Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition

Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition
European Saturn cover art
Developer(s)Sega AM3
Publisher(s)Sega
Director(s)Ryuichi Hattori
Producer(s)Noriyoshi Oba
Artist(s)Shiro Kinemura
Composer(s)
Platform(s)Sega Saturn, Microsoft Windows
ReleaseSaturn
  • PAL: November 14, 1996[1]
  • NA: November 21, 1996
  • JP: January 24, 1997
  • NA: February 16, 1998 (Netlink Edition)
Windows
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition, or Daytona USA: Circuit Edition in Japan, is a racing game by Sega, specifically designed for the Sega Saturn. Released in 1996, it is a reworked and extended version of the original Daytona USA, and was developed by Sega AM3, the same team that oversaw the Saturn port of Sega Rally Championship,[4] by using a modified version of the Sega Saturn engine of Sega Rally Championship.[5]

This version was originally released in Europe and North America, with some modifications done in the subsequent Japanese release. Improvements over the original Sega Saturn version of Daytona USA include a drastic reduction in popup, increased framerate (now a consistent thirty frames per second), a new selection of cars, two new courses, a 2-player mode, compatibility with the Saturn's 3D analogue control pad and Arcade Racer steering wheel, and a ghost mode.[4] The European release does not feature the "black bars" at the top and bottom of the screen that are present in the majority of PAL games of the era[6] - the box boasts "slick new full screen graphics".

It was also separately released in North America for the Saturn as a Netlink-compatible title, entitled Daytona USA: CCE Netlink Edition.[7]

  1. ^ Leadbetter, Rich; Maslolwicz, Mark (December 1996). "Q&A". Sega Saturn Magazine. No. 14. Emap International Limited. p. 36.
  2. ^ "TAKE YOUR PC INTO OVERDRIVE WITH SEGA'S FORCE FEEDBACK PC GAME, DAYTONA USA DELUXE". Sega Central. Sega of America. October 21, 1997. Archived from the original on February 2, 1998. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  3. ^ Staff (October 21, 1997). "Now Shipping". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on February 18, 1998. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
    Now Shipping: "Sega's Daytona USA Deluxe, which includes Force Feedback support..."
  4. ^ a b "In the Studio". Next Generation. No. 22. Imagine Media. October 1996. p. 19.
  5. ^ "Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition". Sega Saturn Magazine. No. 12. Emap International Limited. October 1996. pp. 12–14.
  6. ^ Leadbetter, Rich (December 1996). "Daytona Rally Deluxe". Sega Saturn Magazine. No. 14. Emap International Limited. pp. 56–63.
  7. ^ Scary Larry (August 1997). "NetLink: The Saturn Savior?". GamePro. No. 107. IDG. pp. 22–23.