Nights Producer Speaks About New Game

Takeshi Iizuka, producer of NiGHTS: Journey Into Dreams sat down with the folks over at NGamer for an interview to talk about his highly anticipated upcoming game. He addresses some level design issues with the first game, that he wanted to clear up for the Wii version.

We found that original NiGHTS game was not "user-friendly" as it was often difficult for the player to figure out what to do or where to go next. The sequel is built around a dramatic storyline that will engage the player and guide them intuitively through the adventure.

He speaks with generalizations as to not give away any of the mystery surrounding the title. At least he assures his fans that he knows the shortcomings of the first, and he does not want to repeat the same mistakes.

The original game had a sweeping, acrobatic sense of flight. Soaring through the level was a joy, even though it was easy to get out of control and careen around the stage like a pinball. Some concerns have been voiced about the control for the new title, Iizuka explains that there will be two different control options available.

We're currently designing the game to be played with two control configurations. Our main focus is to design the game to be played with the Wii remote but for those gamers that are more comfortable using a more "traditional-style" controller configuration, they will able to plug the nunchuk into the Wii remote as well.

The A-Life feature in the first game was a cute little artificial life simulator that was the precursor to the Chao system found in the Sonic Adventure games. The player monitored the mood of the Nightopians, and they could merge with enemies to create a hybrid creature called a Mepian. Unfortunately Iizuka had little to say about the possible inclusion of this feature.

The A-life system was a very popular feature of the original NiGHTS game that we'd love to include, but we're currently investigating all options.

Hm, sounds like a definite maybe. I can’t wait to get NiGHTS: Journey Into Dreams in my hot hands. For 11 years I’ve been waiting for a sequel, and right when I never thought it would happen, the title was announced. Check out the full interview for some more insightful words from Takeshi Iizuka.

NGamer exclusive - NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams interview [NGamer]
[via 4 Color Rebellion]