NOTE: I originally posted this review in issue number 4 of 2.5D
There's an entire city full of potential passengers with pockets
brimming with money who are willing to share some with you if you give
them a fun ride. You are a taxi driver, and the catch is that you've
got a time limit to get said passengers to their destination. Crazy
Taxi is one hell of a fun ride. The entirety of the game is spent
taking customers from one place to another in a giant city. As boring
as that sounds, the game is an absolute blast to play. There's are tons
of gut wrenching jumps, and crazy near misses to keep you on the edge
of your seat along the way. The crazier you drive the more money is in
it from your very impatient passengers. This version also has some
added modes that teach you techniques you'll use in the game in
addition to the regular mode of play that give it some extended replay
value for those who chose to partake in it, but for the most part,
you'll be playing the regular game. There is also an extra added city
to the home version.
The game has come under fire for being too shallow. Well, yes the game is simple, and yes it is a little shallow, but in it's defense, is was an arcade game, and arcade games are designed to give you some quick, and shallow gameplay, and just as quickly take your money. People who criticize this game for being shallow miss what makes the game so great. Crazy Taxi isn't a game you're going to sit down and spend 10 hours at a time playing, but it is a game that's great to play ten minutes here, and twenty minutes there. In fact, I've had the game for around seven years now, and I still pop it in every now and again for a quick go-around. So yes, it's replay value might not be in playing it for great lengths of time so much as playing it a lot over a long period of time. It's just mindless fun. It's a game that gives you instant satisfaction, and it doesn't need to be anything else. Sometimes fun is more important that depth.
Bottom Line: Crazy Taxi is shallow, and simple, but most of all it's a blast to play. You won't play it for long periods of time, but it's one of those games that's great to play a little bit here and a little bit there. Crazy Taxi proves that not every game has to be an epic deal. Sometimes games are just supposed to be fun, and this game fits that bill. No story, cutscenes, or hype. Just fun.