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Crazy Taxi

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Crazy Taxi franchise logo

Crazy Taxi is a series of racing video games, developed by Hitmaker and published by Sega, first released to arcades in 1999. Each game has the player assume the role of a taxi driver and must accumulate the most money by delivering passengers to their destinations in the fastest time possible. The success of the arcade version prompted Sega to release the game on their Dreamcast console in 2000. It was the fourth best-selling game on that system, selling over a million copies.[1] The game was later ported to the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and PC with sequels also appearing on Microsoft Xbox, Game Boy Advance, and PlayStation Portable systems.

The franchise has been recognized for its innovative gameplay design that is easy to learn but difficult to master, its use of unobtrusive in-game advertising, and its soundtrack music provided by the bands The Offspring and Bad Religion.[2] The core gameplay mechanic has been patented by Sega,[3] which has led to at least one lawsuit over similar gameplay in The Simpsons: Road Rage game which has since been settled out of court.[4]

Gameplay

The player picks up a passenger in Crazy Taxi. The image of the passenger's destination is shown to the left, while another potential passenger is shown in the background (with a "$" symbol over their head)
The player follows the on-screen arrow to deliver the passenger to their destination before the main time (upper left) and the passenger timer (green number in center) runs out. The player can earn extra tip by pulling off "crazy" stunts

Crazy Taxi and its sequels are score attack games that employ the same fundamental rules and mechanics. The player controls one of several taxi drivers in a fictional city, looking for fares and then taking them to their destination in the fastest time possible. Passengers looking for rides are indicated by a colored marker above their head, the color representing the distance to their intended destination, from red indicating short trips to green indicating long ones. When the player stops near their fare, they gain a number of seconds to a gameplay countdown timer as the passenger gets in the car, who also is shown with a passenger countdown timer; the player must then take the fare to their destination before either timer runs out. The player can use special "crazy stunt" moves such as drifts, jumps, and near-misses, and consecutive combos of these, to earn extra money from the passenger during the trip. If the destination is arrived in time, the player is paid based on the distance driven with a possible time bonus based on how fast the ride was. If the passenger's countdown drops to zero, they will bail from the taxi and require the player to look for another fare. The game continues in this mode as long as time remains on the gameplay clock. Once this clock reaches zero, the game is over, and the player is ranked and rated based on the total fares earned.[5] Crazy Taxi producer Kenji Kanno noted that the time extension on gameplay was a breakaway of the current "100 yen for 3 minutes" that persisted at the time for arcade games, and rewarded players with longer playing times by performing well in the game.[6]

Unlike other arcade games, the player cannot continue from where the previous game ended. The game cannot be played indefinitely: while there are hundreds of potential passengers to pick up and deliver, there are only a limited number of fares in the game. While the various passengers scattered throughout the city randomly turn on and off as time goes on, once one is picked up that passenger is gone for the rest of that play. The core gameplay in the series has been praised as being "deceptively complex";[2][5] as stated by the IGN staff for their review of the Dreamcast version of Crazy Taxi:[2]

As you progress through the game's ratings scale by picking up and delivering passengers as quickly as possible, you will slowly but surely realize that there is much, much more to the game than getting from point a to b.

— IGN Staff, Crazy Taxi (Dreamcast) Review

Starting with Crazy Taxi 2, the game added the ability to pick up a party of passengers, each whom have a different destination. The bonuses earned from stunt driving are multiplied by the number of passengers in the car at that time, while the total fare can only be earned once the last passenger is dropped off.[7]

The console games have also featured a set of minigames that focus more on the driving aspect of the game. Some these test the player's handling of a taxi, while others are more exaggerated, such as taxi bowling or pool. These were designed to help let the players improve their skill while also letting them have fun with the game.[6] Some minigames require the completion of others before they can be accessed.

