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5[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/daytona_usa.png]]
6[[caption-width-right:350:♫ ''[[TitleScream DAY-TO-NAAAAAAAAAAAA!]]\
7Let's Go Away!'' ♫]]
8->''"GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES"''
9-->-- '''Track Announcer'''
10
11''Daytona USA'' is a successful 3D DrivingGame series created by Toshihiro Nagoshi and Creator/{{Sega}}'s [=AM2=] department and initially released in arcades in 1994. The first game, probably the most well-known of the franchise, found great popularity in the arcades, for its simple yet realistic controls (the arcade cabinets were fairly unique in that they were among the few to actually have a clutch pedal for gear shifting), UsefulNotes/{{NASCAR}}-like stock cars, and up to eight multiplayer arcade cabinets. The original stands as the most successful arcade game in Sega's history.
12
13[[folder:Games in the series]]
14* '''''Daytona USA''''' (1993/1994/1995): The game that started it all. Was ported to the Platform/SegaSaturn as a launch title. Was also ported to the PC, but that version was based on the Saturn version.
15* '''''Indy 500''''' (1995): A sister game with UsefulNotes/{{Indy Car}}s. Uses the same physics as ''Daytona USA''.
16* '''''Daytona USA Championship Circuit Edition''''' (1996): Made as an apology for the original game's Saturn port, and was developed by the same team that brought ''VideoGame/SegaRally Championship'' to the Saturn. Added in a few new courses alongside the originals, retuned the handling to be more ''Sega Rally''-ish, and included a new, remixed soundtrack.
17* '''''Scud Race''''' (1996): The spiritual sequel to ''Daytona USA'', with exotic cars that competed in the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BPR_Global_GT_Series BPR/FIA GT Championship]] (Porsche 911, Ferrari [=F40=], Dodge Viper and [=McLaren=] [=F1=]) instead of NASCAR-like stock cars. Was released in North America as ''[[MarketBasedTitle Sega Super GT]]''. First racer to use Sega's Model 3 board, and it shows.
18* '''''Scud Race Plus''''' (1997): A Japan-only ExpansionPack for ''Scud Race'' with a ''Franchise/ToyStory''-ish "Super Beginner" oval course.
19* '''''Daytona USA Circuit Edition''''' (1997): The [[MarketBasedTitle Japanese version]] of ''Daytona USA CCE'', with some improvements to the handling mechanics.
20* '''''Daytona USA Deluxe''''' (1997): The Windows PC version of ''Daytona USA CCE'', which added the ability to race courses at different times of the day, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qrlv3SrNCs had a course unique to this version.]]
21* '''''Daytona USA Championship Circuit Edition Netlink''''' (1997): Same as ''Daytona USA CCE'', but with online play and several improvements made to the Japanese Circuit Edition release. The rarest Saturn game ever made, even rarer than ''[[VideoGame/PanzerDragoon Panzer Dragoon Saga]]''!
22* '''''Daytona USA 2: Battle on the Edge''''' (1998): The true sequel to the original. Uses a powered-up Model 3 board and a refined ''Scud Race/Sega Super GT'' handling mechanic while introducing a drafting mechanic known as the "slingshot", corresponding to similar techniques used in actual NASCAR races. Also included the car from the original ''Daytona USA'' (the Hornet Classic) as a SecretCharacter, [[https://tcrf.net/Daytona_USA_2:_Battle_on_the_Edge#Hidden_Hornet_Car an addition]] that went unnoticed for over two decades. Totally awesome.
23* '''''Daytona USA 2: Power Edition''''' (1999): An ExpansionPack to ''Daytona USA 2''. Added in a Challenge[[labelnote:*]]Mix in the original Japanese version[[/labelnote]] course linking the three courses together in one continuous lap, and once again reintroduced the Hornet as a playable character, this time as part of the game's starting lineup and with the exact same handling characteristics it had in the original. Also changed the Beginner track from an oversized biodome to a more traditional NASCAR-style track.
24* '''''NASCAR Arcade''''' (2000): A fully licensed successor to both ''Daytona USA'' games, utilizing the actual NASCAR sublicense with permissions from Creator/ElectronicArts (the owner of the NASCAR license for video games at the time). The game featured real-life NASCAR racers and their cars (those who competed in the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Winston_500 1999 Winston Cup Series]]), with three real tracks available, namely [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talladega_Superspeedway Talladega Superspeedway]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_Raceway Richmond International Raceway]], and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watkins_Glen_International Watkins Glen International]], plus the "Team SEGA" hidden round track[[labelnote:*]]labeled and name-called in-game as "SEGA Motor Speedway"[[/labelnote]] similar to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nardo_Ring Nardo Ring.]] The physics were redone to even more realistic levels to prevent players from powersliding and instead focus more on slipstreaming. The soundtrack was performed by Music/Crush40, which is their only non-''Franchise/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}}'' soundtrack to date.
25* '''''Daytona USA 2001''''' (2001): A revised edition for the Platform/SegaDreamcast. The game also included the courses from ''Daytona USA CCE'', with three new ones, improved graphics, remixed music, and online play. Development duties were handled by Creator/{{Genki}}, the same developer of ''VideoGame/TokyoXtremeRacer'' games.
