A rare Sonic Team item pops up, plus showing my favorite game character some love

Heya friends, I hope that you are having a great week. I managed to find a rare Burning Rangers item on a Japanese bidding site. There wasn’t much tangible goods from Sega when the game came out. I did pick up magazines featuring interviews with Sonic Team, and some rare screenshots from early builds of the game. Yet past that I didn’t really have any sort of merch. That was why I was surprised to see a mousepad pop up. The art was fantastic, so I had to pick it up.

As long as I was on a Sonic Team kick I was inspired to do some art featuring my favorite game character NiGHTS.

At the end of 2025 I was also inspired to do a piece for Christmas.

It had been a long time since I drew Reala, the rival to NiGHTS. I had to rectify it before the end of the year.

NiGHTS heard you wanted a bike for Christmas. Good luck getting it back!

Turned the best illustration I did this year into a holiday celebration. I'm wishing you, and yours the very merriest of holidays!

At the end of 2025 I was also inspired to do a piece for Christmas.

Of course 2025 was the 29th Anniversary of NiGHTS into dreams... this meant that I had to create a new illustration in 2026 to celebrate its 30th Anniversary. I'll be posting that at the end of the year. Were there any rare games, or favorite characters that you loved to draw? Let me know in the comments section. As always if you enjoyed this blog, and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Sonic Superstars and beyond. Sega makes up for lost time, part 6...

Sonic Team forever changed my life. I had been playing video games since the late ‘70s through the ‘80s but didn’t become aware of specific developers until the ‘90s. Sonic Team made me take notice that a studio could create greatness. They made me more aware of all the elements that went into video game development. They changed the way I played through games. They changed the way I listened to games. They changed the way I approached art, and design in my personal work. The studio was a creative nexus for me. The thing that made video games (especially the Sonic Team ones) more influential to me than say a comic book, movie, or song, was the interactive element. Video games required a level of engagement, they were not a passive form of entertainment.

Books required a large chunk of imagination to bring to life. A well written story could appeal to all of our senses, and allow us to inhabit the world that the author had created. Comics, games, and movies made it a little bit easier for people that didn’t have vivid imaginations. The other forms of entertainment had a certain visual tone presented to us. The creators still wanted us to live in the worlds they dreamed up. Gaming took it a step further because we got to interact with these locations. In the early days Sonic Team jumped across the map, and pulled us Zone to Zone. Each place had a different look, and feel. We could see how Dr. Eggman had corrupted the natural world, and turned fertile landscapes into industrial wastelands as the game unfolded. In 1991 I could tell that Sonic inhabited a place with more color, and personality than the Mario titles I had enjoyed through the ‘80s. I was hooked from that point on. Almost 20 years later when the studio created Sonic Colors we were now traveling across the cosmos. I was giddy with the possibilities. The studio didn’t just build us a playground, they built us entire planets to play in. We were able to speed through expansive 3D worlds rather than a short 2D stages. The new environments gave me the same sense of awe as the original Sonic Zones.

This was not to say that Nintendo, and the other AAA mascot developers were sitting still. Nintendo went head-to-head with Sega on many fronts. The rivalry between Mario, and Sonic was genuine for most Gen-Xers. The leap from Super Mario 64 (1996) to Super Mario Galaxy (2007) was as profound as Sonic moving from 2D to 3D with Sonic Adventure in 1998. Sonic Team, and DIMPS took elements from Galaxy when they created Sonic Lost World in 2013 for the Nintendo Wii U. The game had a foot in the tone of Sonic Colors, and the gravity-defying platforming of Super Mario Galaxy. Fans were split on the game. Reviewers were arguing that this was poaching game play elements from a rival studio. Some thought that Sonic was adding new ideas, making it unique in its own right. I believed that there was a little bit of both things happening. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto was said to have been greatly impressed by NiGHTS into dreams… which was released a month after Super Mario 64 in 1996. I always saw Super Mario Galaxy as his way of poaching NiGHTS game play ideas for his own series. To me Sega was returning the favor.

Visiting a diverse set of planetoids wasn’t the only bold thing that set Lost World apart from the other 3D Sonic titles. The studio introduced new villains to set it apart from other sequels. Sonic would be facing a new alien menace called the Deadly Six rather than the traditional Dr. Eggman, and his robotic hordes. These colorful aliens were oozing with personality. Sonic chased them all over the planet, through all sorts of unique environments. They each had different types of attacks that required their own strategy to defeat. There was an ancient martial arts master named Zik, the gloomy goth Zor, the vain Zeena, the punk Zazz, the massive glutton Zomon, and the leader of the group the devilish Zavok.

