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Review by Bob I picked up Nights the day it came out on Wednesday with the 3D analog controller... After all the hype Sega is creating, it was hard to believe it would live up to it all. But, in my opinion, it has! I'll try to make the comparisons to Mario as short as possible. The main difference is that Mario 64 is more of a game in which the main idea is to explore and do tasks, while in Nights the main idea is simply to get the Nights suit and fly around. So it's simply a matter of taste in choosing between the two. GRAPHICS 9/10 The graphics in Nights accomplish some amazing feats never before seen on Saturn, such as transparencies, light sourcing, gouraud shading, etc. which Saturn isn't supposed to be able to do without some tricky programming. Besides those effects, the graphics are breathtaking and extremely colorful... Claris's 3rd dream comes to mind when thinking of graphic splendour, because as you fly, you can see the textures on the ground warp, a very nice effect. Also, there is very little slowdown, even considering the speed of the game. The main problems with the graphics however are on the ground exploration part. There's some clipping, and TONS of popup... but it's worth forgiving, since the main attraction of the game is flying anyways... CONTROL: 9.5/10 The 3D controller that comes with Nights is EXCELLENT! The analog control just feels right as you weave through the air...control is very tight. My only problems, however, is that flying is only controller in 2D and that there is the absence of degrees of movement on the ground, such as in Mario where you only push the stick a little and he creeps, push it all the way and he runs, etc. SOUND: 10/10 This is one of my favorite parts of Nights. The soundtrack is absolutely THE BEST I've ever heard in any game. The music will never get old and accompanies the game very nicely... Well done! GAMEPLAY: 10/10 What can I say, it's just too much fun to fly around and pass through rings all day... Plus, it's some of the most innovative gameplay I've ever seen... REPLAYABILITY: 9/10 Well, since this game is so short :( you'd think is should have some excellent replayability. Since you get a grade on every dream after you pass it, most hard core games shouldn't take the challenge lightly and should try to achieve the unachievable straight A's, which is EXTREMELY difficult. The only problem with the replay factor in this game, however, is that, although the tracks in some courses are huge, the flying area is limited, and once you've passed through 20 rings in a row for a few times, it might get kind of old...still hasn't happened for me though... OVERALL: 9.5/10 (this is an average) What more can be said? Nights is a must-have for any Saturn owner. I can easily say that it is the best 32 bit game I own, and I have a PSX also. Inevitably, the comparisons to Mario will continue, but in my opinion, both are great games...I can't really say anymore than that, because it's really a matter of taste. You can't go wrong with Nights! Enjoy the game!
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