--- By Jarno 'Jarnis' Kokko (jarnis@mits.mdata.fi) --- --- Revised by Eugene 'Jack Ryan' Moon (jackr@engin.umich.edu) ---
This FAQ is copyrighted (c)1994. All rights reserved. It may not be published in any non-electronic media without permission from Eugene Moon (jackr@engin.umich.edu). Electronic distribution in non-altered form is permitted. Also, please do not make money out of this work by selling printouts. Thank you.
SEGA, Daytona USA, and Virtua Reality are trademarks of SEGA Enterprises, Ltd. Daytona USA is a registered trademark of International Speedway Corporation and licensed to Sega Enterprises, Ltd., by NASCAR Properties. All copyrights and trademarks are owned by their respective owners, and no infringement is intended.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Version history ------------------------------------------------------------------------
v. 0.2 - First public version. No expert track guide yet due to lack of expertise on that track. Some bugs in numeric data, as all was written from memory.
v. 0.6 - Expert track guide's preliminary version added. Some Easter eggs added. Some numeric data added and/or tuned. Records section added
v. 0.81 - Speeds given in both English and Metric system. Course guides expanded. Easter egg section updated. Tips section expanded.
v. 0.85 - Info on additional uses of the VR and Start buttons added. Course guide expanded with info for Advanced drivers. Replacement initials added (used during Name Entry after a record run). Easter eggs added and updated.
v. 0.91 - More replacement intials added. Track guide updated. Info on Time Lap mode updated.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ * The writers of this FAQ would like to give thanks to: ------------------------------------------------------------------------
- SEGA, AM2, and Martin Marietta Corp. For a near-perfect driving experience.
- Ronald T. Griffith (srcec@westminister.ac.uk) For information on the slot machine and pit lane pass Easter eggs.
- Kalle 'Blitzer' Kataja (blitzer@prime.mdata.fi) For some major typo-busting.
- Marvin Yagoda (owner of Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum) For running the best place to play Daytona USA in Michigan and for supplying information on the slot machine time extension.
- Joseph Harpe For editing newer versions of this FAQ sheet.
- ROB at Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum For some really intense (and fun) competition over the summer.
- CLS, OJ, PS., and especially JOE at Pinball Pete's in Ann Arbor For setting the record times that kept me playing, practicing, and improving.
- Andy Eddy (vidgames@netcom.com) For running the best place to get FAQs for all the latest games.
- Galen Komatsu (gkomatsu@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu) For supplying a large amount of info.
- Matthew Willson of London, Ontario and Michael Armstrong (michael.armstrong@homebase.com) For pointing out the Lap Time checkpoint timer.
- Eric Ching For helping me to keep my facts straight. :)
- Karl Thoroddsen (karlth@strengur.is), Miles Hardison (drdaytona@aol.com), and various players at Marvelous Marvin's the last time I stopped by For showing/telling me faster ways of driving the Advanced track.
- Justin Perron, Greg Wickham, Jon@camins.camosun.bc.ca, Ting-Yu Hsu, and everyone else who wrote me e-mail about the FAQ For showing interest in one of the best games available in arcades today.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table of Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) What is Daytona USA? (2) General guidelines for getting started with Daytona USA (3) General driving tips (4) Detailed course guides (4.1) Beginner track (4.2) Advanced track (4.3) Expert track (5) Easter Eggs (5.1) Slot machine time extension - Beginner track (5.2) Loss of sponsor sign - Advanced track (5.3) Upside-down statue of Jeffry - Expert track (5.4) 'Breakdancing statue of Jeffry' - Expert track (5.5) Giant seagull - Expert track (5.6) Off-road abort (5.7) Going in reverse (5.8) Passing through pit lane (5.9) Replacement initials (6) Game specifications (7) Upcoming features (8) Feedback (9) FAQ updates (where can I get them?)
------------------------------------------------------------------------ (1) What is Daytona USA? ------------------------------------------------------------------------
What's it like powering a 750+HP NASCAR stocker around Daytona's high-bank turns? Or drafting inches off the car ahead of you at 200+ MPH? Daytona USA(tm), Sega's newest Virtua Reality racing game, provides all the adrenaline pumping thrills of world class stock car racing. With its industry leading 32-bit three-dimensional polygon graphics and some nifty audio/mechanical systems, Daytona USA(tm) supplies everything but the smell of the pits. (excerpt from an ad for Daytona USA)
Daytona USA is a stock car racing game made by Sega using a brand new, state-of-the-art Model 2 polygon engine board. It represents the culmination of their efforts to create a simulation game with ultra- realistic graphics. It was created by the same people who did Virtua Racing, Virtua Fighter and a bunch of older Sega games, collectively known as AM2, or Amusement Machine division #2. Daytona USA's texture- mapping technology (300,000 polygons per second) was developed in close cooperation with Martin Marietta Corp. (a U.S. defense contractor), one of the world's leaders in military simulation know-how and experience. Daytona USA also features realistic car handling and a V.R.-system that allows the player to select his viewpoint from among four available. The game comes in two forms: a deluxe edition with a 50-inch screen and a twin version with two 26-inch screens. Up to four of the twin-screen versions can be linked for simultaneous 8-player action. To get the most out of this excellent amusement machine, read on...