26* '''''Sega Racing Classic''''' (2010): The original ''Daytona USA'' ported to the Ringwide board, but without the Daytona license. Aside from being true widescreen and increasing the draw distance, it looks and plays identical to the original game.
27* '''''Daytona USA''''' (2011): A port for Platform/XboxLiveArcade and Platform/{{PlayStation Network}}, featuring the graphical updates from ''Sega Racing Classic'', both the original music and a new arranged version of the soundtrack, plus online multiplayer, challenge trials, a "Survival" mode (drive as far as you can, earning time bonuses for drifting), and a karaoke mode (drive through one loop of the music, with the lyrics appearing on the screen). The Platform/Xbox360 version is backwards compatible with the Platform/XboxOne and the Platform/XboxSeriesXAndS.
28* '''''Daytona Championship USA''''' (2017): Originally advertised as the second real sequel to ''Daytona USA'', featuring three new tracks as well as remastered versions of the three tracks from the first game. The game is actually yet another UpdatedRerelease of the original game with modern graphics and features with six courses -- the original three alongside re-skinned and mirrored versions of them (one of which is a recreation of the real-life Daytona International Speedway). Also included are a 47" LED HD screen and embedded camera for each cabinet, a display that "broadcasts" multiplayer races, and a new Championship mode aimed at experts.
29[[/folder]]
30
31[[folder:Related games]]
32* '''''VideoGame/FightersMegamix''''' (1996): A crossover fighting game featuring characters from ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'', ''VideoGame/FightingVipers'', and a few other Sega series. The Hornet car appears as a playable fighter ([[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer no, really]]), and Three-Seven Speedway appears as its home stage.
33* '''''VideoGame/SambaDeAmigo''''' (1999/2000): A Latino-themed RhythmGame developed by Creator/SonicTeam. "Let's Go Away", among songs from other Sega games, is a part of the setlist.
34* '''''VideoGame/OutRun 2''''' (2003/2004): Another racing game developed by Sega [=AM2=]. Exclusive to the Platform/{{Xbox}} port, the Challenge course from ''Power Edition'' and the tracks from ''Scud Race'' appear as unlockable bonus tracks.
35* '''''VideoGame/RidgeRacer [[Platform/PlayStationVita Vita]]''''' (2011): The Hornet [[GuestFighter appears in this game]] as a {{downloadable|Content}} car.
36* '''''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed]]''''' (2012): Sega's answer to ''VideoGame/MarioKart''. In this game, one of the racers is a giant Dreamcast VMU named Ages. When Ages has to drive a car, it transforms into the Hornet.
37* '''''VideoGame/LikeADragon'''''[[labelnote:*]]Formerly known as ''Yakuza'' outside of Japan[[/labelnote]]: One of Sega's most popular series, also produced by Toshihiro Nagoshi.
38** '''''VideoGame/Yakuza5''''' (2012): The fifth entry features a taxi racing mini-game that shares similar controls and drifting mechanics. The Saturn version of "Let's Go Away" can be also purchased as music to listen to when driving.
39** '''''VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon''''' (2020): The Saturn version of "Let's Go Away" is a reward from the Dragon Kart minigame. Once purchased, it can be listened to on the stereo at the Survive Bar.
40** '''''VideoGame/LikeADragonGaidenTheManWhoErasedHisName''''' (2023): ''Daytona USA 2: Power Edition'' (under the title "Sega Racing Classic 2") appears as one of the playable arcade games in the game. Notable for being the first ever home port of the game, twenty-five years after it released.
41* '''''VideoGame/SonicMania''''' (2017): A love letter to [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic's]] 16-bit days. In Studiopolis Zone, there are news vans decked out like the Hornet car in Act 1, and the lottery machines in Act 2 feature the Gallop logo. Takenobu Mitsuyoshi also voices the announcer in the game's Time Attack and Competition modes.
42
43[[/folder]]
44----
45!!ROOOOO-LLING TROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPES!!:
46* AllThereInTheManual:
47** The names of ''USA 2''[='s=] drivers are in-game, but aren't too obvious to spot. Thanks to the game's official soundtrack, their names are clearly heard: [[EasyModeMockery Johnny]], [[JackOfAllStats Noel]], [[HardModePerks Mitch]], and [[GuestFighter Tom Brown]].
48** The courses are only referred to by difficulty level in the arcades, but they have official names. Three-Seven Speedway, Dinosaur Canyon, and Seaside Street Galaxy are the courses from the first game; Astro Waterfall Speedway,[[note]]replaced by SEGA International Speedway in ''Power Edition''[[/note]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joypolis Joypolis]] 2020 Amusement Park, and Virtua City are the courses from the sequel.
49* AllTheWorldsAreAStage: The UpdatedRerelease of ''Daytona USA 2'', ''Power Edition'', adds a new "[[HarderThanHard Challenge]]" course that [[MarathonLevel combines the original three circuits into a point-to-point race]] (with some minor alterations to track layouts and starting positions to help the courses better flow into one another). Specifically, the order goes Advanced > Expert > Beginner, ending with a single-lap sprint to the finish on the SEGA International Speedway that sees racers entering the track from the pit lane.
