Crazy Taxi
Reviewed by JPeeples
Crazy Taxi was released in early 2002 for the
Nintendo Gamecube. This version of Crazy Taxi is
based on the PlayStation 2 rendition, which featured
new (read: HORRID) voices for some of the characters,
why on Earth Acclaim didn't go with the original
voices is beyond me, it must have been some legal
dispute. Since Sega actually made this game
originally, I will be crediting them with things they
made (novel idea), I can't believe people have
actually given Acclaim credit for adding in the
Original mode. Ugh, that kind of thing brings a tear
to my eye. Anyways, Crazy Taxi allows you to choose
from four distinctive cabbies: Axel, Gena, B.D. Joe,
and Gus. Each cabbie drives their own unique car, and
each car handles differently. Each of the cabbies'
cars have their own advantages and disadvantages,
which you will probably need to learn if you hope to
exploit the advantages and each car, and how to
compensate for the disadvantages. If you want to get
the most out of the game, you will take the time
needed to learn them, a whopping five or so mintues.
If not, you are only cheating yourself. All of the
characters are bursting at the seems with
personality. Now then, without further ado, let's get
onto the review.
The character design, while stereotypical, is
humorous. The game does not take itself too
seriously. The in-game environments look stunning.
Both cities feature lush, highly detailed
environments. The buildings feature a super-smooth
look, as do the game's vehicles. The human characters
in the game could stand be a bit less blocky, but
that's no big deal. The game usually moves at a
blisteringly high fast rate, unfortunately, as is the
case with most racing-esque games, the frame rate has
a tendency to drop when a lot of stuff is happening
on screen at once, this does cause some disruption,
this is very noticeable in the Original city, but,
it's no big deal, it doesn't really affect gameplay.
The game is also plagued with pop-up, this mainly
occurs on uphill areas in the cities.
The pulse pounding punk music of the Offspring and
Bad Religion sets the tempo for the white knuckle
excitement to come. Each band has about three songs
in the game, and each and every song does something
to add to the game. It's not all great though, due to
the limited playlist in the game, the soundtrack does
get repetitious after you have played the game a few
dozen times, but it doesn't bother me in the least.
The soundtrack for the game might bug others though,
especially those who do not like rock or punk music.
The cabbies' voices are clear, and fit the
characters. They all have many humorous comments to
make, as do the fares you pick up. The sound really
enhances the feel of the game, the game just wouldn't
be the same without the stirring punk soundtrack and
humorous voices. As I mentioned earlier, Acclaim saw
fit to use the hacked-to-bits voices from the
PlayStation 2 version of the game, how nice of them.
While these new voice actors do an admirable job of
getting across the characters they are portraying,
something is lost due to the lack of having the
original voice actors. The original game's soul is,
in a very small manner, taken away due to this
change. Kind of ironic in a sense, fans beg for
changes in ports, yet, when some come along, they
complain about them. Oh well, in this case, it really
does detract from the game.
The object of the game is to collect as many fares as
you can within a certain time limit. In theory, this
may sound like a cakewalk, but in practice it most
certainly isn't. Many factors are prevalent that can
determine success or failure. One of these factors is
the price ranges for the fares in the game. Here's
how the price structure breaks down: different price
ranges, and subsequently the length of the ride for
your customer are represented by colored circles
around your potential customer, red fares will pay
the least, but they have the shortest ride. Orange
fares pay a little more than red, they want to go a
little farther. Yellow fares offer the second highest
payoff, they also want to go farther than orange
fares. Finally, green fares will pay the highest, but
they also have the farthest to go. Numerous features
were added to the home release of the game, including
an entirely new city and set time limits (three,
five, and ten minutes) for you to complete your goal.
Sega added an Original mode to the game, this mode
adds a whole new city to the game, and essentially
doubles the game's replay value. Sega has also added
a practice mode of sorts, called the Crazy Box mode,
in this mode you utilize the many tactics you can use
to get your fares faster. This is a great addition to
the game because it makes you use the Crazy moves in
the game to accomplish the goals, once you complete
the Crazy Box mode, you're more than ready to hit the
road. There is a lot of incentive for you to collect
a ton of money, the game grades you after every run,
there are many licenses to get, from the C license to
the Crazy license (only the best of the best will get
this, the ultimate prize in the game.) It requires
you to get $20,000 in one run. This may seem simple,
but trust me, it's not, the game does give you a time
limit for each fare, if you don't make it to the
destination within the time limit, you lose the fare.
It's very exciting. You'll be hooked on this game
before you know it. The addition of the Crazy Box
practice modes is a welcome addition. They help you
to brush up on your technique if you're rusty. They
will also teach you the game's mechanics. The Crazy
Box mode can add a ton of fun to the game, if you
take advantage of it. It is one of the best practice
modes I've ever seen because it makes you use the
game's advanced techniques to progress through the
various parts of the mode. Unfortunately, if you just
play the game at face value, you run the risk of
getting bored of the game fast.