------------------------------------------------------------------------ (2) General guidelines for getting started with Daytona USA ------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Familiarize yourself with the cockpit. Good driving position is very helpful in this game, so be sure to set the seat comfortably. You want to be able to reach the gas pedal, brake pedal, and the shifter (if you're using the manual transmission) easily. If you're unsure of where to set the seat, one method is to sit back in the seat with your shoulders against the seatback. If you then fully extend your arm, you should be able to lay your wrist on top of the steering wheel. Unlike Ridge Racer by Namco, Daytona features a 'low to the ground seating' design that places your feet at almost the same level as the seat. This allows you to operate the pedals easily without straining your legs. Also, unlike Ridge Racer, the manual transmission in Daytona is clutchless. Shifting is done simply by moving the shifter from gear to gear. Finally, the pedals on Daytona are *not* 'on/off'. They use potentiometers to determine how far down the pedal's been pushed (this was also the case with Hard Drivin' and Race Drivin' by Atari Games), and just slamming the pedals to the floor is not the way to get good times. NOTE: If the pedals feel unresponsive or far too sensitive, talk to your operator. The potentiometers can be maladjusted or broken. If you can't accelerate at all even with the pedal to the floor or your gas pedal acts like it's been slammed to the floor when you press it extremely lightly, it's time to see your operator's tech people. Expensive games should be maintained well. You are PAYING for it.
* During your first few games, try out the V.R.-buttons and choose your favorite viewpoint (the V.R.-buttons are found, along with the Start button, to the right of the steering wheel on the large-screen version and to the left of the wheel on the twin-screen machine). Playing with different viewpoints all the time makes learning much harder so play around with them for a few games and choose the one that you like best. In the following descriptions: * describes the location of the 'camera' used for the viewpoint. + describes plusses to each viewpoint. - describes minuses. The following notes are just IMHO, so no flames or jihad type reactions to them, please!
1 - Inside the car. * Camera is located on the front edge of the hood of the car. The camera is on the same level as the driver's eyes, so this is what the driver would see if he were sitting on the bumper of the car. :) + Sensation of speed is greatest with this view to due to viewpoint's closeness to the roadway. This view also gives a panoramic view of the road and passing scenery which adds to the sensation of speed. - Car is not visible in this viewpoint, so there are no reference points for judging how close you are to other cars. Also, it is impossible to determine how much damage the car has taken. The scenery can be somewhat distracting if a driver's concentration is broken. Also, spinouts in this view can be troublesome for the novice driver.
2 - Above car's roof. * Camera is located in the roof of the car directly above the driver (roof itself is erased for visibility). + Hood of the car is visible in this view giving you some indication of how much damage you've done to the car. Also, the presence of both the hood and a portion of the dashboard make this viewpoint more natural-looking. The hood gives you a visual reference point when you're sliding the car around corners and when you're trying to pass other cars without coming into contact with them. - Spins can be somewhat disorienting in this view also. It isn't possible to determine how much damage you've done to the wheels and suspension since the wheels are not visible from this viewpoint (though damage to the body often occurs at the same time as damage to the wheels, such as during a crash, it is possible to damage the wheels and the car's handling without touching the body work).
3 - Above the car narrow. * Camera hangs in the air a few feet above and behind the rear bumper. It always faces in the direction the car is MOVING. This is not necessarily the same direction the car is FACING. + Easier to dodge other cars using this view as all nearby cars (including those very close behind) can be seen. Also, the wheels are visible during turns letting you see how much damage they have taken from crashes into the wall. Damage to body panels at the rear of the car is also easily seen. Smoke from the tires (an indication that you're spinning your wheels) is visible only from this view and Viewpoint 4. Since the camera always faces in the direction of movement, spins aren't as troublesome in this view and Viewpoint 4. - Because camera doesn't face in the same direction as the car, you can't just 'feel' how the car is sliding. It is also somewhat frustrating to be able to see that you're heading for a wall when you don't have enough time to do anything about it. :) Also, you can't easily judge how close you are to a car directly in front of you. 4 - Above the car wide. * Camera is located further behind and MUCH higher than 3rd viewpoint. Like Viewpoint 3, it also faces only in the direction the car is moving. + Good for scenery watching. :) Also good for keeping track of nearby traffic without looking away to the 'TRAFFIC' display. The wider view from this viewpoint gives you more warning if someone's coming up behind you. This view gives you a better look at what line you're following around a turn, making the tracks somewhat easier to learn. Also see plusses for Viewpoint 3 regarding damage to the car and tire smoke. - Makes car very distant. This detracts from the feeling of 'you are there' that you get using Viewpoints 1 and 2. Passing scenery takes up a LARGE portion of the screen (scenery doesn't take up as much screen space in Viewpoint 1 because of oncoming road). Also see minuses for Viewpoint 3.
So go ahead and experiment. Everyone will have their preferred viewpoint; and, unlike Virtua Racing, Daytona doesn't keep track of what viewpoint you used to set your times. :)
* Learn to use the information that Sega provides for you on-screen. Just as a good 'scan' is important in real driving, it is also important here that you be able to take in what you need to know at a glance. The things to keep checking, in order of decreasing importance, are: (1) your view of things ahead of you (2) your speed displayed on the top center of the screen (3) the location of nearby cars on a 'TRAFFIC' display off to the right side of the screen (4) the gear that you're in displayed directly beneath the speed (only shown when using manual transmission) (5) your location on the track displayed on the map in the lower right corner of the screen (6) the lap that you're on displayed in the top left corner of the screen Everything else is pretty much extra information that you may want to take in from time to time.
* You should also use the sound to your advantage. The sound of tires squealing should be your main sign that your tires are fighting for traction. Tire smoke also indicates this, but it isn't as reliable an indicator.
* Learn to use the manual transmission. It's rather easy to use (especially since there is no clutch), and there are some key advantages to using the manual transmission (higher top speed and better control of the car while sliding). Beware, however, for broken shifters. The shifter seems to get the most abuse, and therefore breaks down more often than any other part on the game.
