Unlike most Sega franchises that either died or didn't translate well into 3D, NiGHTS Into Dreams already took place in a 3D realm, even holding hands with the Saturn 3D controller which it was meant to be played with. So how did they get the controls wrong this time? After all, NiGHTS wasn't ever about complicated gameplay, but somehow in its Wii iteration, the team just couldn't nail motion control the way that they wanted to. It's clear that they tried, and either felt compelled to implement it somehow or had been pressured by higher-ups while still ultimately failing. The fact of the matter is that there is no enjoying this game if you haven't got at least a Wii Classic or (preferably) Gamecube controller, and thank goodness they're supported. Just chuck out your Wii Remote right now.

Well, not literally-just for this one game let's put it away. The cursor which the remote uses to guide NiGHTS along is just too relaxed for the fast-paced world of Nightopia, to the point where you may think the game is broken. So now that you've got a standard controller, let's play some games!

Some of you may be wondering what or who NiGHTS is. Well, he's a creature of Nightopia, the dream world in which we all travel to in our sleep, whereupon we tackle our demons and enjoy flights of fantasy. Its opposite is Nightmare, the dark world which is ruled by the dark lord Wizeman, who wishes to control both Nightopia and consequently the real world as well. This is the basis of NiGHTS Journey of Dreams' story, which stars two children struggling with emotional baggage and other conflicts in the real world, which is reflected in Nightopia. Fortunately, by "dualizing" with the androgynous NiGHTS they gain the power of flight, with which they use to battle foes and learn more about themselves throughout their adventures. Oh, and with their help, NiGHTS should have a much easier time defeating Wizeman, too. Always a plus.

Aside from the controls, the story is the starting point of where the game begins its slow and unstoppable descent into mediocrity. Whether you're a fan of the series' simple timed stages or the fact that NiGHTS previously did not sound like a poor attempt at a British accent, things begin to fall apart with the changes Sega implemented. Players will sit through unskippable cutscenes with an almost torturous degree of annoyance, of which introduce the crux to nearly every level. Then, the poor mission structure becomes more and more apparent when the game loads players back into the hub world upon completion of levels, as opposed to simply transitioning directly into the next stage. It's a very linear experience, but the game doesn't even offer the option to continue to the next area or select a different level, which leads to an embarrassing amount of loading and traveling within the main world just to get to the good part.

Let's get one thing straight before this goes on any longer: the core gameplay of NiGHTS is lots of fun. It may be one of my most favorite gameplay experiences to date, as it essentially has the feel of a 2D Sonic game in flight, and almost feels as good and challenging as the Saturn game. Unfortunately, the reason for which at any time this text sounds very angry is that whenever you're not whirling through the beautiful levels of Nightopia, the game is trash. The whole product feels unfinished, with stiff third-person segments filling in the blanks between levels, the embarrassingly drab My Dream world, some awkward boss fights, and not to mention the horrid cutscenes and accompanying voiceovers. I continue this argument in relation to the online component of My Dream, where the forecast channel is called upon to update the eight-hours late "current" weather in-game. That aside, the two-player online races are a blast as they feature the same enjoyable gameplay that makes up what feels like an undeservedly small portion of the game, and very little lag to boot.

Had NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams simply been a few dozen well-designed worlds with a well-constructed menu tree, it would have been ages better than what gamers are getting for their money. It's almost as if an entirely different team created the content outside of the main stages, and this is consequently what hurts the game so much. Even with the Gamecube controller, the eight-sided joystick doesn't make a paraloop easy in the same way that-say, an Xbox 360 controller may. There's no reason that this game couldn't have survived on a pad like the 360's, and seeing as how the show isn't going to wow audiences with clunky motion controls, it's obvious that NiGHTS is more of an audio/visual treat. The game's soundtrack is fantastic, and one of its shining points. In fact, I'll be keeping my eye out for an actual CD release of its beats in the future. However, this eeks out the suspicion that Sega may have cared about NiGHTS at one point in its development, but by putting it on the Wii they sacrificed its strongest points-a good solid control scheme, and what could have been an even prettier and better-sounding game-for something much weaker as a final product.

Don't sweat the small stuff, right? Well, it's hard not to do with Journey of Dreams. All fans of the series want is to relive the glory days-they've even dreamt of this moment. It's too bad that when the time for one of the swansong series of Sega had its chance to make a substantial comeback, the ball was dropped harder than it ever should have been. As I mentioned, the core game is some of the best stuff on the Wii, but there's just so little of it to play. I can't help but think that if it had only been released to a next-gen console with the horsepower to really dazzle an audience, maybe NiGHTS: JoD would have made an outstanding impression on gamers today, and fans of before. Journey of Dreams is certainly not worth the asking price, and maybe not even $20. Unless you're a hardcore fan or just don't know any better than to play the original instead, stay clear of this one unless you've got a free Blockbuster rental coupon at hand.