Crazy Taxi

Crazy Taxi
Studio	Hitmaker
Publisher	Sega
Erstveröffent- lichung	1999
genre	Arcade racing game
Game mode	Single player
control	Steering wheel , pedals and gearshift (automatic)
casing	Sit down
Arcade system	SEGA NAOMI = Main CPU : Hitachi SH-4 64 Bit RISC CPU @ 200 MHz GPU: PowerVR 2 (PVR2DC) @ 100 MHz Sound CPU: 32 Bit RISC @ 45 MHz Sound Chips: ARM7 Yamaha AICA

Crazy Taxi (console version)
Studio	Hitmaker
Publisher	Sega , Acclaim Entertainment (console implementation), Strangelite (PC implementation)
Erstveröffent- lichung	Dreamcast USA January 24, 2000 Europe February 25, 2000 PlayStation 2 USA 2001 Europe June 1, 2001 GameCube USA November 18, 2001 Europe May 3, 2002 PC USA 2002 Europe June 28, 2002 PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360 USA November 16, 2010 Europe 17th November 2010
platform	Dreamcast , PlayStation 2 , PlayStation 3 , GameCube , Xbox 360 , Windows , iOS , Android
genre	Arcade racing game
Game mode	Single player
control	Gamepad
medium	GD-ROM , DVD-ROM , MiniDVD , download
language	English, German, French, Spanish, Italian
Age rating	USK PEGI

Crazy Taxi is an action-packed racing game that was developed for Sega in 1999 by Hitmaker (formerly AM3) . After the release as an arcade game , ports followed to Dreamcast (2000), PlayStation 2 (2001), Nintendo GameCube (2001), Microsoft Windows (2002) and PlayStation 3 (2010). It is the first game in the Crazy Taxi series.

Game flow

The game takes place in a virtual city ( West Coast , which is optically based on San Francisco ). As a taxi driver, the player tries to pick up as many passengers as possible one after the other and bring them to different destinations. The game allows free driving in the large areas and freedom of choice as to which people should be transported. Even beforehand, a colored ring (and its radius) that surrounds the customers shows how far they want to be transported. At the beginning of the game you get a certain number of seconds as "starting capital", which immediately start to count down. As soon as you pick up a passenger, additional seconds are added to get the customer to their destination. In addition, a further clock starts over the head of the passenger and shows how many seconds are left for this passenger to count down. Successful delivery results in the amount specified at the beginning of the journey and, when the customer is dropped off, additional valuable seconds depending on the speed: with “Speedy” 5 seconds, with “Normal” 2 and with “Slow” none at all. In addition, you have the opportunity to receive increasing tips through various stunts, such as daring driving, jumps or drifts. If you do not manage to drive the passengers to their destination within the required time, they jump out of the car without paying. While driving, a large green arrow in the middle of the upper edge of the screen points to the destination.

The console and PC ports contain another city and the new "Crazy Box" mode as a game option. "Crazy Box" is a collection of mini-games that has even less in common with the genre of racing games than the main game. All of them are more likely to be assigned to games of skill . For example, the taxi functions as a bowling ball or the player has to try to set a long jump record on a hill.

The entire graphics of the game show a mixture of realism and cartoon look, which has many bright colors. Video Games magazine (3/00 issue) rated the Dreamcast version with 91%.

Soundtrack

The popular US music groups Bad Religion ( "Inner Logic", "Ten in 2010", "Hear It" and "Them and Us" ) and The Offspring ( "All I Want", "Change the World" and "Way Down" the Line ” ) have contributed pieces of music to the game that can be heard during the main game, the title and the credits. The PC version of the game is an exception, however, with a completely different soundtrack, from Pivit ( "Fingercuffs" and "Middle Children" ), Too Rude ( "The Distance" ) and Total Chaos ( "What You Gonna Do" and "Let It Roll" ). The 2010 new edition for PS3 / Xbox 360 also contains a different soundtrack than that of The Offspring and Bad Religion. The iOS and Android versions, on the other hand, have been given the original soundtrack again.

