Daytona USA (arcade) Powersliding Manual Jason Lewis ke6drt@hotmail.com GameFAQs alias: JaSoN Version 1.0 11/5/2001 8:00 pm CST Daytona USA, quite possibly the greatest arcade racing game, even if it's years old. This game was a revolution in it's time, because never before did a game look and feel so amazingly real. This game was created by Sega's AM2 division, and uses the Model 2 polygon board. It pales in comparision to the newer Naomi board, but anyone who played Daytona when it was new will tell you that it NEVER gets old. Powersliding is an integral part in Daytona USA. Not only does it look cool, it allows you to take some of the toughest and sharpest corners at insane speeds. This manual has been created to teach players some of the basics of powersliding, as well as some of my own techniques. Legal stuff: Daytona USA Powersliding Manual is Copyright 2001 Jason Lewis. Print this out, share with your friends, whatever. I don't really care if you post a modified version of this FAQ somewhere, just as long as I receive the proper credit. And don't let me find out you're making money off this. Version history: 1.0: First version The bare bones basics --------------------- There isn't a single person reading this FAQ who when he or she first started playing this game, didn't race the beginner track "turn hard left, ride the wall, hope for the best" style. This certainly isn't the way to go. It would actually be faster to do a controlled braking to 160 mph (255 kph) and take the corner without sliding at all, which wouldn't be a bad strategy, but it won't win races. In Daytona USA, powersliding is the name of the game. Powersliding is all about forcing the car to jump sideways, and making the car slide around the turn in a four wheel drift while using the throttle to keep the speed up. If you've ever watched a dirt track race, such as the World of Outlaws or the Campionship Off Road Racing series, this isn't too different. The Mount Sonic turn in the beginner track is the perfect spot to learn how to powerslide, just because there are a number of different ways to tackle that turn, each with a balance of speed and difficulty. The most basic way to powerslide is by using the brake alone. This is achieved by pressing the brake while turning into the corner, allowing the car to slide. Then when the car has slowed enough, usually by the apex, or middle, of the corner, feed the throttle back in to accelerate off the corner. I would recommend slowing the car down to 165 mph (265 kph) for your first few slides. Don't be discouraged if you smack the tail of the car on the outside wall a few times, powersliding is an art and requires hours of practice. It has taken me from about the time this game first came out in 1994 to just recently to gain the knowledge for this game I have today. After mastering the 165/265 slide, try doing the same thing, except slowing to only 170 mph (273 kph) before feeding the gas back in. Again, this requires practice. Luckily, with 8 laps a race, you should be able to get a fair amount of practice with only a few dollars. Once you get good at the 170/273 slide, it's time to try something new: manual transmission. This may add a bit of diffuculty, knowing when to shift, but the amount of control manual provides far outweigh any added difficulties. Now try this: just about the time you would start braking for the turn, downshift to 3rd and press the brake, sliding into the corner as normal. Try slowing to about 175 mph (280 kph) then feed the gas back in, keeping the gearshift in 3rd for now. Later you will find that shifting to 4th in the corner will allow for additional acceleration, but this would mandate a slightly wider exit. Advanced techniques ------------------- Now it's time to utilize the shifter a bit more than previously. It is possible to powerslide using only the shifter, with no brakes, and this method would allow for both faster speeds and more control. Continue practicing on the beginner track for now. At the Mount Sonic turn, try this: instead of downshifting to 3rd, downshift to 1st, and press the brake to slow to 175 mph (280 kph), then feed the gas back in. You should notice that the car slowed down a bit faster than before. By using 1st gear, you can slow the car down quickly, yet maintain fast speeds through the corners. You can try using the shifter alone without the brakes, which would even allow you to keep the foot on the gas through the whole corner. Again in the Mount Sonic turn, downshift to 1st, keeping your foot on the gas, and slide into the corner. Allow the car to slow to 180 mph (288 kph), then shift to 3rd, finish the slide, and finally shift to 4th off the corner. We are now taking this turn 15 mph (23 kph) faster than when we started, yet with practice you should notice that this method is actually easier to execute than using brakes alone! After a few laps, try shifting to 4th in the middle of the corner instead of exiting the corner. This will add a little more speed to your exit, but again, allow for a slightly wider exit. There is still however, room for more speed through the corner. My current strategy for this corner is to downshift to 2nd and slow to 185 mph (295 kph), then shift to 3rd for a moment, then to 4th as I exit the corner. Sometimes when I feel lucky, I shift directly from 2nd to 4th in the middle of the corner. However, this would allow for acceleration through the middle of the corner, and that concrete wall sure loves to reach out and touch someone. Of course, not every turn in the game is just like the Mount Sonic turn, but practice here should provide you with a strong foundation for developing strategies for the other turns in the game. The next step would be to try the Advanced track, which has a nice mix of quick turns, long sweeping turns, and one nasty hairpin! The Expert track will come later down the line. Go ahead and read my Daytona USA Track Guide for more information. Good luck! I would like to hand my thanks out to Sega AM2, for making such a fine game; Eugene Moon, for the novice strategies in his FAQ I used as a bumbling rookie; Mark Kim, for his advanced strategies I used to improve my game; The Game Room at the Birdcage Walk in Citrus Heights, CA for having that 4-player machine all those years; and the Main Event bowling alley in Lewisville, TX for having the 8-player deluxe extravaganza, which is also the most well-maintenced Daytona USA machine I have played. Thanks for reading my FAQ! If you have questions, comments, or corrections, feel free to email me.