Daytona USA 2001
I've been on a Daytona USA kick lately and partially this is due to the game not being released on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network anymore. While I have covered the game and even sung praises of it, I never fully invested in the game until a few weeks ago. This was what led me to Daytona USA 2001, a "Millenium" remake developed by none of the original AM2 staff. This time around, it was a joint project between Amusement Vision and Genki.
Playing Daytona USA on an actual arcade machine is a luxury I can afford to indulge in as spending two quarters to play a timeless classic is always a good vibe. Arcade Spirits was such a game where I created a barcade because the concept of drinking and driving is much safer in the game than in real life of course (don't do it kiddos) and the local barcade is no different.
However, there is a different version of Daytona USA that is unique from the arcade counterpart and it wouldn't be until the eventual XBLA/PSN release that a faithful arcade port would be released. Daytona USA 2001 is an example of an attempt to remake an arcade classic for modern times and succeeded in doing so.
The developers behind this ambitious remake were a joint collaboration between Amusement Vision and Genki Racing Project. The same Genki was responsible for the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series. Amusement Vision at the time was best known for the Monkey Ball series but they are perhaps best known now as RGG Studio, the masterminds behind the Like A Dragon series. Aside from Yakuza, they are also responsible for remaking several arcade classics, whether they are bonus games in the Like A Dragon series or they are complete remakes like Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown.
This made Daytona USA 2001 an incredibly ambitious title, powered by two developers with a passion for racing games. Amusement Vision would go on to help develop F-Zero GX so Daytona USA was in good hands. To their merit, they attempted to be as close to the original as possible while adding over twice the number of content.
The iconic Hornet from the original arcade release returns along with several other cars including the Grasshopper, Lightning, Falcon, and other bonus cars. The Hornet is the iconic "Jack of all trades" but the other cars each have their strengths and weaknesses. I preferred cars that were a bit "slidy" but this already made Daytona USA 2001 different from the original in the series.
Each car had something unique to bring to the table, making this game's experience different from the others. It was an arcade experience through and through, but it was also a game that offered a surprising number of unlockable content including bonus cars and tracks.
What surprised me the most was the analog support for the game, not only being compatible with a racing wheel but also using the Sega Dreamcast's Left and Right triggers as analog support. This also extended to the analog stick support, meaning players had total control over their cars almost on par with the arcade release.
This also extended to how shifting worked in the original Daytona USA. The arcade cabinet used an H-Shift instead of a sequential shifter, something that was emulated to the fairest extent on the Dreamcast controller. Here, the button layout matched the gears of the H-Shifter, roughly. X was 1st, A was 2nd, Y was 3rd, and lastly, B was 4th gear. It was a bit tricky to commit to muscle memory but this adjustment made the gameplay feel as close to the original in terms of mechanics, for skilled players.
With over double the number of tracks and cars, Daytona USA 2001 was the best thing to an arcade console counterpart at the time. The best thing was that it was painstakingly recreated to be as close to the arcade release as possible, making this entry in the series a treasured one.
Players interested in one of the best arcade console releases can indulge in the recently re-released online mode. Those who still have the original Dreamcast version can enjoy a revamped online mode thanks to the community. The advancements in netplay from retro consoles have been nothing short of amazing and Daytona USA 2001 is no exception. Those curious to see how the Daytona USA series was on the consoles can look no further to the upper echelon that was Daytona USA 2001.
Daytona USA 2001 was released on the Sega Dreamcast.