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Vote for your top 20 NiGHTS tracks!

25 April;  Author: Dex la Cabra

Hello my fellow NiGHTS fans :) RadioSEGA (every SEGA fans go-to place for streaming tunes) want to know are doing a top NiGHTS songs and need our votes! click here to cast your vote for your favourite songs from the games!

Personally, I'm voting "The Mantle" for sure,

Dex la Cabra~!

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Jewels Jaselle in New Song!

7 September;  Author: Dex la Cabra

Hey all! Jewels Jaselle, voice actor of NiGHTS his/herself, is featured on a new song! The song is a re-make of George Michael's "I Want Your Sex," with Jewels performing the vocals. It's a good song to dance away to, with a nice beat and her voice using some funky effects! Even if dance music isn't your cup of tea it's definitely worth a listen.

It's always great to see what the voice cast of the NiGHTS franchise are up to these days, and we should totally support her! :)  

The link to its iTunes page is; https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-want-your-sex-feat.-jewels/id909345260

Dex

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Listen to the Kazuyuki Hoshino interview MP3
[PLAY] – Kazuyuki Hoshino interview 2013

Summer of Sonic 2013 – Kazuyuki Hoshino interview
Special thanks to Bobby Wertheim for translating

It was a Saturday. It was Summer of Sonic. It was sunny. Very sunny. London was over-run by hundreds of bicycles. Tesco Local was a warm sandwich gauntlet of death. Small hyperactive children ran around in circles outside with pointy blue hats… Oh and we spoke to the legendary SEGA artist/designer Kazuyuki Hoshino about all things NiGHTS. It's not often you get to sit down and have a jolly good chat with the Lord of Nightmares dad, so yeah! Prepare to be slightly awed by the creator of everything wonderful from Jackle to Metal Sonic!
{The following is an transcript of our short interview we have on audio recording unedited. There also exists a video version by Mr Awesome Eva who loaned us his camera, but for now have the full untouched version with the lols, rustlings, insanely obscure questions and jokes still included. As we were pressed for time and didn't get the chance to have our other interview with Iizuka san (long series/story based questions) we kind of had to just pick short questions on the fly since our plans got messed up a bit. But what we got was still very very cool.}
Also random Jun Senoue *happened* which was hilarious at the time.
Read on for the full interview:

[DiGi] Allllright! Cool.
[Hoshino-San] *spots DiGi's NiGHTS E3 T-shirt* What a great T-shirt!
[DiGi] It's hers! *laughs*
[TRiPPY] It's mine… he took it off my shelf :<
*T-shirt/camera related ramblings and interview begins*

[DiGi] Okay, so firstly, how did you end up working for SEGA and how did your career begin as an artist?
*insert comedy group harassing of translator* Come on Bobby. *fast writing*

[Hoshino-San] I actually went to an art University and always liked pictures and drawing art, I always wanted to be a designer of some sort. Now in Japan at the time games were all the rage and the Famicom was huge for example. When I was in University I wanted to and had the ambition that I want to make games and be involved in that. So in my mind I either wanted to apply for Nintendo or SEGA. Nintendo's HQ they're based in Kyoto, which is quite far away from Tokyo. Now after University when I was going through the whole job hunting phase I was asked by Nintendo to come down to Kyoto for an interview. 'Where do I have to go for this interview?' I said. *laughs* They said 'Kyoto', as at the time they didn't have a Tokyo office. So I just immediately ruled that one out because that's just -too- far away.
*laughter*
So I applied for SEGA. I passed the entrance exam and joined the design/artwork section. That was the beginning of my career.

