A sloppy conversion of an arcade classic, but at least it still feels like Daytona.
So anyway, Daytona USA puts you at the wheel of a stock car and has you race against twenty AI opponents on the Intermediate and Expert tracks and forty on the Beginner track, which is presumably based on Daytona International Speedway itself. It's an extremely fast-paced game with a good level of difficulty, in true old-school gaming fashion. It's also quite possibly one of the first 3D racing titles to feature a level of visible car damage as well as the ability to make a pit-stop in the middle of race (to fix up your car of course). So if you hadn't already guessed, all these factors add up to make a winner, at least with the arcade original anyway.
Content-wise, everything is in tact. All three circuits are present and there's some nice console-exclusive settings to tinker with, including the new 'Saturn Mode', which essentially removes the timer so you aren't racing against the clock. The trouble is, the game feels very rough around the edges; let me explain...
...although the game does take advantage of the Saturn's 3D power, the frame-rate is much, much lower than it's arcade cousin, running around a measly 20fps as opposed to 60fps. While this doesn't make the game unplayable as such, far from it, it just doesn't feel quite 'right', particularly if you were used to the arcade version. The game doesn't play like a slug, but even compared to other specific Saturn racers, it certainly could've been better had the game spent more time in development.
It isn't that bad graphically in all fairness, and, apart from a lower resolution and some noticeable pixellation (which was to be expected), there are few-to-no sacrifices to be found regarding track and vehicle detail. What has been drastically altered however, is the draw-distance. Christ is it bad. You can be racing through the relatively-short tunnel of the second track and all you can see at the end of it is blue sky and clouds, until suddenly the bend in the tunnel appears out of nowhere. And the first and best-known track, the Beginner course suddenly doesn't look quite as awesome as it used to thanks to these horrific draw-distances. I know that pop-up was present in the majority of 3D games on the Saturn, and even early PlayStation titles, but this is certainly up there as one of the worse titles regarding this aspect. It's catastrophically bad.
The other major let-down is the lack of any kind of social gameplay. Basically, there's no split-screen mode, despite the fact that the best feature of the arcade version was the ability to play with your mates. And this also goes for, well, most racing games since the dawn of mankind. I suppose you have to wonder what kind of effect a split-screen option would have on the already struggling frame-rate and god-awful draw-distance. There's also no Time Attack mode, although this didn't bother me especially.
Aside from these technical gripes, you've still got a good game here, regardless of what I say. It still plays and feels like the arcade classic, and the three tracks will always be superb. That reason alone puts the gameplay well above average. When you think about it, that's probably the most important factor right there.
The sound design has survived the transition, and it's pure cheese, but I love it. Everything from the ridiculous tunes that play ('Daytonaaaaaaa!', if that rings a bell) to the voice that pumps out such quotes as 'Great, you're time is being extended!', 'Try to go easy on the car!' and 'You're looking good!' whilst you race. Oh, and then there's the epic 'GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES' quote on the loading screen. And did I mention the guy that sings 'Rolling starrrrrrrrrt!' at the beginning of the first race? Heck, there's a voice for just about everything in this game, even when you enter your name on the record screen. Because the sound has been left in-tact, this not only means that the gameplay is still there, but the atmosphere too.
The game controls fairly well, with my only real observation being that the developers chose to use the C button as the throttle instead of the B button. I dunno, it just felt a little odd to me, but no big deal by any means. I heard the game is compatible with the 3D analog controller, but since I haven't got one I can't say what it's like to play with. The controls work just fine with a standard controller anyhow.
The Arcade and Saturn modes aren't that much different from one another (I've already explained the new Saturn mode), and there's only really one car to be had – just like there was in the arcade version – save for the option of manual and automatic transmission. But then you can't really blame the developers for this because let's not forget that this game is a port of an arcade title.
Overall Daytona USA on the Saturn is a sloppy port of a great game. The technical flaws and laziness from the developers aren't enough to stop this from being a good game. It's a must for the serious collectors out there, but any casual Saturn fan may want to check out the so-called 'Champion Circuit Edition' of the game instead – I hear AM2 fixed many of the issues which plagued this port as well as bringing several new cars to the game. Or you could just go and play your copy of Sega Rally, the best racer on the console.
Wrap-up:
+ It's Daytona alright
+ That awesome commentating and music, man!
+ Races can be customized relatively well
+ GENTLEMAN, START YOUR ENGINES!
+ Did I mention the sound?
- No multiplayer whatsoever
- Draw-distance is downright terrible
- Frame-rate isn't exactly perfect