50* AnnouncerChatter: A recurring feature courtesy of the crew chief, which even extends to spin-offs like ''Scud Race'' and ''NASCAR Arcade''. While [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNzrqQ_OT-I several]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsbvmN-1PLk lines]] are generally the same between installments, alternating between moral support ("You can take 'em!", "Seven laps to go! Hang in there!", etc.) and critiques of the player's driving mixed in with other warnings ("Try to go easy on the car!", "You're slipping and sliding!", "You're burning up the tires!", etc.), he's ''especially'' chatty in the sequel and a lot more bombastic in his declarations. [[labelnote:Such as...]]"Watch that red line on the tach!", "Hey, somebody's drafting you!", "You're lookin' good!", "You're running a good race!", "You're in the final stretch!", and so on.[[/labelnote]] ''Championship USA''[='s=] crew chief is far more restrained by comparison, though he'll also inject some commentary of his own, including variants of his predecessors lines.
51* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
52** In ''Championship USA'', if the player chooses manual transmission and doesn't change gears, [[PlayerNudge the game will repeatedly tell them to do it]]. If they don't, the car will switch to automatic transmission for the remainder of the race. Not only handy for newcomers, but great if the actual gear shifter is malfunctioning.
53** In ''USA 2'', your car can take enough damage to the point where the hood becomes unlatched. When this happens, the hood will bounce around. However, if you're playing in first-person view, the hood will remain stationary so that it won't block your view.
54* ArcadePerfectPort: The 2011 release of ''Daytona USA'' is the first port of the original game that didn't compromise anything from the arcade original.
55* ArtisticLicenseCars:
56** Downshifting in ''Daytona USA'' is the easiest way to get the car to go into a slide, but doing so in a real car would [[StuffBlowingUp grenade the engine]]. You would never see a professional drifter downshift from 4th to 1st to coax the car sideways.
57** Ask any stock car driver, be it a local street stock racer or a professional Cup driver, and all of them will tell you that sliding consistently is a ''very'' bad thing unless you're on dirt. Doing so heats up the tires and causes excessive tire wear, making it difficult to handle on long stints and increases the risk of a tire blowout. That was the reason ''NASCAR Arcade'' disallowed sliding.
58* AwesomeButImpractical: The bonus viewpoints. They might give an interesting view of the action, but the basic third person view and the first-person viewpoint will be your mainstays, the latter for those who feel most at home with their view in the driver's seat like in a real race car.
59* BalancePowerSkillGimmick: The four cars in ''Daytona USA 2: Power Edition'', with the Scorpio being the balance, Phantom being the power, J.C. Eagle being the skill, and Hornet being the gimmick.
60* BladderOfSteel: The games allow you to change how many laps in a given race, from the default of 8 (Beginner) / 4 (Advanced) / 2 (Expert) all the way up to, in ''Daytona USA 2'', [[SerialEscalation 500 (Beginner) / 223 (Advanced) / 87 (Expert)]].[[note]]The reason for the odd numbers is that the length is actually 500 miles.[[/note]]
61* {{Bowdlerise}}:
62** ''SCUD Race'' was renamed to ''Sega Super GT'' in the US. "SCUD" in Japan [[FunWithAcronyms stands for]] "Sports Car Ultimate Drive", but in the USA [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scud it stands for a Soviet cruise missile.]]
63** Three-Seven Speedway has all references to gambling removed in ''Championship USA'' (the iconic slot machine just being replaced with a generic digital billboard), reducing the course's name to an ArtifactTitle.
64** The OST for the original ''Daytona USA'' includes a track called "Bitchin'," but in the in-game sound test it was renamed to "Raggin'."
65** Rusty Wallace's car has all references to Miller removed in ''NASCAR Arcade'', likely because it would be advertising alcohol to minors. Oddly, though, the bumper of his car still reads "Great taste".
66* CallBack: The spotter in ''2'' on the Advanced course references the first game's spotter with "There's a crash coming out of turn three, watch yourself!"
67* CanonDiscontinuity: For some reason, ''2001'' doesn’t feature any of the tracks from ''2''.
68* TheCameo:
69** Franchise/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}} appears on the cliff overlooking the third turn on Three-Seven Speedway.
70** Also, there's a statue of ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter''[='s=] Jeffry [=McWild=] in the Expert course. He's replaced with Akira in ''Championship USA''.
71** Sonic and Tails appear on a billboard in ''Scud Race''.
72* ColorCodedMultiplayer: When playing linked games of ''USA'' or ''USA 2'' in the arcade, each car is given a different paint job to help sort out each player.
73* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: If you're playing Endurance or Grand Prix mode in ''2'', you have to deal with a draining fuel supply and tire erosion. However, the computer cars do not have to, so they never have to make pit stops.
74* CoolCar: ''SCUD Race'' has you driving supercars.
75* CosmeticAward: Played straight and subverted with "Saturn Mode" on the Saturn port, where you unlock new Hornet cars with different paint jobs.
