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[VGEsoterica]

To pick a game to point at and say "this defines a company" is NOT an easy task. Try picking ONE game Nintendo made since the NES to say "this is what Nintendo is all about"...and its pretty damn hard! Easier but still hard with Sony across five consoles since the 90s.

But for Sega? To me its easy...Daytona USA defines what Sega was in the 90's; a developer of incredible arcade gaming experiences that developed hardware that was YEARS beyond what anyone else could possibly manage. They would pull out all the stops and get people like Lockheed Martin involved in their hardware development...just to make games look better and run faster than the competition.

Of course they would then marry that technology to a game like Daytona USA that perfectly encapsulates what Sega developers were capable of; a racing game that at the time basically had no peer outside Ridge Racer...and for my money Daytona USA is a better game (no hate against Ridge Racer. Great game...but its no Daytona USA)

Daytona USA is pure arcade style racing. Fast paced, banging soundtrack, excellent technical performance, fun handling physics, amazing graphics and most importantly...just straight up FUN!

But that got me thinking GAF...of the Nintendo/Sega/Sony trio...what ONE GAME would you point at (that was a first party game) that says "THIS IS WHAT THE COMPANY WAS ALL ABOUT" as I'd love to hear the hive minds thoughts!

for Nintendo: Super Mario World and for Sony...at least recently...Astro Bot

 

[Skyfox]

The remaster is awesome

 

[Kuranghi]

The remaster is awesome

I remember this was "leaked" for PC by virtue of the arcade version just being a PC in a cabinet but I heard the controls were messed up, is it better to just play the arcade version in Teknoparrot I take it?

 

[VGEsoterica]

I remember this was "leaked" for PC by virtue of the arcade version just being a PC in a cabinet but I heard the controls were messed up, is it better to just play the arcade version in Teknoparrot I take it?

Teknoparrot works. I love how it got out. Sega left the update file on their website and it was just the full game for anyone to download…

NAILED IT

 

[Sidney Prescott]

I love Daytona USA, especially the music. Just takes me back to simpler times playing it, arcade racers are such an absolute blast. One of the most fun games I've got 100% for trophies wise.

 

[VGEsoterica]

I love Daytona USA, especially the music. Just takes me back to simpler times playing it, arcade racers are such an absolute blast. One of the most fun games I've got 100% for trophies wise.

It really was a “simpler time”. Hit start and pkau

Now even the most arcadey of racers like Forza Horizon right you at every turn when you just want to race and have fun

 

[DemonGamerTTT]

Yes this game was a beast... I remember getting my arms hurting like a hell by playing 1 to 2 credits at it when I was a kid.

 

[6502]

Absolutely love this game. The controls need learning, but as you do so you discover there are a few ways to approach them and the corners as result. It's not as silky smooth as Sega Rally, but it adds a bit of jeapody on powerslides. It keeps you coming back.

It has an energy that I have only felt in the odd Dreamcast game since.

Blue skies, fast racing, awesome sound tracks. THIS IS SEGA.

 

[MastAndo]

Seeing Daytona USA at the arcades for the first time was a mind-blowing experience. I played it at Six Flags Great Adventure as a kid and despite going on countless rides that day, all I could think about on the ride home was how amazing it looked and played. It's got a special place in my heart, you might say.

 

[VeganElduderino]

ah shit ! now ill be singing the theme song all day ! my Gf is going to kill me.

 

[GladiusFrog]

We need a new Daytona, I've been wishing for this for years. Please sega, revive the franchise!

 

[Kruza]

I still personally like both Scud Race (Super GT) and Sega Rally Championship more as arcade racers from Sega. But with my personal biases aside, I would go far as to admit that Daytona USA is the best overall arcade racing game of all time just from multiplayer success and longevity factors alone. Daytona USA is Numero Uno with a bullet.

 

[VGEsoterica]

I still personally like both Scud Race (Super GT) and Sega Rally Championship more as arcade racers from Sega. But with my personal biases aside, I would go far as to admit that Daytona USA is the best overall arcade racing game of all time just from multiplayer success and longevity factors alone. Daytona USA is Numero Uno with a bullet.

That’s fair. Picking a fav of these three is like picking a favorite child

 

[RoboFu]

I never got Dayton’s game play. It’s very stiff and very fake physics. I could never get the feel for it down.

 

[Varteras]

DAAAYTONAAAAAAAAA! LET'S GO AWAY!

