A LOT MORE THAN JUST A TAXI GAME (Crazy Taxi (GC))

Member Name: ps2update

Product:	Crazy Taxi (GC)
Date:	10/08/02 (683 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Bright, colourful arcade fun, Highly Addictive, A very original concept

Disadvantages: Only two cities, The colour blinds you!

This remake of the original has already wowed audiences of Sega's Dreamcast, and Sony's PS2. Can it do the same for owners of the GameCube? It's time to find out…

GRAPHICS

As with most games available for the Nintendo GameCube the graphics are cartoon-like as opposed to realistic; this style of graphics is used as it is quite simply better for an arcade style game. The graphics are very fluid, and there are lots of things surrounding the two towns in the game that quite clearly seem to be American based despite the game being made by Acclaim Cheltenham and Sega. There are various things displayed on the screen to help the gamer throughout their quest to become the world's greatest taxi driver, these include, a display telling you how much total game time you have left, a display above the passenger's head telling you how much time you have left to drop them off, and the total amount of money earned.
When racing through streets taking passengers to their desired destination you will notice that a great deal of attention has been put into this game to make it seem as real as possible despite the cartoon effects. The shops all look realistic and if you have ever been around a shopping mall you would recognise some stores such as KFC, Pizza Hut, and The Original Levi's Store instantly. The other vehicles that you pass look equally as impressive visually as your bright yellow taxi that seems to have been polished to perfection. Tiny details such as adverts on bus's, and unique indentations in lorries are all present. As well as the usual yellow, and white lines that litter the roads one will also take note that the road isn't always even with rough marks as if the road is worn due to mass cars passing, this detail helps the gamer believe that this imaginary town is real.
Crazy Taxi makes use of bright colours in true Sega fashion. The sky and sea are both perfect crystal blues, white smoky clouds peak throu
gh the blue sky. The people that wish to picked up are also brightly coloured, and can be wearing as much as a full suit, to as little as a skin tight bikini depending on where you pick them up from. To help the gamer know whom to, and not to pick up the passengers that require picking up have a circle around them, just to make life less complicated.
The interactive element of the game with people getting on with their work, driving around town, and going for a dip in the sea gives the game a fresh, vibrant look, and can sometimes make the gamer a little envious that they are playing the game, and not in the ideal city that the game depicts.
17/20

SOUND

As with most arcade games you need a good killer soundtrack to really make the gamer feel at home. The best thing to make the gamer feel lively and happy is to put in some of the latest punk rock such as the sounds of The Offspring or Sum 41. As luck would have it Crazy Taxi has done exactly that and have signed The Offspring, and Bad Religion to provide music for the game including titles such as the appropriately titled "No Brakes" by The Offspring. On top of the punk rock that plays throughout the game gamers are treated to passengers talking to them. Whether they are helping you telling you to "turn left", applauding your driver with an almost orgasmic scream as you pull off a stunt, or telling you "you suck" when your driving is less than satisfactory, they will always keep talking to make your journey that more enjoyable. As you earn more money you'll hear the pleasant clink to represent that you are benefiting financially. There is of course the sound of the engine, breaks, and horn present - a standard feature that gamers expect to hear.
There are sounds in the game that you wish you didn't have to hear because it just highlights how poorly you are driving, such as the bone-crunching thud as you smack into a wall, the screams of abuse as y
ou make your passenger late, or of course the screams of plain fear as you perform a death defying stunt that doesn't go quite as planned. Another sound that you would rather not hear is "Class D license - I'm sure you could do better than that". A cry that you will hear at the end if you have only performed to a poor standard, luckily though this will only happen in your first few attempts and you will soon be racking up Class A licenses.
The sound provided seems to be appropriate and doesn't miss any essential ingredient out for a successful arcade taxi game; it's enjoyable, it's spot on, and it makes you feel a part of the action.
18/20