76** The Red and Blue Hornets are just a PaletteSwap of the normal Hornet.
77** The Black and Orange Hornet cars are very sturdy, and won't slow down after crashing into a wall.
78** The Green and Pink Hornets perform well off-road, but will [[FragileSpeedster instantly crash]] if they hit a wall.
79** Finally, the Cyan and Yellow Hornet cars have a high top speed, but have bad control.
80* CreatorThumbprint: As a Creator/{{Genki}} game, ''2001'' has cars that roughly resemble Japanese tuner cars from ''VideoGame/TokyoXtremeRacer'' games, though in real life, only Toyota actually entered NASCAR in 2000, after a 1982 brief cameo with their Celica.
81* CriticalAnnoyance: Survival Mode in ''Daytona USA'' for XBLA and PSN. If you are ''any'' good at ''Daytona USA'' then you will just hear "TIME EXTENSION!" "TIME EXTENSION!" every couple of seconds due to the ways you earn time.
82* DarkerAndEdgier:
83** ''Daytona USA 2''[='s=] soundtrack compared to the rest of the series. The soundtrack has a more aggressive rock theme to it, and the vocals are provided by the same person who sang the English ''VideoGame/BurningRangers'' theme, Dennis St. James.
84--> ''"This is the race for an ace of aces\
85No open grid for rookies\
86Meter revs up to the limit\
87Beginner's luck means nothing here\
88No pain no gain"''
89** Also, ''2'' itself has a gameplay mode that gives much longer courses than the first game, which, along with realistic car damage, full-course cautions, and the need to repair one's car in the pits, bring the game significantly closer to dangerous, arduous real life stock car racing.
90* {{Determinator}}: Every car and driver. These cars can take serious damage, but that won't stop them from running in the race.
91* DifficultButAwesome: The drifting mechanic. Unlike most arcade racing games, the simulated physics implemented in the series means that you ''must'' execute the proper skills and timing in order to swoosh around the turns like Keiichi Tsuchiya. It can be a pain in an ass because you must perform powerslides precisely and not crash, but if done correctly, you might as well feel like you're the next Drift King/Queen, [[SecondPlaceIsForLosers beating the race and reaching first place]].
92* DifficultyByRegion: The lead cars are purposely programmed to be unfair opponents in the Japanese arcade version. They were toned down slightly for outside releases.
93* EasierThanEasy:
94** The titular Indy 500 course in ''Indy 500''. A rectangular oval track with the only real challenge being slipstreaming.
95** ''SCUD Race Plus'''s Super Beginner course. It's set in a giant house, with your opponents being various toys.
96** Circuit Pixie from ''2001'' is an standard oval track with no real challenge. Similar to the ''Indy 500'' example above, it's for racing purists or beginners.
97* EasterEgg:
98** "Congratulations! You just lost your sponsors!" [[note]]In case you don't know where to find this, in either ''Daytona USA'', ''CCE'', or ''2001'', start up a race on Dinosaur Canyon (Advanced) then spin your car around. Drive towards the back of the pit lane and you'll see another road leading up to a tunnel. Drive into the tunnel and be greeted by your "surprise".[[/note]]
99** Players can make the Jeffry statue in Seaside Street Galaxy do a spin by pressing the start button. If you drive in reverse, the statue will be standing on its hands.
100** The slot machine in Three-Seven Speedway can be stopped with the start button. If you get 777, you earn bonus time.
101** In the original game and its Saturn and HD remakes, if you hold down a specific VR button on the "Gentlemen, start your engines" screen, then you can play different music on the course. The red button gives you the Beginner course theme, "The King of Speed"; the blue button is the Advanced course theme, "Let's Go Away"; the yellow button is the Expert course theme, "Sky High"; and the green button is a secret song known as "Pounding Pavement". On the Saturn version, these buttons are A, X, Y, and Z respectively.
102** In the Saturn port of the original, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1OWUvErFDI it is possible to, once certain conditions are met (or a cheat code is entered),]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dZlHcXc-Fk to race as a horse in place of the cars.]]
103** Entering certain initials on the Name Entry screen will play a short jingle based on another Sega title or one of the game's own songs. These initials are usually the initials of the game or song (S.H for ''VideoGame/SpaceHarrier'', F.Z for ''VideoGame/FantasyZone'', KOS for The King of Speed, and so on). The arcade version has twenty-eight, and the Saturn port adds an additional forty-six.
104** In ''USA 2'''s Beginner course, the player can press the start button and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARkeT8WSxKc make the bulletin board say different things.]] Messages include "Error!", "Hello!", "Sega", and "Go to Hell".
105** [[https://segaretro.org/Daytona_USA_2:_Battle_on_the_Edge#Tracks Similar effects can be toggled with the start button in the other two courses.]] Pressing it during the third and fourth laps of the Advanced course while entering the "Space Haneda" attraction will cause [=UFOs=] to attack the course, while holding it at the port area of the Expert course will cause propellers inside the shed to continuously spin until the button is released.
