Who says women aren't good drivers? (Crazy Taxi (DC))

Member Name: scottish20

Product:	Crazy Taxi (DC)
Date:	24/07/01 (75 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Simple, Easy

Disadvantages: Compulsive!!!!!

I must admit that I don1t really like computer games, but Crazy Taxi is in a league of it1s own. The shops are stacked high with Tomb Raider-like shoot-as-many-things-as-possible games or at the other end of the scale, the Rally games i.e. drive round and round for ages until you eventually crash into a strategically positioned lorry - Yawn! How refreshing to find a game that is simple, relatively easy to play and yet fantastic.

Last year, I shared a house with 3 lads, 1 Playstation, a N64 and a Dreamcast - heaven for the boys but I really struggled with even "Mario". Until the arrival of Crazy Taxi - I have to admit that I secretly practised before impressing them on my "first" attempt at this completely unique and exciting game.

So what is it all about? You pick your driver (and even the girl is quite good) and then you set off around town (looked quite like San Francisco to me) to the frantic yet apt music of "Offspring", collecting fares and then racing them to their destination, dodging trams and other vehicles with the occasional leap over road works or a river. Fab! There is a time limit in which you have to get your fare to their chosen destination and if you don't make it, they just jump out of the car! So you tend to drive the wrong way down the freeway, cut across parks and squares and you can even drive up steps. But don't panic, the pedestrians always dive out of your way! The faster you go, the more money you get and the passengers also give you extra money for cutting very close to cars and any jumps that you successfully execute - the females also squeal with delight! When you have run out of time, you are awarded a license depending on the number of fares you successfully deposited at their destination and the amount of money you got. My best was an F grade license and was told "Man, get back out there and practise!".

There are different game choices. My person
al favourite is the Arcade version, as I have already discussed but there are also a series of (sort of) practise games. For example, there is one when you have to drive really fast down a busy freeway and dodge the traffic. The aim is to go really close to other vehicles without hitting them until you manage 30 'close encounters' in a row. Sounds a bit daft but it is strangely addictive!

According to my housemates, the design and graphics of the game are pretty good - I wouldn't really know because I have to concentrate so much on keeping my car in forward drive (Women drivers eh?). Having said that, there were moments in the game when inexplicably everything goes into slow motion - apparently this is due to the amount of detail in the game.

But overall, Crazy Taxi is great. As the game time runs out, the driver stretches back in his driving seat and declares ?Man, I need a beer?. Little details like this really impressed me. Wonderful idea for a game and what's more, I can watch other people play it for ages!

And I believe there is a Crazy Taxi 2 - unfortunately, I no longer live with my Dreamcast!

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