Daytona USA (arcade game)
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| Daytona USA | |
|---|---|
 Daytona USA title screen (arcade version) |
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| Developer(s) | Sega-AM2 |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Designer(s) | Toshihiro Nagoshi |
| Release date(s) | 1993 (Japan) 1994 (US) |
| Genre(s) | Racing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Sega Saturn, Microsoft Windows, Sega Dreamcast |
| Input | Steering wheel, 4-position Shifter, 2 Pedals |
| Arcade cabinet | Sit-Down |
| Arcade system(s) | Sega Model 2 |
| Arcade display | Raster 496 x 384 pixels (Horizontal), 8192 colors |
Daytona USA is an racing arcade game released by Sega in 1994. Daytona USA took the groundwork laid in the 1992 release Virtua Racing and built upon it, with the smoothest graphics yet seen in a racing game at the time. The game was also a huge leap forward in multiplayer, with the possibility of linking four twin cabinets, or eight deluxe cabinets, to create a massive eight player competition. Deluxe cabinets also contained a camera attached just above the coinslots pointing towards the drivers seat, which could be linked to a television to show the player's facial expressions on a separate screen. Daytona USA also features a critically acclaimed soundtrack, in addition to drift-friendly handling. These points make it accessible as well as incredibly fun to play - a modern point of comparison would be with OutRun 2.
Daytona USA is the single highest grossing arcade game ever made; no game since has come close to selling as many units or receiving as much income for arcade owners. [1]
Contents |
[edit] Courses
There are three race courses in the arcade version of Daytona USA.
[edit] Beginner - Three Seven Speedway
- Course Type: Speedway
- Number of laps: 8 / 20 / 80 (Standard / Grand Prix / Endurance mode)
- Number of Cars: 40
- Course BGM: 'The King Of Speed' (alternate theme: 'Pounding Pavement')
- Skill Level: Beginner
The Three Seven Speedway is a standard tri-oval speedway track in layout, based loosely on the Daytona International Speedway and Pocono Raceway. It begins with a rolling start, with the player in 40th place. The first turn takes the player past cheering crowds on the right, with a large field fronting the pit stop area on the left. The next section of track after the second turn is a straight road through a forest setting, and is dominated by three large slot machine reels embedded into a stone arch above the track. The third turn is the setting of a large mountainside, with the image of Sonic the Hedgehog engraved into the rock. This is the tightest turn of the track, which leads to the pit road and the finish line. There is one enemy to avoid: car number 20 (MISS Insurance) in order to secure first place on this track. On 1993 machines in Japan, car 20 was normally implemented to be an unfair opponent. However, on mostly all 1994 machines in America, car 20 has been toned down to the player's advantage.
[edit] Advanced - Dinosaur Canyon
- Course type: Road course
- Number of laps: 4 / 40 (Standard / Endurance mode)
- Number of Cars: 20
- Course BGM: 'Let's Go Away'
- Skill Level: Advanced
Dinosaur Canyon is a medium-length road course. From a standing start, the player heads through tough canyon terrain with many elevation changes. Notable features include a tunnel through a mountain, power generating windmills, and the words "SEGA-AM2" in the grass on the outside section of the penultimate turn. The final turn reveals the reason behind the name of the course: a large dinosaur fossil can be seen embedded in the side of the rocky terrain. There is also a hidden message from the creators of Daytona USA, present in all versions of the game: if you turn the car around after the 'GO' signal is given, and take the road heading away to the right to a tunnel in the mountainside just before the pit entrance (meaning the final turn is to your left), there is a sign at the end: 'You Just Lost Your Sponsors!' This course also has some cheap enemies: car number 16 (Tune Insurance), car numbers 12 and 13 (Starline Performance Cars), and car number 20 from the Three Seven Speedway (MISS Insurance). Proper steering and the correct speed will avoid any conflict with these cars.