* There are several options built into the game. You can select what background music is played during the race, the range of the TRAFFIC radar display, and the size of the map. These are controlled using the VR buttons:
Background music selection: This is done during the 'GENTLEMEN START YOUR ENGINES' intro screen. Holding down one of the VR buttons will override the computer's choice of BGM. The songs are:
VR1 King of Speed (Beginner track) VR2 Let's Go Away (Advanced track) VR3 Sky High (Expert track) VR4 Pounding Pavement (bonus music)
TRAFFIC display range adjustment: At any time during the race, you can adjust the range of the TRAFFIC display by holding down the Start button as you hit the VR buttons:
VR2 Short range VR3 Normal range VR4 Long range
Map display size adjustment: At any time during the race, you can change the size of the map displayed on the right side of the screen by holding down the Start and VR1 buttons as you hit the other VR buttons:
VR2 Large map VR3 Normal map VR4 Small map
------------------------------------------------------------------------ (3) General driving tips ------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Learn to start properly. Beginner track: This track is the easiest to start on because you start at full speed. All you have to do is make sure you have the gas pedal floored and that the shifter is in 4th gear if you're using the manual transmission (with the automatic transmission the shifter doesn't do anything, so you can leave it in whatever position you like). You also should remember that you don't have control of the car until the announcer yells "GO!!!" as you're crossing the starting line, so turning the steering wheel all the way to the left before the start is not a good thing to do. Advanced and Expert tracks: These races begin with a standing start that determines by how much you fall behind the other cars. Try to balance between wheelspin and slow acceleration. Just slamming the gas to the floor results only in burnt rubber and no real acceleration until you get to 35-40 mph (55-65 km/h), but the worst mistake you can make is to watch only the tachometer (gauge across the top of the screen with gray, yellow, and red zones that goes from 0 to 10) when accelerating. If you slam the gas pedal to the floor, because of wheelspin, the tachometer will peak at around 20 mph (30 km/h); and if you start switching up gears from there you end up with 4th gear with a speed of about 50 mph (80 km/h). Not good. Watch the speedometer instead. 70 mph (110 km/h) is the point to use 2nd gear, and around 110 mph (180 km/h) is the place to go to 3rd gear. 4th gear comes into play around 155-160 mph (250-260 km/h).
* You start from the tail of the starting grid, so the main thing is overtaking and avoiding computer cars. In general, when you get to the point where you can drive around any given track near perfectly (perfection is impossible), computer cars become the main problem. If you drive like a robot, it is possible to make the computer cars react the same way for every race; but since no one drives like a robot, the computer cars end up driving pretty randomly. A perfect race can be ruined by a few bumps to the back of a computer car, and a major accident right in front of you at 200+ mph (320+ km/h) can REALLY ruin your day. A note from 'Eug': A crash does not disqualify you from finishing the race. So, don't give up on a race just because you've crashed (unless you crashed VERY late in the race or were going for a record time). I've managed to drive a race where I crashed once, spun twice (all during the first lap of the Expert track), and still managed to finish in 1st place.
* Use computer cars to your advantage by 'drafting' whenever possible, and learn to pass them cleanly when you start to get close to them. Drafting consists of driving directly behind the car in front of you so that air turbulence coming from their car allows yours to go faster. This is also called slipstreaming. This contradicts the previous tip a bit, but it is necessary for getting the best possible times. So when hanging close to a computer car, ALWAYS stay alert. 3-4 computer cars bumping each other in front of you or one computer car pushing another towards Wall Contact(tm) should flash 'accident' alert in your head pretty quickly, and GENERALLY if you see computer cars pushing each other, don't get close. The advantage from drafting does not cover the losses from hitting a flipping computer car.
* Avoid hitting walls, and stay off the grass. Braking a little more and keeping your foot off the gas is usually better than even slight contact to a wall, and it is MUCH better than mowing some lawn. Driving on the grass GREATLY reduces your speed, costing you a lot of time. It can also make it difficult to control your car. Wall contact only drops your speed by 10-50 mph (15-80 km/h), unless you slide into the wall tail-first or crash, but it affects your car's handling by wearing down your tires. So be sure to avoid both as much as possible.
* Again, learn to use the manual transmission. Using the shifter isn't very hard to do (it only requires a little more effort to learn), and the rewards are significant. The only good use for automatic gears is while you are learning a course. Using the automatic lets you concentrate on finding out how fast you can go through certain curves, but you will need to adjust those speeds upon switching to the manual transmission. This game is hard even if you use the automatic, but it's VERY HARD to finish in better than 8th place without the manual transmission. A note from 'Jarnis': When our shifter was broken with 1st and 2nd gear unavailable, I still got better times on the Advanced track with manual shifting even if I had to lose time at the starting line by using 3rd gear. I couldn't finish the race with the automatic transmission at all (I always got game over on the last turn before the goal). With the manual transmission, I couldn't get to the top three that easily, but getting into the top six was no problem. And all this without 1st or 2nd gear at all!
* Learn the proper 'line' to use going around turns. The line through a turn is the path taken by the car as it goes around a corner. Generally, racing requires that you start the turn wide, brake late, and place the 'apex' of the turn a bit past midway through the turn. If this is done properly, you will be able go faster through the turn and accelerate sooner, leading to better times. The normal method for taking a 'late apex' around a corner is to start turning into a corner, and then slow to a certain speed and turn the steering wheel some more. Sometimes you must also downshift to slide out the rear end. You then push the gas pedal to the floor. If this is done right, the car should swing its tail out a little bit and then start to slide slowly towards the outside of the turn. This technique will vary depending on the curve as you sometimes have to brake first (when you have to lose a lot of speed to make the turn) before turning the wheel, but for other turns you may end up turning the wheel and beginning to brake at the same time. There will be times when you will mess up slightly while taking a turn. You must learn what to do in these instances. It is possible to control a skid to some degree with the steering wheel. If you've turned too hard and the car's nose is pointed at the inside of the turn, opposite lock on the steering wheel will keep the car on the track, but it is important that you regain control of the car. In this situation you should take your foot off the gas pedal and wait for the car to straighten out before you put your foot on the gas again. On the other hand, if you feel you're going to 'kiss the wall' on the outside of the turn, let go of the gas pedal and tap the brakes if necessary (sometimes you might want to tap them several times) to drop to a 'safer' speed. A small speed loss is nothing compared to the results if you wrap your car around the trackside fence. NOTE: Reckless braking also has a tendency to put you into walls so try to avoid having to use the brakes in the middle of a turn. Do all of your braking before the turn. If you DO have to brake while in the middle of a turn, use short taps to the pedal. This will slow you down and yet keep you from skidding too much.
