NiGHTS

Wow!

For more information, see Nights (video game character).

NiGHTS is a video game character and the protagonist of the games NiGHTS into Dreams... and NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, developed and published by Sega. He/She wears a purple jester style hat and outfit, with a diamond-shaped red jewel on his/her chest (This is revealed in the Archie comics mini-series to be a shard of an Ideya sphere that broke off and latched onto his/her chest).

Relation to Sonic
NiGHTS had helped Sonic free Amy and Tails from Eggman's hypnotism in Sonic Pinball Party. Otherwise, s/he's just a friend of Sonic's who makes cameos and playable appearances in Sonic games. Whether the games series between Sonic and NiGHTS are based in the same reality has not been confirmed.

Game appearances
The character's first appearance was in the video game NiGHTS into Dreams... for the Sega Saturn. The second game in the series, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, is for the Nintendo Wii. NiGHTS also appeared in the sampler game Christmas NiGHTS for the Sega Saturn. NiGHTS also has a role in Sonic Riders and Sega Superstars Tennis

Sonic Adventure/Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut
In Sonic Adventure, NiGHTS appears as a Pinball game. The pinball game featured elements from NiGHTS into Dreams. Along with the NiGHTS Pinball, there was a Sonic Pinball. These cameos reappeared in the Director's Cut version for the Gamecube. In the missions nights is seen in a small billboard next to tails shop.

Sonic Adventure 2/Sonic Adventure 2 Battle
In the next installment of the Sonic Adventure series, NiGHTS made muliple cameos. In the City Escape stage, billboards and posters despicted ads for The NiGHTS Hotel, which can be seen in the sky lines of Shadow's Radical Highway stage. NiGHTS also makes a Chao cameo. The Neutral Fly Type Chao resembles NiGHTS, along with the Dark Fly Type, which resembles Reala or an evil looking NiGHTS. Some NiGHTS fans claim a third type of Chao resemble a boss from the first NiGHTS game, Jackle

Sonic Pinball Party
In Sonic Pinball Party, NiGHTS appears, once again, as a Pinball game. The Pinball game features many elements from NiGHTS into Dreams. This is the only game that NiGHTS gets a relationship with Sonic.

Sonic Battle
NiGHTS appears in the Speed Demon mini game where he can be seen flying in the background, similar to his appearence in Sonic Adventure 2/Sonic Adventure 2: Battle.

Sonic Riders
NiGHTS’ first playable cameo is in Sonic Riders. He/She can be unlocked if the player reaches certain requirements. NiGHTS’ board is called the Night Sky. Sections of the SEGA Carnival/SEGA Illusion courses feature elements from NiGHTS into Dreams. On a side note: NiGHTS is referred to as a 'boy' in Sonic Riders.

Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity
In the sequel to Sonic Riders, NiGHTS returns as a playable character. Also, in the 90's Boulevard course, you can see signs advertising NiGHTS and NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams.

Phantasy Star Online|Phantasy Star Online I & II Plus
NiGHTS has also made a guest appearance in Phantasy Star Online I & II Plus, in an Episode 2 quest.

Creation and conception
Naoto Oshima was the original NiGHTS designer and Kazuyuki Hoshino was the character designer for the video game NiGHTS into Dreams.... Though Nights into Dreams... was left without a sequel for over a decade, NiGHTS continued to appear within games developed by Sonic Team as a cameo, showing much affection for the character and the game. This led to the eventual sequel, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. Naoto Oshima had left Sega by that point, so Kazuyuki Hoshino was placed in charge of character design for NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. Takashi Iizuka, the lead game designer, felt that with Hoshino, they captured the style used for his in the original game.

Character
NiGHTS is a first-level Nightmaren, created by Wizeman to steal Red Ideya. Despite being one of Wizeman's most powerful creations, NiGHTS is a remarkably mischievous free spirit who did not like taking orders, so much so that Wizeman has on multiple occasions, imprisoned NiGHTS within Nightopia to keep him/her out of the way. NiGHTS asks for the assistance of Claris and Elliot (Will and Helen in the new game) in defeating Wizeman simply because he/she doesn't like Wizeman, and not because NiGHTS is inherently 'good', a mistake even fans often make. NiGHTS' rival is the first-level Nightmaren, Reala.