[edit] Expert - Seaside Street Galaxy
- Course type: Street circuit
- Number of laps: 2 / 20 (Standard / Endurance mode)
- Number of Cars: 30
- Course BGM: 'Sky High'
- Skill Level: Expert
This winding course begins with a standing start on a large suspension bridge. After crossing the water, the player is taken through several tunnels with hard turns, to emerge on a hill leading downwards alongside a residential area. The course then takes a gentle curve alongside a cliff section, where seagulls fly, horses stand in a grassed section, and sea can be seen all the way to the horizon. Next the player is directed onto the same bridge for the return stretch - after leaving the bridge, the player passes alongside a Space Shuttle readied for launch, and a galleon moored alongside a dock area - the sharpest hairpin turn in the game. After taking this turn, an onramp leads to the first section of bridge, and the finish line.
Notable features of Seaside Street Galaxy include a statue of Jeffry from Virtua Fighter, which can be found beside the track on the first right-hand bend between the tunnel section and the residential hill area. This course also has one of the hardest enemies in the game: car number 55 (Evangeline Motor Oil), which is located in first place.
[edit] Home console versions
[edit] Daytona USA (Sega Saturn/PC)
Daytona USA was ported to the Sega Saturn as a Western launch title in 1995, and to Microsoft Windows in 1996. The conversion had a somewhat slow frame rate (around twenty frames per second, compared to the arcade version's silk-smooth sixty), and used 'clipping' to render only the scenery nearest the player. This failed to impress many critics and casual gamers of the time, who voiced preference for the Sony PlayStation's Ridge Racer port. Hindsight amongst the gaming community, however, places Daytona USA as the more playable game, with Ridge Racer being merely a technically-impressive arcade port. It is also worth noting that as a consequence of the Sega Saturn's rushed launch date, Daytona USA's development was severely rushed as a result - had the launch gone to plan, it is likely that the Saturn port would be more faithful to the arcade original.
Daytona USA is compatible with the Arcade Racer steering wheel accessory. It is also compatible with the 3D analogue control pad (when switched into analog mode)and the Saturn will detect it as the Arcade Racer steering wheel.
[edit] Daytona USA: Deluxe Edition (PC)
This version of Daytona USA featured many flaws and many improvements compared to the Saturn version. It had an improved draw distance, And supported larger RAM, Meaning that a RAM drop didn't occur inches behind your wheels as you drive. The flaws featured Non-Attractive Graphics and Sprites, And a horrible trial which had no music and a faulty Replay Feature which would often Warp in color. Please see External Links Below to download the trial.
NOTE FOR ALL TRIAL USERS
On Windows XP or NT this game may not Unzip. It will Display an error message. Right click the Unzip file and Select Properties. Manoeuvre across to Compatibility and Set it to run on Windows 95 or Windows 95/NT. It will unzip and install.
[edit] Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition (Sega Saturn)
In 1997, the in-house team that oversaw the mostly arcade-perfect Saturn port of Sega Rally Championship remade the original Saturn version of Daytona USA with a new engine (a modified version of the Sega Rally Championship engine). This version, entitled Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition was released only in North America and Europe, and drastically reduced the popup that was prevalent in the original Saturn version. With the increased framerate (now a solid thirty frames per second) came a new selection of cars, two new courses - Desert City and National Park Speedway - and a 2-player mode.
This version has been criticised by Daytona USA fans for its 'realistic' handling, as opposed to the loose, drift-friendly handling of the original. Also, it sported a soundtrack by Richard Jacques and Jun Senoue which, while featuring remixes of the original tunes and several new ones, did not feature the original tunes themselves.
It is also the first version of Daytona USA to name the three tracks present in the original Daytona USA game (rather than simply using Beginner, Intermediate and Expert): 'Three Seven Speedway' (also known as 777 Speedway, for the Beginner track), 'Dinosaur Canyon' (for the Intermediate track), and 'Seaside Street Galaxy' (for the Expert track).
Daytona USA:CCE was also released for the PC, as Daytona USA Deluxe. A Direct3D patch for this version was also later released. It was also separately released for the Saturn as a Netlink-compatible title, entitled Daytona USA: CCE Netlink Edition.
