Daytona USA vs. Ridge Racer
Okay, I admit it, I suck. I just discovered Daytona now, in the year 2002. Sure, I'd tossed some quarters in the arcade machine like everyone else in the first world, and I thought Daytona 2 was cool, but I didn't see anything remarkable in the series. Certainly nothing to stack up against what I've always thought was the arcade racing king, Ridge Racer.
I never owned a Saturn, and all the talk of horrible, touchy control on the DC version kept me away until I saw it in an EB for $15. 8 hours of play time later, all I can say is damn! What a fun game! With the steering sensitivity turned all the way down it controls perfectly (okay, I couldn't tell you if it's exactly the same as other versions, but I have no problems getting around the tracks), and this is definitely the best looking version. Toss in the Circuit Edition tracks and some DC exclusives with manly NASCAR names like Rin Rin Rink and Mermaid Lake. Unfortunately, none of the far more impressive Daytona 2 tracks made it in.
But the real attraction here is the racing engine, and this is where I started comparing it to R4, which I feel is the best of that series. R4 has a massive edge in presentation - as in, while the fruit-filled colour scheme is nice, Daytona's doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence. R4 has awesome music, styish front end, and amazingly gorgeous tracks (though hampered by muddy no-rez 30 fps Playstation graphics) that blow Daytona's away, and of course, Reiko.
Daytona's worth doesn't become apparent until you start powersliding - there's so much more to it than in the RR series. Ridge Racer just has you tapping the gas twice and you slide through the toughest turns with the greatest of ease. It's just a matter of memorizing where to start. Daytona's scheme is alot more flexible and therefore deeper. You basically have to feel your way through a slide, and a turn may demand you brake through it 80% of the way, or hit the gas early. Sliding through downshifting gives you a greater speed edge, but is tougher to do.
R4, on the other hand, rests alot of its challenge in the non-sliding turns, requiring better track positioning. Daytona doesn't seem as demanding in that regard.
I have to admit, I still completely suck at Daytona; I can only handle about three of the easier tracks without slamming into walls (Seaside Galaxy looks like murder). But from what I've seen so far...I can't decide which series I like better. What suprised me is that I never thought I'd find an arcade racer that could challenge the mighty R4 in my mind. What do you guys think? Any comments from more accomplished Daytona players than myself?