* Memorize the tracks. You will drive much better once you've learned lines through the turns and how to control your car through them. Learning the Beginner track should be easy, but the other tracks should also be memorized so that you can go smoothly from one part of the track to the next. You will want to memorize what lane you want to be in at certain points on the track, what speed you want to be at when you reach that point, and the driving techniques you will use to get the car around hairpins and other curves on the tracks. A note from 'Jarnis': Fine-tuning your routine to the point where you can finish the track requires some practice, but I learned the quirks of the Advanced track in just 3 days. If you're having too much trouble learning a track, try the Time-Lap mode by holding the Start button when you push the gas pedal to choose the transmission. This eliminates all the computer cars and places you in Time-Lap mode. You can then drive each track without worrying about traffic (you only need to worry about getting time extensions so you can finish the race). This mode is easier to drive because it leaves out all those annoying computer-driven cars, but it also takes away the 'draft effect' that allows you to go REALLY fast. :) A note from 'Eug': As you're driving in Time Lap mode, you'll notice that when you pass checkpoints, two numbers will flash superimposed on the map display. These times represent the record time for that section of track, and your time for that section. You do not need to do anything special to activate this Checkpoint Timer display (contrary to what was posted on Usenet by myself and other people). :/ Taking note of these times is a good way to find out what parts of the track you might need to improve on. This timer is not available on the Beginner track. It is also inactive during backwards racing.
* Pit stops are useless unless the machine you play on is set to 'Grand Prix' or 'Endurance' mode. During the course of a race, the handling of the car will change due to contact with a wall and from accidents. But the races are so short in 'Normal' mode, a pit stop is totally unnecessary. A pit stop uses more time (you must do a standing start that uses up a lot of time) than you gain from fixing up the car. Basically you can use the pit stop to show off the machine's graphics capability, but that's pretty much it. On the other hand, races in 'Grand Prix' and 'Endurance' modes are long enough that tire wear plays an important part and pit stops become an important part of your racing strategy. There's an Easter egg in the game involving the pit lane. You can pass through the pits without stopping if you do it on your last lap. This is pretty much useful only for trying to avoid traffic. Going through pit area will not allow you to improve your times (unless you haven't learned the 'crossover' on the Expert track).
* As explained above, your car's handling is affected by contact with the wall and by accidents that send your car flipping through the air. This is represented by wheels that bounce up and down (easily visible during turns at low speeds from Modes 3 and 4). Also, damage to body panels is also a good indication that your car is handling differently than it did at the start of the race (use Modes 2, 3, and/or 4 to spot damage to the body). Your goal should be to finish the race with a car that has wheels spinning without wobble and a perfect body. Things start looking good when, at the end of the game, your car doesn't resemble an abstract piece of modern art with bent body panels and misaligned wheels. Getting to the finish line on the Beginner course (one of the 'dirtier' tracks because of all the car-to-car contact) without too much damage to your car is a good sign that you are learning something. :)
------------------------------------------------------------------------ (4) Detailed course guides ------------------------------------------------------------------------ by 'Eug'
This part of the FAQ will attempt to describe how the races may be driven. Important portions of the tracks and landmarks will be in ALL CAPS. The techniques described generally apply to both single player and multi-player racing, though multi-player racing does include several different techniques and strategies not required for single player gaming. The listed lap times are those to beat in order to finish the race. The finishing times are ones that usually result from a good drive and should end up on the top five list, unless you happen to drive on a machine with good players. It is assumed that the machine is set to Normal difficulty. Also, the descriptions assume that you will be using the manual transmission (more incentive to learn to use the shifter). :)
* For the 'novice' descriptions, I have attempted to strike a balance between making these instructions simple and easy-to-follow and making them useful for finishing a race. These are NOT descriptions of the fastest way to drive each track (the speeds recommended here are sort of 'conservative' and should allow some room for error), but following these instructions should allow you to consistently get some pretty good times. * For the 'advanced' descriptions, I give you my ALL-OUT, RECKLESS, EDGE-OF-THE-ENVELOPE driving technique. If your driving is faster than this, then I am truly impressed. ;)
Finishing in the top three allows you to see a congratulations sequence (victory lap) which looks way cool!
------------------------------------------------------------------------ (4.1) Course guide --- Beginner track (Daytona Oval Circuit) 40 cars, 8 laps Lap time: under 18.75 Finishing time: under 2:25.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a simple oval track with a pit road through the infield. This track appears to be a version of the Daytona track in Florida, U.S.A. with a lot of scenery put in by Sega. It is a good place to get used to the controls and to practice skidding at the MT.SONIC TURN. The FOREST STRAIGHT is also a good place to learn to draft. Due to the number of cars, accidents happen, and this is the place to learn how to avoid surprises. :)
The rolling start makes every lap pretty much identical. Unless you know how to handle the MT. SONIC TURN, the first lap is usually the best because you're at around 200 mph (320 km/h) at the starting line.
