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#1
Posted 03 July 2011 - 08:26 PM
In school?
Playing a certain game for the first time?
Having good times, bad times?
When you look back now do you think playing NiGHTS or being part of this community has changed you in any way at all?
Or were you one of the really young guys who didn't play a NiGHTS game till years later? What made you want to play it in the first place?
I'm curious, I love hearing peoples nostalgia
As for me, I was in my first or second year of highschool. Things were not all that great at all, infact they were pretty damn terrible. When you're dealing with bullies picking on you daily because they're jealous you're good at something or look a bit different, or even just because you enjoy playing computer games and you're a girl. Everyone has their awkward teenage years...
I was a real big Sonic fan back then.
I remember my first thought when playing NiGHTS for the first time was that it was mind blowingly colorful and detailed. I remember feeling slightly annoyed that Sonic didn't have a new game and that maybe they'd forget about Sonic if NiGHTS became real popular. I find it really ironic that I ended up fighting for the other team *lol* It was kinda a love hate thing. Eventuallly though it just really sucked me in and I knew I had to keep supporting this wonderful game and universe. I had a job to do because I knew it was worth more than a game or dreams.
NiGHTS has pretty much been my life for 15 years solid, so yeah, it's changed me more than I can imagine. I always wonder what would have become of me if I'd never experienced all that...
But not just the game, you guys really changed me too. People like DiGi for instance, I would never have met him if it wasn't for NiGHTS I'm really blessed to still have this community around, even years later. I found one of his really old comments to me on DA yesterday long before we ever started a relationship and it really made me smile
We've all managed to create such wonderful things over the years and shared eachothers hopes, dreams and lowpoints.
I hope new dreams and friendships are born and this big cycle of awesome creativity continues for years to come.
#2
Posted 03 July 2011 - 09:57 PM
#3
Posted 03 July 2011 - 10:14 PM
#4
Posted 03 July 2011 - 10:36 PM
I was surrounded by 6th graders who mostly all disliked me, even though I had not gone out of my way to upset them. They weren't used to me, and I wasn't used to them. I was stuck clinging to my sorrows for being uprooted out of my home city, away from all the friends I'd essentially grown up with. My parents were going through their squabbles throughout my adjustment, which didn't help. They were more focused on being frustrated with each other than seeing how absolutely miserable I was.
Dad left to sort out the things in his life; Mom dealt with things in her own way.
For Christmas that year, I received a Ninentdo 64 from my dad (which was another lulzy story about not having the proper A/V hookups and it took a week to actually get to play it ;_; ). I'd heard about the Sega Saturn through my gaming magazines, but never got the opportunity to get my hands on one back then... and come to think of it, I don't remember there being much by way of advertising. If I'd seen more of it, I would have nagged the daylights out of my parents to get one, I'm sure -- I certainly nagged the heck out of them when I saw a Game Gear for sale in a toy store while we were on vacation not too far from where I live now, and they eventually got me one for a birthday or Christmas.
15 years ago, I was oblivious.
10 years after that, everything changed.
2006, I'd moved away for a few years to attend college - another story entirely. But, it was then when I found that Sega Saturn game case sitting in a box full of other Saturn games.. I thought nothing much of it at the time, said, "Huh, this game looks neat." Didn't buy it then because either I didn't have cash on me (it was a flea market and I don't think the vendor took debit cards), or I was on the fence as to whether my Saturn worked or not, honestly I don't recall.
Wasn't until later, when I searched the internet to find out more, that a whole new gateway opened up before me. The rest is history, as you can tell.. and I'm sure I've told the rest of this part of the story numerous times around here.
Being here, being a part of the community (even though I tend to lurk in the shadows and observe), has really been amazing. I was never really the forum-going type, as I figure I don't always have everything interesting to say or to contribute -- but found the nature of everyone's passion for keeping the game alive to be amazing. After so many years of the game's initial release, for the fan base to still feel so strongly about it, just blew me away. And, I now know why.
So, it's been, what, 5 years now?
It's been quite an experience to watch and be somewhat a part of everything.
I've made friends with some truly amazing people - and somehow they're so lovely to put up with me along the way.