Daytona USA:CCE is compatible with the Saturn's 3D analogue control pad, in addition to the Arcade Racer steering wheel and the Virtua Stick accessories.
[edit] Daytona USA: Circuit Edition (Sega Saturn)
After the release of Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition to the Western Saturn market, a further-updated version was later released in Japan as Daytona USA: Circuit Edition. This version has the soundtracks from both the original Daytona USA arcade game and the remixes from Championship Circuit Edition, in addition to an eight-minute-long medley of all three original track themes (called 'Daytona Medley'). It also retained the drifty handling of the original Daytona USA arcade game that was changed in Championship Circuit Edition, and added the ability to play at night, dusk, or morning (by holding X, Y or Z on the controller as the 'START YOUR ENGINES' screen was displayed). Aside from these differences, it is identical to Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition.
[edit] Daytona USA 2001 (Dreamcast)
In 2001, Daytona USA was given a complete revamp for release on the Sega Dreamcast platform. This version (known as Daytona USA 2001 in Japan, Australia, and Europe, and simply Daytona USA in the USA) features every single course from the original Daytona USA game and the Championship Circuit Edition. Three new tracks were also specially designed for this game ('Rin Rin Rink', 'Circuit Pixie' and 'Mermaid Lake'), and all of the tracks are playable normally, in reverse, mirrored, or in reverse-mirrored mode.
The game was given a gargantuan graphical update (by far outclassing the 1994 definition of 'arcade-perfect'). It was also playable online, allowing for competition between up to four players, and uploading/downloading of best times and ghost car information. Another welcome addition to this version of Daytona USA was the Championship mode, where the player must place above a certain point in the overall rankings to progress - culminating in the King of Daytona Cup.
This version tends to be criticized for poor controls - the analog stick's default setting is extremely sensitive, but that can be corrected in the options screen (except in the Japanese version).
[edit] Available cars
The racing team featured in the Daytona USA arcade game and Saturn port is called Team Hornet. Although the team is never explicitly mentioned in the games, their car features an easily-recognisable hornet logo stamped on the front of the car. From Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition and onwards, however, Team Hornet's available garage was reduced to one playable car alongside other racing teams' cars.
[edit] Daytona USA
In the arcade and Sega Saturn versions of Daytona USA, the Hornet car is numbered 41. However, on linked arcade machines, players 1, 2, 3 and 4 will have cars numbered similarly in multi-player mode for easy identification mid-race.
- The colours of Team Hornet's two selectable cars - automatic and manual transmission - consist of red and blue (automatic), and yellow, red, and black (manual). The car with manual transmission has a slightly higher top speed than the car with automatic transmission.
- In the Sega Saturn and PC versions of Daytona USA, there are six unlockable Hornet cars available alongside the standard manual and automatic Hornet cars (making eight cars available in total). These can be accessed either by placing in first place on both 777 Speedway and Dinosaur Canyon on Normal difficulty, or pressing Down-Right on the D-pad, left trigger (L), right trigger (R), C, and Y buttons on the Saturn gamepad at the title screen. The cars are coloured differently according to their abilities:
- Black (automatic) and Orange (manual) cars will not slow down when hitting walls.
- Green (automatic) and Pink (manual) cars will crash after hitting a wall, but perform well on grass.
- Light Blue (automatic) and Light Yellow (manual) cars have a high top speed, but have difficulty gripping the track.
- There are also two unlockable Horses (each either manual or automatic) to race as. The first horse can be obtained by placing first on all three courses on Normal difficulty; the second is unlocked by placing first on 777 Speedway on Normal difficulty in Endurance mode (i.e. 80 laps as opposed to the standard 8).
[edit] Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition/Circuit Edition
Team Hornet and their car do not appear in the game. Instead, there are a number of individual cars selectable, each named after their respective racing team:
- Hornet (Normal, car number 19) - The Hornet car has a grip rating of 3/5, an acceleration rating of 3/5, and a top speed rating of 2/5, making it an ideal all-rounder.