Product placement

The destinations to which the passengers wish to be taken contain not only general locations such as a police station, a stadium, a lighthouse or a train station, but also company-specific ones. These were Pizza Hut , FILA Store, Kentucky Fried Chicken , Levi's Store, and Tower Records . This feature is also missing in the PS3 / Xbox 360 version, other logos and brands were invented here, but most of them should be based on the original brands.

successor

Crazy Taxi 2

In 2001, the sequel appeared Crazy Taxi 2 exclusively for Dreamcast . The game principle of the original remains unchanged, but it is now also possible to chauffeur groups (two to four people). However, the wages are only paid when the last passenger has been delivered, which is why long journeys with groups are now more risky, but also more profitable. In addition, the taxi now has a jump function at the push of a button, which makes it possible to shorten over roofs and walls even more than in the first part, where you mainly had to use jumps. This time, the Big Apple and, as a second city, the Small Apple will be used, areas that are visually similar to the real New York City . However, these cities do not offer any urban dreariness, but a varied and colorful cartoon look. Another change is the new field of four drivers ( Slash , Iceman , Cinnamon and Hot-D ). For the first time, trips can also be recorded and saved on the VMU . These can either be Crazy Pyramid trips or “normal” trips, for which additional starting points are available and for which you have a fixed time account. The rating is based on how crazy the trip is and not how much money you have earned. As in the original, there are also new skill tests ( Crazy Pyramid ) in this game . Crazy Taxi 2 again offers a licensed soundtrack with new songs by The Offspring and, for the first time, Methods of Mayhem .

Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller

In the summer of 2002 , the third part of the series, Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller , was released , this time initially exclusively for the Xbox . The Glitter Oasis is a new area in this game . An area that is based on Las Vegas (and the Grand Canyon) at night . There are also four new drivers ( Angel , Bixbite , Mrs. Venus , Zax ). The innovations of the predecessor were consistently retained in a playful manner. In addition to the new area, you will also find the cities of West Coast and Around Apple (each an area from the two predecessors), which have been significantly revised and also contain the later updates (jumps at the push of a button, passenger groups, etc.). In these areas you can find the eight well-known drivers, whose design has been slightly revised. The game was ported for Windows in 2004. This game also features new mini and skill games ( Crazy X ). In addition to the songs that have already been used, the well-known bands also provide the music for this, plus Brian Setzer and Citizen Bird . An arcade machine for Crazy Taxi 3 also appeared later .

Handheld versions

In addition, an implementation of the first part for the Game Boy Advance ( Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride , 2003 by THQ ) was published. In 2007 the game Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars (in Japan Crazy Taxi: Double Punch ) was released for the PSP . This combines the first two Crazy Taxi parts. The soundtrack has been exchanged. The songs in the game are therefore from lesser known rock bands. However, your own songs saved on the PSP can be played in MP3 format during the game. All product placements have also been removed .

chronology

title	platform	Release date (Europe)
Crazy Taxi	Arcade , Dreamcast , PlayStation 2 , GameCube , PC	1999 (Arcade), February 25, 2000 (DC), June 1, 2001 (PS2), May 3, 2002 (GCN), June 28, 2002 (PC)
Crazy Taxi 2	Dreamcast	July 6, 2001
Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller	Xbox , PC , Arcade	September 19, 2002 (Xbox), 2003 (Arcade), February 26, 2004 (PC)
Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride	Game Boy Advance	June 12, 2003
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars	PlayStation Portable	September 28, 2007

Web links

• The "Crazy Taxi" series at MobyGames (English)
• Crazy Taxi in the Killer List of Video Games (English)

swell

1. ↑ Grace Chen: PlayStation Store Update. In: blog.us.playstation.com. November 16, 2010, accessed July 16, 2016 . 
2. ↑ Roland Fauster: PlayStation Store Update Preview (November 17). In: blog.de.playstation.com. November 17, 2010, accessed July 16, 2016 .