I’d posit that NiGHTS into dreams… is as much of a synaesthetic experience as Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s Rez.
It’s inconceivable that the game would offer the option to mute the uplifting, symbiotic music provided by Tomoko Sasaki (Ristar, Space Channel 5 Part 2), Naofumi Hataya (Golden Axe II/III, SEGA Rally, The Rub Rabbits!) and Fumie Kumatani (Sonic Adventure, Phantasy Star Online, Shinobi (2002)).
In fact, as discussed in issue 158 of the Cane and Rinse podcast, Sonic Team’s innovative A-Life system plays into the soundtrack, remixing each of the six main stages’ music based on how kindly the player is treating that area’s indigenous, cherubic Nightopians.
This extended nine and a half minute version of Suburban Museum (from the level named Soft Museum) – as featured on the NiGHTS into dreams… Perfect Album CD release – seamlessly blends together the various mixes and melodies which prevail. This is probably my favourite in-game piece from NiGHTS.
Another of my picks from the OST originally featured, as far as I could ever find, only in the sound test menu of the Saturn version. Entitled simply NiGHTS, this is also the dramatic Disney meets Prokofiev overture that greets the player upon highlighting the NiGHTS icon on the PlayStation 3’s XMB.
Several of the boss tracks sound markedly different to either the in-game themes or those for the lush CG sequences that top and tail the NiGHTS experience. Perhaps more reminiscent of pieces from the early Mega Drive/Genesis Sonic games it could even be argued that some of these guitar-lead works ushered in the full on ROCK that either embellished or plagued Sonic Adventure (depending upon your taste).
I’m not a fan of Sonic Adventure’s soundtrack myself for the most part, but I am still fond of both Clawz‘ and Jackle‘s funky signature tunes, ‘E-LE-KI Sparkle’ and ‘The Mantle’ respectively.
My personal pick of the boss themes though has to be near-spherical operatic diva Puffy’s delightfully titled ‘She Had Long Ears’, which reminds me of a ska/jazz version of Julian Cope’s absurd ‘mini-popera’, S.P.A.C.E.R.O.C.K. With Me, from 1996’s Interpreter album.
I can’t say goodbye without including at least one of the many versions of DREAMS DREAMS (apparently this is a slight mistranslation and the Japanese title is actually Dream! Dream!), so here are two.
First is the exceptionally cheesy A-Cappella version from Christmas NiGHTS, as performed by Marlon Saunders, Gabriel Morris and Issa Clemon.
If that’s all a bit much – and it might well be – then how about we let those Nightopians have the final world with this adorable OST-only bonus track.
In a dream, I can see you are not far away
Anytime, anyplace I can see your face
You’re that special one that I’ve been waiting for
And I hope you’re looking for Someone like me PRE-CHORUS 1
In my dreams, I can hear you calling me
In the night, Everything’s so sweet In your eyes, I feel there’s so much inside…
In the nights, dream delight
I want to see you standing there
In the nights, dream delight
I found someone who really cares
In the nights, dream delight
I want to see you smile again
In the nights, dream delight
You are the one I’ve waited for…
In a dream, we can do Everything we want to There’s nowhere I’d rather be But here with you
The stars above light the way only for you and I
I’m so glad I found the one that I’ve been looking for
Keep the dream (Keep the dream…) of the one you’re hoping for
Love can come through an open door (Love…yeah…)
Just be strong (Just be strong…oh…)
And you’re sure to find the one, the one, the one, the one…!
In the nights, dream delight
I want to see you standing there
In the nights, dream delight
I found someone who really cares
In the nights, dream delight
I want to see you smile again
In the nights, dream delight
You are the one I’ve waited for…
Whoa…oh-oh-oh… (Flute solo)
In the nights (In the night), dream delight (Delight)
I want to see you standing there (See you standing there) In the nights (In the night), dream delight (Delight)
I found someone who really cares (Oh-oh…yeah-yeah…) In the nights (In the night), dream delight (Delight)
I want to see you smile again (Hey yeah…!)
In the nights (In the night), dream delight (Delight)
You are the one I’ve waited for…(The one, the one, Oh-oh…)
In the night (Oh baby…hey-eh…)
Delight You and me We could be Together forever…!
In the night
Delight (Baby)
(Baby)
(Baby…)
(Oh…oh…hoo-hoo!)
(Ooh yeah…) In the night (Yeah, yeah-ah-hah)
Delight (I’ve found someone)
(I found my love)
In the night (And I’d be lost without you girl, yeah)
Delight (You’re the one I waited for)
(I’ve dreamed, I’ve dreamed, I’ve dreamed of you girl) (I’ve found the one I was looking for)
(Yeah…)
(Hoo-ooh! Yeah…)