You'll start in a short straight with grass to your left and stands full of people to your right. Try to pass as many computer cars as you can, but drive gently and beware of skidding (you will know when you're skidding from the squealing sound coming from your tires) which may result in zig-zagging from one side of the track to the other. Try to follow the lanes, and try to draft if possible. Do not jerk the wheel to pass cars. This will result in unwanted sliding which may lead to a crash. Instead, change lanes with small corrections to the steering wheel. Generally, avoid the rightmost lane as it's usually full of computer cars and that's where most accidents happen due to the right- side concrete wall. For the gentle left turn next to the SPINNING ROULETTE WHEEL, however, it is important that you start the turn wide to the right. If you find yourself in the leftmost lane here, you will have to slow down more to go around this curve than if you're even one or two lanes over. Unless you're at around 180 mph (290 km/h) or less, do not jerk the wheel to the left here to go around the turn as you will skid and end up hitting the wall. Instead gently turn the wheel as far to the left as is necessary to keep you from hitting the right side wall. You will also want to try to steer around any other cars that may be turning at the same time (you'll usually need to ease right to pass them cleanly). If you're near top speed (over 205 mph or 330 km/h), you will have to start the turn on the high side of the track and swing low 'arching the turn'. If there's a lot of traffic, take your foot off the gas and slow to around 200 mph (320 km/h) or slower to go around the curve cleanly. If you find yourself stuck in the leftmost lane, slow down to around 190 mph (305 km/h) in order to go around this turn without hitting anything. This will help you to avoid contact with both the wall and any cars.
After the turn, the FOREST STRAIGHT opens up. This is the place to milk computer cars for speed by drafting. Again, avoid sliding and try to keep the speed above 200 mph (320 km/h) at all times. There is a time extension involved with the JACKPOT ARCH that is explained later in this FAQ. At the end of the straight, try to be in the 2nd lane from the right, with no computer cars right in front of you to do the MT. SONIC TURN. If there are computer cars in your way, *always* line up inside of them (they can act as a buffer between you and the wall if you mess up and end up heading for the wall). Never end up in the rightmost lane with computer cars to your left, and try to avoid the leftmost lane, or you will surely feel the hug of concrete in the next turn.
MT. SONIC TURN is next, and it's the place where beginners meet the immovable object called concrete wall most often. Never ever try to drive this corner 'full speed ahead, turn hard left' style, it will result in either a spectacular crash, or at best case, a rough touch which will violently drop your speed to around 170-180 mph (270-290 km/h) and wear your tires down. Towards the end of the race, if you've been kissing the wall on every lap, you may end up slowing down to around 140-150 mph (225-240 km/h).
* For novice drivers: 'How to slide through MT. SONIC TURN without hitting the wall.' At the end of the straight (there will be grass to your left and the wall on your right), brake to 170 mph (270 km/h) and turn the steering wheel to the left a little. If you're not near the right side of the track entering the turn (because of traffic), slow down more to around 160 mph (260 km/h). Then push the gas pedal back to the floor. The car should end up sliding around the curve, and you should find yourself on the front straight already accelerating to top speed. You shouldn't need to turn the steering wheel very much to get the car to turn in. You may, however, need to counter-steer to stay on the track (take your foot off the gas and only turn the wheel to the right as much as you have to to stay off the grass). Again, if you must enter the turn with computer cars at your side, keep them to your right. This does not guarantee that you won't crash. Coming into this turn with too much speed (even with a computer car between you and the wall) can result in a spectacular crash for both of you. Basically, finding the right time to start braking, braking for the right amount of time, and controlling your steering are the keys to this turn. * For advanced drivers: Generally, you follow the same procedure as novice drivers except for a few changes. First, you don't move towards the inside of the turn to stay inside of other cars; you should stay in the second lane from the right. Second, instead of slowing down to 170 mph (270 km/h), you slow down only to about 180 mph (290 km/h). You may end up bumping cars, but you shouldn't change your line through the turn unless they're going much slower than you are (if you do steer around them, be sure to stay off the wall - brake if necessary).
And then you are back at the starting line. A good sign of a well- executed MT. SONIC TURN is over 180 mph (290 km/h) on the speedometer at the starting line. Without any major accidents, your lap time should be 17.50 - 18.50. Anything below 17.50 should be considered extremely good.
Repeat 7 times to get to the finish line. A very good 8 laps should place you in the top 3 and let you see the victory lap.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ (4.2) Course guide --- Advanced track (Canyon Course) 30 cars, 4 laps Lap time: under 49.50 (under 55.50 1st lap) Finishing time: under 3:16.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a hilly canyon course with some tricky twists and a tight hairpin, and newbie drivers do require some assistance to complete a single lap without too much damage. With this guide, I assume you *do* know how to skid. Learn it at the MT. SONIC TURN on the Beginner track.
>From the STARTING LINE you have a pretty long section of track in which to accelerate to top speed. Practice your start to get the most out of it. A good start can cut 2-3 seconds off your time. After the first straight and a very short S-curve, you find yourself in an extremely easy uphill right turn. You can stay *very* low, balancing right outside the grass line, and pass all the cars from the right side (this is kind of tough to do). Here's the prime place for drafting the computer, but *beware*! When the turn ends, right after the 1st TIME EXTENSION, you might be in trouble. The gentle right curve becomes a gentle left curve and, if you don't drive carefully, you could crash into the right side of the TUNNEL ENTRANCE (or at least hit the fence before the tunnel entrance and lose a lot of speed). The short and gentle left turn can be driven at full speed if you do not slide here (be sure you don't jerk the wheel or you will pay). You can avoid crashing by moving left of any cars before this curve, or by taking your foot off the gas through here (slowing down will make your car easier to handle and make this part of the track less hairy).
