If there's one thing Sega is no stranger to, it's revisiting classic licenses in a whole new light.  These next few weeks alone, we'll be seeing revamped versions of House of the Dead and Sonic the Hedgehog, in ways that both fans and newcomers can appreciate.  And later this month also marks the return of an arcade racing pioneer -- Daytona USA.

The company officially announced Daytona earlier in the week, and has stated that it will be coming to both Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.  And you won't have to wait long for it, either -- the release is coming October 25th on PSN, and a day later on Xbox.

Those of you who remember the original arcade game (or the Saturn and Dreamcast ports that followed) will no doubt remember the furious racing action that it had, along with (at the time) revolutionary graphics and multiplayer prospects galore.  In fact, you can't walk into a Dave and Busters anymore without seeing some sort of multiplayer cabinet set-up featuring the game.  Well, that feeling will be a part of the home version, as Sega has confirmed that this downloadable edition will be online supported.  Up to eight players can join in a race at the same time, with various tracks to choose from.

Instead of revamping the game with a fresh new graphic engine (like it did earlier in the year with the Sega Rally Revo-flavored XBLA and PSN release), Daytona USA will retain its old-school look, with blocky looking cars, a speedy frame rate and cool track designs.  It will be enhanced for 1080p though, so it'll fit your new-fangled TV without looking TOO old.  The music will also remain intact, complete with cheesy singing (the Daytona USA song in the trailer below is too hilarious to miss) and roaring engines.

Along with online multiplayer, Daytona USA will also feature various modes, including Arcade, Original, Survival and Time Trial, which will no doubt use leaderboards so you can compare your best racing times with others.  What we're compelled by, though, is a new mode called Karaoke.  It's apparently a mode where, as you race, you actually sing along to lyrics from the songs.  No, we're not kidding.  And we're off to a "rolling start", it seems.  (Just listen to the start of the first race, you'll get it.)

Best of all, Daytona USA will not only support regular controllers, but Sega has also confirmed it will support driving wheels, including the Logitech GT Driving Force on the PS3 and various 360 peripherals.

There's no word on pricing just yet, but we're guessing that it'll run 800 Microsoft points, like its previous releases.  Be sure to check back for more singing madness and racing fun soon.  Just under two weeks away!

About the Author

Robert Workman

Senior Writer/Editor

Robert has years of experience in the video game industry, writing for such sites as AOL GameDaily, PlanetXbox360 and Comic Book Resources.  He can also outdrink you any day of the week.  And twice on Sunday.  Follow him at www.twitter.com/thedcd.