And so to the end of the game, which echoes the climax of the first game. Again, you're up against the evil Wizeman and start the level with NiGHTS nowhere to be seen. It's all explained a lot more this time round, although the lengthy cut-scenes could do with a 'skip' feature for repeated viewings - we had to sit through them three or four times. Again, the child has to jump from the tiny platform towards certain doom in a leap of faith, before rising back into the sky, flying as though dualised with NiGHTS, before making his or her way to the clock tower where NiGHTS is being held captive. Very dramatic.
The final boss battle then begins and it's almost identical to the original game's boss battle, with Wizeman attacking you with various elements. The graphics throughout this last level are almost on par with the pre-rendered intro sequence as you fly above the city, and the final battle is easily as climactic as that in Super Mario Galaxy. Only on our third attempt did we realise the persona masks were the key to victory. And then... bam! GamesRadar finishes new NiGHTS. After the heartwarming end sequence, the game tells us we'll need a grade C or above on every level to get the final Ideya and see the real ending. But we'll have to get the game in the office to see that - our time was over.
We're not going to go into any more detail than that here - after all, the game's not even finished yet. But we'll have more for you in the build-up to the game's January release. It's certainly child-friendly and well-suited to Wii - let's hopeit's not too simplified for gaming connoisseurs to enjoy too. It should be OK. We've got mute buttons, after all...
