Daytona USASYSTEM: Sega Saturn
DEVELOPER: AM2
PRODUCER: Sega
PRICE: $49.99
RATED: Kids to Adults
Arguably, Daytona USA was the number one arcade racing game of it's time. The game had only one real challenger which was Ridge Racer by Namco. Ridge Racer was a great game, but it didn't match the sheer graphic beauty, or the near perfect gameplay that Daytona had.
With the upcoming release of the Saturn, Datyona USA was one of it's most highly anticipated titles. Sega promised big things with the Saturn, and gamers were expecting a near perfect conversion.
When Datona USA were finally released, most gamers felt dissapointed. The game played fast, and was a blast to play, but it also had many shortcomings. It had major pop-up problems, low resolution graphics (as opposed to the hi-res in the arcade), and generally looked blocky and rushed. Personally I feel the problems in this game, and in the first release of Virtua Fighter, are what eventually caused Sony to gain such a dominance over Sega. Gamers just lost their faith in Sega.
Now, your probably thinking I didn't like Daytona USA? Nope, quite the opposite. I loved Daytona USA!! I'm one who can easilly forgive a few minor graphic details, for the awesome gameplay that Daytona offers. Daytona was, and is, one of the most fun, and fastest racing games ever made. I truly feel sorry for anyone who failed to purchase this title due to graphics alone. They really have missed out on one of (in my opinion) the best games ever made.
Daytona still had many features that the other racers just couldn't match. It used textured polygons (very new then), had multiple views, car selections, relistic control, drifting, excellent sound, end over end crashes, and bumper to bumper racing. Had the graphics matched the overall quality of the rest of the game, I think Saturn sales would still be nearly equal to the Playstation. Actually, the graphics aren't really all that bad. It's just that the arcade game was very good, and expectations were very high for the Saturn. I feel many failed to put things into the proper perspective when they seen the conversion. It's not that it's a bad game, it's actually a great game with a few minor flaws.
Sega made a big mistake by not tweeking this game (and Virtua Fighter) to the max before release. Sega tried to jump the gun on Sony by releasing it's system several months prior to the Playstation. Saturn rolled out in August, the Playstation in September. By the time September rolled around, most gamers had had their fill of Saturn screen shots. The Saturn just didn't seem to match the Playstation. You can't play screen shots, and that made the Playstation seem like a vastly superior system (It is not, yet it is slighly better). Most gamers Christmas lists changed from Saturn to Playstation. Another problem with the early Saturn release was the limited quanity, which left some major retailers without systems. This kinda ticked them off, and some refused to even carry the Saturn. Had Sega waited, and produced a totally quality product, they wouldn't be in last place like they are now.
Sega did totally repent, and has produced some excellent titles. One only has to take a look at Virtua Fighter 2, and Sega Rally to realize the system was capable of competing with the Playstation. Yet, it was too little too late. And Sony easilly outsold Sega.
If you don't already own a System, and your deciding between Saturn and Playstation, don't buy the Saturn. Sadly the Saturn is almost out of the picture. There are some really great games for it, but when the choice is between Playstation and Saturn, your money is best spent on Sony. Yet, if your like me, and would like a Saturn as a second system, you can't go wrong. Right now it is really cheap, and you can find games for next to nothing. Many of these games match and even surpass the average Playstation game, so you should be very happy with them. If you do, make sure you pick up a copy of Daytona USA. It's still one of the most exciting, and playable games of all time.
RATINGS
GRAPHICS 80%
SOUND 98%
GAMEPLAY 98%
ORIGINALITY 95%
REPLAY VALUE95%
OVERALL 93.2%