* For novice drivers: The TUNNEL can also be driven at full speed, and drafting is rather easy. The end of the tunnel turns right, and with proper technique it can be driven at full speed too. After you exit the tunnel, there is a small left turn and then another right turn. This is a bit tricky. Make sure when you drive through here that you 'thread the needle' just right. You must come close to the grass on the left side of the track *very near* the middle of the left curve. (If you don't, you will be in a bad position to start the uphill right turn) *Do not* drop to 3rd gear, instead drive full speed up to the start of the turn and then brake. Slow to about 175-180 mph (280-290 km/h). You will skid a bit to the left but never drop below 170 mph (270 km/h) in speed. Feed in some gas and then continue uphill past the 2nd TIME EXTENSION until you get to the WINDMILL RIGHT TURN, which is the worst place on the track. Drop to 3rd gear when the turn starts, brake and turn firmly right. Slow down to 145 mph (235 km/h). Then *gently* push the gas to the floor. Too strong of a push will cause wheelspin and *bad* oversteer to the right (concrete wall time!). You can use higher speeds, around 160-165 mph (257-265 km/h), but you need to skid perfectly with such speeds. Slowing to 145 mph (235 km/h) is the safe method. * For advanced drivers: For the turn just before the 2nd TIME EXTENSION, slow only to about 193 mph (310 km/h). You should not have to drop below 190 mph (306 km/h). Then, for the WINDMILL RIGHT TURN, downshift straight to 1st gear as you brake to 175-180 mph (280-290 km/h). Then shift straight back to 4th gear and put the pedal to the metal. This should loosen the rear end enough to get you through the corner. You will need to counter-steer to stay off the grass on the inside of the turn.
* For novice drivers: Switch back to 4th gear and move towards the right side of the track as you start going downhill. Switch back to 3rd gear and sharply hit the brakes so that you enter the HAIRPIN at 140 mph (225 km/h). It will take some practice to figure out when to start slowing down. Crank the wheel over and bring the gas pedal back down. When the downhill straight opens up, it's time for pedal to the metal (and 4th gear). :) * For advanced drivers: Stay on the right side of the track as you go downhill. Look for the tire marks on the pavement that go straight and then cut to the inside of the HAIRPIN. Just before you hit the point where the skid marks cut, downshift to first as you brake to 157-160 mph (253-257 km/h). Shift immediately back up to 4th and continue around the corner.
* For novice drivers: On the way down the hill, move to the left side of the track. Swing to the right side of the track as you enter the last right turn, drop to 3rd gear, and brake to ~160 mph (~255 km/h). Never ever above 165 mph (265 km/h), or you find yourself on the grass again, with a good chance of Concrete Contact(tm). Curve around with the gas pedal brought back to the floor, and you should get *slight* skidding. If you seem to be heading for the grass on the left side of the track, drop your speed in the middle of the turn slightly with a tap to the brakes. When the straight opens up and you are clear, shift up to 4th gear and full speed ahead. * For advanced drivers: Approach the curve from the left side of the track. *As soon as* you get to the end of the hill (you're on the flat part of the track), downshift to 1st, brake to ~175 mph (~280 km/h), and turn in. As you're sliding, shift back into 4th before *slowly* feeding in gas. Too much will cause the rear end to slide loose, whereas too little will cause you to lose more speed than you have to. I've been able to take this curve at 173 mph (278 km/h) as my minimum speed and (because I was drafting off of the 1st place car) I passed through the STARTING LINE checkpoint at almost 200 mph (320 km/h).
Repeat 3 times to get to the finish line. Drive 4 good laps and you are easily in the top 3 for a look at the victory lap.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ (4.3) Course guide --- Expert track (Seaside Course) 20 cars, 2 laps Lap time: under 1:50.50 (under 1:57.50 1st lap) Finishing time: under 3:37.50 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
This road course is a difficult track with many twists, blind corners, and sharp turns. You race across both spans of a large suspension bridge and encounter a number of very tricky turns. It will take all of a driver's skill and a lot of practice to finish this race.
>From the STARTING LINE, you have a long straight across the SUSPENSION BRIDGE to accelerate in, and you should just about max your speed and pass several computer cars here. After two pretty gentle left turns you curve right, going slightly downhill, to the first underpass with the entrance to PIT LANE. After entering the underpass and just past the 1st TIME EXTENSION, you get to a S-CURVE followed by a hard right turn (the TV-SCREEN TUNNEL).
* For novice drivers: Drive at full speed as you enter the S-CURVE. Cross over the median to the other side of the track in between the columns at the S-CURVE. Brake *hard* as you cross over, but be sure you don't turn the wheel at all (turning the wheel while braking will cause the car to go sideways). Slow to ~150-160 mph (~240-255 km/h). Then, let go of the brakes and cross over the median to the other side of the track before entering the TV-SCREEN TUNNEL. Tap the brake once as you go through the tunnel and slow to ~140-150 mph (~225-240 km/h) to avoid hitting any walls. * For advanced drivers: Don't brake until you've crossed over once and are getting ready to cross over again. As you approach the median (the second time), brake to ~170 mph (273 km/h). After you've crossed over and as you enter the TV-SCREEN TUNNEL, hit the gas and jerk the wheel left. Rub your front left fender on the left wall of the tunnel. This should only slow you down to between 150-160 mph (241-257 km/h).
