Crazy Taxi was an adrenaline-fueled arcade racing game developed and published by SEGA. It first appeared in arcades in 1999, and a year later it was released as a port for Dreamcast. Versions followed for PlayStation 2 and GameCube (2001, under Acclaim) and for Windows in 2002. This made it SEGA's first multiplatform game after transitioning to a third-party model.
The game's concept was simple: pick up a passenger and drive them to their desired location. However, to prevent it from being too simple and quickly boring, the game throws us into a race against the timer. Each transported passenger brings new seconds and points, and the more and faster we drive – the more we earn.
From the recognizable, quirky intro to the punk music that pumped adrenaline – the atmosphere was unforgettable.
The game clearly indicated which customers were "more profitable": the green dollar symbol indicated a farther destination and greater profit, while the red represented shorter routes with less earnings.
The soundtrack featured hits from bands like The Offspring and Bad Religion – exactly what we listened to as teenagers, along with MTV and the magazine OK. That's why this game carries a good dose of nostalgia and adolescent flair.
Although there was only one map, it was excellently designed, easy to remember, and inspired by the streets of San Francisco.
There were three modes: Arcade, Original, and Crazy Box. The most popular was Arcade mode – packed with adrenaline, speed, and pumped-up music. Original mode was added for the console versions with an expanded map, but it didn't provide the same intensity of fun, although some loved it for its more relaxed approach.
The game offered us four drivers: Alex, B.D. Joe, Gena, and Gus – each with a unique vehicle. In my group, everyone wanted to get their hands on Alex – the surfer look, crazy colored hair, and the best car were reason enough.
There were also four special driving tricks: Crazy Dash, Crazy Stop, Crazy Drift, and Limiter Cut. Customers had fun animations for getting in and out of the vehicle, and the driving physics were excellent. Cars leaned into turns, and passengers reacted to our driving style – swaying left and right, adding an extra dose of liveliness.
Crazy Taxi was an unforgettable, unmissable, and completely addictive game that always pushed us to beat our own high score. We spent hours and hours playing it, completely lost in time.
It was a special feeling to play it at birthdays and gatherings, passing the controller around, watching each other drive, and stomping our feet on the floor when it was time for gas or brakes. We literally experienced each other's rides as if they were our own.
The game had several sequels and was available on Steam – until December 6, 2024, when it was removed. It appeared within the SEGA Mega Drive and Genesis Classics and Dreamcast Classics collections. Those who purchased it before its removal kept it in their library, but new purchases were no longer possible.
It's worth noting that the sequels did not have the original music due to lost licenses, which significantly affected the experience – when one of the key elements is lost, the soul of the game is lost as well.
From personal experience, I played it on both PC and PlayStation. Although the PC version was known to have performance drops, let's be honest – who measured fps back then? We played because it was a great game. It didn't matter what the resolution was – as long as it ran at 1024x768, it was perfect. Today, that would be equivalent to 4K.
All in all, Crazy Taxi remains one of the best arcade racers of all time. And I believe it could still gather the old crew and entertain us today – while the women could chat peacefully over coffee. 😉