Previously I mentioned that the Sonic cast was built on the classic mascot cartoon template. The Deadly Six reflected a more modern 3D cartoon aesthetic but somehow they still complimented the older characters. The villains not only worked in the game but would be kept alive in the Sonic comics by IDW. There was something special about the game, and level design that I thought worked better than Super Mario Galaxy. Most of it had to do with Sonic’s established speed, and game play. Yet it also seemed to be missing something to elevate it past the earlier sequels. The seeds for something truly special were revealed when a new DLC area was released for the game. Sonic Team would crossover their two greatest hits in the magical Nightmare Zone. The Deadly Six would be accompanied by the villains from NiGHTS into dreams… NiGHTS would help Sonic break out of Wizeman’s cursed dreams.

I had always wondered what if the games crossed over, how would the mechanics work? After all NiGHTS was an on-rails free flying 2.5D game. The classic Sonic the Hedgehog mechanic might work with that type of game play. The only problem was that modern audiences has been conditioned to play Sonic in 3D ever since Sonic Adventure. This type of open game play did not really fit the NiGHTS mechanic. Sonic Team was able to find a balance by having Sonic battle the Nightmaren bosses in the format that audiences were used to. At the same time they honored the uniqueness of the villains, and how they balanced the Deadly Six as well. The magic of flying would be recreated as Sonic dashed through rings on floating platforms between the fights. There was something special about the Nightmare Zone that I wish that Sonic Team did more with. Sadly the idea seemed abandoned almost immediately after.

Just one year after Lost World came out Sega released the Sonic Boom animated series on Cartoon Network. It was a sort of retelling of the Sonic mythos. It featured slightly redesigned characters, and existed in its own continuity. Sega released a 2.5D game based on the series for the Nintendo 3DS called Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice, and a traditional platformer for the Wii U called Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric. The cartoon series, and the games were well done. They were fresh takes on the characters. They had their own unique game play that mixed up the format. Other 3D titles followed that also played with the formula, Sonic Forces in 2017, Sonic Mania in 2017, Sonic Frontiers in 2022, and Sonic Superstars in 2023.

Sega was bouncing back, and forth between 2.5D, and 3D titles. It felt like Sonic Team was on the cusp of something really special, but they were missing something. It turned out that a new studio saw what that element was. They were able to put together a new challenge that hit all the right beats. I’ll talk about this game in the next blog. Did you play any of the 2.5D or 3D Sonic games after Sonic Generations? What did you think about them? Tell me about it in the comments section. As always if you enjoyed this blog, and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

My Favorite Games of All-Time: #1 NiGHTS into dreams... - Originally published on 1UP - August 25, 2006

It's been slightly more than 20 weeks to get to this point. Almost a half-year really. I thank those who have been patient enough to check every Friday. Anime Expo, the E3 and X Games all cut into the countdown so the list is past due. The good news is this is it. Today is the day that settles the question. What is my favorite game of all-time?

If you go back to when I put the list together I said I knew what number 1 was from the onset. My brothers and cousins knew as well that no game has meant more to me than this one.

Even though it's been called one of the top-10 overrated games by the people at 1UP it has also been called one of the top 10 cult classics by the same people. So what gives?

NiGHTS into dreams... is an anomaly. A game that is very simple to get into, play and beat. You only use one button in the entire game. Of all the games on this list NiGHTS is the shortest by far. But there is substance in NiGHTS, layers of detail, level design and gameplay that turns it into my favorite title ever.

It doesn't matter if the "game journalists" see it, recognize it or admit to it. These details, gameplay and level design have influenced the industry for the past decade.

I am a firm believer that Yuji Naka is a genius. I believe that he was able to accomplish more with less. When he turned the platformer upside down with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 I knew it was true. When he created Burning Rangers the legacy was capped (BR uses the NiGHTS engine). Sonic Team, at it's peak, could not be beaten, not even by Shigeru Miyamoto and his team at Nintendo.

NiGHTS was the peak and Yuji knew it.

Mr. Naka, lead director Takashi Iizuka and director Naoto Ohshima managed to craft a game that was more than the sum of its parts. Inspired by a plane trip shortly after completing Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Naka knew the next big game would be about flying and not about the blue hedgehog. The heart of Sonic Team would be put into NiGHTS. Now you guys know a little bit more why Sonic 2 made my list and not Sonic 3. The game was also inspired in part by the idea of a collective unconsciousness, the work of Carl Jung, magic, mythology and universal ideals. NiGHTS became a title that could be enjoyed by hardcore and casual gamers because it offered something for everyone.