#5
Posted 03 July 2011 - 10:58 PM
It wasn't until about 1999-2000 that I played NiGHTS for the first time.
Someone gave my older brother a Sega Saturn for his birthday. It had a few games - Sega Worldwide Soccer '98 (how I regret having broken that disc), Virtua Cop 2, Tomb Raider 1 (which made me a fan, consequently)... and among them was NiGHTS into dreams... I remember watching my brother and sisters play it. They were really good at it! One of our cousins actually had the game (and the XMas version, which I only played for the first time two months ago, after I bought it. Yeah!) so they were already familiar with the game. I just looked at the game and was really amazed at the wonderful cheerful music and interesting gameplay. I liked to see that little purple guy fly about. I had no idea how it worked. I remember the first time I played it. I would just fly around, do a few laps then realize that the time was running out, and then rush to the gazebo (because I'd seen my siblings do that once the time was up), but nothing happened because I didn't understand the whole Ideya thing.
It's been 11 years since my relationship with NiGHTS has started (, which is the same amount of time since most of you folks waited for a sequel (I had mine in the form of CHRiSTMAS NiGHTS, as I mentioned before). While I didn't always have a "relationship" with him/she, every time I thought of him, I felt some sort of inspiration. It's like it gave me power to do things. Because of NiGHTS, I feel inspired to draw more, to begin writing again, I feel inspired to write more music, it gives me incredible new ideas for films (including a certain film about a certain jester called Pan, that's on the works, *cough* *cough*). NiGHTS opened me to a whole new world of ideYas and a whole new way of imagining and creating that has really stuck with me.
NiGHTS is sort of my muse, in terms of all things inspiration, and I actually feel close to him, as weird as that sounds. He makes me feel happy.
Basically, stealing the LEGO slogan: "NiGHTS: just imagine".
NiGHTS is my inner child.
#6
Posted 04 July 2011 - 12:50 AM
I remember being in Toys R Us, and they had NiD as a playable demo. I knew about the game, as Sonic Team's new project, and played it a little in the store, not that it mattered because I knew I wanted it anyway. When I got home and was able to play it for real, hearing the sound and everything, I was rather blown away by it all..
From then on, NiGHTS became another one of those characters I continued to draw in class all day..
#7
Posted 04 July 2011 - 01:42 AM
Three months later I thought I had wasted every penny I spent since the Nintendo 64 was coming along. More powerful, more quality titles, less expensive. I jumped ship from Sega for the last time in a decade. 2006 brought me a Dreamcast for 20 bucks and a resurgence in my inner Sega fan. Naturally, the Saturn, Genesis, and Master System joined the fray. That's when I started really paying attention to Sonic games and the cameos here and there. And lo and behold, the purple jester came to full view. At first, a shallow interest, which quickly delved deeper and deeper. Within a day I was hooked and knew I needed a copy. To try something different. Something new. Something...imaginative.
To try something where its impact lasted far beyond the screen. What have I (at least partially) learned and applied from NiGHTS?
- Everything should be tried at least once.
- Your fears can't keep you from trying everything at least once.
- Dreams can be manipulated.
- You can almost always connect your dreams, metaphorically, to real experiences.
- Imagination tells a far more vivid and detailed story than a movie.
And as for what I've learned from being a part of this community:
- It takes a special kind of mindset and personality to be a true NiGHTS fan.
- Helping others, no matter how much you can, always leads to good things in the end.
- You can put trust in strangers with a single common connection, even when the risk you take could leave you penniless.
Like many others, I found out about NiGHTS during a rough time, and I'm glad I did in the end. Even to this day I feel my experience with the game, the legacy, and the community has left me a better person in the end, and I'm forever thankful.
Try doing that with any other game.
#8
Posted 04 July 2011 - 01:51 AM
It's hard to say how NiGHTS has influenced me but it's safe to say it has. I played the game during that impressionable time when you're getting closer to being an adult and you're still trying to get your bearings in the world. At the very least I know NiGHTS got me into this community where I know I've met some wonderful people who I'm lucky enough to have made lifelong friendships with.
