Synopsis
by Brad Cook
One of the more popular -- and certainly more creative -- racing titles to hit the arcades during 1999 is Crazy Taxi, an offbeat game wherein the goal is to take various passengers to their destinations as fast as possible. The gameplay is open-ended: you decide who you want to pick up based on the waiting passengers' fare levels, which are indicated by differently colored dollar signs over their heads.
Your job is to do anything you can -- including driving down sidewalks and cutting off other cars -- to get your passengers where they want to go as quickly as possible. Destinations can include such real world places as Tower Records and Pizza Hut. An overhead arrow points in the general direction you should go.
In this port for the Sega Dreamcast, which uses the same 3D "Naomi" chip technology as many of Sega's arcade games, you can pick from the same assortment of cabbies to control: Axel, an all-around average guy; B.D. Joe, whose car is really fast but lacks traction on non-paved surfaces; Gena, who can accelerate and brake with the best of them; and Gus, whose car is the opposite of B.D. Joe's. The music in the Arcade version, which was supplied by the bands Bad Religion and The Offspring, is the same here, as are many of the environments.
You race against the clock the entire time, and your customers give you tips for doing crazy stunts. The crazier the stunts the more money for you. At the end of the game, you receive a license that rates your level of craziness. The aim here is to be as crazy as possible.
For the home version, the developers at Sega's AM3 have thrown in more cars to unlock, such as a pedal taxi. They've also created a new course (which is also set in San Francisco) as well as a series of mini-games that you can play in order to unlock hidden cars. There are nine mini-games in all, each more difficult than the last.
The game will work with the Dreamcast steering wheel, and force feedback adds a real jolt to the bumps and jumps. Gamers with a Visual Memory Unit can use it to save their data and customized options.
Screenshots
Features
Squeal through two expansive courses with four different cabs and drivers
Drive in arcade, original, or crazy box game modes
Soundtrack featuring songs from Offspring and Bad Religion
Similar Games
Super Runabout: San Francisco Edition
Interplay Productions, Inc.
18-Wheeler: American Pro Trucker
Sega of America, Inc.
Extra Creditsby Brad Cook
The first game of this nature attempted by Sega was 1997's Harley Davidson and LA Riders. It was similar to Crazy Taxi in its play, but it wasn't as complex and open-ended.
The trend toward goofier racing games came about in the mid-to-late 1990s as technology got better and gamers wanted more than just another Pole Position with better graphics and sound. One of the games that exemplified this trend was Atari's California Speed, which included a course wherein the player drove through a shopping mall.
Game Trailer
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Also Available On
Platform
Publisher
Developer
Year
Arcade
Sega of America, Inc.
Sega AM3
1999
IBM PC Compatible
Activision Value Publishing Inc.
Hitmaker Co., Ltd.
2002
IBM PC Compatible
Activision Value Publishing Inc.
Hitmaker Co., Ltd.
2003
Nintendo GameCube
Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Acclaim Studios Cheltenham
2001
Nintendo GameCube
Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Acclaim Studios Cheltenham
2004
PlayStation 2
Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Acclaim Studios Cheltenham
2001
PlayStation 2
Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Acclaim Studios Cheltenham
2002
PlayStation 3
Sega of America, Inc.
2010
Xbox 360
Sega of America, Inc.
2010
Extra credits by Brad Cook
The first game of this nature attempted by Sega was 1997's Harley Davidson and LA Riders. It was similar to Crazy Taxi in its play, but it wasn't as complex and open-ended.
The trend toward goofier racing games came about in the mid-to-late 1990s as technology got better and gamers wanted more than just another Pole Position with better graphics and sound. One of the games that exemplified this trend was Atari's California Speed, which included a course wherein the player drove through a shopping mall.
Game Trailer
-->
Click here to get the Flash Player
-->
Also Available On
Platform
Publisher
Developer
Year
Arcade
Sega of America, Inc.
Sega AM3
1999
IBM PC Compatible
Activision Value Publishing Inc.
Hitmaker Co., Ltd.
2002
IBM PC Compatible
Activision Value Publishing Inc.
Hitmaker Co., Ltd.
2003
Nintendo GameCube
Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Acclaim Studios Cheltenham
2001
Nintendo GameCube
Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Acclaim Studios Cheltenham
2004
PlayStation 2
Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Acclaim Studios Cheltenham
2001
PlayStation 2
Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Acclaim Studios Cheltenham
2002
PlayStation 3
Sega of America, Inc.
2010
Xbox 360
Sega of America, Inc.
2010
Controls: Joystick/Gamepad, Steering Wheel
Flags: 3D Graphics, Voice, Based on an Arcade Game
Included in Package: 28-page Instruction Manual, Registration Card