Crazy Taxi

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Crazy Taxi
System(s): Sega NAOMI, Sega Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, PC, Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, Steam, iOS
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Hitmaker
Genre: 3D Action
Release Date RRP Code
ESRB Sega PEGI ELSPA USK aDeSe SELL CERO Missing Parameter! ESRA DJCTQ

Crazy Taxi (クレイジータクシー) is a video game developed by Hitmaker and published by Sega for Sega NAOMI arcade hardware in 1999. It is a non-linear action/game, in which players drive a taxi across a stage inspired by San Francisco, picking up customers and ferrying them to destinations in the fastest possible time. It builds on previous experiments with this genre such as Harley-Davidson & L.A. Riders.

Crazy Taxi was subsequently ported to the Sega Dreamcast in 2000, and later the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and PC in 2001/2002. It stands as one of the more iconic and successful Sega franchises of the late 1990s and early 2000s, spawning several sequels, tie-ins and re-releases.

In 2010 the game was re-released for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network services, and was bundled as part of Dreamcast Collection in 2011.

Gameplay

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The arcade version of the game includes one level, and an additional "original" stage was added for the console versions. Both are based in sunny coastal California locales, with steep hills and other strong similarities to San Francisco (possibly due to the fact that Sega's American headquarters are located in San Francisco). North of the map, past the baseball stadium, a high rise city can be found for further adventure. For both levels, the player has a choice of four drivers and their cabs, each of whom has slightly different attributes: Axel is the well-balanced cab choice, BD Joe has the fastest floored speed but worst controlling, Gena has the best acceleration/deceleration and braking and Gus has the heaviest cab, enabling him to drive well off-road and even onto most oncoming traffic.

The main objective of the game is to pick up customers and take them to their chosen destination as fast as possible. Along the way, money can be earned (the game is primarily a score attack title) by performing outrageous stunts such as the "Crazy Through" (near-misses with other vehicles; both risk and reward are higher when driving against the flow of traffic) and "Crazy Drift" (extended, barely-controlled skidding).

When the destination is reached, that customer's fare is added to the player's total money earned, while "Speedy", "Normal" or "Slow" ratings are awarded depending on how long the player took to complete the journey. If the player is too slow in reaching the objective and the customer's timer runs out, a "Bad" rating is given before even reaching the destination, and the customer jumps from the taxi. There is no penalty for a "Bad" rating, but time will have been wasted attempting to deliver this customer. However, there is often sufficient time available on the main clock for the player to pick up another passenger with hope to make up for their loss. On the arcade version, if a player earns a "Bad" rating, the next fare starts at $0.00.

For each level, one can play under different time conditions: three-minute, five-minute or ten-minute settings, or the "Arcade Rules" used in the original coin-op version of the game but which was also included in the home versions. In the three time-limited settings, play continues for the designated period of time, after which the cab automatically stops and no more points can be scored.

Under Arcade Rules, the player starts with an initial time limit of around a minute (although in this first Crazy Taxi game it can be changed in the options screen), which can be extended through time bonuses earned for "Speedy" and "Normal" deliveries, as well as by making good use of whatever time is left over after making a delivery. Expert players, able to memorise the best route from pick-up to delivery, can thus continue playing for long periods of time - however, as time goes on, the "best" passengers will have been taken to their destinations, leaving fewer potential customers remaining, so as the game continues the challenge increases.

All versions (except the Windows version) of the game are also notable for their soundtrack featuring Bad Religion ("Inner Logic," "Ten in 2010," "Them and Us", and "Hear It") and The Offspring ("All I Want," "Change the World," and "Way Down the Line").

Console versions of the game also feature the "Crazy Box", a set of minigames that features challenges such as stopping by hitting a pole, picking up and dropping off a number customers within time limits, bowling using the taxi as a ball, and popping giant balloons in a field.

In "Crazy Box" mode, newer challenges can be unlocked by clearing three horizontal or vertical rows. Among these 'unlockables' is a minigame where the player must drive through the winding lanes designed like bowling alleys, knocking down 'pins' as they drive. The player is awarded points for each knockdown, and Grand Slams for a 'strike'.

Stunts

The game features fast arcade-style gameplay, along with a variety of cab 'stunts'. The first stunt is the Crazy Dash, a forward burst of speed that can be pulled off in succession. To trigger the burst, the player must shift into 'drive' and directly follow it with the 'accelerate' button. The rear of the car is forced down somewhat, lifting the front end. For multiple dashes, hit 'reverse' and then again 'drive' immediately followed by 'accelerate' (known as the Limit Cut).

A variation called the "Crazy Backdash" involves performing a Crazy Dash and then shifting into reverse, so that the car reverses with a burst of speed. A side-effect of these three tricks is that the car gains massive traction and limited steering, which can be exploited by players to more easily weave in and out of traffic. It can also be exploited to do a "Crazy Stop", where after a Crazy Dash the brakes are applied and reverse gear engaged, causing the car to stop almost instantly. This causes the rear of the car to lift up, as if front wheel braking is applied.

Another stunt is the Crazy Drift. This is accomplished by quickly hitting 'reverse' and then 'drive' while making a sharp turn. A final, position-specific stunt is the Crazy Jump, which goes off automatically if the player goes off ramps or other sudden inclines.

Despite being violently thrown around and not seemingly strapped into the taxi in any visible way, passengers are usually appreciative of stunts and reward the player with bonus fares upon successful execution (i.e. not hitting anything). Mastery of stunts is essential for attaining high scores in the game.