#9
Posted 04 July 2011 - 03:02 AM
10 years ago, I was 6, and my life was changed forever by a little black box and a purple disk. I had no idea what to expect. As one of my first games, I would defiantly say that I am fuckton more whimsical of a person than I would be if I hadn't played it. It's shaped some fundamental aspects of my personality. I've always wanted to fly. I have a massive appreciation for the backstory of games with no real story in the forefront. Hell, it very well may have been the game that made me decide that music would be my thing!
I can't even count the ways that NiGHTS has influenced me, but I know that it has, and majorly so. Best of all, I've gotten to get to know all of you guys over the past many years as I watched this site grow into something incredible and amazing. I remember googling "Nights into dreams website" one time, and not being able to find anything. (I think it was about a year before the site was up.) And then I googled it again, and, woah woah what, there's a site there now!
I remember, for the longest time, there was nothing but a coming soon splash page. I checked it obsessively, every day for however long it took. Finally, the front page showed a picture (I think it was that Reala/NiiGHTS showdown pic), and I entered, and loved it. Even though there wasn't very much content, I loved how the website was organised by colors. (Green was my favorite section, and all these years I am still waiting for that "Hacking" page. )
So I guess I'm saying, thanks for the ride NiGHTS, but also thanks for the ride TRiP and DiG. My life probably wouldn't be the same without any of you three.
#10
Posted 04 July 2011 - 03:11 AM
I was going through the terrible twos, and expecting a new sibling later that year.
We diden't really play video games in my household (Me being the outlier of course) And NiGHTS came into my life roughly a year before JOD came out
LOL we were all so young and naive, weren't we?
#11
Posted 04 July 2011 - 09:13 AM
LOL we were all so young and naive, weren't we?
Yes, but so curious, and imaginative!
#12
Posted 04 July 2011 - 12:17 PM
#13
Posted 04 July 2011 - 03:33 PM
#14
Posted 04 July 2011 - 10:19 PM
15 years later. That game with the purple flying thing? Who knew?
#15
Posted 05 July 2011 - 01:17 AM
I owned a Master system first, then a Mega Drive, and Saturn. Hmm.
So I was 5, going on 6. That means it was the summer between Primary 1 and Primary 2. I was definitely right into Sonic at that age, so I'm almost sure I only had a Mega Drive at this point. The Saturn must have come cheaper later.
Yeah, definitely a Mega Drive fanboy at the time. I had a whole bunch of cool awesome games, but my friend round the corner had Sonic & Knuckles which I didn't have. I guess I never asked for it, because he had it and we could play it anytime we wanted. I remember we were amazed and confused at the lock on slot at the top of the cartridge, and tried to jam every single game we had in there till one worked. We played alot of Sonic 2 and Knuckles as a result lol. We must have skipped over Sonic 3, or not even known about it, we weren't really of the Magazine reading age and the Internet wasn't there for me to look forward to games lol. I guess Sonic the Comic might have mentioned it at some point, or I just glossed over.
Anyway, in 1995 I guess I was at home enjoying the summer. Maybe I was on holiday somewhere, it was definitely a good point in my life lol. Don't really have any childhood traumas, I guess I've been pretty lucky in that regard, and I'm appreciative of it, I had a good childhood.
But to the point, I had no idea of NiGHTS, or the Saturn for that matter.
Now, fast forward 11 years to 2006, I was 16, and to this image I posted on deviantArt.
I'll quote it here:
Ok, here's the low down. I turned into a huge NiGHTS fan over the course of a night. Thanks to this place [nightsintodreams.com] . I was up till half 3 last night just reading through that site. I mean, I knew NiGHTS was poplular, but I had no idea what the storyline was, or the characters etc. So now I'm hooked. So hooked, that I bought copys of the game on ebay .
So, I just had to draw NiGHTS. All day today.
Quite an effect you had on me TRiPPY! I can't quite remember why I came across NiD.com back then. I obviously knew of NiGHTS in some capacity, largely due to the multitude of cameos he had in my favourite Sonic games. Seeing him as a hotel in SA2, the pinball stage in SA1. He must have been a huge deal for Sonic Team. Ah! Actually, I think I may have been searching for NiGHTS art on deviantART (which I like to do when I'm curious or into a new thing). I've come across TRiPPY's art and came to the site.