- Gallop (Normal, car number 27) - The Gallop car has identical statistics to the Hornet car, making it another all-rounder, ideal for two-player races.
- Max (Beginner, car number 2) - The Max car has a grip rating of 5/5, an acceleration rating of 5/5, but a top speed of 1/5. This makes it an ideal car for a course with plenty of corners, such as Dinosaur Canyon.
- Phoenix (Expert, car number 8) - The Phoenix car has a grip rating of 1/5, but is rated 5/5 for its acceleration and top speed capabilities.
- Oriole (Expert, car number 16) - The Oriole car is a toned-down version of the Phoenix car, with a grip rating of 2/5, and an acceleration & top speed rating of 4/5.
- Magic (Expert, car number 33) - The Magic car has a grip rating of 3/5, an acceleration rating of 2/5, and a top speed rating of 3/5, maing it the ideal cross between the Hornet car and the Oriole car.
- Wolf (Beginner, car number 41) - This car has a grip rating of 4/5, an acceleration rating of 5/5, but a top speed of 1/5, making this car an excellent choice for those new to the game.
- Balance (Normal, car number 99) - The Balance car has a grip rating of 5, an acceleration rating of 1/5, and a top speed rating of 4/5. This car performs well on long, straight courses such as Seaside Street Galaxy or National Park Speedway.
There is 9th car called Daytona which can be unlocked either by finishing in first place on all five tracks, or via a cheat code. The Daytona car uses the body style, paint scheme and car number of the featured car in the original Daytona USA game. It is rated 5/5 in the grip, acceleration and top speed categories, however, meaning it will not handle the same as the classic car.
There are also two horses that are unlockable and playable, named Ura and Ura 2.
Daytona USA: Circuit Edition also featured fictional specifications for the Hornet car as part of the CD case artwork. The car is 4903mm long, 1273mm high, and 1730mm wide. It weighs 1600kg, and is capable of speeds up to 329km/h. Its engine's power output is 812ps/5800rpm.
[edit] Daytona USA 2001
There are four cars available from the beginning of the game. Interestingly, all four are numbered 41, despite being from different racing teams:
- Hornet - with a Grip, Acceleration and Maximum Speed rating of 70/100, and a top speed of 319km/h (automatic) and 334km/h (manual), the Hornet car is once again an excellent all-rounder. The slogan underneath the Hornet logo painted on the front of the car reads 'High-Class'.
- Grasshopper - This car has a Grip rating of 90/100, an Acceleration rating of 40/100, and a Maximum Speed rating of 30/100. Its top speed is rated at 294km/h with automatic transmission, and 309km/h with manual transmission. This makes the car ideal for inexperienced players.
- Falcon - The Falcon has a Grip rating of 80/100, and an Acceleration and Maximum Speed ratin of 50/100, making it an ideal cross between the slow Grasshopper and the fast Hornet cars. Its top speed is 309km/h and 324 km/h for automatic and manual transmissions respectively.
- Lightning - With a Grip rating of 50/100, but an Acceleration and Maximum Speed rating of 80/100, the Lightning car is the most powerful car available from the beginning of the game. This comes at a cost to manoeuverability, however - this car is highly prone to oversteer. It is capable of reaching speeds of up to 330km/h (automatic) or 345km/h (manual). Underneath the Lightning logo painted on the front of the car is the text 'The Lightning Racing Team'.
There are also six unlockable cars:
- Unicorn, car number 41 - This car is an upgraded version of the Lightning car, with a top speed of 349km/h (automatic) or 364km/h (manual). Its Grip rating is 35/100, its Acceleration rating is 90/100, and its Maximum Speed rating is 90/100. The Unicorn is even more prone to oversteer than the Lightning car, but is incredibly powerful in the hands of an experienced driver. This car is awarded when you complete Championship mode.
- Red Cat, car number 77 - The Red Cat is the Daytona USA safety car, which can be obtained either by winning a Netplay race or logging 20 hours of gameplay time. It has a Grip rating of 60/100, an Acceleration rating of 80/100, and a Maximum Speed rating of 65/100, and has a top speed of 310km/h (automatic) or 325km/h (manual). This car handles exceptionally well whilst cornering, making it ideal for courses with long, smooth turns - such as Mermaid Lake, or Rin Rin Rink.
