This game looks as bland as a loaf of bread. Even the John Williams, Disney-esque orchestral score does nothing for me. This game just doesn’t look as magical or enchanting as it should do. Nowhere near as much as Super Mario Galaxy does, which is the kind of look and feel this game should really be going for.

It’s clear that Sega won’t be making any cosmetic changes to the game and that the ghetto, low end Dreamcast style graphics are here to stay. So I guess it’s now just a case of hoping Sega nail the gameplay. The original game being a joy to play doesn’t mean shit to me anymore. We all know Sega can f**k up a game just as good as they can make a decent one. Sonic the hedgehog 3 was fantastic and a pinnacle in the series, but every console Sonic outing since then has been like shit on a disc. Daytona USA was (and still is) a multiplayer funfest with kick arse courses, Daytona USA 2 was some unplayable bullshit that looked nice and nothing else. Streets of rage 2 was a side scrolling beat ‘em up masterpiece, Streets of rage 3 made me wish I was dead. For Sega’s sakes and also the loyal NiGHTS fans out there, I hope this game doesn’t follow the Sega trend of poo-poo sequels. It would be a damn shame if Sega messed this game up, because NiGHTS is so well suited to the Wii.

NiGHTS: Journey of dreams releases in Japan on December 13, with a North American release following December 18. A European release date has not been confirmed, though the game is rumored to release in January.

The Wii’s hotly anticipated sequel to the Saturn classic NiGHTS: Journey of dreams was slated to release at the end of this year. But rumors are circulating that it has now slipped into 2008. I don’t think anybody even cares. Between Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, other games will be lucky to get a look in. Plus, I think it’s for the best. Did you see how boring the game looked? And did you see those graphics!? Sonic team need to use the extra time to polish up the look and inject the game with a big dose of ‘WOW factor’. Because every video and screenshot I’ve seen so far has done nothing for me. I hope the game turns out to be good, because I thoroughly enjoyed the original game on the Sega Saturn. The Wii remote will also allow Sega to have NiGHTS play the way they always intended for it to be played. So here’s to hoping that Sonic team use this extra development time to polish the game right up.

NiGHTS: Journey of dreams now has an official Japanese website. Click around to check out screenshots and a new video of the game in action. I warn you however. The new video on the website features music so cheesy you’ll be able to smell it through your speakers.

The official Japanese website: NiGHTS: Journey of dreams

[Play TM]