the ''[[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsUnite Worlds Unite]]'' crossover event, also by Archie. [=NiGHTS=] became a featured character in other Sega games, particularly crossovers with Sonic, and became somewhat infamous for having more appearances in other games than his own series.
21
22	After 11 years, a sequel to the original game was released in 2007 for the Platform/{{Wii}}, ''VideoGame/NiGHTSJourneyOfDreams''. Unlike its predecessor, ''Journey of Dreams'' features a more traditional narrative, with a larger cast of characters and greater emphasis on world-building and character development.
23
24	[[http://www.nightsintodreams.com/ NiGHTSintoDreams.com]] is a dedicated fansite that has been consistently updated with any relevant ''[=NiGHTS=]'' news since ''1999''. It features an extensive archive of just about everything [=NiGHTS=]-related that you can think of, including interviews with Creator/YujiNaka and Takashi Iizuka.
25
26	In 2020, Yuji Naka and character designer Naoto Ohshima revealed that, as part of the new Creator/SquareEnix subsidiary Balan Company, they were developing a SpiritualSuccessor to ''[=NiGHTS=]'': ''VideoGame/BalanWonderworld''.
27
28	[[foldercontrol]]
29	[[folder:Main Series Games]]
30	* ''[=NiGHTS=] into Dreams...'' ([[Platform/SegaSaturn Saturn]], 1996; [[Platform/PlayStation2 PS2]], 2008; [[Platform/{{Steam}} Steam (PC)]], [[Platform/PlayStation3 PS3]], [[Platform/Xbox360 360]], 2012)
31	* ''Christmas [=NiGHTS=]'' (Saturn, 1996)
32	* ''VideoGame/NiGHTSJourneyOfDreams'' (Platform/{{Wii}}, 2007)
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder:Spinoffs and Crossovers]]
36	* ''VideoGame/SonicPinballParty'' ([[Platform/GameBoyAdvance GBA]], 2003)[[note]][=NiGHTS=] is a main character.[[/note]]
37	* ''VideoGame/SonicRiders'' ([[Platform/NintendoGamecube GameCube]], [=PS2=], Platform/{{Xbox}}, PC, 2006)[[note]][=NiGHTS=] is an unlockable character.[[/note]]
38	* ''Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity'' ([=PS2=], Wii, 2008)[[note]][=NiGHTS=] is an unlockable character.[[/note]]
39	* ''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars SEGA Superstars Tennis]]'' ([=PS2=], [[MediaNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames 7th Gen Consoles]], 2008)[[note]][=NiGHTS=] and Reala are playable characters.[[/note]]
40	* ''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed]]'' (7th Gen Consoles, 2012)[[note]][=NiGHTS=] and Reala are playable characters, and the track "Dream Valley" is ''[=NiGHTS=]''-based.[[/note]]
41	* ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'' (Platform/WiiU, [[Platform/Nintendo3DS 3DS]], 2013; Steam (PC), 2015)[[note]]The "Deadly Six Bonus Edition" includes a ''[=NiGHTS=]''-inspired level which features several characters from the main games.[[/note]]
42	[[/folder]]
43
44	[[folder:Notable Guest Appearances]]
45	* ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' ([[Platform/SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]], 1998; [=GameCube=], 2003; [=PS3=], 360, Steam (PC), 2010)[[note]]The stage "Casinopolis" includes a pinball table which features ''[=NiGHTS=]'' imagery and music. The "A-Life" system for the Nightopians was reused for the Chao, and it is possible to raise a Chao that resembles [=NiGHTS=].[[/note]]
46	* ''VideoGame/SonicShuffle'' (Dreamcast, 2000)[[note]]The game takes much inspiration from ''[=NiGHTS=]'' for its own story and aesthetics. [=NiGHTS=] will replace Lumina when the date on the Dreamcast is set to December 24th.[[/note]]
47	* ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'' (Dreamcast, 2001; [=GameCube=], 2002; [=PS3=], 360, Steam (PC), 2012)[[note]]''[=NiGHTS=]'' imagery can be seen in the stages "City Escape" and "Radical Highway". The A-Life System for the Chao returns, and has been greatly improved.[[/note]]