[TRiPPY]
What is your favourite NiGHTS cameo of all time out of all the Sonic games?
*pause*

[Hoshino-San] Pinball (in Japanese).
*TRiPPY and DiGi laugh*
[DiGi] It's ok you don't need to translate that *laughter*

[DiGi] For the NiGHTS series what did you have a hand in creating? What characters were your creation? What did you create for that series?
[Hoshino-San] *starts listing character names in Japanese* But suddenly does a VERY familiar noise. This is the ingame sound effect of Elliot's voice when he jumps in the air* (wow!!)
*pause* [Hoshino- San] What's the name of the fish?
*group laughs*
[TRiPPY and DiGi] Gulpo, Gulpo.
(Translated)[Hoshino] The characters that I specifically created were Elliot, Claris, they were the playable characters that I created. You probably already know but did you know I was the voice for Elliot? I done all the the 'HYAH!' *motions*
*bemused laughter from TRiPPY and DiGi (We didn't know!)*
And also I designed all of the bosses, Puffy and all of them.

[DiGi]Jackle! I LOVE Jackle.
[TRiPPY] You're a Jackle fanboy.
[DiGi] Amazing.

*Jun Senoue suddenly walks in the room. Everyone stops and looks up. Jun pauses and waves.*
[Jun] Yo.

[TRiPPY] Hello Junnn~
[Group] Eyyyy! *laughter* /end random Jun (Is shushed by TRiPPY)

[TRiPPY] -Begins confusing question of doom about concept art- About Reala! He used to have a different design, he had a different shaped head. I think it was uh, one part Ohshima-San's design and the other part you designed and then they both came together.
[Hoshino-San] *surprised*
Can you tell us a bit about why Reala was changed because the design seemed pretty final, then he got the red and black colour scheme?
[DiGi] We seen some concept art for the first game for Reala and his design changed completely from what he was.
[TRiPPY] *laughter* He used to have earrings.
[Hoshino-San] *laughing* You know too much, you know so much.
[TRiPPY] I know – everything! *laughs*
[DiGi] Fangirl.

[Hoshino-San] So originally it was actually Ohshima-San's job to create Reala, he was designing NiGHTS. He was really struggling, so he actually asked me like 'Hey, Hoshino help me out'.
[LAUGHTER]
[TRiPPY] Do my homework for me.
[DiGi] I need a favour.
[Hoshino-San] So I was like 'Okay' and I started making some designs. So Ohshima-San basically took what he liked from the designs I made, like the nails and stuff like that.

[DiGi] Out of ALL your creations, which one would you say is your favourite and why?
[Hoshino-San] (Japanese) Wizeman.
[DiGi] Yeaaah.


Photo thanks to sonicwrecks.com


*insert Hoshino-San enthusiastically describing Wizeman by doodling on paper and mimicking his hands and cape*
(TRiPPY and DiGi fangirl mode while the translator needs new paper to write on)
[DiGi] Keep going.
[LAUGHTER]

[Hoshino-San]
In the story Wizeman is like the all knowing, all seeing, be all and end all, he is the creator of creation. He is everything. He is the ultimate god. So I really wanted to sort of scale that and represent that visually. That sort of scale of what he represents. So i took inspiration from the Buddhist statue. You know like a Buddhist statue, a typical Japanese Buddhist statue has multiple hands and they've got this sort of halo effect thing going on in the background.

[TRiPPY]
Journey of Dreams has the halo in.
[DiGi] Yes!
[Hoshino-San] It's not your sort of Christian halo though, it's like Japanese halo in the background. So I've taken inspiration from those statues for that. So he has all floating hands, *in the circle* so that's what it's forming. And instead of having a body, he's got no body but he has a cloak – and by not having a body it represents like infinity.
[DiGi] That's awesome~
[Hoshino- San] He hasn't got eyes, but he's got eyes in his hands. That's basically him, he's not looking because he hasn't got eyes, but he's seeing everything. Like he sees – everything. So it's that sort of sense of spirituality, that mythic feeling that he has, that sort of religious motif, that's what I think of, I really like that.

[DiGi] He is a great design.
*laughter*
[TRiPPY] Well done!
Wizeman in Journey of Dreams was amazing, I loved him.
*thinks* Uh, If you voiced Elliot who voiced Reala? *laughter* Does anybody know? I know how the voices were done for the game (*Anon members of Sonic Team recorded the voices during sleep overs at the office in secret)(Just because)(Sonic team)(90's!) So does anybody know?