NiGHTS is a story about a boy, Elliot Edwards and a girl, Claris Sinclair from the fictional Twin Seeds city. These two face challenges in the real world and shy from them. By fighting nightmares to liberate the dream world they build the confidence to face the real world challenges.

The entire game is told without any dialogue. There were no localization changes to the game itself, nothing lost in translation. The story unfolds in three acts, the first being the cinema at the start of the game which shows why our heroes are running from their nightmares. The second act is the game itself, it picks up literally where the cinema ends and forces us to challenge these nightmares. The third act is the conclusion, a cinema that shows what becomes of Claris, Elliot and their newfound friend NiGHTS.

The game was panned by critics because of the brevity.

I contend that the game was panned because gamers and critics didn't "get it."

NiGHTS has no dialogue, no convoluted stories or plot points. It is up to the gamer to connect the dots, to build every link between the cinemas and game. When you realize that everything in the game was done with forethought, every detail, every camera angle and shot becomes magical. Nothing in the game was a mistake. Nothing in the levels or cinemas were wasted. It did not matter if you were from Japan, the US or Europe. NiGHTS was as pure and sublime as a videogame will ever get.

Those that look past the brevity learn that the game is much deeper than we give it credit for. Sonic Team was running on the clock, Sega wanted a killer app to debut before Sony or Nintendo could drop the new mascot games. Because of that Yuji had to pair down his ambition and rush NiGHTS out the door. In doing so Yuji learned that he could keep his vision intact and provide gamers with an experience that defines the word "next gen."

There is a lot of exploration that Yuji wanted players to do as either Elliot or Claris but Sonic Team did not have enough time to fully implement that side of the game. Rather than just cut the exploration part out completely they left it in. Elliot and Claris were allowed to free-roam the worlds but levels could only be completed as NiGHTS. To force players to become NiGHTS an alarm clock would chase around Elliot and Claris until they came in contact with the title character.

Rather than just leave it at that Yuji made sure that players that wanted to explore were given more leeway. They could temporarily knock out the alarm clock and wander through the level, absorbing as much detail as they wanted. Claris and Elliot could get into rooms, bounce around in all three dimensions, ride a train and even take an elevator not accessible to NiGHTS. In doing so gamers developed a new understanding and firm appreciation of the game Yuji wanted to give us. Despite the time and technology constraints I can argue that he still delivered on his vision 100%.

The crux of the gameplay is flying as NiGHTS. Sega used this game to debut their analog controller, in my opinion, the best analog controller ever made. NiGHTS flies on "tracks" in a 3D world. The original plan was to have free roaming but it proved too difficult to design objectives around so NiGHTS was put on a track.

The flying engine was amazing. For the longest time flying had not been used to its full potential in a platformer. Previous to NiGHTS, Mighty Bomb Jack was the only game to get it right. The flying and floating of Jack set the standard by which many games could never outdo, not even in the Superman titles. NiGHTS allowed gamers the truest sensation of flying in every direction, floating gracefully down or dashing like a rocket. This idea of flying, dreaming of flying rather than falling is empowering. It lifts our spirits and for a moment lets us believe in the impossible.

Although limited by a track, Yuji broke the barrier by making the level a character in the game. Previous to NiGHTS, other 3D or polygon games had nice backgrounds but you really couldn't interact with them. Invisible barriers always prevented the character from climbing walls, going through holes, open windows, or under bridges. NiGHTS shattered that type of design. If you saw it, chances are you could reach it, fly around it, or through it. Bridges, windows, waterfalls were all incorporated into the design of the tracks. These tracks (four each on every level) twisted and turned every which way, allowing us to see and explore every inch of the dream world.

As if exploring with Claris and Elliot, or flying with NiGHTS wasn't already light years ahead of the competition, Yuji added an additional gameplay experience in just about every level. When NiGHTS entered a floating water bubble, or a water filled cave (this is a dream after all) his/her legs turned into fins and allowed players to swim in a behind-the-back POV. When NiGHTS approached a bobsled track he changed into a bobsled and Elliot would ride on his back, collecting power-ups.

When NiGHTS was hit with some static electricity he would attract details in the environment and become a flying Katamari ball. When NiGHTS entered a museum whose walls were like rubber he would take on the shape and characteristics of a bouncing beach ball. The transition from NiGHTS into a shape or into one of the kids and back was seamless. Yuji showed the world that 3D was the future and being able to explore the world in all three-dimensions was only the beginning. Characters would also have to become plastic and malleable in the game as well.