Kenji Kanno has noted that the gameplay in the Crazy Taxi series has not "evolved" with each new game "because basically the whole point of the game is to have a lot of fun in a short period of time, and it's a very concentrated game. So instead of trying to evolve the series necessarily, it's more like taking that concept and putting it in different places -- seeing how it works."[8]

Setting

Through the series, the cities used within the Crazy Taxi games have been influenced by real-world cities, including San Fransisco, Los Angeles, New York City, and Las Vegas. Certain versions of the Crazy Taxi game include in-game counterparts of real-world businesses, including Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, FILA, and Tower Records;[9] these were often destination targets for the passengers. Although this is one of the most prominent examples of product placement in video gaming history, it is generally looked upon relatively favorably amongst gamers, perhaps because it gives a sense of realism to the (semi-)fictional city in the game.[10] These have been removed in later games due to difficulty and lapsing of licensing.[11]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of the Crazy Taxi series has typically been licensed hard rock and punk rock music. The arcade and first home console versions includes selections from punk rock bands The Offspring (notably "All I Want") and Bad Religion, though these have been removed in both the GameBoy Advance and the PlayStation Portable remake due to licensing issues.[11] In the case of the GameBoy Advance Catch a Ride, the game uses instrumental music instead of recorded songs.[12]

Games

The Crazy Taxi arcade cabinet

Crazy Taxi (arcade)

See also: Crazy Taxi

The arcade version of Crazy Taxi was released in 1999, and featured only the San Francisco-inspired map (known as "Arcade" in the first console game, and later as "West Coast" in sequels).[13] The "Standard Version" arcade cabinet included a steering wheel, a gear shift (between forward and reverse gear) and a brake and acceleration pedal; a more compact "Naomi Cabinet Version" also existed without the cockpit seat.[14] The game was one of the first to use the Sega NAOMI hardware processor, which later would be used in the Sega Dreamcast, and was unveiled as part of Sega's showing at the 1999 Amusement Operators Union exposition in Japan.[15][16]

Crazy Taxi (console)

See also: Crazy Taxi

The console/home version of Crazy Taxi was released to the Dreamcast on January 24, 2000. The Dreamcast and the cabinet arcade version share nearly identical hardware, allowing for an easy port save for the internal memory size on the Dreamcast.[6][17][9] Sega used Crazy Taxi to show off the power of the Dreamcast's graphics,[17] capable of maintaining 60 fps throughout play.[2] In addition to the arcade map, this version included the Los Angeles-themed city (entitled "Original"), as well as additional minigames ("Crazy Box") that can be used to hone the player's taxi handling skills. The new map, much larger than the arcade version, was designed to allow the player the feeling of "being lost" and for exploration, something that could not be done on the arcade version, as well letting "the player enjoy all 3 dimensions."[6]

Once Sega left the hardware market, other companies began to take up some of the franchises, including Crazy Taxi.[17] Acclaim brought the game to the PlayStation on May 21, 2001 and Gamecube on November 18, 2001, while Activision and Strangelite ported the game to the PC in 2002; none of these ports were as successful as the Dreamcast version. Currently, the Dreamcast version of Crazy Taxi can be played through emulation via Gametap on PC systems.[18]

Crazy Taxi 2

See also: Crazy Taxi 2

Crazy Taxi 2 was released to the Dreamcast on May 28, 2001. The game introduced four new characters, two new maps inspired by New York City ("Around Apple" and "Small Apple"), and adds two gameplay features: the mechanics of collecting multiple passengers from a single spot, and the ability to cause the taxi to hop, allowing it to clear traffic and certain obstacles.[19][7] Additionally, the "Crazy Box" mode in first game was expanded into a "Crazy Pyramid" mode.[7]

Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller

See also: Crazy Taxi 3
File:Ct3 high roller.jpg
The player drives through a Fremont Street Experience-inspired section of "Glitter Gulch" in Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller

Crazy Taxi 3 was released to the Xbox on July 23, 2002, and later released as a PC title in 2003. The game reuses the original arcade map modified to allow the use of the taxi hop introduced in Crazy Taxi 2,[20] one of the maps from Crazy Taxi 2, and a new map based on Las Vegas ("Glitter Gulch"), and adds an additional 4 characters to select from.[21] Additionally, the game allows the player to unlock additional modes of transport besides a taxi, including a stroller, a bike and a carriage. The minigames are featured in a "Crazy X" arrangement.[20] An arcade version, entitled Crazy Taxi: High Roller was also created in 2003 using the same three maps as the home console version.[22]

Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride

See also: Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride

Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride was ported to the Game Boy Advance by Graphics State and distributed by THQ[23], and released on April 8, 2003. This version is effectively the same as the Crazy Taxi console versions, featuring the San Francisco and Los Angeles-themed maps and a smaller selection of minigames, adapted to play on the portable device using Graphics State "Rush" engine.[11] Specifically, while the city and streets are rendered using 3D graphics, the taxi, passengers, and other traffic are represented by spirits in order to work on the limited GBA hardware.[24] Richard Whittall, creative director for Graphics State, noted that Catch A Ride was "about the most technically challenging game you could do on a handheld machine" at the time of its release.[11]

Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars

See also: Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars

Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars was developed by Sniper Studios with support of the original Crazy Taxi design team in Japan[25] and released to the PlayStation Portable on August 7, 2007. The game effectively is a port of both Crazy Taxi and Crazy Taxi 2 to this system without any changes to the gameplay,[26] but without in-game advertising or the original soundtrack. While the game includes its own soundtrack, the player can use their own stored on the PSP; as noted by Jeff Hasson of Sniper Studios, "for those hard core fans that must have The Offspring playing, they have that option with the Custom Music Player."[26] The player can also record approximately a minute of gameplay footage that can then be shared with friends. The game also includes a multiplayer feature over the PSP's ad hoc wireless system, allowing players to vie for fares within the same map, including the ability to steal passengers from another player.[27] Multiplayer games such as time trials or "C-R-A-Z-Y" runs (a variation of the game "Horse") can also be played sharing a common PSP.[28]

Reception

Game System MetaCritic GameRankings
Crazy Taxi Dreamcast N/A 90% (41 reviews)[29]
PS2 80/100 (15 reviews)[30] 49% (46 reviews)[31]
Gamecube 69/100 (20 reviews)[32] 70% (39 reviews)[33]
PC N/A 56% (6 reviews)[34]
Crazy Taxi 2 Dreamcast 82/100 (18 reviews)[35] 83% (36 reviews)[36]
Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller Xbox 69/100 (33 reviews)[37] 69% (59 reviews)[38]
PC N/A 49% (1 review)[39]
Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride GBA 48/100 (14 reviews)[40] 47% (15 reviews)[41]
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars PSP 66/100 (9 reviews)[42] 69% (7 reviews)[43]

The original Dreamcast version Crazy Taxi is considered to be one of the best games for the series. The game was the second largest selling Dreamcast game in the United States in 2000, selling nearly 750,000 units[44] and selling over 1 million units to be the 4th best selling game overall for the system.[1] The game was praised for capturing the arcade flavor, and possibly exceeding it by making the controls and execution of the crazy stunts easier to pull off.[2]

Crazy Taxi 2 was also well-received by reviewer with the new features helping to expand play from the original game, though some thought that more drastic changes could have been done for the sequel.[45][7] The lack of new gameplay elements despite new maps caused Crazy Taxi 3 to be panned by reviewers.[20] IGN noted in its review for the game that "It's clear that the creative vibrancy that first imagined the Taxi series has waned considerably."[46]

The ports of the original game to the PS2 and GameCube platforms are not considered as strong as the Dreamcast game. Both were noted to suffer from "pop-up" due to limited draw distances as well as poorer controls, despite having all the same gameplay features.[47][48] Graphic problems also plagued the Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride port to the Gameboy Advance; as IGN stated, "it's painfully obvious that the hardware just was never meant to push so much."[24] Both PC ports for Crazy Taxi and Crazy Taxi 3 also suffered from graphics problems.[49][50]

The PSP ports on Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars have been received somewhat better than other ports. Reviews have complimented the game on the multiplayer additions and the ability for a custom soundtrack (which lead IGN to comment that "Including this should be a no-brainer, but many PSP titles don't."), but note some graphical glitches, long loading times, and the lack of the original soundtracks for the games.[28][51] The response to the controls of the game have mixed, with some praising the scheme on the PSP,[28] while others have stated that the controls feel stiff and inconsistent.[52] Gamespot's review also noted that the gameplay in Crazy Taxi does not hold up well compared to more recent racing games across various platforms.[52]

Legalities

File:Sega-patent-6200138-image.jpg
An image from U.S. Patent 6,200,138, demonstrating the navigation system used in Crazy Taxi that Sega had patented

Sega applied for and was awarded U.S. Patent 6,200,138 - "Game display method, moving direction indicating method, game apparatus and drive simulating apparatus" - in 2001.[3] The mechanics in the "138 patent" describe an arcade cabinet similar to Sega's previous arcade game Harley Davidson L.A. Riders (1997),[53] but also describe the arrow navigation system and pedestrian avoidance aspects that were continued to be used in Crazy Taxi.