106** In the second game and its ports/re-releases (including ''Sega Racing Classic 2'' in ''Like a Dragon Gaiden''), holding the the start button during the "Gentlemen, Start Your Engines" screen allows players to switch the track vocals between the default Dennis St. James and Takenobu Mitsuyoshi.
107** Holding the A (360) / X ([=PS3=]) button while starting up the 2011 version will play the iconic "Sega!" choir.
108* EasyModeMockery: The "Beginner" car in ''Battle on the Edge'' has a bright color scheme and cutesy bunnies painted on the hood, which makes it not exactly the coolest car to drive. ''Power Edition'' would rectify this by changing the bunnies into a much cooler-looking eagle.
109* EpicFail: Slam into something hard enough and your car does a pretty spectacular flipout. "Are you alright?".
110* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: ''Sega Racing Classic'' is an old Sega racing game!
111* ExpansionPack: ''Daytona USA CCE'', ''SCUD Race Plus'', ''Daytona USA 2: Power Edition''.
112* ForgottenThemeTuneLyrics: The title track in the attract screen and Advanced course is swapped out in ''Sega Racing Classic'' for an instrumental version, due to not having the Daytona license.
113* FragileSpeedster: The Javelin car in ''2001'' is the fastest car in the series, but is almost impossible to keep under control. As such, it's prone to crashing a lot.
114* GameplayAndStorySegregation:
115** The first game's crew chief will sometimes tell you there's a crash coming out of Turn 3 when there actually hasn't been a crash there. He may even say this in Time Lap mode, where you're the only car on the track. This continues into ''Championship USA'', where the spotter makes almost the exact same remark on both Beginner courses (Daytona International Speedway and Three-Seven Speedway).
116** In ''Scud Race'', the crew chief will sometimes warn you that the engine's getting hotter or it's about to overheat. But engine temperature has no impact on the game at all.
117* GrandfatherClause: Downshifting to first gear while driving any of the new cars in ''USA 2'' will result with an immediate spin out. But the Hornet Classic is still allowed to perform the 4-1-4 drift since it uses the physics from the first game.
118* GuestFighter: The Hornet car has appeared in other games, including numerous {{Crossover}} titles.
119** Both versions of ''Daytona USA 2'' (''Battle on the Edge'' and ''Power Edition'') feature the "Classic" incarnation of the Hornet. In the original, it is accessible only by [[https://tcrf.net/Daytona_USA_2:_Battle_on_the_Edge#Hidden_Hornet_Car inputting a secret code]] during the course selection screen and can have its stats modified via the view buttons and the steering wheel. [[{{Retraux}} It also is rendered with the same Model 2 graphics seen in the first game.]] In ''Power Edition'', the Hornet [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdvnJ5wct6E is instead accessible right from the start]], this time sporting an updated design in line with the other playable cars (redesigned body and wheels along with a slightly different bonnet). The ability to adjust its performance was removed, but the Hornet now handles the same and goes as fast as its original incarnation, including [[MechanicallyUnusualFighter the perk]] of being [[ObviousRulePatch the only car you can do "4-1-4" shifter powersliding with]] (other cars will spin out if attempted on them).
120** Hornet appears alongside its [=AM2=] brethren in ''VideoGame/FightersMegamix''. Its default throw move is grabbing the opponent and spinning the wheel in their face, but its moveset is limited unless you destroy your armor.
121** The Hornet also appears as [[DownloadableContent DLC]] in ''VideoGame/RidgeRacer'' for the [=PlayStation=] Vita.
122** It also shows up in ''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed]]'' as the default form of the hidden character AGES, complete with the crew chief.
123* HardModePerks:
124** Manual transmission cars get a slightly higher top speed than their automatic transmission counterparts. They also have access to an additional drifting method (downshifting instead of braking).
125** "Hard level" cars are incredibly fast, but hard to control. Master them, and good lap times are a breeze.
126* {{Homage}}: Entering certain three-letter initials in the original will play a short ditty from a past Sega game, but entering silly initials like "ASS" or "SEX" will actually cause the game to change it to one of the homage initials.
127* InNameOnly: Despite the "Daytona" in its name, [[NonIndicativeName the actual Daytona International Speedway doesn't appear in the original game or its sequel]] (with the Beginner course merely being based on it). When it finally shows up in ''Championship USA'', it's as a retexture of Three-Seven Speedway rather than its actual layout.
128* {{Irony}}: In ''USA 2'', Player #7's car has a green paint job. Green is often thought to be an unlucky color in racing, so mixing it with LuckySeven can be seen as ironic.
129* ItsAWonderfulFailure:
130** In the original game, when you finish a multiplayer race, a short cutscene is played where your driver stops their car in front of the camera [[BadassDriver in a badass way]]. And the lower your position is, the worse they'll mess it up.
131** In ''Daytona USA 2: PE'', on ending a multiplayer race, you are shown a cutscene of your driver and pit crew reacting to your result. The cutscene gets more depressing the lower your final position is: from getting a sympathetic pat on the driver's shoulder, to being violently pushed onto the car and falling over, to banging on the floor in despair.
132* JackOfAllStats: The Scorpio Plasma Batteries car in ''2'', which has a balance of speed and handling. Hornet takes this role outside the arcade games.