The boss battles in the game were just as amazing as the levels themselves. The main boss, Wizeman, is the leader and creator of the evil Nightmaren. The bosses were massive, larger than any other boss at the time. The giant dragon Gillwing, balloon opera singer Puffy and giant fish Gulpo could swallow the main characters whole. The freakish cat Clawz and diabolical jester Jackle helped create a creepy atmosphere. Reala was the evil reflection of NiGHTS in form and function. Fghting against a character that has all of the same moves as you makes for a very formidable showdown. As for Wizeman... lets say that the level, music and challenge are one of the most memorable in all boss battle history.

NiGHTS was the only one of Wizeman's nightmaren given free will. When NiGHTS realized that Wizeman was trying to turn all dreams into nightmares, and in the process hurting the dreamers and the dream world he rebelled. For his insubordination NiGHTS was locked away and only the dream "Ideyas" could release him. Claris and Elliot possess four Ideya's that the nightmaren steal, Purity, Wisdom, Hope and Intelligence. The nightmaren could not steal their fifth Ideya, Courage. With courage the kids free NiGHTS from his prison and begin the crusade against Wizeman.

Yuji managed to pioneer several other things in NiGHTS that would end up in future Sonic Team games. The little characters that inhabit the dream world are called Nightopians, "Pians" for short. They are original AI scripts that behave in their own way and react to the world differently from game to game. If you manage to beat the Nightmaren and keep the Pians happy then they effect the world. They might sing songs, wave to you or go fishing. You can also mix Pians and Nightmaren together to sort of breed new characters, or "Meepians." In case you couldn't guess Pians were the template for the Chao in Sonic Adventure games.

If you manage to have enough content Pians and Meepians then their king, the SuperPian would show up and build a magical floating castle in the middle of the level. This castle would actually be saved in the game, and would only disappear once the Saturn's memory battery ran out. The castle could be constructed in any part of the early stages, and was not scripted to only one location. The idea that the game could permanently add a new detail in the background was amazing. Especially if you could get it, while your friends never even saw it. 

NiGHTS actually has multiple endings, the endings vary in length depending on if you complete the game with an A-Ranking or not, as well as completing it with Claris and Elliot. I am a big fan of the total package, a game that can deliver an experience that ties up all of the loose ends and can stand alone without a sequel. The full story is revealed at the very-very end of NiGHTS, after the cinemas and even after the credits. This ending compliments and even works itself into story.

In the beginning of the game we see a long shot of Twin Seeds city at night. We fly through the empty streets and up the massive Twin Seeds Tower. Perched atop, standing with one foot on the spire is NiGHTS. Then the following cinema shows either Claris or Elliot having a bad day, that day quickly becomes a nightmare. At the start of the game Elliot and Claris do not know each other and do not realize they live in the same city and share the same dreams. At the end of the game they realize that they know each other and stand quietly knowing that their dreams were real. After the final cinema for each character, their joint cinema and credits we are taken back to that first night, the moment right when the kids wake up from their nightmare. They look out the window and wonder... The camera flies out to the same overture featured in the first shot of the game, through the streets, up the Twin Seeds Tower and see NiGHTS on top of the spire. That is when we realize that NiGHTS has always been there, watching over the kids and over Twin Seeds city... the game ends exactly where it began!

A similar effect was achieved in the beginning and ending of God of War. However Kratos' adventure doesn't exactly end where it began. There was some of the Empire Strikes Back "but the story doesn't end there" jive to it. This gives NiGHTS Into Dreams... the perfect, closed ending of all-time.

I feel I would not be giving this game justice if I did not at least mention the layers of detail and multiple meanings in the "real" world of Twin Seeds and the dream world. There is a parallel between the name of Twin Seeds and the two main characters. Although not related, Claris and Elliot share a common experience. These "twin dreamers" are the only ones in contact with NiGHTS, whom can save the city from the nightmares. The dream world they visit pulls abstract cues from the city. A car that's broken down, not far from where Elliot plays basketball with his friends, shows up in one of the dream worlds. As a secret objective players can lead this dream car "home" to its garage and earn points for doing so.

When Claris and Elliot run from their nightmares and into the dream world they are headed toward a physical location in the real world. For Claris she runs off a stage in an auditorium, into the background of hills and greenery, when the level begins she is dropped right into said world. When Elliot has a nightmare of the basketball court he plays on, he runs toward the mural painted under one of the baskets. When he enters the dream world it has the same beach featured on the mural. These cues are actually presented in the game. You have to be paying close attention to each cinema at the beginning of the game and pictures in the end credits in order to realize that these worlds are connected. Yuji treats us like mature gamers and allows us to discover the relationship between what we see and what we play.