48	* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'' and ''VideoGame/BillyHatcherAndTheGiantEgg'' ([=GameCube=], 2002 and 2003)[[note]]Features an unlockable ''[=NiGHTS=]'' minigame via Game Boy Advance Link Cable.[[/note]]
49	* ''[=EyeToy=]: Play'' and ''VideoGame/SegaSuperstars'' ([=PS2=], 2003 and 2004)[[note]]Features ''[=NiGHTS=]''-inspired minigames.[[/note]]
50	* ''VideoGame/FeelTheMagic: XY/XX'' (DS, 2004)[[note]]A [=NiGHTS=] wig can be unlocked for the girl.[[/note]]
51	* ''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing]]'' (7th Gen Consoles, 2010)[[note]][=NiGHTS=] is a flagbearer, thanks to a fan campaign for ''[=NiGHTS=]'' representation.[[/note]]
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:Comics]]
55	* ''ComicBook/NightsIntoDreams'' (Creator/ArchieComics, 1998)
56	* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsUnite'' (Archie Comics, 2015)[[note]]''[=NiGHTS=]'' is one of the worlds included in the crossover.[[/note]]
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	----
60	!!This video game provides examples of:
61
62	* AcidTripDimension: The boss fights from the first game take place in these.
63	* AdorableEvilMinions: Nearly all of the Level 3 Nightmaren (the {{Mooks}}) resemble cute, colorful, toylike animals. Among the most adorable are Shleeps (fluffy sheep), Cuttles (small, pink-and-green squid with large eyes), Murtles (sea turtles with gemstone-like shells), and Mothpils (moths with vibrant wings and big, green eyes).
64	* AllEncompassingMantle: Jackle. Only it kind of… encompasses empty space. He also keeps his cards in there.
65	* AllThereInTheManual: The Japanese manuals generally give much more backstory than the US version, although the latter invents the idea that Wizeman also wants to [[TakeOverTheWorld take over the real world]]. Additionall, there's an official Japanese storybook that gives more information on the relationship between [=NiGHTS=] and Reala.
66	* AnimeHair: In the first game, Claris and Elliot have wildly-colored hair.
67	* AmbiguousGender: [=NiGHTS=]' voice and appearance are appropriately androgynous, and fanfic writers take full advantage of this. For more info, see NoBiologicalSex below.
68	* BagOfSpilling: Every level starts with [=NiGHTS=] captured and the heroes' Ideyas (except Courage) stolen, forcing you to get them back.
69	* BraggingRightsReward: A Ranks don't unlock anything, but sure are nice to look at when selecting a level.
70	* CatsAreMean: The first game has Clawz, a boss that looks like a demonic feline. Bomamba, to an extent, since the cats are her weapons [[spoiler:and her weakness]].
71	* ChasingYourTail: Most of the bosses, and all of the flight stages has the player fight the bosses while caught in a circle.
72	* ChristmasEpisode:
73	** ''Christmas [=NiGHTS=]'', a demo version of the game that would be affected by the Saturn's internal clock. Considered quite the collector's item nowadays, even though it was provided for free with certain magazines.
74	** The Steam version's title screen will go into "Christmas [=NiGHTS=]" or "Holiday [=NiGHTS=]" mode depending on the system calendar.
75	* ClownSpecies: Nightmarens are a race of beings created by the [[GodOfEvil God of Nightmare]] Wizeman the Wicked to serve him and gather ideya from dreamers unfortunate enough to stumble across them. Third-Level Nightmarens are the least humanoid, resembling monstrous parodies of animals and cartoonish little men. Second-Level Nightmarens are similar to Third-Level Nightmarens but are much larger, acting as {{Boss Battle}}s, their appearance ranging from animal-like (Claws, Gillwing, Girania, Chamelan, Cerebrus, and Queen Bella) to a more exaggerated toy and/or human-esque form (Jackle, Donbalon, and Bomamba), all with a clown-like, ArtNouveau design to them. First-Level Nightmarens are both the most powerful as well as the most humanoid, their appearances the most unambiguously [[CourtJester Jester]]-like ([=NiGHTS=] and Reala).
