The Legend of SEGA's Daytona USA 

Correction: 41 cars name is HORNET not COMET.

Fun fact, in 2017 when Daytona USA 3 was released Kurt Busch won the Daytona 500... DRIVING THE 41 CAR.

Daytonaaaaa! So iconic it was even an unlock-able phrase in Forza Horizon 4!

The Daytona sound is so legendary

Dude I remember playing this at the arcade and the machine they had at Walmart. Later I got a Sega Saturn and had this game. So freaking awesome and brings back so many memories

It's also worth mentioning Daytona's slightly more forgotten, though equally badass older brother - Virtua Racing. Man, F1, Rally, Daytona, SEGA had it all back then. They really pushed the racing scene forward.

If I got a quarter every time I heard the Daytonaaaaaa attract sound effect, I could play every track at least once.

The fact that no teams have ever made a hornet darlington throwback scheme is a crime. Also wish daytona usa 2 would get a get official release one day

Okay but those graphics are incredible for 1993

DAYTONAAAAAAAAA. Used to work at a bowling alley and had to listen to it endlessly alllll day long. And of course as work goes it became annoying. But to me now, and since that bowling alley is gone too, that sound it more than iconic. It’s SUPER nostalgic. Love it to pieces.

Imagine if Motorsport game put as much work into NASCAR 21 ignition as the Daytona USA developers did🤔

You know its a great arcade game when some still exist in some cinema and shopping centre.

I have never clicked on a video faster. That intro music is just instant, pure, unadulterated nostalgia.

You should cover the rest of the series as well! I'm making a Daytona USA 2 carset for Nr2003! DUSA2 is underrated as hell

As a game dev and racing fan, you do impeccably well covering both sides:) This is the one channel I never doubted setting alerts for

This video REALLY cheers me up. I’ve been playing a lot of Daytona both in arcades and emulation, and it’s one of my favorite arcade racers of all time. I’m so bummed that the series peaked with the original release, and it’s a shame too because Daytona 2 to me is even better: just you play it once on an emulator and see what I mean. A footnote on the botched SEGA Saturn release: the console itself was scheduled to release in late-ish 1995 but SEGA abruptly rushed the release of the machine, leaving the developers with much less time to work with. Needless to say, devs were PIIIIIISSED. Not mentioning the fact that the Saturn was a difficult machine to program to begin with, especially in regards to 3D graphics, the early release of the Saturn and the rushed development of Daytona USA’s console port resulted in a piss poor resolution, wonky framerate and jank collision detection. And it was all done to gain an ultimately worthless advantage on the PS1.

I still remember the first time playing this back at Dave and Busters in 2016. When I saw the 4 seater cabinet I was immediately hooked and played it 3 times on automatic thinking it was manual and shifting the stick for fun. Hard to think that was 7 year's ago

Love NASCAR and am a diehard fan of this game. Glad to see you talk about it!

Darien, you just loved getting that stuck in our head, didn't you 😂

I just listened to this song this morning

I remember playing Daytona USA at three different places around Syracuse, NY when I was a kid: SportStar 2000 in East Syracuse; Putter's Paradise mini-golf behind the McDonald's on Erie Blvd, and the arcade/laser tag place in Shoppingtown Mall. Those were the days. All three are now sadly lost to the sands of time.

I still own Daytona USA on the PS3 to this day. Understanding the manual gear system and drifting was a long and grueling process, but once I’ve mastered it, it felt like I was on top of the world. Truly a game that was ahead of its time. I also got to play Daytona USA 2 in an Arcade back when I was little. I played on the Deluxe edition with the chair that slightly tilts and turns when you turn, giving you the feeling of sitting and driving in an actual stock car. A terrifying experience for 10-year old me, but looking back, I don’t think there were many like it.

