It's been eleven years since Sonic Team's NiGHTS first took flight on the Sega Saturn, bringing magnificent whimsy and charm to its hardcore owners. Many fans clamored for a sequel, and now they finally have one with NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams for the Wii. A few flaws keep it from achieving the same "dream come true" status of the original, but it's an unexpectedly powerful sequel from the current Sonic Team.

You control one of two kids, Will and Helen, as they undertake a journey into the magical, sleepy world of Nightopia. Their visit couldn't come at a better time. The city is under attack by the evil Nightmaren, led by the enormous Wizeman and his right hand wizard Reala. They must work together with a strange flying entity called NiGHTS to fight against the horrendous creatures and save the city.

NiGHTS features two types of segments – platforming stages and flying stages. With the platforming stages, you control Will or Helen as they collect blue chips (dream currency of sorts) and punch enemies while activating switches. Unfortunately, these segments are rather cut-and-dry, as the kids move about with very little vibrancy.

However, once you take control of NiGHTS himself, the game comes alive with robust energy. He flies through the air, pursuing key carriers (to free him from his temporary prison on each level) while collecting blue chips and other goodies. He can also defeat enemies by either circling around them, creating a temporary current that sucks them in; or by using a boost to fly right through them, although he needs to refill energy by flying through rings.

Strangely enough, the boss battles are the best part of the game. NiGHTS must face off against large opponents. The first round is pretty much a pushover, giving you an idea how to beat them. The second, though, is the real challenge. There are some very impressive bosses here, most notably the inflatable clown that you must throw upward through barriers.

Sonic Team provides numerous options for the game's control scheme. You can either play with the Wii remote by itself, use a Nunchuk with the remote or use a Classic or GameCube controller. The single remote option by is the least fun, as you guide NiGHTS and the other characters about using an annoying on-screen icon. The other control options work just fine, however. You'll find yourself flying around enemies and performing stunts in a matter of minutes.

NiGHTS has an astonishing soundtrack. The orchestrated tunes really bring the dream world of Nightopia to life, along with some familiar sound effects. (Hearing those little bird chirps again are a lot of fun, just as they will be to other nostalgic Saturn owners.) However, the hokey dialogue is mostly unnecessary. Furthermore, giving NiGHTS the voice of a Peter Pan wannabe damages the character.

Visually, Journey of Dreams looks great. There are some minor problems with the frame rate, and textures occasionally blur. However, the levels come alive with attractive details, and NiGHTS himself has never looked better. It's a little troubling that Will and Helen resemble plastic dolls rather than actual kids, but never mind. The game also features some stunning computer generated sequences, although you can't skip through some of them.

Finally, there's the surprising Wi-Fi Connection support. The game links up with your Wii's internal Weather Channel to match up real-time weather activity in the game. It isn't the most innovative feature, but it's somewhat neat – especially if you want to play through snowy levels in time for Christmas. You can also compete against friends and random players in racing and balloon-throwing activities. The My Dream function is probably the most fascinating, however, as you can "invade" other people's dreams, pass along gifts and even chat it up via NiGHTS emoticons.

Overall, this NiGHTS sequel is a welcome sight. Sure, some graphical cleanup would have been nice and the kids' platforming segments need more work. However, most of the components that make the original such a lovable treat return here in elegant fashion. If you can overlook a few defects, you'll find this Journey to be worth dreaming about.

Our Final ScoreGood

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