The long bright piece at the top of the shelf here labeled “DAYTONA USA” is a topper for the 1994 Sega arcade racing game Daytona USA. Flashy arcade toppers like this were common for attracting attention and letting people know what they were playing. We found it at an auction and picked it up because it looks cool, especially when lit up.

If you’re familiar with arcade machines, this topper might seem much wider than usual. That’s because Daytona USA machines were manufactured two seats at a time. Not only did one machine allow you to race against a friend, but these machines could be linked together for up to 8 players racing on a single track (see photo, courtesy of Pinball Pete’s arcade in Ann Arbor, MI).

As for the game itself, Daytona USA had a lot of innovation going on, and it’s the innovation that makes Daytona and similar games an arcade-only experience. Home video game consoles couldn’t offer everything that Daytona USA had going on, especially in 1994, a couple years before processing for 3D graphics was common in home consoles.

The massive racecar-style seats, hefty metal pedals/gearshift, and a steering wheel that physically pushed back at you when taking harsh turns or when bumped by another racer are all features of this game designed to immerse you into the race track, and some of that immersion remains unsurpassed over thirty years later.