133* LethalJokeCharacter: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmGIqk3nzz8 A horse]], a SecretCharacter that can be selected in the Platform/SegaSaturn version of the first game. Lethal because it doesn't take pit stops, which allows it to just run through them. This is particularly helpful on the Beginner track (if you're in the mood to be a big fat cheater) as the pit lane doesn't run parallel to the main track like it does on other courses.
134* LevelInReverse:
135** The player can turn around, then complete laps and even full races by driving in the reverse direction (all the other racers will still be driving forwards, which means avoiding them as they drive towards you will be necessary). There is a "REVERSE" warning that flashes in the middle of the screen, but it moves into the corner after several seconds.
136** Pressing on the brake pedal while selecting a car in ''USA 2'' will load the track in reverse. ''2001'' also allows racing the course in reverse, as well as racing the mirrored version in reverse.
137* LighterAndSofter: ''Championship USA'' returns to the lighter style of the first game.
138* MarathonLevel:
139** The higher lap settings, Endurance and Grand Prix mode.
140** The "Challenge" course in ''Power Edition'', a nine-mile epic race that links all three tracks together.
141* MarketBasedTitle:
142** ''SCUD Race'' ("SCUD" [[FunWithAcronyms meaning]] "Sport Car Ultimate Drive" in this context) was renamed to ''SEGA Super GT'' for foreign markets, to avoid referencing [[UsefulNotes/ColdWar Soviet Scud missiles]].
143** ''Championship Circuit Edition'' was updated and released as ''Circuit Edition'' in Japan. The PC version was titled ''Daytona USA Deluxe'' which includes an additional course and the ability to play each track at different times of the day.
144** ''Daytona USA 2001'' was simply named ''Daytona USA'' in North America.
145* MultipleEndings:
146** Finish 3rd or better in a non-multiplayer race in the original, and you get a special "Victory Lane" cutscene.
147** Upon ending a multiplayer race in ''Daytona USA'', your car is shown attempting to do an about-turn, ending with a skid-stop, on the track. Only the winner does it flawlessly; other racers will fail to some degree, with their failure increasing in severity the lower down in rank they are.
148* TheMountainsOfIllinois: There are no mountains in the entire ''state'' of UsefulNotes/{{Florida}} and a large portion of Daytona Beach (the part with an actual beach, though not the speedway) has water on '''three''' sides, but the game prominently features them in skybox.
149* MythologyGag:
150** The Expert course in ''USA 2'' has roadsigns that mention Las Segas, Holy Canyon, and Central City[[note]]presumably where Seaside Street Galaxy is located[[/note]], the locations of the tracks from the first game. Forest Island is also on a sign, which is where the Beginner course in ''Battle on the Edge'' is located.
151** In ''Power Edition'', an airplane with a banner that reads "Battle on the Edge" flies around the Sega International Speedway.
152** In ''Daytona Championship USA'''s cabinets, the yellow stamp next to VR buttons reads "Changing views since 1993," pointing out the release year of the first ''Daytona USA''.
153* NintendoHard:
154** One of the more difficult arcade racing games. Many players have difficulty with the third turn of the ''beginner courses'', and the [[TimedMission strict time limit]] ensures that only sufficiently skilled players will finish.
155** To add some more difficulty, the A.I. racers in ''Power Edition'' are much more aggressive than ''Battle on the Edge''. Then there's the HarderThanHard Challenge level.
156** The Saturn version has an optional "Maniac Mode", which makes the opponent cars far more aggressive.
157** Drifting. See DifficultButAwesome above.
158** ''NASCAR Arcade'' plays more differently from the other games in the ''Daytona USA'' series. Powersliding and drifting are not allowed due to change in physics, and time extensions in this game are not done with checkpoints. Instead, you have to drive like normal to reach target positions to get more time. It's easy to slipstream past the tail end of opponents, but as you progress further you'll encounter smarter opponents. If you crash or otherwise lose speed, completing the race will easily become impossible. This is already hard on the two oval-shaped courses, but apply this mechanic to a technical course, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30ge0NipWbY#t=19m42s Watkins Glen]], and the race easily propels into That One Course territory, even with only 15 opponents instead of 30. Ironically enough, this means that the hidden Sega Motor Speedway track is actually ''easier'' than the course preceding it, on account of being another oval and therefore far more straightforward.
159* NoCommunitiesWereHarmed:
160** The first game's Beginner track, Three-Seven Speedway, is based off of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocono_Raceway Pocono Raceway]] with some alterations.