The controls in Crazy Taxi are top-notch. The
Gamecube's nearly flawless controller design really
makes this the best-controlling home edition of the
game ever. The button layout is simply brilliance,
although due to the simplistic nature of the
controls, it is definitely a case of there being
beauty in simplicity. The controls are unobtrusive
and are never unresponsive or jerky. The game does
feature some very unrealistic, borderline wacky
physics. For example, when you go over a hill, you
literally go OVER a hill, you are about ten feet off
of the ground. Thankfully, the insane physics only
help the game since they fit the style and feel of
the game perfectly.
The challenge of the game depends solely on how much
you know the level layout, the game does give you
arrows to help guide you, but you need to know the
layout so you can take advantage of the game's many
shortcuts. In the end, your own gaming skill will
decide your fate (what an astounding concept!) If you
don't put in any time and effort to learn the subtle
nuances of the game, then you deserve to have a game
that is far too challenging for you, since you didn't
do a single thing to remedy the situation. After all,
the game does provide an in-game tutorial mode, and
it is up to you to take advantage of it. If you
choose to not take advantage of it, you will be
cruising' for a bruising' after a few play sessions.
However, on the other side of the coin, if you decide
to make use of everything that you are given.
Meaning, you READ THE MANUAL to learn the controls,
and you use that Crazy Box mode until you know each
and every game technique there is; you will be
rewarded for your efforts in the form of the
ever-so-elusive S class license, and, if you REALLY
practice, the CRAZY license.
The replay value for Crazy Taxi is through the roof.
This is one of the most addictive games that I have
ever played. Believe me, you will not stop playing
this game until you have gotten a CRAZY license.
There is a surprising amount of stuff to do in this
game, not to mention all of the unlockable stuff
(i.e. secret vehicles.) Again, you will get exactly
what you put into this game. So if you give it 20
minutes to WOW you, and it doesn't, oh well. You just
decided to not partake in the gaming bliss that is
Crazy Taxi. It ss your loss, and you caused all of
your in-game torment. If you don't enjoy the game, it
will be because of your own doing. Either you did not
come into the game with an open mind, or you had
unrealistically high expectations that no game could
match up to, or some other thing.
This game is a rare treat; it combines excellent
graphics, imaginative character design, wonderful
sound, and flawless control to make a game that you
will want to play for months on end. This game may
seem shallow at first, but if you dig a little
deeper, you'll find that it has many things to offer.
By the way, for the rocket scientists who can't quite
figure it out, if you own either the PlayStation 2 or
Dreamcast versions of this game, don't bother picking
this version up. Now for the sheep who feel like
wasting their money on nearly-identical renditions of
the same game, go right ahead. It's your CRAZY money
to blow, just try to blow it on the right games. Wow,
I'm giving a sort of negative review to a Crazy Taxi
game, spooky nootchies. By the way, if I have not
made it absolutely clear, the music in the game
simply rules the universe. Bad Religion's heavy
guitar riffs and the Offspring's pulse-pounding
lyrics fit the game perfectly. The music really does
an amazing job at enhancing the atmosphere of the
game. Too bad the new voices manage to detract from
it. Also, the Crazy Box mode simply rules the world,
you will become addicted to it. And, if you don't get
addicted to it right away, simply give it time. Rome
wasn't built in a day, but your love for this game
sure will be, that is, if you come into it with an
open mind. If you are a Gamecube owner looking for a
quick thrill, and you don't feel like spending a
little more to buy a Dreamcast, Crazy Taxi, and Crazy
Taxi 2 for about $20 more than the cost of this game,
then you will love this game. But really now, just
get a DC if you don't have one, then pick up the
first two Crazy Taxi games. You will be getting a
great system, an unchanged version of the original
Crazy Taxi (it just isn't the same without B.D. Joe's
sarcastic voice), and the CRAZY sequel, which isn't
as good as the original, mainly due to shoddy level
design. Anyways, if you don't like this game, and you
have not had any exposure to the other
versions/sequels in the series, then you will have no
one to blame for it but yourself since this game
offers you tons of fun for your money. If you don't
enjoy this game, you will brood in sadness for an
eternity. You will wonder why your life has lost all
meaning. Is it because you did something EVIL in your
lifetime? Or maybe it's because YOU DIDN'T GIVE THIS
GAME A CHANCE! Or, perhaps, it could be some third
thing, but my money's on the not giving the game a
chance thing, what with me harping on for 2000 words
about it and all.
Overall: 7 out of 10