In 2001, Electronic Arts and Fox Entertainment released The Simpsons: Road Rage, which many have noted as a rip-off of the Crazy Taxi formula.[17] In this game, the player controlled one of The Simpsons characters as they drive about Springfield, taking passengers to their destinations in the same manner as Crazy Taxi. Sega sued Fox Entertainment, Electronic Arts, and developer Radical Games Ltd. over infringement of the 138 patent.[54] The case, Sega of America, Inc. v. Fox Interactive, et al., was settled in private for an unknown amount.[4] The 138 patent itself remains valid, and is considered to be one of the most important patents in video game development today.[55]

Beyond video games

The Crazy Taxi Redemption Game arcade cabinet.

Sega has made a few attempts to branch the Crazy Taxi franchise beyond the realm of video games, with varied results.

In addition to the video arcade games, Sega Enterprises, Inc. (USA) created a redemption game off the Crazy Taxi theme released in 2003.[56] The player had to roll their coin or token down the sloped playing surface past a moving taxi model in the center of the play field as to hit one of 8 targets at the far end, representing passengers. Passengers were worth different amount of points, which the operator would then set the amount of tickets to be won. The game incorporated music and sounds from the video games.[57]

There have been two attempts to create a movie based on the Crazy Taxi franchise. In 2001, Goodman-Rosen Productions acquired the rights for the movie, with Richard Donner tapped to direct the film.[58] Donner had stated "I loved playing 'Crazy Taxi,' and I realized immediately that it had the potential to be a big summer event movie."[59] The movie would have been tied with other merchandise items such as t-shirts and toys, according to Jane Thompson, director of licensing for Sega of America.[60] However, this initially attempt stalled due to an "absence of plot elements" according to Movie Insider.[61] When this option expired, Mindfire Entertainment acquired the rights to a Crazy Taxi movie based on the game franchise in 2002,[62] with an expected release date in middle of 2003.[61] However, since then, no word on the movie has been made.[17]

File:Crazy Taxi remote control car2.jpg
Crazy Taxi GearHead RC car

In 2003, Sega entered a contract with DSI Toys to produce a remote controlled car in their "GearHead" line based on the Crazy Taxi franchise.[63] DSI expected large financial returns from this, as well as a licensed DJ Skribble toy line.[64] Unfortunately, sales did not prevent DSI from filing for chapter 7 bankruptcy later that year.[65]