* For novice drivers: After the 2nd TIME EXTENSION there is a slight hill and a turn right (STATUE OF JEFFRY TURN). Don't be fooled, this turn can be deadly if you accelerate to full speed. It's similar to the last turn of advanced track, and you need to skid here lightly and possibly use 3rd gear. I pass this turn at 145-150 mph (235-240 km/h) skidding lightly, but greater speeds may be possible. Driving at full speed will cause contact with the wall around the 'Virtua Inn' sign. * For advanced drivers: Stay to the left here as you approach the STATUE OF JEFFRY. Downshift to 2nd as you slow to ~160 mph (257 km/h). Immediately shift back to 4th gear.
After the JEFFRY TURN, you get a downhill with buildings around you. Let go with full gas. Let go of the gas as you curve right around the turn so that you're at about 185+ mph (295+ km/h) as you come up to the left turn. Drop to 3rd gear and again do a *controlled* braking to 150-160 mph (240-255 km/h). This left turn before the 3rd TIME EXTENSION doesn't seem too bad, but you need to be going absolutely no more than 165 mph (265 km/h) and skid around the corner to avoid grass and a possible wall hit.
Then you get to the 3rd TIME EXTENSION. A straight allows you to accelerate to good speed, but at the end, you get an UPHILL HAIRPIN TURN to the right (similar to the downhill turn in advanced track, but even harder).
* For novice drivers: Here you must drop to the 120-130 mph (195-210 km/h) range and skid hard while turning right. Failure to do so will be awarded with a lawnmowing experience. Not good. * For advanced drivers: As you approach the hairpin, downshift into 1st and brake to ~145 mph (235 km/h). As the car's sliding, shift back up into 4th and floor it. When you're rear end stops squirming (you'll probably be below 150 mph/240 km/h), shift back down to 3rd to get better acceleration in the following sections of track. It'll take some experimentation to figure out exactly when to brake. Also, it might be possible to take this curve at slightly higher speeds (my experimentation has been limited).
Now you should be at the grasslands area, with horses and a bird or two. There are two gentle left turns and two right turns followed by a left turn before the 4th TIME EXTENSION. You should go through these curves after first slowing to between 155-160 mph (250-255 km/h). Then you are at the underpass with a tight left turn. Drop the speed some more. My estimate is to around 145-150 mph (235-240 km/h) with some skidding. It's somewhat hard to do the turn as you have solid concrete on both sides of the track.
After the underpass turn with slight uphill you get back to the SUSPENSION BRIDGE. Here's a long straight that's a good place to milk other cars for speed. At the end of the straight there's a very slight turn to the right.
* For novice drivers: Here, brake to 180-185 mph (290-300 km/h) a bit before the turn begins. Then, as you go through the underpass and start turning right, try to keep the car under control and avoid skidding. Going more than 190 mph (305 km/h) or a wide skid will result in a hit to the left wall. * For advanced drivers: As with the novice drivers, brake before the turn begins. Try to time your braking so that you finish braking at ~190 mph (305 km/h) a *little bit* before the turn so that you can turn in towards the apex of the curve without skidding.
If you cleared the previous turn OK, now there's a pretty long, very easy, left turn with the text 'YOU CAN'T BE SATISFIED WITHOUT IT - SEGA MODEL 2' at the left side of the road on the wall. Pass the 5th TIME EXTENSION near the beginning of the curve and stay at full throttle until the SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCHPAD comes into view. The easy left turn quickly becomes a *hard* left turn. An easy way to get a solid hit to the concrete wall is to keep on going at full speed here.
* For novice drivers: As you approach the LAUNCHPAD, stay on the lane divider between the rightmost lane and the next one in. When you can see about 4 sections of fence at the LAUNCHPAD, brake down to ~165 mph (265 km/h), shift down to 3rd, and nudge the steering wheel left. This should cause the car to skid. Stay off the gas until the tires stop squealing and then start accelerating through the easy turns that follow. It is important that you don't bring on the gas too soon or too quickly as you will skid into the grass and possibly hit the wall. * For advanced drivers: Wait till you see about 4 or 5 sections of fence before braking to ~170 mph (273 km/h). Push the gas pedal back down just enough to stay at 170 mph (273 km/h). Then slowly push the pedal down the rest of the way. This requires that you have a very good feel for the accelerator and that the accelerator be in good working condition (one of the machines here on campus has an accelerator that skips from idle to 6200 rpm - during a standing start, you can't hold the engine revs anywhere between those numbers - which messes me up here). You should be able to keep your speed above 170 mph (273 km/h) and accelerate as you turn. :)
After the LAUNCHPAD TURN, there's another S-CURVE and then a very GENTLE S-CURVE. (GENTLE S-CURVE goes left, then right) As you curve right through the last half of the GENTLE S-CURVE, stay in the rightmost lane. As soon as the GENTLE S-CURVE ends and you straighten out the wheel, start braking and downshift to 3rd.
* For novice drivers: As the LOADING DOCK CURVE (a 90 degree left) starts and while you're still braking, turn the steering wheel sharply to the left and finish braking at ~120 mph (~295 km/h). There's room for some skidding on the right side of the track, but if you are not on the track at the end of the turn, a nice wall awaits you. Start accelerating slowly, so as not to spin the rear tires. * For advanced drivers: You will probably be near 200 mph as you approach this curve. In order to slow down quickly without spinning, I pause for a fraction of a second after downshifting to 3rd and then downshift again to second. Finish your braking at ~130 mph (209 km/h), possibly even a *little* slower than that. Get back on the gas, and straighten out the wheel before shifting back up into 3rd.
Then it's a nice easy uphill right turn to the STARTING LINE time extension without further problems. Shift up to 4th gear and then repeat the previous lap to get to the finish line. Two good laps should put you in the top 3 for a look at the victory lap.
(5.1) Slot machine time extension - Beginner track
You can play with the slot machine in the forest straight by pressing the Start button. Each press stops one wheel. On the top of the machine it says:
777 = 1.000.000.000 Casino in Paradise
If you don't have an assistant to do the slot machine for you, stopping one spinning wheel per lap usually works pretty well. By getting one of the following combinations (it must be centered perfectly), you can get more time:
Three 7s = 7 seconds Three BARs = 5 seconds Three cherries = ? seconds
(5.2) Loss of sponsor sign - Advanced track
You will notice on the map that there is a road near the starting line that leads down and to the left. You can drive down this road (it's in line with the entrance to the pit road) to a short tunnel dug into the cliff face. At the end of this VERY SHORT tunnel is a sign that says:
CONGRATULATIONS You Just Lost Your Sponsors!
NOTE: You do not get a Time Extension for going to see this sign, so we recommend that you go 'sight-seeing' only if you have time left over at the end of a race or if you've totally given up on finishing.
(5.3) Upside-down statue of Jeffry - Expert track
To do this trick, you must drive around the track backwards (it's easiest to do this in Time Lap Mode). During your second (and final) lap, the statue will be upside-down. The best way to get a good look at the statue is to drive past it (during your 2nd lap) to the nearby time extension, and then turn around to observe at your leisure.
(5.4) 'Breakdancing statue of Jeffry' - Expert track
To see this, you must come to a complete stop in front of the statue of Jeffry. When you're stopped, hit the Start button several times. Jeffry will jump through several different frames (he should spin around once, spin around upside down, and then return to normal).
(5.5) Giant seagull - Expert track
To do this trick, you must get past the hairpin leading to the area with the horses and seagulls. Hit the Start button as you're driving up the straight *right after* the hairpin. When you reach the top of the hill (you should be approaching the horses),
the seagull that flies over the track should be much larger than normal. Be sure you don't go off-road here as pressing the Start button while on the grass will invoke the 'Off-road abort' explained below.
(5.6) Off-road abort
This is a feature similar to the Off-road abort from Atari's Race Drivin'. Hitting the Start button while you're on the grass returns you to the road, but it reduces your speed to 0.
(5.7) Going in reverse
If you feel you've mastered the tracks to the point where they're no challenge to you, here's something to make the game somewhat interesting again. You can turn around and go around the track backwards and STILL EARN time extensions. But be sure you start running backwards right after you've passed the Starting Line Time Extension (meaning you can turn around on any lap during the race - but be sure you turn around right after you pass the Starting Line time extension). All the Time Extensions on the track are reset at the beginning of each lap allowing you to gain time running forwards or backwards. NOTE: It is easier to finish a 'backwards' race if you've set the machine to Time Lap Mode and if you turn around at the start of the race (there is no need to cross the starting line at the start of a race to run a backwards race).
(5.8) Passing through pit lane
You can pass through the pits without stopping if you do it during your LAST lap. This trick works on the Beginner and Expert tracks only. It isn't very useful except to avoid driving through heavy traffic. It will, however, help you improve your time on the Expert track if you haven't learned to do the 'crossover' maneuver yet.
(5.9) Replacement initials
You can enter the following initials to play snippets of music during the Name Entry screen (after a record run):
NAG Virtua Racing MAS ??? GOS ??? MIT ??? ARI ??? YAS Virtua Racing DEK ??? OSA ??? GOM ??? D.K ??? MAC ??? KAG ??? MIY ??? KEN ???
The initials below play bits of music from the following games:
H.O Hang On S.H Space Harrier O.R Outrun A.B Afterburner P.D Power Drift V.R Virtua Racing V.F Virtua Fighter SHO Super Hang On SMG Super Monaco GP G.F Galaxy Force R.M Rad Mobile S.C Stadium Cross EXN Exhaust Note S.F Strike Fighter GLC G-LOC TOR Turbo Outrun ORS Outrunners GPR GP Rider F.Z Fantasy Zone E.R Enduro Racer SDI SDI QTT Quartet VMO Vermillion T.B Thunderblade
------------------------------------------------------------------------ (6) Game specifications ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deluxe edition: Width: 113.2 cm, 44.57 in Depth: 282.8 cm, 111.35 in Height: 186.3 cm, 73.34 in Weight: 375kg, 826.72 lbs. Power consumption: AC 110~240V, 725~740W Monitor: 50 inch Rear Projection TV.
Twin-screen edition: Width: 163.2 cm, 64.25 in Depth: 161.7 cm, 63.66 in Height: 181.4 cm, 71.41 in Weight: Approx. 475kg, 1047.19 lbs. Power consumption: AC 110~240V, 1030~1152W Monitor: two 26 inch TVs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ (7) Upcoming features ------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are working on adding the following to future versions of the FAQ: (1) a guide to multi-player racing (based on info provided by Ting-Yu Hsu) (2) JPEG files containing a cover page & a track map/guide (3) an information section explaining racing techniques and terminology
Plans for an 'Ask the Crew Chief' section diagnosing driving problems have been dropped (if someone would like to write one up, you're more than welcome to). ;)
Comments? Corrections? Suggestions? Additional hints? Easter Eggs? Better descriptions for the track guides? Send e-mail to either:
jackr@engin.umich.edu or jarnis@mits.mdata.fi
------------------------------------------------------------------------ (9) FAQ updates (where can I get them?) ------------------------------------------------------------------------
The latest version of this FAQ can be found in Andy Eddy's video game FAQ server via FTP.
(1) FTP to 'ftp.netcom.com' (2) login as 'anonymous' (3) use your e-mail address as your password i.e. jackr@engin.umich.edu (4) change to the '/pub/vi/vidgames/faqs' directory (5) get the file called 'daytona.faq'
You may also obtain a copy of this FAQ by sending an e-mail request to either:
