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Back when Crazy Taxi first hit the
arcades, it pulled in quarters like a Coke machine in the Mojave. After
appearing first on what would eventually be Sega's final console, the Dreamcast,
Crazy Taxi is making the rounds to all the other next-generation machines,
thanks to Sega's new third-party developer status. It's nearly completed for the
PlayStation 2, and now it's on its way to the GameCube.
At its heart, Crazy Taxi is a
fast-paced taxi driver simulation that goes well over the top. As you might
expect, the primary object in the game is to pick up customers and take them to
their destination to score points. The player is awarded fare and tip points
based upon how quickly and maniacally he or she delivers the customers.
Performing crazy moves is another way to build up points. Just driving closely
to a car gives you a crazy through bonus, while performing the crazy dash, the
crazy drift, and the crazy slide also contributes to your point total. And if
you link your slides, drifts, and dashes, you are awarded combo bonuses.
There are two different play modes in
Crazy Taxi: an arcade mode and the crazy box mode. The arcade mode lets you
choose one of two different cities and then hit the streets to make some loot.
You may then choose to either play by arcade rules, where each fare adds more
time onto the clock, or play in three-, five-, or 10-minute intervals while
raking in as many fares as possible. As you finish each work period, you are
awarded with licenses depending upon your performance. The real challenge lies
in getting the best license for each of the four playable cabbies. Getting the
best license on the 10-minute setting is no problem, but doing it in three
minutes will test the skills of the best player. The lack of multiplayer support
in the Dreamcast version was disappointing, and it would be surprising if this
feature made it into Crazy Taxi for the GameCube. Cooperative and head-to-head
modes could be a real blast.
The most unique gameplay mode in Crazy
Taxi is the crazy box mode. Crazy box consists of a series of minigames that
teach you how to master every driving manoeuvre in the game. One game has you
careening down a massive bowling alley while busting up pins with your cab,
another has you practicing your braking on a massive network of boardwalks, and
yet another has you flying off a massive ramp jumping for distance. Some of the
crazy box minigames are ridiculously easy, while others can seem nearly
impossible. You may play through the crazy box mode with any of the four
cabbies, and once every challenge is completed, a secret vehicle is unlocked.
The
graphics in Crazy Taxi for the Dreamcast were impressive for their time but will
have to be improved to compete with their peers on the GameCube. Even in the
Dreamcast version, the taxis look excellent, and the reactions of both driver
and passenger as you fly over cliffs or take tight turns are remarkably
accurate. The two cities where the arcade mode takes place are monstrous. Not
only are there different areas of downtown, but there are also highways
connecting the inner city to the suburbs. There are almost a dozen real-world
places to drop off customers--Pizza Hut, KFC, Tower Records, Levi's, and more
are all located within each of the two cities. Pizza Hut has its vaulted roof
and telltale red exterior, and KFC's drive-thru sign is exactly like the real
thing. While the Dreamcast version of Crazy Taxi suffers from dropping frame
rates and draw-in, the GameCube version should have no such problems. Both
cities feature dense traffic and scores of pedestrians roaming the streets,
looking for a cab, or running for their lives. While the sense of speed is
strong in its Dreamcast incarnation, Crazy Taxi on the GameCube's hardware
should be even quicker.
The right and left shoulder buttons
act, as the gas and brake in the Dreamcast version of Crazy Taxi, and the
GameCube controller's analog shoulder buttons will likely be put to the same
task. The crazy dash is the first special move that should be learned. It
let’s you gain a turbo boost and can be repeated at will. The crazy drift is
another manoeuvre that is essential to success. It enables you to take tight
corners while rolling up the bonus points. There are several other special
moves, such as the crazy back dash and the crazy back drift, which are more
difficult to perform but provide a nice depth to the gameplay and something to
master for the experienced player.
If you aren't a big fan of The
Offspring, you won't likely enjoy the music in Crazy Taxi. After you hear,
"Yah! Yah! Yah! Yah! Yah!" for the 20th time, you'll be glad that Sega
included the option to turn the music off. There are loads of voice samples
included in the game for each of the four cabbies, but the constant use of the
word "crazy" can also be a bit grating on the nerves.
If the GameCube version of Crazy Taxi
ends up being a direct port of the Dreamcast version, it should provide the same
pick-up-and-play appeal it had before. If the PlayStation 2 version of Crazy
Taxi is any indication, the GameCube version will likely have just that.
Concrete information should be forthcoming at E3 later this month. Stay tuned.