161** The second game's Expert course, Virtua City, is set in an analogue of the Big Apple known as New Joke City. The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Building Chrysler Building]] can be briefly seen in the distance, either at the very start of the race/final lap or while zooming through the metropolitan areas in the Challenge course variation, with a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Central_Terminal "Great Central Station"]] featuring as the race returns to the city for the end of the lap. [[note]]The train station is also viewable during the Challenge course, but only from the side for a few moments as the transition between the Advanced and Expert courses drops off racers at the end of the latter and has them merge onto the street that'd give players a frontal view of the landmark.[[/note]]
162* NonIndicativeName: In a weird way, the series has always been a case of this. None of the "speedway" tracks (Three-Seven Speedway in the original games and Astro Waterfall/Sega International Speedway in ''2'' and ''Power Edition''), despite the physical similarity to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daytona_International_Speedway Daytona International Speedway]], are the eponymous track and there are no other NASCAR or Daytona speedway references in any of the games, all of them taking place in fictional locales. It wasn't until ''Daytona Championship USA'' in 2017 that anything to do with Daytona itself appeared in a ''Daytona USA'' game (though, ironically, Three-Seven Speedway was in turn reduced to an ArtifactTitle; see {{Bowdlerise}} above). Other than that, the only time "Daytona" is mentioned at all is in the song "Let's Go Away".
163* NoobBridge: The third and final turn of the Beginner course in all games is a sharp turn that mandates powersliding through it to complete without losing a lot of speed. Unfortunately, new players of the original are not likely aware of how to powerslide and usually end up eating wall; the end result is that an overwhelming majority of players [[TimedMission run out of time]] before finishing the required laps because they slam into the wall ''every time''. ''Daytona USA 2'' alleviates this a little by showing a powersliding tutorial during the AttractMode, as well as providing a "Beginner" car that can negotiate most corners without drifting as long as the driver keeps their speed in check.
164* OddlyNamedSequel2ElectricBoogaloo: The third game was originally called ''Daytona 3 Championship USA''. The number was dropped later on due to fan complaints.
165* PaletteSwap:
166** The opponent cars, but to be fair it is based on NASCAR.
167** Manual transmission cars have a different paint job than their automatic counterparts.
168** The different "Hornets" you can unlock in ''Daytona USA''[='s=] Sega Saturn port are this. And there's ''eight''. (They do have different stats, though.)
169** The Sega International Speedway is just the Astro Waterfall Speedway with a different environment. The Daytona International Speedway in ''Championship USA'' is also just a re-skinned Three-Seven Speedway.
170* ProductDisplacement: Both ''Sega Racing Classic'' games are re-releases of ''Daytona USA 1'' and ''2'' without the Daytona branding. ''1'' also removes the lyrics in the song "Let's Go Away" due to Takenobu Mitsuyoshi prominently singing "DAYTONAAAAAAA!" in it, while ''2'' also gets rid of the Dodge Viper pace car in the AttractMode and replaces it with a PaletteSwap of the game's usual stock car model.
171* ProductPlacement:
172** Some versions of the first game have advertisements for the Sega Saturn in the AttractMode. There's also a giant Sega Saturn ad in ''Scud Race'''s Beginner (Day) course.
173** Much like real NASCAR, there’s advertisements from sponsors all around the track. But they aren’t for real products, just fictional ones.
174** In ''Scud Race'', JAL airplanes appear in the Beginner (Night) course.
175** The cars in ''Scud Race'' have sponsorships from real companies. Namely, Michelin tires, BMW, and Gulf oil.
176* ProductionThrowback: The Advanced course's basic shape borrows heavily from the Beginner course for ''Virtua Racing'', a previous racing game by [=AM2=].
177* PunnyName:
178** Three-Seven Speedway is located in a city named Las Segas, which is a pretty obvious pun of Las Vegas.
179** The Expert course in ''2'' is set in New Joke City, which at first doesn't seem like a good pun of New York City. "Joke" and "York" rhyme when spoken in Japanese, which led to the pun getting LostInTranslation.
180* PurposelyOverpowered: The Daytona car in ''Deluxe'', which had maxed stats. [[BraggingRightsReward You can take it for a spin if you get first place on every track.]]
181* RecycledSoundtrack: The only new song in ''Championship USA'' is a new arrangement of "Let's Go Away" and a shortened attract version. The remaining songs are taken directly from the original arcade game, the Saturn port, ''Circuit Edition'', and ''2001'', while an unused track from ''Daytona USA 2'' is used for the track and car select screens.
182* RereleaseSoundtrack: ''Sega Racing Classic'' has a new remixed soundtrack, but all references to Daytona have been removed due to legal issues.
183* {{Retraux}}:
184** ''Sega Racing Classic'' takes the "Classic" portion of the title literally. Aside from an improved draw distance and a true 16:9 widescreen resolution, it looks ''exactly'' like the original ''Daytona USA''.
185** The Platform/PlayStation3 port of the game comes with an 8-bit XMB theme.
186** The Hornet Classic in ''USA 2'' has a retro Model 2 look.
187* RubberBandAI: A staple "feature" of most arcade racing games, of course.
188* RuinsForRuinsSake: The medium course in ''Scud Race'' is set inside some ancient ruins.
189* SameLanguageDub: ''Battle on the Edge'' has two variations of its soundtrack; one is sung by Japanese-born Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, while the other by American-born Dennis St. James. Both are sung in English and have identical lyrics. It's speculated that Mitsuyoshi's Engrish-y performance would have been a source of mockery, so he was replaced with a more natural English sounding vocalist outside of Japan.