 

[nush]

I remember the first time I saw Daytona it had just been installed in the arcade I went to and turned on, like within the hour. Anyway sat down, put in a credit and was blown away, dropped in another credit right away no hesitation. Back in the day I used to smoke and of course you could smoke in the arcades. What I'd do if I was part way through a ciggy was put it on the dashboard of the driving cab. Well, I was so into Daytona I'd forgotten I'd done this and it burnt down leaving a full cigarette burn on the dash, of this brand new cab, just installed, worth thousands.

What I didn't see was the arcade engineer behind me checking how well the game was being received, noticed the huge burn mark I'd just but on his cab and he went mental at me. LOL I christened your cab, get over it, by next week it will be covered in them.

Actually the game did so well that the 4 player set-up they had was expanded within a month to a full 8 player setup and there were always people playing on it. It was a cultural phenomenon and I believe one of the highest grossing arcade games of all time. In the mid 2000's I was in some middle of nowhere small Chinese town and even then I saw a Daytona setup in a hole in the wall arcade.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Among the best arcade machines ever. I actually just played it a week ago at a grungy arcade bar. The best I've ever done on the beginner track is somewhere between 10-15th place lol.

The one thing I always hated is that weird force feedback thing they do with the steering wheel where the system takes over your steering wheel if you are driving off course.

 

[Lasha]

It really was a “simpler time”. Hit start and pkau

Now even the most arcadey of racers like Forza Horizon right you at every turn when you just want to race and have fun

"Here's a giant open world map full of players who you can only interact with using two phrases that you need to go back to your HQ to change"

Or my favorite:

"Here's a bunch of sick courses and modes but good luck finding anybody to play them with since the only people who can join are the players in the same map as you who you can only talk to with two options"


The quest to fight "toxicity" impedes on emergent games so much.

 

[JC 1080P CRT]

But that got me thinking GAF...of the Nintendo/Sega/Sony trio...what ONE GAME would you point at (that was a first party game) that says "THIS IS WHAT THE COMPANY WAS ALL ABOUT" as I'd love to hear the hive minds thoughts!

Nintendo: Super Mario 64
Pretty easy for me to answer that one. IMO it's between SMW and SM64.

Sega: Crazy Taxi
You answered Daytona USA, which is logical given just how iconic and popular the game was.
For me though, it was a tossup between House of the Dead 2 and Crazy Taxi, which I feel are Sega's best lightgun and driving games, respectively.

Sony: Spyro the Dragon
This one was tough, since a lot of games on Sony's consoles were made by other developers, especially the most popular ones. Without the first-party restriction, I would've picked Metal Gear Solid easily.
As far as first-party though, I think Spyro is most recognizable as a character, and the gameplay is very much representative of a lot of great platformers on PlayStation (like Crash Bandicoot or MediEvil).

 

[Gp1]

I still personally like both Scud Race (Super GT) and Sega Rally Championship more as arcade racers from Sega. But with my personal biases aside, I would go far as to admit that Daytona USA is the best overall arcade racing game of all time just from multiplayer success and longevity factors alone. Daytona USA is Numero Uno with a bullet.

Blue blue sky! (I see) Sega was the apex Sega.

I love Daytona, played it way more on the arcade and it definitely has a bigger importance in terms of historical relevance. But I dare to say that Scud Race was even more "90's Sega ish" than Daytona.

The shock of seeing that deluxe arcade cabinet in 97-98 showing the basically the future and sweeting Sega branding by its pores was a defining gamer event for me.
It's probably one of "oldest" 3D game that you can say that still is gorgeous even today considering that almost everything 3D from that era aged like milk.

...hearing Takenobu singing in my mind...

 

[Poppyseed]

Certainly one of the greatest of all time. I remember playing this with my family at the arcade. The only arcade game my father ever played with me. Such fond memories.

 

[VGEsoterica]

Blue blue sky! (I see) Sega was the apex Sega.

I love Daytona, played it way more on the arcade and it definitely has a bigger importance in terms of historical relevance. But I dare to say that Scud Race was even more "90's Sega ish" than Daytona.

The shock of seeing that deluxe arcade cabinet in 97-98 showing the basically the future and sweeting Sega branding by its pores was a defining gamer event for me.
It's probably one of "oldest" 3D game that you can say that still is gorgeous even today considering that almost everything 3D from that era aged like milk.

...hearing Takenobu singing in my mind...

Sega Model 2/3 aged better than any other platform of that era. It’s down to the bright art style and the fact they didn’t try to be photorealistic