Jump to content

Welcome to NiGHTS COMMUNiTY
Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Windowlicker

Windowlicker

Member Since 24 May 2007
Offline Last Active Apr 10 2008 08:49 PM

The NiGHTS... into dreams - PERFECT ALBUM is pretty awesome

14 March 2008 - 03:56 PM

Posted Image

Bam. Look what showed up in the post today. Feast your eyes, ladies and gentlemen. The last piece of good NiGHTS merchandise arrived on my doorstep this morning (I didn't enjoy Journey of Dreams at all, sorry).

Posted Image

It comes in a very stylish "oversized" 3 CD jewel case, as seen here. I was very pleased to see how great this package looked and handled, really. Definitely worth the £15 that I spent on it.

Here you'll note that I've stowed the title inlay card inside with the booklet. These things are awfully fiddly and kinda redundant (Japan is like the only country that does this - why?), but I think they're pretty neat. This one is nothing too special though, but worth keeping nonetheless.

The booklet is great and is quite import friendly. Lots of easy to understand English text. It has all the important and not-so-important details there, including which musician arranged each Pian mix for each level. This makes ID3 tagging my mp3s much easier. Brilliant.

I am willing to do high-res scans of this booklet if people who know moon speak (commonly referred to as "Japanese") can translate the artists' linear notes. I'm interested to read what they have to say about the soundtrack after all this time.

I'm such a nerd.

Posted Image

The Perfect Album itself is packed with pretty much every single NiGHTS track that was featured in the 1996 Saturn original, as well as the 1996 Christmas edition. I'm of the opinion that this release is the soundtrack done right. The very elusive 1996 Polydor soundtrack is obviously lovely, but there are a few flaws with it. It contained arranged synth versions of the level themes, and not the original MIDI pieces. While this is cool, I can't help but feel that it defeats the purpose of the disc being an "Original Soundtrack". Obviously, this is to be expected as no one at SEGA had any idea that NiGHTS would be a cult classic or whatever - so, it's forgiveable.

So, what's new in this album that wasn't on the old one? Well, all the level mixes, including the Pian "mood" changes are here. Which is awesome, as the level mixes clock in at just under 10 minutes now each, making for some great extended listening. It also includes very obscure things like the clean background music from the EVENT movies and the original 1996 Sonic Team jingle.

Bonus tracks include "Know Thyself" and lots of versions of the "Dreams, Dreams" theme, including the alternate one released with the "Sonic Team Powerplay" CD in 1998, I believe. No Remix album tracks are featured here unfortunately, but again, it is supposed to be mostly a perfect collection of the original game soundtrack.

Posted Image

In conclusion, buy this soundtrack. Now. If you enjoyed the first game's soundtrack and are kicking yourself for missing the boat on the 1996 release, get this. It's £15/$30(ish) for 3 discs and an amazing presentation. That's 10 bucks a disc. And remember, these discs are crammed with stuff. This will pretty much replace the fan game rip probably already sitting in your collection, to be honest. It's that thorough.

Also, I'd advise that you hurry up if you do wanna buy it, as I suspect that places like Play-Asia and Yes Asia probably have a limited stock, and it is from Sega Direct, after all. So, yeah. Not commercially available.

Nits into Drems

01 June 2007 - 04:48 PM

Done in MS-Paint. Black and white > all.

Posted Image