Name: Daytona USA
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Genre: Racing
Release Date: October 26, 2011
Just as FPS games are now a staple of console gaming and year after year arguably the most popular, there was a time when arcades still existed and racing games were quite the attraction. Although arcades offered a wide variety of games on different cabinets, racing simulators were in the spotlight, at least in many of the arcades I visited. These setups offered controls similar to the actual vehicles and could include steering wheel, shift, clutch and pedal, and even a car to sit in or bike to ride on and manuever in later years. These could even be linked to each other to provide some fun local multiplayer matches. In 1994, Sega came out with Daytona USA and had some of the best graphics of the time. Now that classic has made its way to our modern-day consoles, and unfortunately it’s definitely showing its age.
Daytona USA is very basic. The player has no selection of cars and must drive the Hornet stock car. There are 3 different courses to choose from, made at 3 different levels of complexity: Beginner, Advanced, and Expert. The Player can also choose between Automatic and Manual transmission depending on their preference and experience, with Manual obviously requiring the shift to be used to switch gears at the appropriate times. The main goal of Daytona is to progress from the ROLLLLLING START and pass everyone to finish in first place. Not much else to it besides avoiding grass, braking to drift around sharp turns, and using the pit stop if there’s ever damage to be repaired. Tire grip loss can also be turned on in the options, requiring more frequent pit stops. The options also include a few difficulty levels, time limits, lap numbers, and mirror mode which change up the challenge a little bit but still all on the same 3 courses.
Probably the most enjoyable mode of Daytona USA on the consoles is the online multiplayer. Matches can include up to 8 players, so it can be a good time to relive some old arcade matches with friends. Besides this and the Arcade mode, this iteration of Daytona includes a couple more extras. Racing games commonly include a time trial mode to record the best times on specific courses, and Daytona does not disappoint there. There is also a Survival mode which pits the player against the time to see simply how far can be traveled before time runs out, with time extensions given from various events like passing other cars, and grip loss taking its toll. The strangest of the modes is Karaoke, where players can race on any track as much as they want and sing along to the game’s soundtrack, if for some reason that seems enjoyable.
Although the basic racing and these other modes can get old somewhat quickly, and trophies are all also easily obtained, the best source of replayability is the Challenge mode. Each of the 3 courses has 10 different challenges, such as overtaking 3 cars or reach the goal within the time limit. The first challenge must be completed before moving onto the next, and the difficulty will increase. So if you’re looking to hone your skills, especially to practice maneuvering, or just tired of the same races, Challenge mode is perfect for some change.
Daytona USA really embodies a simpler time of games with simple goals and basic controls, and of course the time limits are remnants of quarter-draining tactics. For today’s console gamers, Daytona just can’t hold a lasting appeal anymore and players will move on after completing their trophy collection. Although the graphics have been prettied up to look vibrant and a bit polished for HD presentation, the copy/paste blocks of texture and the sharp-cornered rectangular bodies of the cars are too obvious to ignore. Daytona USA may still be good for a nostalgic trip, but that trip won’t last long and many won’t be interested to join at all.
Rating: 
This review is based on a PS3 review copy of the game provided by the publisher.