- Pyewackett Barchetta, car number 69 - a car shaped curiously like a biplane, which can be won by placing first on the Three Seven Speedway in the Hornet, Falcon, Grasshopper and Lightning cars. The Pyewackett Barchetta has a top speed of 295km/h (automatic) or 310km/h (manual). Its Grip rating is 85/100, and is rated 80/100 for Acceleration - its Maximum Speed rating, however, is lower at 65/100.
- Rule of the 9th, car number 99 - Rule of the 9th is a car shaped like a 1930s roadster, with a curiously-shaped driver. Its top speed is either 335km/h (automatic) or 350km/h (manual). The Rule of the 9th is a moderately powerful car, with a Grip rating of 50/100, an Acceleration rating of 85/100, and a Maximum Speed rating of 85/100. To unlock this car, you need to beat the original track time records for all eight tracks in Mirror Reverse mode, using the 'Fixation (number)' number of laps.
- Javelin - unlocked by logging 100 hours of gameplay time.
- Pyewackett Barchetta Super, car number 69 - an upgraded version of the Pyewackett Barchetta, this machine has an extremely high grip ability at 100/100. Its Acceleration is rated at 60/100, and its Maximum Speed is rated at 45/100 - 303km/h with automatic transmission, and 318km/h with manual transmission. To unlock this car, select any track in Single Race mode, with the number of laps set to 2. Select the original Pyewackett Barchetta, and begin the race - once the 'GO!' signal is given, turn around and race the track in reverse. As long as you make it to the checkpoints within the time limit, when you finish the race (in last place, obviously) you will be awarded the Pyewackett Barchetta Super car.
[edit] Soundtracks
Daytona USA's main soundtrack is as follows:
- Let's Go Away (Attract/Advertise mode; a shortened version of the Dinosaur Canyon course theme)
- The King Of Speed (Three Seven Speedway; alternatively known as 'The King of Speed (ROLLING START), or simply 'ROLLING START')
- Pounding Pavement (Three Seven Speedway; accessed in the arcade version by holding the VR4 button during the 'GENTLEMEN START YOUR ENGINES')
- Let's Go Away (Dinosaur Canyon)
- Sky High (Seaside Street Galaxy; also known as 'Blue, Blue Skies')
These names come from the Daytona USA B-Univ original soundtrack CD - in the Saturn port of Daytona USA, the Sound Test screen also displays names for the various themes.
If you remain on the track beyond the length of the CD soundtrack (for the Saturn port) - for example, whilst in Endurance mode - the track simply repeats.
Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition's main soundtrack is as follows:
- Sons of Angels (Introduction)
- The King Of Speed (Three Seven Speedway; a remix of the original Daytona USA theme)
- Pounding Pavement (Three Seven Speedway; a remix of the original Daytona USA theme)
- Let's Go Away (Dinosaur Canyon; a remix of the original Daytona USA theme)
- Sky High (Seaside Street Galaxy; a remix of the original Daytona USA theme)
- Funk Fair
- The Noisy Roars of Wilderness
- Race to the Bass (removed in Daytona USA: Circuit Edition)
- The American Dream (Replay)
- Daytona USA Medley (Japanese Circuit Edition version only)
It should be noted that any of the course themes can be mapped to another course through the Options menu - The King of Speed can be mapped to Dinosaur Canyon, for example. Daytona USA: Circuit Edition also featured the original Daytona USA arcade themes, which could be mapped to courses.