[DiGi]Nobody knows.
[TRiPPY] Everyone asks me!
*long think*
[Hoshino-San] I'm not too sure.
[TRiPPY] I think it's better if nobody knows *laughs*
[Hoshino-San] I will ask Ohshima-San!
[TRiPPY and DiGi] Yaaay, cool.

[TRiPPY] Where any of the Nightmare designs inspired by nightmares in your own dreams?
[Hoshino-San] Well from when I was a student I was always interested in dreams and what it meant, what it could mean. I read up a lot about it, the philosophy and academic side of what others think of it, like Freud and Jung. So that's what really I was basing it all around. But it turned out, different, what we were concepting at first was quite a difficult and academic thing to grasp. Ohshima-San wanted to implement a more entertainment based, feeling of festivity, of almost like a circus. So it really transferred from being a really academic point of view to start with- to a more light-hearted entertainment colourful and flashy sort of thing. So anyone should be able to understand. It's more sort of mass acceptable entertainment content. Then, with it being a very evil world as well, rather than it being being based specifically on my experiences.

*End of interview ramblings, signing and nattering*

Thank you Hoshino-San for a great and funny interview! :) Thank you everyone for your questions. Don't be disheartened if your question didn't get asked this time because I'll try to get everything answered eventually by those in the know.

 

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A real nostalgic treat for you all today here at Nidcom. The wonderful Josh Goring recently put together an interview with the two original singers of DREAMS DREAMS for the community. The young Cameron and Jasmine sang on the track way back in 1996 giving us our favorite themesong. Josh catches up with them both to chat about the infamous song and what they're up to today.
Enjoy!

 

First, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?

 

C: My name is Cameron (my friends call me Cam). I’m 30 years old. I’m a Kiwi but have spent a lot of my time in Japan, which I also consider my home along with New Zealand. I love reading a) manga and b) old horror anthology books. I play fighting games competitively and hope to be NZ champion one day. My best result so far is 5th equal in last years NZ nationals (Super Street Fighter 4 AE v.2012).
 

 

J: Hi, I`m Jasmine Allen, 27 years old.
I was born in Seattle WA, and came to Japan when I was a little wee one (8 years old). I went through Japanese elementary, junior high, and have been in the Japanese entertainment industry for nearly 15 years. That`s my story in a nutshell!

From what I understand, you have lived in (and still go back and fourth to) Japan. What is it like growing up there?
C: There is good and bad in every culture. Japan has a pretty high ratio of Awesomeness compared to lameness so I can’t complain. I looooooove Tokyo but I wouldn’t want to live there anymore. I hope to visit once a year in the future.

J: Yes, I have been living here for almost 20 years now.  I never expected to be here this long. In fact, for the first few years I was always expecting my dad to say “Jasmine, start packing!  We`re off to another country!” lol  We were always moving around in the States…
Japanese school was difficult for me, especially catching up to my other 3rd grade peers, when I had all those Kanji to learn. I was lucky to make so many friends and be accepted, so I never really had any issues with “fitting in”. I didn`t expect to be here, but the longer I stay, the more and more I started to accept this as my home.  I do occasionally visit my extended family in the U.S. and travel here and there, but I always get homesick!
I love the food, and people…and my friends…I pretty much have everything I need. And my older sister is married to a Japanese man and has 2 kids, so yes, I do have my family nearby, and they`re a huge part of my life.

So, how did you first get involved singing the NiGHTS theme song "Dreams, Dreams"?
C: I come from a singing family and a family friend heard of a job requiring a little boy singer. I auditioned for it and got the job. I would have been eleven at the time and it was my first paid job. I was a Sega fan boy (die Playstation die!) so I already had a Sega Saturn (they offered me a free one) but they did give me an armful of games and paid me a handsome sum. I was quite lucky.

