Flashback to 1992: Development on Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has just been wrapped up in the states. Leaving the rest to the Sega of America marketing department, Yuji Naka heads back home to SushiLand (that's Japan for those of you not keeping score). Ah, but just as he thought he could relax, having just applied his most recent artistic vision to silicon, the tides of fate do a double-take. As the plane takes off, Naka is struck by one of those rare moments of gaming genius that starts as a simple idea and expands into a brilliant concept: a game that captures an exhilerating sense of flight. Unfortunately, it would be four years before technology felt obliged to accommodate that vision.

   The 32-bit Sega Saturn seemed to be up to the task, and the Team got right down to business. Naoto Ohshima and Takashi Iizuka, the game's lead directors, began tossing around various ideas on the character model and general theme of the game. The original concept was of a dinky bird too weak to fly, but who gained the ability as he grew and strengthened. That premise was ditched for fear it would draw direct comparisons to Sonic. After deciding upon a more human-esque character, they came up with a couple of other ideas also destined for the trash bin, including an Indiana Jones wannabe and a military-themed hero. Once a dream theme was decided upon, those wacky kids hit the books. They studied various texts on psychology, most notably the works of Frederick Holtz and Carl Gustav Jung. They compared the two and drew their ideas upon those foundations.

   After a year or so in development, NiGHTS hit the streets in fall of '96, going head-to-head with Nintendo's 64-bit behemoth Super Mario 64. Many were surprised that the Team would choose to do a new original title as their first Saturn project, rather than give the console the 3D Sonic game it needed so badly. Although sales-wise, the Team's creative Saturn masterpiece couldn't hold a candle to the Great Plumber, it was an artistic success in every sense. Acclaimed by critics and exhalted by fans, NiGHTS showed the gaming world that Sonic Team wasn't strictly about blue hedgehogs.

   Much like the Chaos Emeralds to the Sonic world, the NiGHTS universe revolves around Ideya, or dream energy. Ideya comes in five types: purity (white), wisdom (green), hope (yellow), intelligence (blue), and the rare energy of courage (red). It just so happens that the lord of nightmares, Wizeman, is after this dream energy for his own wicked purposes. He's backed up by a motley crew of his own creation: the Nightmaren. Elite among these minions are the few First-Level Nightmaren, who were granted their own free will. And where there is free will, there's always a troublemaker...

   Sensing Wizeman's evil plans, First-Level 'Maren NiGHTS turned against his creator, and was sentenced to confinement in Ideya Palaces. However, being naturally attracted to the rare red Ideya, NiGHTS sensed the trait in two troubled teens. With the combined strength of Claris, Elliot, and NiGHTS, Wizeman was defeated. Claris and Elliot discover the courage within themselves, and NiGHTS is finally free.

   So, is this the end? Actually, yes... for a while, at least. While the potential for sequels, at least storywise, is certainly there, Naka has openly expressed that he has no interest in carrying the series on. He's so pleased with the original -- and rightfully so -- that the need for a sequel just isn't there. There was, in fact, a sequel attempted about a year after the game came out, but was eventually canned when the Team realized they didn't really want to do it. Few would argue that the Team got it right the first time with NiGHTS, and that a sequel at this time would do little more than give us prettier graphics. So, barring the small deviation of Christmas NiGHTS, it's more or less safe to assume that the story of NiGHTS began and ended in one shot.