Presented in Retrovision: Christmas NiGHTS
Once again, I've passed the buck with my retrospective. Thanks to those nasty gremlins, I am still without power. My old college buddy, Justin (whom you may all remember from his recollections on Earthbound), has once again stepped up to the plate to fill in for me while I await power to be restored in my residence. Without further adieu, here he goes:
The onset of winter is more than just a good excuse to wear leather. As the Gregorian calendar comes to a close, a multitude of annual traditions set in. For me, this begins small with domestic activities: Baking, decorating the homestead and sport watching parents destroy themselves over the quest for the perfect toy. Following those notions arrives bowls of snow ice cream, a continuous disregard for credit card balances and cold nights outside celebrating a bottle of peppermint schnapps with friends. Mind you, this festive spirit is difficult to invoke. And yet, every year it is accomplished by spending just a few hours with one game: Christmas NiGHTS.
Christmas NiGHTS shipped as a free pack-in with Next Generation Magazine and Sega Saturn Magazine near the end of 1996. In light of the release of Super Mario 64, the disc was originally intended as a last-minute teaser to bolster game sales for the Saturn. With that free game stigma in mind, Christmas NiGHTS was received as nothing more than a demo disc. Granted, taken as a demo, there is only one level to play. This becomes even more apparent if the disc is played outside of the months of November through January as the title screen only reads "NiGHTS: Limited Edition." By utilizing the internal clock of the Sega Saturn, when November finally strikes, the title screen changes to "Winter NiGHTS," and the Spring Valley level becomes draped in snow. Not until December dawns does the real joy of the game arrive. Folding out as a digital advent calendar, players are invited to assist Claris and Elliot in their quest to light the grand star atop the central Christmas tree of their city, Twin Seeds. In return for completing the set tasks, gamers are greeted with a series of in-game presents, which unlock everything from production videos and a karaoke mode to being able to play as Sega's titular hedgehog.
Everything in the game, during the month of December, becomes Christmas infused: Claris, Elliot and NiGHTS are garbed in red and white, the game world becomes thoroughly decorated with festive lights and the soundtrack changes to adaptions of the holiday staples "Jingle Bells" and "Joy to the World." With this aesthetic in place, Christmas NiGHTS warms the soul of the most embittered video gaming Scrooges. Players soar through the air via the scope of a child's view of Christmas—One where magic and excitement still exist. Although there is but one stage, and that stage features only two minor, protagonist-induced changes, the anticipation for unlocking more presents is compelling enough to spend several hours on this once free game.
When I received the game way back in 1996, I never assumed that I would be drawn back every subsequent holiday season. Even though Bernie Stolar, the then president at Sega of America, deserves a lifetime of coal for his lackluster decisions during the lifespan of the Saturn, I would still have to toast a bit of 'nog in thanks for this tremendous gift. Rarely do promotional materials purport more than an advertising gimmick, and it can be argued that Christmas NiGHTS is still just that. But, it strikes me as rare that a game can manifest emotions that would otherwise be considered as trite. With that ability, Christmas NiGHTS has forged a small temple for us gamers looking for a little shelter from the freezing scene--For then, and for years to come.
Asterick
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 13 December 2007
Other stuff like this: christmas nights, nights into dreams, saturn, sega, sonic team