J: To be honest, I can`t recall the exact events, but I think I was about 10? When my parents received a phone call and told me that I would be singing for a game software. I didn`t know much about games, ‘cause my dad never really let me play them (yes…it`s true) but I was certainly excited about being able to sing in the studio.  I had already had some professional experience by then, and I liked being in front of the microphone with headphones.  I had always been singing at home in the shower or in my own little space, so it was an exciting feeling for me.  I had a couple days to practice, but I had it down all right. I really liked the song, and was happy to be a part of the whole project.

Have you played the game(s) yourself?
C: I played the original and loved it. I think the music was especially notable (not just because I was involved haha). The boss battles, themes, etc. You could tell a lot of heart went into the game. I was mildly disappointed at the end because a secret boss I was told about never made it into the game but then I saw my name in the credits and I felt much better.

J: I have to admit, I have never been much of a gamer.  I have an older sister that always beat the crap out of me with Super Mario Brothers, so I guess I never really got into it that much. I`m really a chicken when it comes to fighting off the “enemies”, I always cringe when I fall in a pit or do anything self destructive.
At one point, I really got into Mario Kart, but I think I got too into it, because I ended up racing in my dreams, so I had to give that up too.

Jasmine, you were brought back to sing the "Sweet Snow" version for the sequel Journey of Dreams in 2007. How did that happen?
J: Yeah, so almost 10 years later, my agency gets a phone call, asking me to sing a song called “Dreams Dreams”. By then I had already sung many songs, so it wouldn`t be a surprise that I would forget it, but actually I was like, “Oh THAT song, of course I`ll sing it!”  I`m the kind of person that doesn`t remember much of their childhood, but I remembered this in particular, so I just had to say yes.
It`s funny…the songs that I loved the most as a child always come back to me, one way or another.  I can honestly say that “Dreams Dreams” is one of them, no joke. Yes, this version was slightly different, but I thought it was perfect, and connected with it on a deeper lever. And I hope the listeners can sense this too.

What do you think of the original NiGHTS game being re-released for the current-gen systems?
C: Awesome. I plan on playing through it again soon. I’ve been following Trippy and DiGi on facebook for a while now and their involvement and efforts have been truly inspiring.

J: I`m really not the person to talk to when it comes to games. lol But oh well, I`ll give it a shot. I suppose with this rapidly advanced technology, people are wanting “Newer” “Better” and “Faster” everything. And with games, things are advancing as well.
Maybe it`s a good to take a step back, and give the gamers a taste of what the “Original” system is like and to appreciate the simplicity in it.

Would you be willing to come back and perform again for another NiGHTS game?
C: Of course.

J: Yeah, see you in 10 years! yaay
I`m excited to think what kind of version of the song they might come up with.

Are there any other projects (movies, games, music, TV, etc) that people might not know about that you were involved with?

C: Most of the work I did over the years (as an adult) was for Japanese TV commercials; singing little jingles and writing lyrics. I usually had 2 or 3 commercials that were running at any given time. I usually wasn’t credited so it was very much "in the shadows" type of work. I still get paid from time to time for commercials I did years ago if they get renewed and my agent still gets me lyrics jobs when she can which I can do from down here. I wrote some lyrics for a Mr. Donut commercial and a Jim Beam commercial a week or so ago which was fun.
Video game jobs didn’t come around nearly as often but I was the singing voice for the green blob in Loco Roco for the PSP and sang a few tracks for the English and Japanese versions of The World Ends with You for the DS. My sister-in-law Joelle has done more of that stuff than me. I think she did a track or two for Final Fantasy XIII-2 and sang the theme song for a game called Bravely Default.
I translated and subtitled a couple of minor Japanese movies that none of you would have seen. A yakuza film called Amazing Grace (2011) which was actually pretty good and a really weird one called Made in Japan ~Kora!~ (2010).

J: Pretty much everything you need to know is added on my Japanese Wikipedia page. As for game software. I remember doing something for SONY, the 2nd edition of Shenmue. I played the character, Fang Mei.
I did radio for a couple years when I was 22.  I had my own little show every Sunday on a small, small internet radio site called RAINBOW TOWN FM.  I coordinated the whole program, so I used up a lot of energy and time, but this was great experience for me, and was a valuable starting point in trying new things, not only as an entertainer, but as a director/creator as well.
 
