Cheat Index - Crazy Taxi GameCube Review

Let’s cut to the chase. Do you already own Crazy Taxi for Dreamcast or PS2? If so, don't even think about getting the GameCube version too...it couldn't be a straighter port. The console version is almost two years old and nothing has changed since the original release on Dreamcast. There are no visibly improved graphics or additional features in the GameCube version (except getting to use the GameCube controller, which some may prefer to the other choices).

Now if you've played Crazy Taxi in the arcades but never had a Dreamcast or PS2 to get the home version, the situation changes a lot. I won't go right out and suggest that you buy the game...some people will easily get fifty bucks out of it, and others will probably get their fill from a rental. But I do think that EVERYONE should play Crazy Taxi on one system or another, because it's a brilliant game design that is no less fun than it was in the arcades back in '99. The free-roaming arcade gameplay is exactly the sort of thing Sega has become famous for over the years.

The home version includes a whole second city to play in, although it’s not quite as tightly designed as the original. You can also practice your skills in the Crazy Box mini-games...they can really help you do better in the arcade mode. My only complaint with those is that they are far too difficult for someone not already well-versed in the control and gameplay, and the descriptions for each “mission” don’t explain the goals very well.

Is the game perfect? Well, no. The voices are almost unanimously terrible, especially the announcer. You can actually hear the pain in his voice as he tries to sound "cool" for the kids. Then there's the Offspring music...I know a lot of people love it, and I'll admit that the songs fit the game well, but they get old SO fast. There are maybe three or four songs in the game, they repeat constantly, and in my opinion they all sound more or less the same. I guess it's one of those love-it-or-hate-it things.

But the gameplay isn't. Pretty much everyone loves the Crazy Taxi gameplay, which is a major part of the game's appeal. The concept is fairly simple, and driving like a maniac to some inane location such as Pizza Hut (I don't know about you guys, but I let Pizza Hut drive to me...) is just plain fun. This is a great game to lure in parents, wives, girlfriends, potential girlfriends (ahem), little cousins, really anyone. Plus, the style is slick enough that it won't turn off the Xbox demographic. It's a shame there's no multi-player mode, because the gameplay has "party" written all over it.

Full Review