76	* ContinuingIsPainful: Running out of time during a boss fight sends the player back to the level select screen.
77	* CrapsackWorld: Although never seen, Nightmare is implied to be this, being the inverse of Nightopia.
78	* CurtainsMatchTheWindow: Claris has pink hair and eyes, while Elliot has blue hair and eyes.
79	* CuttingTheKnot: Gillwing, the first boss of ''[=NiGHTS=] into dreams...'' is normally defeated by repeatedly flying into its head, causing it to lose a section of its tail each time. Or you can paraloop the tip of its tail, killing it instantly.
80	* DarkReprise: The main theme from the games gets a makeover when the player gets a game over (a more melancholy song if the time runs out on a regular level, and a LastNoteNightmare when the player loses in a boss fight). The most well-known version of all is whenever the titular character fights Reala, with the refrain of these battles is a faster, minor-key reprise of "Dreams Dreams". ''Another'' instance is the first few seconds of the final boss fight in the original game.
81	%%* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:[=NiGHTS=]]] in ''[=NiGHTS=]: Journey of Dreams''.
82	* DreamLand: Nightopia, the game's main setting, is visited by the main characters as they dream.
83	* DreamsVsNightmares: Zig-zagged. Wizeman the Wicked is the leader and creator of the Nightmaren, an evil race of nightmare creatures. However, [=NiGHTS=], the protagonist, is a Nightmaren himself, who turned against Wizeman, showing that the Nightmaren aren't all bad. However, the good dream creatures, the Nightopians, aren't really active at all in fighting Wizeman, leaving [=NiGHTS=] and the human children they team up with to do most of the work. Basically, this would be Nightmare vs. Nightmares, except [=NiGHTS=] is fighting on behalf of the good dreams.
84	* EasyLevelsHardBosses: Claris has levels that are easy to score a lot of points in, but more difficult, time-wasting bosses compared to Elliot.
85	* EleventhHourSuperpower: The kids in both games gain the ability to fly in the final stages. After they reunite with [=NiGHTS=], they dualize simultaneously to engage the final battle.
86	* EvilTwin: Reala has the same powers and a similar appearance to [=NiGHTS=], but is blindly loyal to Wizeman and a true sadist.
87	* ExcusePlot: All the backstory about [=NiGHTS=], Nightopia, the Ideya, and Wizeman is mostly pushed aside during actual gameplay, which is about flying around colourful worlds and racking up tons of points. However, this might be a subversion considering how much said plot factors into the gameplay itself and the symbolism of what's going on. Most notably, the four Ideyas correspond to different aspects of the human psyche. The White Ideya represents purity, for instance, while the Blue Ideya represents intelligence as another example. The one Ideya the Nightmarens fail to steal at the beginning of each stage, the Red Ideya, embodies courage and is ultimately what allows the children to dualize with [=NiGHTS=]. It's also the major issue haunting both kids in the real world, as Elliot struggles with bullying and standing up for himself while Claris is trying to work up the nerve to perform in an important recital. [[spoiler:The final level sees the kids use the Red Ideya to fly without dualizing with [=NiGHTS=], symbolizing them overcoming their fears.]]
88	* {{Expy}}: While it probably can't be considered a character, the Alarm Egg is an obstacle to the player. It's also a machine (an alarm clock) that flies and has an egg theme. This is almost certainly a shout-out to fellow SEGA character [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Dr. Eggman]], a villain who rides around in flying egg-themed machines.
89	* {{Flight}}: [=NiGHTS=]' main ability. [[spoiler:The kids are also granted this power in the final level.]]
90	* FusionDance: [=NiGHTS=] and the children work together by dualizing, granting [=NiGHTS=] certain benefits.
91	* GameplayGrading: Both ''[=NiGHTS=]'' games are largely about ScoringPoints, and each time you return an Ideya to its palace, you're given a letter grade based on your performance, as well as a cumulative grade upon finishing a stage or boss. You typically unlock extra content by completing all the levels with either an A or a C rank.
