By: The Apocalypse
Game info:
Genre: Racing
Designed by: Sega
Year Released: 1995
Players: 1
Other: Arcade Racer Compatible
You rank 28th in a pack of surging, screaming machines, all vying for the lead position. Just ahead and to your left, Car 16 takes a glancing hit from behind and spins wildly. You dodge just in time to avoid a pileup, but two other drivers aren't so lucky... With seven laps to go, you downshift just before the entrance to the hairpin before the Start/Finish line, but you've come in too fast. Tires scream as the g-forces pull your car to the right, and the wall looms close. All you can do is hang on and pray that you squeeze by--at 200 miles an hour, kissing the wall is not something you want to do...
Daytona USA brings the excitement of stock car racing action from the arcade to the armchair! Play the Arcade version of the game, or check out the extra options in Sega Sports' special Saturn Mode.
Strap yourself in behind the controls and get read to race!
--Taken from the manual
Gameplay:
(8/10)
A nice blend of arcade and simulation racing. Extremely fun! The A.I. puts up a good fight at higher difficulties, and makes you keep coming back to beat em. Aside from these plusses, there are but a few nitpicks: 1. There's only 3 race tracks! What's this? That destroys a lot of replayability! Although well designed, plus the ability to race them in reverse, there's not much variety. 2. Only 2 cars!! The "Saturn" mode adds 2 more...woohoo... But don't let that ruin your fun. The tweaked-to-near-perfection racing engine makes up for almost everything.
Sound: (7/10)
The sounds effects are pretty arcadey, the general scrape and crash stuff. The announcer's babblings and mockings get very annoying. The music is well-written, although the japanese singer makes you want to shoot yourself. His "doot-doot"s and "Dayaytoooonnaa"s pierce your eardrums, making them bleed. But they are pretty catchy. Dayaytooonnaaa...lets go away...dayaytoooonnaaa...err...uh, excuse me...
Graphics: (8/10)
The graphics are pretty good, and simulate speed pretty well. Daytona was probably the first console game to simulate speed this good. A lotta clipping at the bottom of the screen, though. The cars and other objects look detailed, but grainy. Not too grainy...just grainy.
Control: (10/10)
Responsive, solid control. Not much to say...the control is pretty much perfect. Possibly the highlight of the game.
Overall: (8/10)
A classic game, and a must-have addition to your Saturn library. The great control and high fun factor make up for every flaw.
-Song from "Beginner" Track