Daytona USA (1994 game)

Daytona USA is a 1994 arcade racing game, developed by Sega for the Model 2 arcade board. The game was given a limited release in Japanese arcades in August 1993 to test people's reactions to the new arcade board, before being given a full international release in March of the following year. The game is loosely based on the NASCAR event at the Daytona International Speedway - the game and most of its sequels and rereleases were officially sponsored by the International Speedway Corporation. A Sega Saturn version was released in April 1995, to mixed reception.

Gameplay
Daytona USA places the player in control of a stock car named the "Hornet" (which has gone on to become something of a face for the series), racing against numerous other cars across three selectable courses. The game gives you the option to use either automatic or manual transmissions - the latter being more complex, as it requires use of the gear stick, but also allowing your car to drive faster than the automatic if used properly. Crashing into walls or other cars can inflict damage and consequently, poorer performance on your car - this can be remedied by stopping at a pit lane in each level to repair the car, albeit at the cost of some time.

Daytona USA is notable for its AI, which was rather advanced for its time - it would analyse the player's skill during the first lap, and if they were doing poorly, it would instruct the other cars to move out of the way (while also doing the opposite if the player does well). The game is also notable for its multiplayer features: it was the first arcade game ever to allow up to eight cabinets to be linked together, with each player competing in the same race (taking control of differently-colored Hornets).