Yesterday we brought you the first screens of NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams - today we've got a slew of new info that sheds new light on this ethereal sequel. For the full scoop, head over to site-in-arms CVG.

Most of these tidbits reference the classic Saturn prequel, so if you're new to this whole NiGHTS thing just bear with us. First, there are three mask power-ups that give the eponymous NiGHTS new abilities. Cramming a dragon mask over that fluffy jester hat, for example, imbues him with scaly skin that makes previously unreachable areas ripe for exploration. The other two, which are a bit more obvious as to their effects, are dolphin and rocket. One guess apiece what they're for.

Extra-hardcore fans will recall the holiday-themed Christmas NiGHTS expansion that dressed up the familiar world in snowy cheer. Thanks to Wii's Weather Channel, Journey of Dreams will in fact pull current conditions out of the atmosphere and plop them into the game. It might not be hour by hour updates, but if it's summer, expect sunshine, and should it be harsh December, snow could be in the cards.

WiiConnect24, a function that is somehow already outdated and forgotten (we're still waiting on something other than Elebits to use it nicely), could make a comeback with NiGHTS. Producer Takashi Iizuka says he wants to integrate the feature somehow, as players sharing experiences would be much like multiple people having the same waking dream. Pretty heavy stuff for a flying jester game.

Finally, some form of two-player action will be present. No details on what that'll be, but co-op might be a tricky endeavor to tackle - all that looping and spinning would be tough to decipher on a split screen and sharing could lead to someone getting left behind.

More on Journey of Dreams as it seeps out of the night sky.

April 25, 2007