Personality
NiGHTS detests being ordered around or restrained, and freely flies through the skies of Nightopia. NiGHTS is full of curiosity, and loves anything new or unusual. NiGHTS sometimes scares or makes fun of people. Although NiGHTS doesn't have a strong sense of righteousness, he/she is unhappy about Wizeman's attempts to eliminate Nightopia.

Abilities
Besides flying, NiGHTS shows various other abilities in both games.

In the first game, NiGHTS shows the ability to transform into a bobsled, an ability that was expanded upon in the sequel with the introduction of persona masks. Each mask allows NiGHTS to change forms and abilities accordingly, including those of a dragon, rocket and dolphin.

Along with the persona masks, NiGHTS is also able to transform into a boat and a roller coaster, as well as rolling up in a ball to roll down slides (a possible reference to Sonic Team's title character Sonic the Hedgehog).

NiGHTS can create small portals called paraloops if he/she can fly in a circle.

Home
NiGHTS comes from the world of Nightopia (referred to in-game as the Night Dimension), takes shape according to the thoughts, ideas, personalities, and will of the Visitors (humans from the real world). NiGHTS is, however, actually a Nightmaren alongside Owl (a brown owl who acts as elder and guide in the sequel) and the Nightopians, NiGHTS does what he/she can to stop Wizeman from taking over.

Interaction with other characters
NiGHTS sometimes scares or makes fun of people, but is playful in nature and shows kindness to Visitors.

Characters:

The Children: (Claris, Elliot, Will and Helen) NiGHTS is kind towards the children in both games, helping all four of them to defeat Wizeman on two separate occasions. NiGHTS shows the children around different Dream Worlds and works together with them to dispatch numerous Nightmaren.

Owl: NiGHTS shows disrespect for Owl on a regular basis, but also shows a sort of friendship with the bird. Owl often seems frustrated with NiGHTS' rambunctious behavior, and occasionally lectures NiGHTS, but to no avail.

Wizeman: NiGHTS shows a special distaste for Wizeman. NiGHTS is glad to put a halt to Wizeman's plans, and has defeated Wizeman in combat twice. Any orders given to NiGHTS by Wizeman are in vain, as NiGHTS simply continues the rebellion against the creator of Nightmare. It should be noted that the reason that NiGHTS rebels against his/her master is not because NiGHTS is good and Wizeman is evil, but simply due to NiGHTS' extreme dislike for Wizeman and his ideals.

Reala: NiGHTS' relationship with Reala appears complicated. NiGHTS seems to still hold Reala as a friend or at the least as a former one, while Reala pities NiGHTS for rebelling against Wizeman. Reala often plays on NiGHTS' mercy, using it as opportunity to imprison NiGHTS. Reala sometimes refers to NiGHTS as a "sibling."

Reception
In his review of NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot described the character as an "androgynous jester." VanOrd said, "NiGHTS is smoothly animated", but said NiGHTS' "vocal personification (may not be) everyone's cup of tea." VanOrd wrote, "The jester is genderless...and the accompanying voice is, well, correspondingly, NiGHTS sounds like a young woman, it's a good fit for the character."

Referring to NiGHTS into Dreams..., IGN said "Nights was essentially Sonic in the air..." The IGN review of NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams called NiGHTS a "mysterious creature." The IGN reviewer noted, "strangely NiGHTS and all other characters in Nightopia are from England?" but said the voice acting was "decent, if not a bit over-the-top." In the English version of the game, NiGHTS is voiced by Julissa Aguirre.

Trivia

 * Despite Sonic having visited a dream realm in Sonic Shuffle, he has not encountered NiGHTS there, although NiGHTS is playable in said game.
 * NiGHTS is refered to as "he" and "she" quite often, but is actually genderless.
 * First time Sonic became 3D was in the Limited Edition 'Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams' where he could be unlocked.