Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition

The Good
If you had a Saturn at launch then you would have had Daytona USA. It was probably the most heavily advertised launch title behind Panzer Dragoon and it's obvious why, it's a racer. However the appeal goes beyond its simple lure as a fix for rev heads it was one of Sega's most popular (and most successful) Model 2 arcade games. Daytona USA was an impressive game. The technical shortcomings it suffered however led to many unfair misconceptions about the Saturn arising.

Sega, a company who learns from their mistakes then characteristically released a fantastic platitude to fans of the original Daytona USA in the form of Championship Circuit Edition. This move was similar to Virtua Fighter Remix - a Saturn port of the PC version of Virtua Fighter that included, amongst other things, texture mapping. This was in response to complaints about the poor quality port of Virtua Fighter to the Saturn with no improvements.

Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition builds on the original foundation of Daytona USA using the same engine that the amazing Saturn port of Sega Rally Championship used. While the same engine is in use however the game definitely feels like Daytona USA. The same arcade style physics are present as you tear around the tracks, all of which are present from the original Daytona with the inclusion of 2 tracks especially for this version of the game. In addition to new tracks there are several new cars, each with their own statistics to augment the ones introduced in the Saturn mode of the original Daytona. Frankly, there's a lot of extra content and it's all very welcome. While there was extra content in the Saturn port of the original Daytona there wasn't a lot of it and it mostly amounted to mirror modes and slightly tweaked game play mechanics.

Using the Sega Rally Championship engine you really notice the similarities when you scrutinize the graphics of the game. The textures in the original Daytona were good but they were a little dark and overly saturated. CCE's textures are outstanding and the frame rate and draw distance are beyond reproach. There is a high level of detail in the environments such as a slowly rising hot air balloon or boats docked next to the road. It's a very interesting looking game and in comparison to something like Need for Speed the environments don't feel bland and empty.

Eric Martin is on board this time to lend vocals to the only two tracks in the game to actually feature vocals. Eric Martin, member of the band Mr. Big and vocalist for such pop culture icons such as the Power Rangers Theme Song lends a great degree of credibility to the soundtrack of the game that was already outstanding. The music features instrumental arrangements of the tracks from the previous game.

The Bad
As was the case in the original Daytona USA beyond the main game there is very little to do. You have the option of playing head to head races and mirror modes however in comparison to these somewhat gimmicky features more content in the form of a couple of more tracks or additional cars would honestly be more appreciated.

Depending on whether or not you enjoyed the music from the original game you may or may not enjoy the lack of vocals in most of the tracks. The trade off for this however is the inclusion of the irrepressibly talented Eric Martin on the soundtrack.

The Bottom Line
Daytona USA Championship Circuit Edition exists as a very solid stand alone game and as a perceivable apology to people and journalists who may have been disappointed by the lack of content and technical short comings evident in the original release at launch.

CCE features a significant amount of content transcending the Saturn mode of the original Daytona and using the advanced engine found in Sega Rally Championship the game comes off as more than a simple update. The game plays smoothly, the cars are all weighted differently and fans of the original game are presented with a fresh challenge on familiar ground.

The game is beautiful, featuring vivid textures and outstanding design. The frame rate is superb and the draw distance is barely noticeable.

What you will notice however is a distinct lack of content that makes the game feel like more of an expansion than a true stand alone experience to a seasoned Daytona player and the music is not as slick as it could be.

If you're familiar with Daytona USA, you're going to feel right at home here. CCE packs enough original content to feel fresh while providing a new challenge with an updated engine. This is a fantastic game with some great presentation which really does justice to the Daytona name while barely disappointing. This is a must have if you own the Saturn.