The music complimented the entire game. Arguably the greatest soundtrack ever put in a Sega game, rivaling the work in the Jet Set Radio series. Sonic Team, Talking Moon and Tomoko Sasaki create a score that uses as much tone and color as the game itself. A version of the title song "Dreams Dreams" is the theme that Claris sings in the end cinema and versions of this theme pop up in other Sega games.

I'm only getting started talking about NiGHTS. A few months after the release, Sega gave away free demo copies of the game with certain magazines. Known better as "Christmas NiGHTS into dreams..." this demo cd was more than just a quick level for fans. This game included all of the bonus material that Yuji had planned for the final release and if was only given about three more months in development it would have all been included in the master CD.

Christmas NiGHTS is calibrated with the internal clock on the Saturn. In late November/ early December the "Limited Edition" title would drop from the game and instead be replaced with a "Winter" screen. The two demo levels suddenly had snow and Claris and Elliot were bundled up for the cold weather. A couple of weeks into December the front screen would change yet again into "Chrismas NiGHTS."

The snow remained in the levels however with more Christmas-themed decoration. Trees had candles and lights, boost machines went off like party poppers and Pians could be seen building snowmen and singing Christmas carols. Claris, Elliot, NiGHTS and the Pians also had a change in wardrobe.

The best part of the change was the addition of a story that went along with the Christmas theme. The set-up was short and sweet. Claris and Elliot noticed that the people in Twin Seeds city were in a rush this holiday. Rather than slowing down and appreciating the season, everyone was too caught up in the hustle and bustle. Claris and Elliot figured out that the Christmas spirit was missing, symbolized by the star on top of Twin Seeds Tower. The tower was dressed up like a Christmas tree but alas, missing the star. So together with NiGHTS they decided to scour the dream world and get it back from a brightly-colored Gillwing.

The story could be played over and over, at certain hours throughout the day the level details would change. There would be an actual daytime, dusk and night level depending on when you played. This little detail was missing in the final release. On the hour instead of snowflakes it might snow stars or moons. If you played late night December 24th or early morning December 25th you would actually see Santa Claus flying through the background. He doesn't appear at any other time in the demo.

After defeating Gillwing and bringing the symbolic star back to Twin Seeds city, the heroes manage to get everyone to slow down and smile. The game ends with a season's greeting for the players and yes, I have played this through every holiday for the past 25+ years (and I still manage to get a little weepy when I think of how awesome an experience it is).

What good is a Christmas game without some additional presents? If you beat the matching game at the end of the level you unlock a present on the disk, that can be accessed at any other time of the year. These range from wallpapers, art, movies, karaoke and even some very special surprises...

Sonic makes a cameo in the game and plays through a level as himself. His boss is Puffy, as played by Dr. Eggman. This marks Sonic's first appearance in 3D and plants the seeds for Sonic Adventure.

After Christmas the game reverts back to Winter NiGHTS. On New Years the screen changes for a day to "A Happy New Year NiGHTS." When spring starts the levels go back to normal and Claris and Elliot are in their original NiGHTS clothes. On Valentines Day heart shapes fall from the sky. If you happen to play on April 1st something odd will happen. NiGHTS will be replaced by his arch-rival Reala. If you save the game then you can access Reala in this "April Fools" mode.

Damned if there was never a sequel.

Yuji knew he couldn't top NiGHTS. The vision remained but the more technology he had to work with, the less stellar his releases were. Still, those that "got" NiGHTS were forever changed. Even Shigeru Miyamoto once pulled Naka aside and asked when the sequel would come out. Yuji's reply was the same. How can you top NiGHTS? That is what happened to Spielberg when he finished ET, everyone kept asking him when he was going to make a sequel.

The critics and game journalists might not be able to draw the line between Mighty Bomb Jack and Just Cause, they might even think NiGHTS is overrated but what would they know? Every time I see Mario flying, especially in Super Mario Galaxy I know where Shigeru drew his inspiration from. When small games like Cloud generate buzz it is because we still long to fly, to experience that sense of freedom. Journalists argue that they need a Lester Bangs to legitimize their work, if they can't see the greatness that is NiGHTS then it is a lost cause.

Although Yuji is no longer with Sonic Team he did mention something interesting. If they ever were to bring back NiGHTS then the Wii would be the perfect system to develop it for. Like all die-hard NiGHTS fans I hold my breath, as I have for more than a decade. I hope that someday you too might experience the greatness of my favorite game of all-time.

Thank you for reading and most important, peace!

As always if you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!