What are you up to these days?
C: I’ve struggled to get work in NZ due to my lack of work experience in any of the relevant industries here but as of an hour ago I have a full time job as a night security guard at the local university.
Music-wise I’m auditioning for X factor New Zealand later on this month so wish me luck.
Game-wise I’ll be leveling up at Street Fighter and entering all the tournaments I can.

J: For the past year or so, I have been working as a manager and translator at a narration agency. Now being actively involved “behind the scenes”, I can see things from an entirely different perspective. I guess I`m developing the management/business side of me, and I`ll just see where that takes me.
I haven`t been singing lately, as I have developed a vocal dystonia, which affects my singing and speaking as well. It`s been an ongoing battle for me as with my voice, singing (and speaking too) and I have been currently going through therapy sessions. So, if any of you have wondered where I have been for the past few years, just letting you know that I am definitely on the road to recovery. And hopefully in the near future there will be a cure, and I would like to continue with voice acting as well as singing.
Because I need to rest my voice, lately I have been writing lyrics.  In fact, this has been a passion of mine since childhood and I figure this might be a good time to hone it.  I hope to continue singing, but if not, I will be involved in music in any way I possibly can.  

How can fans stay in touch with you?

C: My personal facebook page (Cam Strother) is all I’ve got right now, but later on this year I’ll be starting a new Youtube channel for my music.

J: I`m on Facebook (Jasmine Allen) so just give me a holler.  

Any last words for NiGHTS fans?
C: Keep on following your dreams.

J: I`m glad to know that you all enjoyed the game (and the song) just as much as I enjoyed being a part of it…
Thank you…and keep gaming!

Thank you very much Cameron and Jasmine!
- And don't forget to check out the DREAMS DREAMS Sweet Snow complete version if you missed it last Christmas.
 

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Great news guys! Today for the first time ever both the NiGHTS into dreams… perfect album and the full Journey of Dreams OST has sneaked onto iTunes for UK/US/JP regions! :D

This is a massive deal because previously all official releases of NiGHTS albums were Japan only. We've had to put up with years of expensive imports, dodgy downloads and sticking our game CD's into disk drives. Now we can legitly buy and support the music and artists we love so much. Tracks like D'Force Master and deleted boss Selph's theme Know Thyself! – they all deserve your pennies. So please support the franchise and buy these albums. At only £7.99 they're a total steal and worth every cent.

Also I've been told they will appear on Amazon too in the near future. So look forward to that!
Thanks so much SEGA! ^_^ You've made a lot of fans very happy!


Volume 1: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/nights-into-dreams…-perfect/id573385917
Volume 2: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/nights-into-dreams…-perfect/id573427146
Volume 3: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/nights-into-dreams…-perfect/id573425262

…. AND …


 

Volume 1: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/nights-journey-dreams-original/id573383995
Volume 2: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/nights-journey-dreams-original/id573383368
Volume 3: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/nights-journey-dreams-original/id573382907

Please please go buy them or even single tracks to show support for the wonderful soundtrack and the artists who created them. I just spent a lot of money on a LOT of music…. I regret nothing, lol!

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The awesome Mr. Pete Nethercote (a.k.a TitansCreed on Twitter), has interviewed TRiPPY and myself for his Community Spotlight show.

The 30 minute chat has us talking about NiGHTSy things, from the campaigns and their success to NiGHTS: Lucid Dreaming and how the fans keep going after so many years.
It is a nice little interview with plenty of personal short visits down memory lane.

So, have a listen and be sure to check out Pete's Community Spotlight twitter account @TCSpotlight for updates on future interviews.
Thanks again to The Community Spotlight for having us on.