References

  1. ^ a b "US Platinum Videogame Chart". The Magicbox. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  2. ^ a b c d e IGN Staff (2000-01-28). "Crazy Taxi". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Patent 6,200,138". U.S. Patent Office. 2001-03-13. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  4. ^ a b Lui, Chi Kong (2000-02-19). "Crazy Taxi". GameCritics.com. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  5. ^ a b c d IGN Staff (2000-02-04). "The "Crazy" Interview with SoJ's Kenji Kanno". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  6. ^ a b c d Gerstmann, Jeff (2001-05-29). "Crazy Taxi 2". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  7. ^ Leone, Matt (2007-03-22). "Previews: Crazy Taxi: FW". 1up. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  8. ^ a b Mielke, James (1999-04-21). "Driving Crazy Taxi". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  9. ^ O'Luanaigh, Patrick (2006-04-06). "Book Excerpt: Game Design Complete: Advergaming and Sponsorships". Game Career Guide. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  10. ^ a b c d Bedigian, Louis. "Catch a ride in full 3D with "Crazy Taxi" for Game Boy Advance". GameZone. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  11. ^ Zacarias, Eduardo (2003-06-05). "Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride Review". Game Zone. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
  12. ^ "Crazy Taxi". Sega Amusements U.S.A., Inc. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  13. ^ "Crazy Taxi". Killer List of Video Games. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  14. ^ IGN Staff (1999-02-08). "Naomi Ready for AOU Debut". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  15. ^ IGN Staff (1999-02-17). "http://dreamcast.ign.com/articles/066/066945p1.html". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-17. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  16. ^ a b c d e Paul G. "Crazy Taxi". Hardcore Gaming. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  17. ^ "Crazy Taxi". Gametap. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  18. ^ Stahl, Ben (2000-11-09). "Sega Gamer's Day 2000: Sega Announces Crazy Taxi 2". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  19. ^ a b c Park, Andrew Seyoon (2002-07-23). "Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  20. ^ Gamespot Staff (2002-03-15). "Crazy Taxi 3 for the Xbox unveiled". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  21. ^ "Crazy Taxi: High Roller". Sega Amusements U.S.A., Inc. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  22. ^ Torres, Ricardo (2003-02-03). "Hands-on: Crazy Taxi". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  23. ^ a b IGN Staff (2003-04-08). "Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  24. ^ "Exclusive interview: Jeff Hasson, Sniper Studios". Sega Nerds. 2007-02-23. {{cite web}}: Text "accessdate 2007-08-19" ignored (help)
  25. ^ a b IGN Cars (2007-08-07). "Crazy Taxi Talk". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  26. ^ "The Fare Frenzy Returns With SEGA's Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars For The PSP® System" (Press release). Games Press. 2007-01-11. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  27. ^ a b c Miller, Greg (2007-08-07). "Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars Review". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
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  29. ^ "Crazy Taxi PS2 Reviews". MetaCritic. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
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  31. ^ "Crazy Taxi Gamecube Reviews". MetaCritic. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
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  33. ^ "Crazy Taxi PC Reviews". GameRankings.com. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
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  35. ^ "Crazy Taxi 2 Dreamcast Reviews". GameRankings.com. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  36. ^ "Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller Xbox Reviews". MetaCritic. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  37. ^ "Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller Xbox Reviews". GameRankings.com. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  38. ^ "Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller PC Reviews". GameRankings.com. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  39. ^ "Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride Reviews". MetaCritic. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  40. ^ "Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride Reviews". GameRankings.com. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  41. ^ "Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars Reviews". MetaCritic. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
  42. ^ "Crazy Taxi: Fair Wars Reviews". GameRankings.com. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  43. ^ "US Top 10 Best Selling Console Games in 2000". The Magicbox. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  44. ^ IGN Staff (2001-05-29). "Crazy Taxi 2". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  45. ^ Goldstein, Hilary (2002-07-22). "Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller Review". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  46. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (2001-05-08). "Crazy Taxi PS2 Review". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  47. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (2001-11-20). "Crazy Taxi GameCube Review". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  48. ^ Park, Andrew (2002-10-14). "Crazy Taxi PC Review". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  49. ^ "Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller Review (PC)". Action Trip. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  50. ^ Selogy, Chris (2007-08-08). "Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars". Gamer 2.0. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  51. ^ a b Navarro, Alex (2007-08-22). "Crazy Taxi; Fare Wars review". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
  52. ^ "Harley Davidson L.A. Riders". Sega Enterprises, Inc. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  53. ^ Adams, David (2003-12-05). "SEGA Sues Fox and EA". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  54. ^ Ross Dannenberg and Steve Chang (2007-01-19). "The Ten Most Important Video Game Patents". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  55. ^ "Crazy Taxi Redemption Game". Sega Enterprises, Inc. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  56. ^ "Crazy Taxi Redemption Brochure" (PDF) (PDF). Sega Enterprises, Inc. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  57. ^ Ahmed, Shahed (2001-07-02). "Richard Donner to direct Crazy Taxi film". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
  58. ^ Li, Kenneth (2001-07-03). "'Crazy Taxi' Deal Marks Another Turn for Sega". The Industry Standard. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  59. ^ Ahmed, Shahed (2001-07-05). "Sega provides perspective on the upcoming Crazy Taxi film". Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  60. ^ a b "'Crazy Taxi' Gets Budget and Production Schedule". Movie Insider. 2002-08-10. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  61. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (2002-08-06). "Crazy Taxi movie in the works". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  62. ^ "DSI Toys SEC Filing for 2002". Edgar Online. 2003-03-28. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  63. ^ "DSI Toys banks on DJ Skribble[[R]], Crazy Taxi[[R]] to draw holiday shoppers". LookSmart Find Articles. 2003-07-01. Retrieved 2007-08-15. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  64. ^ Wollam, Allison (2003-10-31). "Fun ends as DSI Toys liquidates assets". Houston Business Journal. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
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