“Roolllliiinnnnggggg Staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaart!”
For such an arcade classic, Daytona USA has a complicated history with consoles. For being the highest grossing arcade game of all time, you’d think it would be easy to port home. Sega tried to do it on Saturn in 1994, but the hardware couldn’t handle it. They tried again in 1996 with the Championship Edition, but ruined the gameplay. They tried again on Dreamcast (with online no less), but it still didn’t quite play the same (though damn close). Well, after 18 years, Sega finally got around to porting home the original 1993 arcade game. Did they finally get it right after all these years?
Game: Daytona USA
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega AM2
Genre: Arcade Racing
Price: 800 points/$10
Pros: Perfect arcade translation, timeless arcade gameplay, original soundtrack intact.
Cons: No offline multiplayer
Verdict: Finally, Sega brings Daytona home after 18 years, and does it right. Must buy for racing fans.
Acquired via Purchase
There was once a point where no arcade in America didn’t have a Daytona USA twin cabinet. The thing practically printed money. Now, after nearly a half dozen ports over the past decade, Sega presents the original arcade game in all its glory. This is essentially the version of Daytona USA that was intended for rerelease in arcades last year as the unlicensed “Sega Racing Classic.” Activision had the exclusive NASCAR license, so arcades were getting a Daytona without the original music, or any branding. Times have changed since then thanks to Activision squandering the license, and now we have that same enhanced version that was meant for arcades, only with the official license, original cornball soundtrack, and the legacy restored.
Daytona looked so good in 1993 that it held out in arcades for the next decade. As such, it still looks good. This is an ancient 3D game that has aged beautifully. It has some rough edges, but generally Daytona is still a thing of beauty in motion. Stay still and the flaws show more, but the only time you’re going to be still is at the start of a race. This is more of an enhanced emulation rather that a “port”, but the effects are the same. Some textures (like the sky) have been updated from the original art assets, and pop-in has been nearly (yet not totally) eradicated. It looks like you remember it, but better. Even the all-so-familiar attract mode has been left completely intact.
Most importantly, it plays like you remember it. Finally, we’ve got the original gameplay engine. Power slides, banking, steering, shifting, and braking all feel like they did in 1993. Add in steering wheel support and you’ve got the authentic Daytona USA experience. Of course, since they’re going with the original 1993 version, some features show their age. Collision detection is pretty bad at times with cars seemingly going through solid walls, and laggy online connections can make for some entertaining bugs, but all this stuff was present in the original code. Again, it’s an Enhanced Emulation, not a port or remake. You take the bad with the good.
But what about features, you ask? Daytona USA is an arcade game, so to newcomers the content may seem short up front with only three tracks. But keep in mind, these are three of the best racing tracks ever designed. Whoever designed tracks for 90s Sega arcade racers was a genius. Drive these babies in reverse or mirror modes, and they’re practically new circuits. Each is so full of life and personality that you forget the game you’re playing is 18 years old. Survival, Time Trial, and Challenge modes round out the package. The soundtrack is presented just as it was – delightfully corny and painfully addictive. Also included is a karaoke mode with new arrangements using the lyrics from the Saturn version. Yes, you have to sing. Clearly Sega knows why people love this game.
Online mode works well. There’s some lag issues, but it doesn’t kill the experience. The experience was certainly smoother on XBLA than on PSN. With all eight cars on the track, races are intense. Even more cool is that the host gets DIP switch control. You can control the game’s “auto speed-up” feature to help players in last place, control tire wear, set the amount of laps (8 in standard, up to 80 in tournament mode), enable/disable CPU cars, and activate mirror or reverse mode. You can also just throw it on random and see what you get.
The only glaring problem with the whole package is the absence of any offline multiplayer. The lack of split-screen is almost understandable since this is an emulation and thus takes a lot more resources than had the game been rebuilt for the 360/PS3, but the lack of at least system link is pretty sad. Basically, unless you can find players on the web, the ultimate local competitive arcade racer is restricted to single player only. That’s just wrong.
Other than the lack of local multiplayer (a disturbing trend in modern gaming), this is the complete Daytona USA package. Old-school racing games have a bad habit of not holding up to the test of time. Daytona USA is one of those rare timeless exceptions. Realism be damned – the game is just fun. It set the standard for balls-to-the-wall arcade fun back in the 90s, and it keeps the tradition alive today. Take it for a spin and remind yourself what made Sega racers so much fun. Perhaps if it sells a ton, we’ll finally see home releases of other classic 90s Sega racers such as S.C.U.D Race (Sega Super GT in North America), and Daytona USA 2: Battle on the Edge.
GrE Grade: A-
Popularity: 2% [?]
