Daytona USA 2: Battle on the Edge

Daytona USA 2: Battle on the Edge is the follow up to the massively successful Daytona USA. The game later got a minor update known as Daytona USA 2: Power Edition. This version did not receive an actual home port until 2025 as a mini-game in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii under the name Sega Racing Classic 2: Battle on the Edge.

Unused Graphics#

"Sega Uniparsal Studios"#

A hidden texture loaded upon booting up the game. The image shows a picture of an unknown person (possibly a Sega AM2 developer) with the words "Sega Uniparsal Studios" (A romanization error of "Universal Studios") and Japanese text below saying "Coming Soon". This texture is referencing Sega and Universal Studios' partnership creating the GameWorks chain and restaurants in 1996 (dissolved in December 2021 but revived in July 2022, under different ownership). This texture was removed in Power Edition.

Prototype Car Select#

Prototype (in Texture)	Final

A texture showing a prototype car select screen is loaded into the texture cache during the setup screens; it can be seen on the animated arcade cabinet shown on the selection menus, but not in full. It differs considerably from the final game - the header "Car Selection" being used when selecting a transmission may also suggest originally the Normal level car (Scorpio Plasma) was the only one planned to be usable (as in the final game, selecting a transmission is given its own header, "AT/MT SELECT"). This is also present in Power Edition.

Hidden Hornet Car#

Present in Battle on the Edge is a hidden "Specialist Only" Hornet car with modifiable performance. This car was originally thought to have been unused, but it has since been revealed that it can be accessed via a code on the course selection screen. Multiplayer colors are also available for the car.

To unlock the Hornet, perform the following steps when starting a new game:

• Before starting the game, move the gear stick into first gear.
• At the course selection screen, move the stick into fourth gear.
• Before selecting a course, press the view select buttons in the following order: 1, 4, 2, 4, 1.
• Finally, either move the gear stick back to 1 or press view select 2 without touching the gear stick.

If done correctly, you'll get the Hornet in place of the usual selection of cars. The car's stats can be modified using the view buttons and the steering wheel. Inputting an incorrect gear or view select input before completing all the steps disables you from accessing the Hornet.

The Hornet would later be accessible without a code in the Power Edition update with a slightly different bonnet and the ability to adjust the car's performance removed. However, the vehicle is given gameplay and new intro sequences akin to the previous game.

Unused Sounds#

A traditional starting quote from Daytona USA, sadly unused in this game.

Same as above, but since Victory Lane wasn't featured, this goes unused, and instead, the endings were replaced by brief replays of the player racing through the whole track.

Both audio files are also found in Power Edition, unused yet again.

Regional Differences#

Daytona's region can be changed in the Test Menu by either pressing the B Service and B Test buttons simultaneously, or by holding Start and pressing the View buttons in a particular order (4, 4, 2, 3, 1, 3, 2).

The available regions are Japan, USA, Export, Australia, and Korea. The Japan region has all game text in Japanese, while all others have their text in English. The Export, Australia, and Korea versions are virtually identical to each other.

Parental Warning#

The USA region has its own Parental Advisory Warning screen, like other Sega games of its era.

Units per Hour#

Japan	USA	Export, Australia, Korea

One of the main differences between regions is what unit the speedometer is in between languages. In all versions besides USA, the speedometer is in kilometers. Note that this change does not apply to the attract mode, where all languages claim the game is a "Dangerous over 200mph BATTLE."

Course Select#

Japan	English

The Japanese version does not list the lengths of the tracks below the difficulty, while the English versions do. All English versions list the lengths in miles rather than kilometers.

Rolling Start Messages#

Japan	English

During a Rolling Start in the beginner course, the Japanese version wants to ACCEL ON!! (as in the first arcade game and Scud Race, regardless of any region), but if you're playing in English, you really ought to STEP ON GAS!!

Japan	English

Additionally, the message for not being in 4th gear is encased in a little gray box and has a larger arrow in Japanese, while the English message has a slightly larger number 4 with a smaller arrow and lacks a gray box.

Driving in Reverse#

Much like the previous Daytona USA game, the Japanese version has an additional shout by a crew chief saying "逆走だぁー！！" (You're driving backwaaaards!!!) after the crew chief shouts "Turn around!!" in English. This voice clip is a carryover from the previous game. The English version does not say the additional "Wrong way!" shout as in the previous game.

Game Assignment Menu#

Japan	USA (as well as all others)

When the game's region is set to Japan, there's an extra option to switch the vocals of the game's songs between DENNIS St. James and Takenobu MITSUYOSHI 's versions. This option is disabled for all other regions, but in exchange, those regions get to change how many laps are played for each course in the Normal (Sprint) game mode. This does not affect the secret to play Mitsuyoshi's tracks in the other versions (hold Start after choosing your transmission type), and in the Japanese version the secret plays the St. James versions instead. All of this does mean, however, that you can't hear Mitsuyoshi's version of the attract mode theme outside of the sound test in non-Japan regions.

Interestingly, the game's US service manual points out this setting, despite it not existing in that version.

Revisional Difference#

The game received a home port as part of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. It was retitled Sega Racing Classic 2: Battle on the Edge, removing any references to Daytona and tying it to the 2009 arcade game Sega Racing Classic. Oddly, because it's based on the Power Edition, there are tracks where the Hornet is always unlocked and can be driven on every track.