Crazy Taxi (Sega, 1999)
The sheer brilliance of Crazy Taxi 's scoring system turned what should have been a fun but fleeting arcade port into one of Dreamcast's greatest games. Your cab is indestructible and you have to pick up passengers and drop them off as quickly as possible at their destination. There are three ranks available depending on how quickly you do this, with varying amounts of time added back to the clock.
But that's not all. Jumps, drifts and "crazy through" bonus points can be awarded too. Pass close by a car without touching it and you'll get a small tip from your passenger. Do it against oncoming traffic and the tip is bigger. Do several in a row and the tip value multiplies for each additional thrill the fare receives from your driving skill. Touch another vehicle, however, andthe tip multiplier is reset.
Above: Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars is heading to PSP this autumn. Should fit the handheld perfectly
The game's control system adds so much to the reward for skillful driving. Activating the "crazy drift" and sliding into a metal pole (for example a lamp post) will stop you dead at your destination, hopefully within the catchment circle of the next fare and hopefully pointing in the direction they want to go. Learning to play Crazy Taxi properly will give you an hour's play on just $1 in an arcade, with a crowd of spectators. Retrobot once scored over $73,000 on default settings. Can you do better?
Above: Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars is heading to PSP this autumn. Should fit the handheld perfectly
The game's control system adds so much to the reward for skillful driving. Activating the "crazy drift" and sliding into a metal pole (for example a lamp post) will stop you dead at your destination, hopefully within the catchment circle of the next fare and hopefully pointing in the direction they want to go. Learning to play Crazy Taxi properly will give you an hour's play on just $1 in an arcade, with a crowd of spectators. Retrobot once scored over $73,000 on default settings. Can you do better?
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