190* SceneryPorn: Multiple courses, such as the nature-themed Beginner course in the original ''Daytona USA 2''. It was sadly replaced with a generic NASCAR-style course in ''Power Edition'', presumably to allow for a more natural transition between courses during the [[AllTheWorldsAreAStage Challenge course]]. The Beginner theme still remained "musical porn", though.
191* SecretCharacter:
192** A horse in the Saturn games. See LethalJokeCharacter. In the original game, there are four horses, two for each transmission. White horses are manual, brown ones are automatic and there are versions that race by themselves and versions that race with a baby colt behind them. ''CCE'' also has two horses (brown and white again) that can be "driven" in either transmission.
193** Several cars in ''2001'' are hidden, like the Unicorn and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygu_vjAJohE Javelin]]. See a few of them being viewed [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=G3LmdFRKmGU#t=110s here]]. ''Deluxe'' also had a special car called "Daytona", shaped like the original Hornet.
194** In addition to the standard four cars available, the [[EasierThanEasy Super Beginner]] course in ''Scud Race Plus'' allows the player to choose between a cat, a tank with a head (that can shoot shells), a bus filled with the developers, and a rocket car [[spoiler:by holding down the Start button while selecting a normal car]].
195** The Hornet Classic is playable in ''Battle on the Edge'', but can only be driven by [[https://tcrf.net/Daytona_USA_2:_Battle_on_the_Edge#Hidden_Hornet_Car inputting a secret combination at the track selection screen.]] Unlike ''Power Edition'' (where it's instead part of the default roster), it doesn't drive exactly like the first game. Interestingly, this car was thought to have been dummied out because its unlock method wasn't discovered until December 2020, over ''20 years'' after the game first released.
196** In ''NASCAR Arcade'', highlighting Kyle Petty and then shifting to a particular gear will allow you to play as either Richard or Adam Petty. Likewise, doing the same thing with Dale Earnhardt will allow you to play as Dale Jr.
197* ShoutOut:
198** The lyrics for "Skyscraper Sequence" in the second game features an unexpected one.
199---> ''Streets filled with lights / Like [[Film/{{Stargate}} a star gate from an old sci-fi movie]]''
200** The stage itself (Virtua City) is likely named for the ''Virtua'' series of games developed by Sega [=AM2=] throughout the 90s (''VideoGame/VirtuaRacing'', ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'', ''VideoGame/VirtuaCop'', ''Virtua Striker''), seemingly reinforced by the post-race replay/staff roll arrangement of "Skyscraper Sequence" being a piano piece reminiscent of the staff roll music from ''[=VF1=]''.
201** According to the developers, Lakeside Castle from ''Championship USA'' is based on the Lakeside course from ''VideoGame/SegaRally 3''.
202* ShownTheirWork: The Hornet Classic in ''Daytona USA 2: Power Edition'' controls exactly like and has the same red-blue AT/red-yellow MT paintjob as the Hornet in the original game. It even has the same rolling start on the Beginner course, right down to the camera angles. It's also [[GrandfatherClause the sole exception]] to [[ObviousRulePatch the game penalizing you for attempting to shifter-drift with a spinout]].
203* SoundtrackDissonance: Keeping in the spirit of the first game, Mitsuyoshi versions of ''2''[='s=] soundtrack exist, and all three can even be raced to. Now try racing seriously with him singing in such a goofy way.
204* StalkedByTheBell: In the original game, the timer starts beeping when it counts down to 5 and beeps ''faster'' when it counts down to 3. In both versions of ''Daytona USA 2'', the timer turns orange and starts beeping when it counts down to 9, then turns red and beeps faster when it counts down to 5. All these are also accompanied by a notification from your crew chief.
205-->''*beep-beep-beep-beep* *beep-beep-beep-beep* '''*BEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBE-*''' *[[GameOver engine revs down]]*''
206* UpdatedRerelease:
207** ''Sega Racing Classic'' to the original ''Daytona''. [[http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3176738 See it here in all of its glory.]]
208** ''Power Edition'' was this to ''Battle on the Edge'' as well.
209** ''Championship USA'' is this to the original game, running on modern and sharper graphics, but the inner workings of the code are actually based around a Model 2 emulator, hence why the physics, gameplay, and A.I. are identical to the original. Perhaps this is the reason that the extra courses are simply mirrored and re-textured versions of the originals.
210* VariableMix: Mirrored courses in ''2001'' play a different version of the course's music.
211* VideoGameRemake: Half of ''Championship USA'' is essentially a remake of the first game, as the three courses from the original are remade.
212* WhatTheHellPlayer: In the Advanced course in the original ''Daytona USA'', there's a branching path that requires you to turn around at the starting line to find it. Drive to the end of this path and you'll see a message that reads "Congratulations! You just lost your sponsors!" [[AchievementMockery Doing so in the HD ports nets an achievement.]]
213* YouAllLookFamiliar:
214** The purple #00 and #99 cars in the original.
215** One of the A.I. cars in ''Championship USA'' (specifically, the #15 car) has almost the exact same scheme as Clint Bowyer's actual #15 5-Hour Energy Chevrolet during his one-season stint at [=HScott=] Motorsports.
216----
217''Congratulations! You placed...1st!''

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