Ah I love this game. Fond memories of it as a child in the arcade. I always wanted a good home version and when it came out on Dreamcast I sort of got my wish, but it wasn't perfect. Then, the X360/PS3 version happened and I was ecstatic. Every February, on Daytona weekend, I fire it up. Put the game on "Endurance" mode (80 laps) with Tire Wear on and select Three Seven Speedway... and ROLLLINGGGG STARRRRRTTTT! THE GREEN FLAG IS OUT AND THEY ARE UNDER WAY!

I had Daytona USA 2001 for the Dreamcast. It was a fully upgraded presentation with more tracks, more cars and overhauled graphics. I think it is the peak of the series.

Daytonaaaaaaaaaa

I attended races at Riverside Park Speedway every weekend in the 90’s. The arcade was close to the track. I played it often. During rain delays, you would have about a dozen drivers there playing.

First time I played this was at six flags great america. I was only 15 at the time and when I hit the arcades, there was a long line to play this game and only two cabinets were available. I was so mesmerised with the game that instead of going to the rides with my freinds i spent almost half of the day waiting turn after turn to play it again. I eventually was able to find it at other locations. Dave and Busters had a 8 cabinet set up which is where I made it a tradition to go there during the 500 weekend and do a few races and challenged anyone who wanted to compete with me thinking I'm actually racing in the 500. Personally Daytona USA 2 "the power edition" in my opinion is much better. The cabinets had much larger screens with moving sim rigs. Aesthetically the visuals were much more refined and damage physics and tire smoke were more realistic. The rocking tunes were better and the cool feature the power slide, I mean "slingshot" made the cornering much more fun to time and tackle. A few tidbits: Before Daytona USA only Bill Elliott's Nascar Challenge used the Daytona name, track design and likeness. So Sega had exclusive rights. It wasn't until Nascar Racing 3 from Papyrus that was fianlly allowed to use Daytona, however they were given the right to design a sim setup to be used at Daytona USA theme park. EA sports was finally able to incorporate the Daytona track in Nascar 2001 and they made it such a big deal That on the back of the jewel case it was mentioned at least 3 times. So when can we start talking about the Nascar Silicon Motor Speedway?

Loved this game as a kid. Would always play it at the Pool Room in Dawsonville whenever we went. What was better was we were content “playing” without putting money in. Then my uncle threw in some coins and we were blown away! My mom was dissapointed at my uncle for that move.

Believe it or not. Daytona USA was the game that brought Nascar to my attention. Without this game, I'm not sure if I would've known much about Nascar.

When you were going over the franchise, I believe you forgot to mention Daytona USA 2 which was released in 1998. It has a different attitude but it's still the same game.

It wasn't a Chuck E Cheese but it was the same kind of establishment. Little kid games and an arcade. My dad took me to that place many times when I was little and one of my favorite games to play was this. When I was a kid I was absolutely crazy for NASCAR and would use up over half of my tokens playing it over and over again. I was really upset when one day we went there the cabinet was gone. I think I actually cried. So yes, this has a bit of nostalgia for me. Although I was kind of sad you couldn't play as other cars.

Hi - Last year I picked up a DX twin Daytona USA 2 with cabin car and got one working. I like the game but nothing crazy. Just a few days ago I scored on a Daytona USA twin and got one working already. I am hooked and been playing for days none stop! Sound, gameplay and everything you do affects outcome. Awesome!

I totally agree with you Darian that SHR should do a throwback to this 41 car

Even here in Brazil this game is legendary! I got a history on this game in the two seating arcade machine: i broke the shifter of the machine racing with a friend! Lol The employees of the mall weren't not amused 😆

Inside Daytona international speedway arcade was 20 of them linked together

I played this game in a movie theater that had an arcade portion, It was really good, although I struggled controlling the car 😂

Who else here wants to see Stewart-Haas or another team do a Hornet throwback for Darlington?!

And there's the Daytona USA 2001 on the Dreamcast too, it was amazing with tons of new features

The music of this game is simple incredible

I actually enjoyed playing it on my Sega Saturn. I was only like 7 at the time so it wasn't hard to please me I guess. At the time I thought it was cool to do an 80 lap race on the oval and not have to worry about the time limit

I've gotten to play Daytona USA on an original simulator cabinet. No other version of 777 Speedway quite compares. No port really captured the magic of the arcade version.