92	* GenreRoulette: Of the musical variety, sometimes going hand-in-hand with GenreMashup. Musical styles used in the series often range from Pop-R&B ("Dreams Dreams"), Rock, ("E-LE-KI Sparkle") Orchestral, ("Fragmented [=NiGHTS=]" and "Know Thyself!"), NewJackSwing ("The Mantle", "Dreams Dreams: Sweet Mix In Holy Night"), {{Reggae}} ("Al-Di-Da: Peppermint Version"), Trip-Hop, Downtempo, and J-Pop.
93	* GoKartingWithBowser: [=NiGHTS=] plays tennis with Reala in ''Sega Superstars Tennis'', and the two apparently have quite a bit of fun doing so.
94	* GreenHillZone: Splash Garden, Spring Valley, Aqua Garden, and Pure Valley all take place in grassy meadows.
95	* HardLevelsEasyBosses: Elliot's bosses tend to be easier than Claris's, but his stages are harder to get good scores in.
96	* KidHero: Claris, Elliot, Will, and Helen are all kids, but their unique Ideyas make them [=NiGHTS=]' only hope to stop Wizeman.
97	* LastNoteNightmare: All of the boss fight music gradually gets more frantic before ending with the losing sound effect and a dark reprise of 'Dreams Dreams.'
98	%%* TheLostWoods: Mystic Forest and Memory Forest.
99	* MagicalClown: This trope is strongly prevalent due to most of the characters being dream creatures. For example, we have [=NiGHTS=] himself, a magical jester who was born from nightmares, but made a HeelFaceTurn and uses his powers to fight other nightmares. There's also Reala, [=NiGHTS=]' EvilTwin, who stayed on the dark side. Some of the bosses fall into this category as well: for example, Jackle, a clown-like DeathDealer, and Puffy, an opera singer who resembles a clown due to her big red lips and colorful costume. The sequel gives us Donbalon, a ball-like clown.
100	%%* TheMaze: Crystal Castle.
101	* MonsterClown: [=NiGHTS=] itself resembles a friendly jester yet is explicitly stated to be a nightmare. Reala plays this trope much more straight, though.
102	* MirrorBoss: Reala fights by attempting to trap [=NiGHTS=] in a paraloop, and must be defeated with the same strategy.
103	* MorphicResonance: During the course of the two games, [=NiGHTS=] shapeshifts into a mermaid, a sleigh, a dolphin, a Chinese style dragon, a rocket, a boat, and a roller coaster. All of the forms keeps [=NiGHTS=]'s color scheme and, in a few cases, their ''face''.
104	* MultipleEndings: Claris and Elliot share the final stage, but it must be cleared with both to enable the full ending where they reunite after overcoming their personal hardships.
105	* NoBiologicalSex: According to Creator/YujiNaka, all of the characters from the dream world—including [=NiGHTS=]—are technically sexless, and thus their genders are up to the dreamer's interpretation.[[note]]In most interviews, only [=NiGHTS=] comes up, but Naka made it clear that this in fact applies to the rest of the dream characters; however, it is unknown if Wizeman is the exception, as he is stated to have been a "[[AmbiguouslyHuman Visitor]]" in the Japanese manual.[[/note]] Despite this, these characters tend to be officially referred to with gendered pronouns in localization.
106	* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Nightmaren are child-terrorizing, soul/ideya-stealing servants of an evil deity in the clash between good and evil. [=NiGHTS=]'s, Reala's, and Jackle's jester hats are reminiscent of demonic horns too.
107	* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Gillwing, a gigantic boss creature from the first game, with a ball-shaped body that's all mouth, evil eyes, and wings sprouting from his cheeks, and a long thin spike-ridged tail.
108	* PassThroughTheRings: You do this to refill your dash gauge, with combos adding time on the clock — and on top of that, it's the point of a few levels.
109	%%* PersonalSpaceInvader: The Awakers.