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Those of us who bought Journey of Dreams a couple of years ago pretty much can all agree that the Sweet Snow version of DREAMS DREAMS is incredibly beautiful and like eating the best kind of icecream while drowning in 90ft of deep nostalgia and not caring. What made that song so special (other than just sounding ultimately pretty!) was the fact that the original girl who sang the song as a child – Jasmine Ann Allen, returned to sing the song once more as an adult. We all thought of her as the Claris of the song and tried to sing along as best we could as kids ourselves, lol.

But there was another equally important part to DREAMS DREAMS that Sweet Snow unfortunately missed out on. That was … Cameron Strother.

Cameron Strother was the Elliot Edwards to Jasmine's Claris and thanks to the wonderful Joshua Goring and Cameron himself we have a truely magical gift for you all.

Merry Christmas, happy 15th and a brilliant new year everyone!

Dreamers reunited! :)
 

I was very young when I first heard and sang this song. I'm not sure how many years ago it was now but it seems like I  recorded it a year or two before NiGHTS was released. It was my first paid singing job. I was paid a handsome sum (didn't mean much to a kid) and was given an armful of Sega Saturn games (meant the world). More than the money or even the games though, I remember the special feeling I got when visited the Sega HQ building. Video games were my chocolate so I felt like I was walking around Willy Wonka's factory, witnessing a magical process. 

I remember seeing the early plans for a game that was supposed to replace Sonic the Hedgehog as Sega's new flagship series. I was supposed to keep quiet about it but I told all my Japanese school friends about this amazing new game that was coming out and how I had seen the secret last boss. Suffice to say, It was an awesome experience and it holds a very special place in my childhood memories and I was glad to revisit that happy time by singing Dreams Dreams again. I myself am a big NiGHTS fan and I'm still holding out for a proper sequel or at least a good re-release for the current generation of consoles. 


Thanks for keeping NiGHTS alive!



-Cameron Strother
 
 
 
 
*This is a fan made song/edit/tribute not created for profit and is not endorsed by SEGA in any way*
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Hey guys. Guess what's now online?



 

Fly faster to that download that you've ever flown before.

A new era of dreaming is about to begin~

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Level 99 sure looks happy about his physical distribution copies of NiGHTS: Lucid Dreaming finally arriving, doesn't he? That can only mean one thing. We are getting ever closer to the release date for the remix album.

In light of Lucid Dreaming's forth coming release, Level 99 has been invitied on to Radio Free Gamer to talk about the album. The interview is set to take place on Wednesday June 22nd, from 7 – 9pm EST. The show will be live so you can tune in during those hours to drop a comment for the man or check out the downloadable MP3 after the show has aired. Radio Free Gamer has also landed a little bit of an exclusive in that they'll be playing a tune from NiGHTS: Lucid Dreaming that has not been heard anywhere else yet. I think you'll be wanting to check that out, most definitely.

NiGHTS: Lucid Dreaming is set for release on July 5th. I know. You can't wait. Neither can I.

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OCR NiGHTS: Lucid Dreaming Preview

I sometimes forget that the blindingly epic songs I've been listening to for months still haven't been heard by the rest of the fanbase. My bad.

The release of the upcoming NiGHTS: Lucid Dreaming album by OCR is nearing closer, so just to poke more proverbial sticks into the anticipation bonfire – here's a preview from a selection of the songs featured on the final product.

I'd also like to divert your now jiving attention to our previous post regarding the donation pool for this project. Thanks hugely to the people who have helped out so far but we still have a long way to go to reach the goal. Help a man out and salute Level 99's determination in getting a batch of these albums made in hardcopy. All the funds raised will be going directly to the printing of those physical copies, which contains two CD's and an artbook. NiGHTS merch collectors – this will be one bit of gear that will become quite rare in a few years time. So help out all you can. After the amount of time and effort each of the musicians poured into this it's our duty to make sure the project is a success. Remember - If you donate $25 or more, you will get a copy of the physical release!

Without a doubt this is one of the most professional and beautiful fan projects that I've ever seen, so hats off and dig deep folks.

July 5th, mark it in your calenders.

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