OMG I loved that game. Some of the most fun I had in arcades as a kid. Id kill to have one of those units in my garage.

🎶 Du-du-du-du-du-du-du-du-DU-DUUUUUUUUUUUU 🎶 *DAYTONAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA* 😆

Everytime I see any very version of daytona usa you bet your sweet cash I'm playing it

3:25 I heard some music of someone saying something when I first saw a gameplay of this just an hour or so ago. I'm interested in playing this game since it's going to go off of the Xbox 360 store and I wanted to learn more about the series. I now see this scene and I think it has changed my life for the better. Actually hearing the person sing and the music really is an experience hearing it for the first time!

What a great nostalgia trip! Words cant describe how exciting it was to race one of those 8 seater arcades...Crowds would gather! Great times. Thanks for the memories!

Omg... my favorite. The memories.

Man this brings back memories. When I first saw it, it was like real life. Compared to the other sit in car games, this was something else. It has force feedback! I felt like I was driving a real car! Even now, at 45, of I go past an arcade and see this, straight away I’ll be in it powersliding around Daytona! Man, this game was really something else.

When comes about the Saturn ports, the japanese Daytona CE edition is by far the best one and it's an improved version of the already good Championship Circuit for USA and Europe. While doesn't run like the arcade, that version feature 2 new circuits and a new soundtrack. But most importantly, runs way better than the original Saturn's Daytona USA. Really worthy to check in a emulator. The PC version of the Championship Circuit Edition feat an exclusive track too but I never tried it. Fun fact: the man behind the OST of the original Daytona USA was Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, one of the most well known musicians from Sega. I always loved his work in the J.League Victory Goal series.

Daytona USA and Virtua Racing are both games with so much depth in the driving mechanics. They're unrealistic sure, but still very demanding, requiring a lot of skill and practice to be good at. In my opinion, the fact that the Virtua Formula and the Hornet handle so differently emphasizes that Sega AM2 wanted to capture the essence of the motorsports they were adapting, while also injecting arcade whimsy and fun to make the experience more accessible. It's my favorite kind of Arcade racer, the car handling is unrealistic, wild, and fast, but it still manages to capture that feeling of pushing a car right up to its limit that is so often lost with unrealistic handling models, and if you push your car too far, you are get punished for it. A spin or crash can very easily ruin your race. It's a crying shame there aren't more games like them.

DAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYTOOOONAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!

this just gave me ptsd 😭 i can’t remember the last time i heard that beautiful DAYTONAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

You did the PS3/Xbox 360 port dirty. Absolutely flawless port, with nicer colors and a stable 60fps, along with a bunch of other goodies included.

What an iconic game... I remember this being in Zap Zone during the 2000s...

It was called "Virtua Racing", not "Virtual Racing". Licensing the Daytona USA name did not grant them the license to the Daytona International Speedway track. This is why the 777 Speedway in Daytona USA looks exactly like Daytona but with fantasy elements. They only ended up finally licencing the Daytona International Speedway for Daytona USA 3. Daytona USA was *not* a flop on Saturn, it was one of the highest selling games on it, especially in the US.

That game does have the most iconic theme song for a racing game

Stewart-Haas should work with Sega to use Hornet livery for this year's Southern 500

Its bring back memories, when im 13th years old i win bronze at daytona usa competition advanced course 10 laps... I remember that time i use car number 6(pink colour)..

The intro song should play every intro to the broadcast for the irl 500

i don’t even like racing that much and daytona is still stuck in my head, from playing it years ago

Daytona Championship USA was originally going to be named Daytona USA 3 (based on the early logo) before they dropped the 3. The attract music and "Let's Go Away!" songs composed for DCU are INSTANT classics though!

I grew up in daytona beach and they had an 8 player one in the arcade of section in this local water park. Also when we got a Dave and Busters here in daytona a few years ago they put this game in there too

Daytona USA is a total classic arcade game i still love to play this game today and i don’t care of the quality

RIP Daytona USA xbla you will be missed.