110	* PeterPanParody: The titular [=NiGHTS=] bears many resemblances to Peter Pan, most notably being defined by his ability to fly and the freedom it embodies. In ''[=NiGHTS=]: Journey into Dreams'', this is much more prominent, being a carefree TricksterArchetype with the voice of a young boy (according to WordOfGod anyway) and the ClockTower iconic to the game resembling the Elizabeth Tower to accent it.
111	* PinballSpinoff: The series gets referenced in pinball tables in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' and ''VideoGame/SonicPinballParty''.
112	* PinkGirlBlueBoy: Claris (pink hair and eyes) and Elliot (blue hair and eyes).
113	* PlayingTennisWithTheBoss:
114	** The Reala battles in ''Journey of Dreams'' are more or less a game of dodgeball with explosions.
115	* PreRenderedGraphics: The opening and closing cutscenes are pre-rendered videos that show Elliot and Claris's life in the waking world. Christmas [=NiGHTS's=] cutscenes were static sketchbook-style 2D illustrations.
116	* PronounTrouble: [=NiGHTS=]' androgyny causes a lot of people hiccups.
117	* ProtagonistTitle: [=NiGHTS=] is the feature character of the game and the title of it.
118	* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: [=NiGHTS=] and Reala are both implied to be this.
119	* RuleOfSymbolism: The games are made based on Jungian psychology, so they are full of archetypes and Personas as gameplay and story elements.
120	* RubberyWorld: Soft Museum, where everything, including the ground, is inexplicably bouncy.
121	* {{Sampling}}:
122	** The track "Gate of Your Dream", which plays during the character select screen, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCGAa79_CD0 samples clips from the film]] ''Film/HomeAlone1''.
123	** Three songs from ''Journey of Dreams'' sample the famous drum loop from the Honey Drippers' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hNr8WpVYI0 "Impeach The President"]]: the "Sandal Wood" and "Lavender" mixes of "Al-Di-La" and the "Labyrinth Guide" mix of "Crystal Choir.
124	** "Know Thyself!", "Fragmented [=NiGHTS=]", "Growing Wings" and several other themes throughout the series reuse the melody of "Dreams Dreams" in their chords.
125	*** Along with sampling "Dreams Dreams", "[=NiGHTS=] and Reala" also contains a snippet of Frozen Bell's theme "Take The Snow Train".
126	* SceneryPorn: Totally expected, considering [[Creator/SonicTeam who made the game]]. What especially makes this impressive is that the Platform/SegaSaturn had major trouble running most polygonal games, and it executes this game ''beautifully''.
127	* ShadowArchetype: [=NiGHTS=] is a rare positive example in fiction, embodying the positive traits of the protagonists that they've denied and suppressed due to their problems.
128	%%* ShiftingSandLand: Stick Canyon and Lost Park.
129	* SirCameosALot: There are only two ''[=NiGHTS=] into Dreams...'' games (not including remakes and ports). It doesn't stop the game from being referenced in several ''Sega Superstars'' games, ''Sonic Adventure'', ''Sonic Lost World'', and ''Sonic Runners''.
130	%%* SlippySlideyIceWorld: Frozen Bell.
131	%%* SprintMeter: The Dash Meter.
132	* StealthPun: Reala's design features greasepaint makeup similar to Music/{{KISS}}, and he's a crazy, crazy [=NiGHTS=].
133	* TimedMission: All of the levels are on a strict timer. If it reaches zero, the fusion is cancelled and the kid must make it back to [=NiGHTS=] while avoiding a clock-like enemy. Touching this guy results in a GameOver. Of course, in boss battles (and the final level), the timer running out equals instant failure.
134	%%* TheTrickster: [=NiGHTS=].
135	* UpdatedRerelease: A remake with updated graphics came out in February 2008. [[NoExportForYou In Japan.]] An HD rerelease came out in October 2012 globally.
136	----
137	->''In the nights, dream delight\
138	I want to see you standing there\
139	In the nights, dream delight\
140	I found someone who really cares.''

Context VideoGame / NiGHTSIntoDreams