Crazy Taxi

If you think it's hard to flag down a cab in a big city, try driving one in Sega's zany straight-from-the-arcade port of Crazy Taxi. If you're one of the teeming fans who eagerly played Crazy Taxi in the arcade at a buck a pop, then this game is a must-buy, if only from a purely economic standpoint. Even those who don't know the difference between Crazy Taxi and the long-running TV series Taxi will immediately recognize the appeal of this game. In fact, this game is so impressive and addictive that it should easily convince a whole new wave of buyers to purchase a Sega Dreamcast. What's so hot about Crazy Taxi? For starters, the graphics sport the most impressive re-creation of a living city ever seen in a video game. The level of detail is astounding and never ceases to surprise the player as block after unique block speeds by. The city is a distilled version of San Francisco with some landmarks and neighborhoods left intact. Making it seem all the more real are apparent product placements of real-world retail locations such as KFC, Tower Records, and Pizza Hut. And just about everything you see on the screen is interactive: boxes, phone booths, and mailboxes topple when bumped or smashed, pedestrians leap and tumble out of your path, and the myriad of traffic attempts to avoid your erratic high-speed antics. While some driving games brag about a lack of boundaries, this one delivers--players drive on the ocean floor, off the second floor of a parking garage, through parks, and down stairs. A helpful hovering arrow points drivers in the correct direction, but you can truly drive wherever you want at any time, making for tons of replay value. While the game is a direct port from the arcade game of the same name, there's plenty more depth in the home version. In addition to the city that appears in the coin-op version, the Dreamcast version also includes an entirely new city. Crazy Taxi includes a trunk-load of mini-games that help to teach drivers how to perform the special speed boosts and maneuvers in the game. Though this game would be plenty exciting without any sounds at all, it has an adrenaline-pumping soundtrack supplied by punk crossover bands the Offspring and Bad Religion, as well as some good, if sometimes monotonous, dialogue between the driver and the passengers. --Jeff Young Pros: Wonderful, realistic graphics Easy to get into, and full of many long hours of addictive play Even more to offer than the fantastic arcade game upon which this is based Cons: On very few occasions players will encounter some graphic slowdown

Crazy Taxi is an incredible driving game where you play a cab driver trying to get the most fares in shortest time -- no matter what you have to hit to do it!

Crazy Taxi is a mad race against the clock and traffic. As any of four fearless cabbies, players are driven by a single goal: to rack up megabucks in fares and tips before their shifts end. Drivers pick up passengers and take them to their destinations by any means possible. It's a comic cab opera of collisions and decisions, where courtesy takes a back seat to coin. Crazy Taxi offers all the enthralling features that made it a must-play arcade and console game, including four different cabs and drivers, each with his or her own style and attitude, two expansive and interactive courses for extensive gameplay, nine minigames to challenge various driving skills, true driving dynamics, wild, mission-based gameplay infused with humor, and a rockin' soundtrack by Offspring and Bad Religion.

The Crazy Taxi Cab Co. has set up shop in New York City, and the streets of the Big Apple will never be the same. Hop into your ride and scour the city for fares. Race against the clock for a big payoff!

Crazy Taxi was an arcade game turned Dreamcast showcase that really helped sell the system. Now that the Dreamcast is on its last legs, Sega throws crazed drivers everywhere a bone by moving the sequel to the system. Crazy Taxi 2 is the same as Crazy Taxi, only crazier! First off, Sega moved the scenery from hilly San Francisco to the narrow urban canyons of New York City--which is a bad thing if the hills in the first game were an attraction. But this one has Central Park, and that's a thrill unto itself. Also, Crazy Taxi 2 lets you pick up multiple passengers (on occasion), which is the best way to keep that timer up and score bigger points. Once again you've got aggravating and conspicuous advertising in the game--from Burger King and KFC to clothing stores and other real-world destinations. Masters of Mayhem and Offspring supply the music. The Offspring song is a new one--at least we're pretty sure it is--but like all Offspring songs it sounds like the one from the last game. Additionally, there are new Crazy Stunts you can perform. Crazy Golf entails a run at a massive ball, with a goal of smacking it a good 100 yards. Crazy Balloon 2 challenges you to pop all the balloons in a short span of time. Plus there are three more minigames you can play. You can play arcade style with a set time limit, or on a big or small NYC map. The controls are tight and easily as good as last time, but some players may still have trouble performing some of the more difficult tricks. Also, this game is extremely similar to the first one. Anyone bored with Crazy Taxi isn't going to find Crazy Taxi 2 a breath of fresh air. But the game is still really fun for players of all ages. It's crazy, wild, and a completely realistic simulation of a real NYC cab ride. --Andrew S. Bub Pros: NY, NY is a heck of town Same tried-and-true gameplay as the original Lots of new minigames, drivers, and maps Cons: No hills Same tried-and-true gameplay as the original

Crazy Taxi 2 is set in the most taxi-crazed city of them all: New York. Leaving the California sun behind, this sequel has a grittier, more urban aesthetic--and an attitude to match. Though the object of the game is still to pick up and shuttle fares across the city, Crazy Taxi 2 sports better graphics, new and returning drivers, more missions, and a wild new jump feature that lets you clear cars and intersections at the touch of a button. Adding to the game's challenge are cab-sharing groups of people who aren't always going to the same place.