The Daytona USA 2001 soundtrack is a mix of remixed and original music:
- Let's Go Away (Introduction; a shortened version of the Dinosaur Canyon course theme, remixed from the original Daytona USA theme)
- The King Of Speed (Three Seven Speedway; a remix of the original Daytona USA theme)
- Let's Go Away (Dinosaur Canyon; a remix of the original Daytona USA theme)
- Sky High (Seaside Street Galaxy; a remix of the original Daytona USA theme)
The courses taken from Daytona USA: (Championship) Circuit Edition do not have their original themes; instead, new songs are used in place of Funk Fair and The Noisy Roars of Wilderness. Race to the Bass, and the Daytona USA Medley do not appear either. The new songs are not given names ingame, and with the lack of an official soundtrack CD it is assumed they are named after their respective courses.
In addition to the above themes, Daytona USA 2001 also features different remixed music for the reversed and mirror-reversed versions of the courses. Theme music from the original Daytona USA arcade machine is selected at random and used as title screen music - these songs can be found in the Sound Test from track 48 onwards.
[edit] Trivia
- On the Beginner course, there is an image of Sonic the Hedgehog engraved into the side of the mountain to the right as you approach the third and final turn. Interestingly, in the arcade and Sega Saturn games he faces the left, but in the Sega Dreamcast version he faces the right.
- Also on the Beginner course, mounted on the stone arch after the second bend is a slot machine. Pressing the X button (Sega Saturn), A button (Dreamcast) or the START button (arcade) as you approach will cause one of the reels to stop spinning. If you get three 7 icons lined up, you will receive a time bonus. This can only be accomplished once per lap in the arcade and Saturn versions of Daytona USA: in the Sega Dreamcast version, you can stop the reels multiple times in one lap if you are quick enough.
- On the Expert course, there is a statue of Jeffry McWild from the Virtua Fighter series, located on the last curve before the straightaway, after passing through the tunnel near the beginning of the course. If you approach the statue, stop, and press either X (Sega Saturn) or START (arcade), you can make the statue move and stand on its head. This feature was removed from Daytona USA 2001.
- Daytona USA 2001 also saw the removal of the rollercoaster in National Park Speedway, and the spectators on the bridge above the starting grid in Dinosaur Canyon.
- In the Sega Saturn game Fighters Megamix, one of the Hornet cars was unlockable as a hidden fighter. Hornet's stage is even Three Seven Speedway,
- At the high score screen, you can enter your initials as something like P.D, V.R, SMG, R.M, SHO, and more to hear short versions of classic Sega tunes from games such as Virtua Racing, Rad Mobile, Super Hang-On, Turbo Out Run, and more. O.R, for example, will play a short clip of Magical Sound Shower from OutRun - A.B will play a shortened version of Final Takeoff from After Burner. This feature works in the arcade and Saturn port of Daytona USA - it does not work in CCE, CE, or Daytona USA 2001.
- In the arcade version of Daytona USA, it is possible to change the display range of the 'TRAFFIC' display, by holding the Start button and pressing VR2 (for Short range), VR3 (for Normal range), or VR4 (for Long range) at any time during the race.
- In the arcade version of Daytona USA, holding the start button while chosing the transmission allowed a "Real Racers Only" mode. No computer opponents were present. In single player mode, doing so would prompt a single-car time trial mode.
- It is also possible to adjust the size of the map displayed on the right side of the screen, by holding down the Start and VR1 buttons and pressing either VR2 (for a Large map), VR3 (for a Normal map) or VR4 (for a Small map).
- The price to play is usually $1 US (four tokens)
- Interestingly, the Western versions of Daytona USA 2001 have a 'Sensitivity' slider in the Options menu, to adjust the sensitivity of the Dreamcast controller's analogue stick. This option is not present in the Japanese version.
- The in-game driver may be named Tom Brown, as he drives the Hornet car in Daytona USA 2.
- Also in Daytona USA 2, the Hornet car is the speical car, it peforms exactly as it does in Daytona USA.
- In Daytona USA: CCE, the Hornet car has a small sticker on its side that reads "Sega Rally Championship".
- The Hornet car has been in every Daytona USA game so far.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Daytona USA Deluxe Demo.
Please Read the Deluxe Edition Section Above if you Have Errors or Compatibility Issues
Daytona USA Deluxe Footage. Coming Soon! (Version Differs from Original)