GAMEPLAY

It looks good, it sounds good, but does it play well? It is becoming too frequent an occurrence that games that look, and sound great play about as well as a man can walk after having their leg amputated. Take for example the Fifa series, they look great, the commentary is a lot better than the sounds of Pro Evolution Soccer but when it comes to playability they just don't produce the goods. Sure it is playable, sure it can be fun for the first five minutes, but the novelty of scoring ten goals in five minutes wears off the third time around.
Luckily for us gamers Crazy Taxi does actually play well. Admittedly the concept doesn't sound too brilliant; be a taxi driver, get paid money, transport them around. However Sega have managed to pull off a great taxi game, due to it being an arcade game as opposed to a simulation. If this were a simulation then the chances of success would be very low indeed!
Crazy Taxi is a lot more than just a taxi game, it is a game where you get to perform outrageous stunts, collide with cars at full on speeds, zoom around corners recklessly, and be rewarded with cash for impressing the passenger. To earn cash there are three main things to do; take the passenger to their desired destination in time (preferably as quick as
you can to earn maximum cash), impress the passenger with outrageous stunts, and impress the passenger as you swerve and narrowly avoid accidents.
When driving around in Crazy Taxi there are four drivers to choose from; B.D. Joe, a very cool black guy with a big attitude about him, Gena, a red haired female whom is all about business, Gus, a middle aged guy who is very slick, and seems devious, and lastly the green haired Axel whom seems to be the cool dude of the pack dressed in his black shorts, trainers, and open shirt. When playing the game you will experiment with each driver but a few games later you will have decided which driver suits your style, depending on whether you are the kind of driver that likes to perform stunts, take short cuts, or just drive very cautiously.
Crazy Taxi boasts two cities, initially this sounds feeble but if one takes into account that these cities are massive, and it doesn't sound so bad after all. These cities are the equivalent to the cities in GTA3 if not bigger. The two cities are found in arcade mode, and original mode; both cities have similar shops, and places to take customers too, and both span a good few kilometres in length. Although the cities are gigantic as you progress you will learn short cuts to get to different locations, in a bid to be the ultimate taxi driver. Both arcade, and original modes are similar, but both are well worth playing.
Crazy Taxi also includes a "Crazy Box" mode. This mode includes various tasks to complete, and can prove very addictive as you try to beat the time set by the computer, and your friends times. It is a mode that you can play over, and over again, and although Crazy Taxi is technically not a two player game one can guarantee that gamers will compete against their friends to see who can get the best times, and heights in these unique challenges. There are many tasks to complete, and once you have perfected Crazy Taxi in the arcade and original mode and ge
tting a ranking of 1st, you will spend vast amounts of your time on Crazy Box mode.
As far as handling goes the car handles like a dream in a re-vamped "crazy" way. You can make fast turns, spin off, reverse and sometime go for a quick run in a car that almost resembles joyriding in GTA3. Sadly unlike GTA3 Crazy Taxi has no damage, meaning that if you do mess up and crash the taxi will not slowly brake down, and parts will not fly off the car.
The great thing about Crazy Taxi is that it is a pick up and play title, and a title that you can play over and over again, if only to beat your own scores. Whoever thought that picking up people, as a taxi driver would be this fun?
22/25

LIFESPAN

This game is seemingly unlimited as far as lifespan goes, the only thing that stands in your way is your boredom and when it comes to Crazy Taxi it is unlikely that you are going to get bored. Although there are only two cities, and three modes there is just an endless amount of things you can do. Firstly you must rank first on both cities, and then there is Crazy Box mode to complete. There are also a few surprises along the way to unlock. Crazy Taxi should definitely keep you going until the sequel comes out, whether you want to play the game quickly for ten minutes, or for a lengthy three-hour session it will prove enjoyable. If you believe that you will still feel bored playing the game then there is one thing to do, purchase it and try it for yourself - guaranteed enjoyment on a disc! Still not satisfied? Invite a few friends around, and compete to be the ultimate champion on Crazy Box mode, that will last you hours particularly if you compete against a gamer that is of similar ability to you. The only disadvantage of this game in the lifespan department is that there are just two cities; and since the game lasts so long a third city really isn't necessary!
22/25

ORIGINALITY

Crazy Taxi is the first ever game whe
re you must collect passengers and take them to different locations. Crazy Taxi brings a totally new genre of gaming to the GameCube and is on par with the first Metal Gear Solid in the originality department. As this genre has not been tried before it cannot be compared to anything, and as a result is totally original. A list could be compiled with original, and innovative features that Crazy Taxi brings to gaming that no other game has before, but I feel the title "Crazy Taxi" sums it up as it is.
10/10

OVERALL

It is excellent for Nintendo fans that the Sega's hit taxi game has came to their console. This is one of the few titles that shone for the Sega Dreamcast, and is a title that all gamers will enjoy. It is essential that all respectable owners of the GameCube play this game whether they rent, steal, buy, or borrow it - an original, and pleasing addition to the GameCube.

89%

Summary: