When you first launch 'Daytona USA' you can obviously tell that this game isn't going to be on-par with the bigger (and newer) titles such as Forza for obvious reasons, it feels a little rough around the edges with more of a jerky feel to steering than a general smooth feeling turn. This seems like a negative, but it allows the game - to me - to keep its arcade racer charm that I felt while playing it in the arcade. SEGA didn't just slap it together and call it a day neither, as they enhanced the graphics and 'Daytona USA' returns to your life with a 16:9 widescreen format. SEGA also adds the ability to use many different steering wheels which is an awesome addition to this classic racer. The game also features the original soundtrack, which is topped by the addition to a karaoke mode. No, I am dead serious about the karaoke mode. It's really a perfect arcade transition to the console as SEGA kept the things that made the original arcade game such a hit, while also adding certain pieces to spice the game up (wheel support, online multi-player, etc.). New players may feel that the game lacks content when it comes to limited tracks (the game only features three tracks), but they are three of the best tracks made.

While it seems flawless from those comments, I am disappointed in the lack of an offline multi-player mode on the game. Sure, it is great to get online and tear it up with friends on Xbox Live or the Playstation Network, but many people (including myself) still use offline multiplayer with friends and family members. This is one of my only disappointments with 'Daytona USA' as it just feels like an option that could have been added to allow more variety for players. 

 

Many old racing games have not held up to the test of time - for various reasons - but 'Daytona USA' has held up throughout the test of time. SEGA has hit this one out of the park for those of us who want to remember the good old days of hitting up the arcade to play 'Daytona USA'.

 

Rating: 9/10 due to lack of offline multi-player

 

You can purchase 'Daytona USA' on the Xbox Live Arcade for 800MPs or on the Playstation Network for $10.00!

 

(This review was written using the Xbox Live Arcade version. Thanks to SEGA for providing me with a download code for this review.)