Crazy Taxi is a 1999 arcade driving game developed by Hitmaker and published by Sega. It is the first game in the Crazy Taxi series.
Gameplay
Players assume the role of one of four taxi drivers; Axel, B.D. Joe, Gena or Gus as they pick up passengers and drive them to their destination to earn as much money as possible from their fares before time runs out by performing 'Crazy Stunts' to earn additional tips. These stunts range from driving over ramps to getting close to incoming traffic without crashing.
The game uses real life franchises such as Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, FILA and Tower Records as locations for the passengers to be driven to.
The soundtrack is performed by The Offspring and Bad Religion, lending the game it's own unique sense of anarchy through punk rock.
The home versions include new modes 'Original' which allows players to hone their skills around the San-Fransico inspired city, and 'Crazy Box' which contains a series of mini game challenges designed to teach the more advanced gameplay mechanics of the game such as 'Crazy Dash' and 'Crazy Drift'.
Reception
Crazy Taxi recieved overwhelming positive reviews and the Dreamcast original was one of the best selling titles of the console, and is the third best selling game on the Dreamcast in the United States.
Critics praised it's ability to bring the arcade home and has been lauded as an arcade classic with it's simple to pick up and play but hard to master gameplay.
Trivia
- There has been at least two attempts to turn Crazy Taxi into a movie franchise[1].
- B.D. Joe has been a playable racer in both Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed.
References
External links
- Crazy Taxi (game) at Crazy Taxi Wiki
- Crazy Taxi at MobyGames
- Crazy Taxi at GameFAQs
- Crazy Taxi at Sega Retro
- Crazy Taxi at Sega-16
- Crazy Taxi at Hardcore Gaming 101
- Crazy Taxi at The Cutting Room Floor