Crazy Taxi (video game)
A fast-paced arcade taxi-driving game with stunts and time pressure.
Crazy Taxi is a racing video game developed and published by Sega, first released in arcades in 1999. It tasks players with picking up taxi customers and driving them to their destinations as quickly as possible. The game has been regarded as one of the greatest video games of all time and became a Sega All Star on the Dreamcast, earning Player's Choice status on GameCube.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Kenji Kanno
- Producer
- Hisao Oguchi
- Artist
- Mitsuhiko Kakita
- Programmer
- Masaaki Ito
- Platforms
- Arcade
- Dreamcast
- PlayStation 2
- GameCube
- Windows
- PlayStation 3
- Xbox 360
- iOS
- Android
- Genre
- Racing, action
- Modes
- Single-player
- Arcade system
- Sega NAOMI
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Players must pick up customers and drive them to their chosen destination as quickly as possible. Money can be earned by performing stunts such as near misses with other vehicles. A large green arrow at the top of the screen points in the general direction of the destination, but does not adjust for obstacles. Upon arriving near the destination, the player must stop within a specified zone, and the customer's fare is added to the total money earned. Ratings depend on how long the journey took; if the customer's timer expires before arrival, they jump from the taxi without paying. Players can select three-, five-, or ten-minute settings, or Arcade Rules from the original coin-op version. Under Arcade Rules, the player starts with one minute and can earn time bonuses for quick deliveries. Console versions include a Crazy Box mode with minigames such as picking up and dropping off customers within a time limit, bowling with the taxi, and popping giant balloons. The arcade version has one stage; an additional Original stage was added for consoles. Both stages are set in sunny coastal Californian locales with steep hills. Players choose from four drivers—Axel, B.D. Joe, Gena, and Gus—each with slightly different cab attributes.
Development and marketing
The arcade edition was developed by Hitmaker as a variation from then-current arcade titles and ran on Sega Naomi hardware. It originally released as a sit-down machine, with an upright version later. The game was ported to Dreamcast, GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Windows; the Windows port was published by Empire Interactive and developed by Strangelite. Ports to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 originally forced a 4:3 aspect ratio, with widescreen monitors showing blue bars, but later featured full widescreen support. These ports are based on the Dreamcast version, including both the original arcade and the Dreamcast-exclusive level. The PlayStation 3 port released on November 16, 2010, and the Xbox 360 version the following week. An iOS version was released in October 2012, including the arcade map, the console map, and all Crazy Box challenges; completing all challenges unlocks a pedicab. Controls use either the touch screen or the device's accelerometer. Sega applied for and received U.S. Patent 6,200,138 in 2001, describing the arrow navigation system and pedestrian avoidance aspects used in Crazy Taxi.
Reception
In Japan, Game Machine listed Crazy Taxi as the second most-successful arcade game in their April 1, 1999 issue. It became Hitmaker's biggest hit. The Dreamcast version was the second highest selling Dreamcast game in the United States in 2000, with nearly 750,000 units sold. American sales later reached 2.2 million units across Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. The Dreamcast version sold out in the UK, and the PlayStation 2 version received a Platinum sales award from ELSPA for at least 300,000 UK sales. In Japan, the Dreamcast, PS2, and GameCube versions sold 155,714 units combined. Xbox Live Arcade sales in 2011 were nearly 100,000 units. The Dreamcast version averaged 90% on GameRankings. Subsequent ports received generally positive reviews but with declining scores: the PlayStation 2 port averaged 79% on GameRankings and 80/100 on Metacritic; the GameCube port scored 70% and 69/100; the PC port averaged 56% on GameRankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What platforms is Crazy Taxi (video game) available on?
Crazy Taxi was released for Arcade, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS and Android.
Who directed Crazy Taxi (video game)?
Crazy Taxi was directed by Kenji Kanno.
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