What a year that was. I got into the community as it was then, slowly finding my feet. Everyone was so creative and inspiring! It certainly did wonders for my art passion. I was drawing more than ever! And the game! Oh the game. I played it non stop for ages. I even bought an original Storybook off eBay!
Then almost a year to the day later, we got that Portuguese(?) cover scan, and JoD was revealed. The next year was just a joy, as I scoured over every single scrap of information that was released for the game. The community changed, these boards were open, I was invited onto the moderating team and I had the time of my life.
Seriously, NiGHTS has made such a positive impact on my life. TRiPPY, DiGi, Zero, Level 99, Infractus, theres just so many people here that are such good people. I would do anything for you guys and I know you'd do the same.
I'm so proud to be a part of this community. But it's far more than that. With NiGHTS, if you're a fan of the game, you'll find your way here. We are the franchise. We are here when there's a lull in news. We were here in the run up to JoD, when we were as excited as we have ever been. We are true dreamers.
/cheese
#16
Posted 05 July 2011 - 03:24 AM
In terms of gaming I never had a Sega console, with the exception of my brother's Game Gear. The consoles we owned were NES and SNES (the original Mario Kart is still my all time favourite!). One of my friends would rent consoles from time to time and I remember him bringing over the Sega Saturn with NiGHTS into Dreams. I would have only played it for a short amount of time but I remember it being so bizarre that it stuck in my mind for years to come.
October 2007 is when I got back into NiGHTS. I remembered playing some 3D game where I would fly through rings and collect blue balls, specifically Soft Museum, but for the life of me I couldn't remember what it was called. Somehow, I think with the help of my brother, I remembered that it was called NiGHTS, so I went on to eBay to buy the system and game to see what it was all about.
I had no idea what to expect, and even when I started playing it I had no idea what was going on, but after a few hours I started getting the hang of it. To learn more about the game I found this community as well as the Scoreattack community. Once I learned about the gameplay and the addictive scoring system I was hooked and starting playing every night, week after week to improve my scores. The amount of depth in the game just blew me away and it still does today. Not long after I was getting high scores and finding ways to share my videos with the world. It was pretty cool that I could enjoy a game that was over 10 years old and still discovering things as a community.
I have met so many genuine friends through the NiGHTS community, which I can't say about any other community, and it's something that keeps my drive and desire to keep NiGHTS alive.
#17
Posted 05 July 2011 - 06:30 AM
It wasn't until around 1999, when I was like 7, that I found out what NiGHTS was. We were playing Sonic Adventure on our brand new Dreamcast (more like my brother played and I watched ). I saw NiGHTS in Casinopolis zone and neither my brother nor I had a clue what it was. All I new was that it was pretty, it was purple, and it caught my attention, which is very hard. I started making up silly stories about who the people on the cards were and how they were all connected in that weird world I saw. I imagined who the purple jester was and how he/she was connected to all of it and what he/she did. And it wasn't until a few more years later that I found out what all this NiGHTS business was about.
So, I was instantly hooked. I was researching everything about NiGHTS and all related things. I was looking up Saturn prices on ebay, trying my best to find a way to play this amazing looking game. I was 14 by that time, and I was so upset because I thought I would never be able to play it! And then I found this website. I was so amazed by how much information was here! I was so moved by how much love this community had for this one little game, and I was amazed at how each person had their own story for NiGHTS and how he/she affected their lives. When I turned 15, I was in for a surprise. My brother bought me a Sega Saturn and NiGHTS into Dreams for Christmas, and my parents got me a Wii and NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams.
Yeah, I cried.
And it's been four years since I got those. I'm going to start college in about two months. I can't believe it! I have no idea what I would've done, or who I would've become if it weren't for this community and NiGHTS. I still play that game like it's my job (I wish it were Dx), and I'm totally bringing all of it to college. I can't believe it's already been fifteen years since this wonderful creation came to be. I'm so thankful it's here and that this community still stands strong. I really appreciate all the hard work and effort everyone here puts in to keep NiGHTS alive in everyone's memory. I hope generations to come will also know the joy I feel when I play NiGHTS, and I hope they will be able to play as well. I'll work hard too, because I never want this dream to end.