I’ve been playing “DAYYYYYTOOONNNNNAAA” ever since the clash Best song from one of the best games

DAYTONAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES FUCKING YES I AM SO HAPPY A NASCAR RU-vidR IS COVERING THIS GAME

The 8 seat cabinet was an important part of my 21st birthday

The arcade version released in Australia did not play the "Daytona" theme song, it just ran though the various screens without music.

Lol i still remember this game So many memories behind those wheels

I used to play that game at foxwoods casino for possibly 5 hours each time while my dad gambled and I got it memorized the locations of every car on every lap and knew how to be in the right spot every lap. Plus down shifting to 3rd in turn four. I'm not confident at much in like but I know I can beat any person on the plant still. Haha it was a great game

Galloping Ghost Arcade, located in Brookfield, Illinois has one of the stand up single cabinets.

Some NASCAR Driver should run a Throwback to the 41 Car in the Goodyear 400 at Darlington, that's a good idea!!!

Sooooo I've seen just a single cabinet of Daytona USA here in St Louis as a kid... Spent probably $200 on it during my childhood playing it, but I was one of the only ones playing it

Literally just played this game for the first time in a very long time at Dave and Busters in White Marsh MD. So many memories!

One year later, Sega made an Indy 500. That was my bag.

In truth, I'd love to see a one and a quarter mile racetrack based on the Daytona USA beginner track. One big banked curve and two flatter curves.

Whenever I go to Dave & Busters, I play Daytona. I suck at it but its still a classic I enjoy

If we get a Preece Hornet 41, that car would sell out for the next five years like Johnson’s Petty/Earnhardt car

Played on an 8 seat setup in Seattle. Awesome.

Best soundtrack ever Sounds like a metal "The Police"

I love how this video starts with *DAYTONAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-*

Those of us into the early Papyrus sims hated this game as Sega had the exclusive license so Daytona wasnt in NASCAR SimRacing. But it was fun af at the arcade!

An 8 seat Daytona USA Machine... Pog!

I can't see Daytona without saying DAYTONAAAAAAAA

I remember when this came out they did a traveling exhibition with a massive number of cabinets that stopped at our local science center. I forget how many it was exactly but I know it was more than 8. People were lined up for it like it was a newly built roller coaster.

The image of the arcade rom is so bright to compensate for the CRT monitors it was displayed on.

I find it amazing that a group of japanese developers managed to make a game about nascar more interesting than actual nascar

If SHR has a Hornet painted car for throwback weekend, it will be the racing event of the year

People come to this game for the music and stay for the gameplay lol

I'm gonna fly SKY HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII- (car flips into the fence)

Every last quarter or dollar I've spent on this game over 2 decades all feels worth every cent as being well invested

Drinking game: Take a shot everytime you hear DAYTONAAAAAAAAAAA

*ROLLING START*

I got to play the 8 player Cabinet back in the 90s I remember when someone left. people Sprint to that spot to play daytona

I played Daytona a lot in the arcades and also had it on sega saturn, tbh i didnt think it was that bad, it was pretty good for a home release at the time i still enjoyed it a lot

“Let’s go to race!”

Just wanna point out as well, since it wasn't mentioned, the Sega Dreamcast also got a Daytona USA game under the name "Daytona USA 2001". Mostly being based off the original with newer car designs, ability to change tire hardness, customize color schemes, and a number of new courses. SCUD Race is another arcade racer title from Sega AM2 that falls under the Daytona USA line despite the BPR Global GT car choices in it (911 GT2, F40, Viper GTSR, and Mclaren F1 GTR). it pretty much plays the same too.

I'm so happy my local Dave and Buster's has a Daytona USA!!!!!

I remember this game being in the nicer arcades or davenbusters, other wise it was the og f1 game with the never ending engine sound with low or high, and hydro thunder was in every og Walmart in America. This game was hard from what I remember