Christmas Nights Worth Buying?

[lordmaximus]

Hi all. Just wondering if the "demo" Christmas Nights is worth buying if I already own the full game? Looks like its between 6-10 quid disc only. Is it worth having both? Thanks!

[nevermind]

Christmas nights is really full of secrets. It is only 1 level and one boss, but you will have to play it many many times to get everything. It is time and date dependent as well for many features. Also it was the first time sonic appeared in full 3D in a game.

I have a copy, got it from a magazine so it is cd only, but I believe there is a full release version with case. I don't think there are any extra levels with it. To be fair I would recommend you to just burn a copy if you are not collecting.

[bultje112]

definitely get it. it's more a game than a demo. I may have played it almost more than I have the original nights

[linkt101]

Definitely worth getting. However, I advocate you should only play it in the days leading up to Christmas. Perfect for getting into the spirit of the festive season IMO.

[Anthaemia.]

A select number of UK high street electronic retailers participated in a deal over the last few months of 1996 where they'd give away copies of Christmas NiGHTS with the rarer cardboard sleeve if you bought any two games from a selection that I seem to recall including Daytona USA Championship Circuit Edition, Sega Worldwide Soccer '97, Fighting Vipers, Virtua Cop 2 and the original NiGHTS into dreams...

The following year, SSM had just the disc as a cover-mounted extra, which I'm fairly sure was their "compensation" after plans for a themed sampler fell through due to licensing issues. From what I can remember, this would have featured playable demos of Exhumed, Duke Nukem 3D and Quake, plus an exclusive third revision of Death Tank especially created by Lobotomy Software in return for the support SSM provided them!

I've actually got both PAL variations of Christmas NiGHTS, with the standalone disc kept next to its parent game - I used the back half of a donor box originally from the Photo CD Operating System to create my own definitive edition. You could probably achieve similar results using the Japanese versions and a double jewel case, though I'm yet to actually try this for myself. (As a side note, I also did this with Metal Gear Solid and the VR Missions disc for the PlayStation.)

[lanhilb89]

Play it enough last or middle present tou play as sonic even. I had mine for 4$ blockbuster it came in a sleeve said christmas nights demo. Is it not a demo? Did they have plans for an expanded version?

[Le Roi]

Japanese version with full case and artwork is about £6.

I bought it a year ago but still haven't played it had a busy run up to Xmas. Maybe next year...

[huntrrose]

I've got 5 north American ones.. 4 in the cardboard sleeve 1 I put in a regular cd case and cut the sleeve to use as the cover..

[davyk]

Definitely worth getting. It encapsulates everything that was great about Sega.

I have the PAL version disc only - I keep the disc with the full game in my PAL version case.

I like the look of the JP version as it has its own jewel case with nice covers - what are the menus like in that version - are they in English? I'd probably sell the PAL version and get that if it's import friendly re menus etc.

[nevermind]

Mar 17, 2017 17:31:53 GMT Anthaemia. said:

A select number of UK high street electronic retailers participated in a deal over the last few months of 1996 where they'd give away copies of Christmas NiGHTS with the rarer cardboard sleeve if you bought any two games from a selection that I seem to recall including Daytona USA Championship Circuit Edition, Sega Worldwide Soccer '97, Fighting Vipers, Virtua Cop 2 and the original NiGHTS into dreams...

The following year, SSM had just the disc as a cover-mounted extra, which I'm fairly sure was their "compensation" after plans for a themed sampler fell through due to licensing issues. From what I can remember, this would have featured playable demos of Exhumed, Duke Nukem 3D and Quake, plus an exclusive third revision of Death Tank especially created by Lobotomy Software in return for the support SSM provided them!

I've actually got both PAL variations of Christmas NiGHTS, with the standalone disc kept next to its parent game - I used the back half of a donor box originally from the Photo CD Operating System to create my own definitive edition. You could probably achieve similar results using the Japanese versions and a double jewel case, though I'm yet to actually try this for myself. (As a side note, I also did this with Metal Gear Solid and the VR Missions disc for the PlayStation.)

Has this unreleased disc from lobotomy software ever been released? Sorry to derail the thread

[Anthaemia.]

A member of the SSM editorial team once told me the planned Lobotomy cover disc never made it to the manufacturing stage due to someone forgetting to contact GT Interactive, who partly owned one of the necessary licenses, which I believe they mentioned in an issue when the project's delay was announced. Then, a similar problem occurred when Sega Europe learned the window of negotiation with another company - either id Software or 3D Realms, if my memory is correct - lapsed, meaning they'd have to start talks all over again. Rather than bother with this, EMAP instead chose to release something developed in-house at Sega, avoiding the obstacles of having to deal with third parties. For similar reasons, I suspect this is also why the European versions of the Flash series only ever featured playable demos of first party games, plus it may explain why other magazines (such as Saturn Power) just released discs containing titles by a single publisher at any time.

[lordmaximus]

Thanks chaps for the replies, on balance I take it as more or less a "go for it"!:-)

I'll look forward to getting it some time this week, and then playing it in about just over 9 months from now.

[xDerekRx]

Even though you've already decided Ill just add another big YES

Xmas Nights is one of the best Saturn games/items that was ever released. Sure that might sound like a bit much but it was more than just the game itself. It showed for once during that era that Sega cared enough that they took the time (I heard 4 months?) to make a free disc to give to fans.

On top of that really is that its a magical experience. Nights in itself is a total package of emotion, music, color, and smooth gameplay. But when you add those feelings with those of Christmas (and other holidays I should add) you have the makings of something special.

Had they made a full release Id have had no problem paying for it but for what it is, its great. Tons of secrets and unlockables.

[Anthaemia.]

Another interesting fact about Christmas NiGHTS is that it runs on a modified version of the original game's engine that was later used for Burning Rangers, showcasing a greater draw distance and less polygon glitching. My understanding is that Sonic Team only decided to release this festive-themed sampler on a standalone disc just a few months after its predecessor because they felt it was too elaborate for a multi-title demo disc, which partly inspired AM2 to put out a similar project with Fighters Megamix (itself based on an upgraded version of the engine that powered Fighting Vipers and intended as a way of testing new compression routines for storing animations ahead of work starting on a full conversion of Virtua Fighter 3 - this went into production as of the conference where FM was revealed, along with the first Last Bronx tech demo running on the Saturn). Although only the Japanese market received both of these games in late 1996, I've always considered them seasonal gifts to fans at a time the Saturn was enjoying its last real period of success in Europe and America especially.

P.S. I forgot to mention this earlier, but EMAP also ran a promotion in December 1996 giving away sleeved copies of Christmas NiGHTS to the first 200 people who subscribed to SSM...

[xDerekRx]

In the US its hard to tell exactly how many different magazines included the sleeved US version. Ive seen collectors with sealed copies of EGM and Ultra Game Players with the demo inside.