#18
Posted 06 July 2011 - 05:21 PM
#19
Posted 16 July 2011 - 06:51 PM
NiGHTS hit me at the perfect time in my life. I lacked confidence, didn't know where I fit in the world, and escaped into gaming to pass the time while "waiting for adulthood." The theme resonated so well with me then and I became obsessed with it for most of the remaining year. The music was just incredible, the graphics at the time were stunning, and the dream world was a place I wish I could visit. I made sure all my friends played it, and most of them fell in love with it as well.
The only thing I regret was never learning about the A-Life system. I saw the Nightopians flying around, and heard them scream if I paralooped them, but never knew there was anything to them. Though recently I have tried to manage them, I haven't gotten any results other than more eggs and pians. So far it doesn't seem like I can scientifically manage them like in JoD.
#20
Posted 23 July 2011 - 11:50 AM
#21
Posted 27 July 2011 - 06:54 AM
My story with NiGHTS starts in 1999, when my parents bought me a Dreamcast for christmas (I wanted a N64 at the time) along with Sonic Adventure, and man did I not know what kind of amazing experience I would get from playing it! (Sonic Adventure is still my fave game of all time) Anyway, as with I suppose a lot of people, my first experience was NiGHTS was in the Casinopolis Pinball, I thought it looked really cool, and loved the music, but it didn't grab my attention too much at the time. It wasn't until Sonic Pinball Party in 2003 that I became curious and interested enough to actually go out and buy the original game (and a Saturn to play it on, of course) the rest is pretty much the same as you guys, but I only ever finished it once or twice, thanks to Wizeman and some of the Nightmaren scaring the heck outta me.
Yeah, despite having searched online for NiGHTS related things, I oddly never came across this website, which is a real shame since it would have been awesome if I'd joined years ago, but I guess I'm stuck with only having been here for 2 years. Regardless, I hope to do great things for the community, and help support the making of a third NiGHTS title! (Although I suppose another NiGHTS game will likely have bosses which scare me all over again =_=; )
#22
Posted 27 July 2011 - 08:24 AM
When I was 2. My neighbor let me have his genesis, which included sonic 1 and 2. I fell in love with the sonic series and became a Sega buff.
And when I was 5 or 6 I got a dreamcast with sonic adventure and thats when i found out about NiGHTS. I would spend countless hours playing the pinball game in Casinopolis. It caught my interest for awhile, but I was still too young to understand. Skip to 7 years later, when I got my Wii. I bought NiGHTS Journey of Dreams, but unfortunately it sat in my shelf for 3 more years until November 2010, when i got sick. I pulled out JoD for the first time in 3 years. I started to play it, probably because i was then old enough to understand the story. I was immediatly hooked. And beat the game that night. I found myself there in my bed, crying. It was such a beautiful story. It came at a great time, as my life was changed right there, my sister had passed away recently and NiGHTS had completely changed me for the better, and it gave me a different outlook on life. Not everyday does a video game do that to you.
When I recovered from my sickness, I started researching NiGHTS and ended up finding this site, which I'm so glad that I did, although I had a feeling of de ja vu, because I could have sworn i saw the website before, but I passed it by and signed up.
My next mission, retrieve a Sega Saturn and a copy of NiD. I would always be peeking on eBay, just checking the latest deals on Saturns and copies of NiD. I still do that today in fact.
Today I got a blessing of a lifetime. I went over to my friends house to play some fighting games, when he told me he had a birthday present for me, he handed it over and I was in complete shock. A rare, very good condition copy of NiD! No scratches or anything. He said it was his favorite game as a kid, but he said that it should go to someone who would take care of if. I was so happy! The only problem is, I don't have a Saturn! That will be my next mission to accomplish. And i will get it... Someday. If I dare to dream...
#23
Posted 10 November 2013 - 01:47 PM
#24
Posted 21 November 2013 - 11:12 PM
I was a freshman in high school. I am so old haha. :| Sadly I didn't get to experience NiGHTS until a bit later in life, but better late than never. I actually got into NiGHTS from playing Sonic Adventure and my curiousity was piqued by that pinball machine.
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