Production Credits

Arcade Version

chief graphic designer: Mitsuhiko Kakita
graphic designers: Hiroyuki Izuno, Takeo Iwase, Seiichi Yamagata, Mizuki Totori, Shiho Miyaoka, Akira Fujiki, Katsuya Taniguchi
character designer: Yoshitsugu Sato
chief programmer: Masaaki Ito
programmers: Toshikazu Goi, Jin-ichiro Okuda, Yoshimasa Hayashida, Masataka Noda
technical support: Yoshihiro Sonoda, Saburo Sakai
mechanical supervisor: Masao Yoshimoto
mechanic engineers: Seiji Ishii, Shigeyuki Iwase, Toshiya Yamaguchi, Eiji Inoue
electric engineer: Nobuto Kashiwagi
cabinet designer: Kazuhiro Nojo
sound supervisor: Yuko Iseki
music

Bad Religion

• "Hear It"
• Ten In 2010"
• Them And Us"
• "Inner Logic"

appear courtesy of

Sony Music Entertainment (Germany) GmbH

Just Talent

Offspring

• "All I Want"
• "Way Down The Line"
• "Change The World"

appear courtesy of

Columbia Records, by arrangement with Sony Music New Media Licensing

URL Address: www.offspring.com

cabbie voice: Bryan Burton-Lewis (Axel), Kent Frick (B.D. Joe), Lisle Wilkerson (Gena), Thomas King (Gus)
public relations: Taku Sasahara
assistant directors: Akio Osawa, Takashi Takenouchi
co-producer & director: Kenji Kanno
producer: Hisao Oguchi
special thanks to: Domani Ltd., FILA, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Levi Strauss & Co., Pizza Hut, Tower Records (MTS Inc.), NAOMI-library team, Ryo Uchida, Naoyuki Machida, Kazuhiro Matumoto, Lei Ohyamada, Kaori Fukano, &, of course, you
presented by: Sega

Dreamcast Version

~In-game credits~
graphic design supervisor: Mitsuhiko Kakita
graphic designers: Takeo Iwase, Hiroyuki Izuno, Shinichi Nakagawa, Megumi Matsuda, Masaki Takahashi, Atsuko Ogawa
arcade's graphic designers: Seiichi Yamagata, Mizuki Totori, Shiho Miyaoka, Akira Fujiki, Katuya Taniguchi, Yoshitsugu Sato
chief programmer: Masaaki Ito
programmers: Toshikazu Goi, Masataka Noda
support programmers: Jin-ichiro Okuda, Yoshimasa Hayashida
sound supervisor: Yuko Iseki
music

Bad Religion

• "Hear It"
• Ten In 2010"
• Them And Us"
• "Inner Logic"

appear courtesy of

Sony Music Entertainment (Germany) GmbH

Just Talent

Offspring

• "All I Want"
• "Way Down The Line"
• "Change The World"

appear courtesy of

Columbia Records, by arrangement with Sony Music New Media Licensing

URL Address: www.offspring.com

cabbie voice: Bryan Burton-Lewis (Axel), Kent Frick (B.D. Joe), Lisle Wilkerson (Gena), Thomas King (Gus)
public relations: Taku Sasahara
assistant directors: Takashi Takenouchi
co-producer & director: Kenji Kanno
producer: Hisao Oguchi
special thanks to: FILA, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Levi Strauss & Co., Pizza Hut, Tower Records (MTS Inc.), Kaori Fukano, Naoyuki Machida, Satoru Higashi, &, of course, you
Presented by: Sega
©Sega Enterprises, Ltd., 1999, 2000

PSN & XBLA Versions

Original Game developed by SEGA

Conversion Team

Sega of America

Chairman: Naoya Tsurumi
CEO: Mike Hayes
COO/President: Masanao Maeda
Executive VP of Corporate Planning: Hitoshi Okuno
Senior VP of Production: Brett Berry
Senior VP of Sales: Brad Wildes
VP of Console Network: Haruki Satomi
VP of Marketing: Sean Ratcliffe
Director A&R: Brian Schorr
Director Digital Content: Paxton Lazar
Producer: Jason Kuo
Assistant Producer: Stephen Yee
Digital Brand Manager: Iiya Shereshevsky
Associate Digital Brand Manager: Ben Harborne

SOA Quality Assurance

QA Manager: Mark Cartwright
QA Supervisors: Shawn Dobbins, Demetrius Griffin
QA Project Lead: Kip Bunyea
QA Testers: Daniel Rosenberg, Henry Cheung, Dan Kato, Dan Hutchinson

SOA Standards Testing

Standards Supervisor: Stephen Akana
Standards Leads: Christine Letheby, Marta Khosraw, Joe Floyd, John Beicher
Standards Assistant Leads: Dan Buchman, Timothy Erbil, Jake Alejo, Dennis De Bernardi, Lisa Bonifacino
Standards Testers: Robert Hamiter, Maxfield Atturio, Christian Sutton, Marylena Leblanc, Lina Arlana, Bernard Doria, Luke McLaughlin, Justin Edwards, Niroth Keo, Austin Storms, Anthony Aguilar, Jayson Cook, Harold Butchart

SOA Mastering Group

Mastering Lab Supervisor: Rey Casto Buzon
Mastering Lab Technicians: Christopher Rilles, Kenneth Nacus

Sega of China

Development Team

Director: Li ShuQiao
Programmers: Li WeiCheng, Jin XiaoYu, Zhou Hai
Artist: Wang RongPei, Zhang JingWen
Planner: Li Wei
Lead Tester: Wang Yun
Development Support: Lian Chao, Zhu EnHua, Yin YiJia
Technical Adviser: Akira Ogata
Producers: Makoto Uchida, Kazuya Takahashi

Sega of Japan

Producer: Ryoichi Hasegawa
Assistant Producer: Yosuke Okunari
SOJ OCB: Takuma Hatori, Satomi Okuma
SOJ OCB Asia: Hiroshi Seno, Saori Fukuda
SOJ Quality Assurance: Koji Nagata, Junichi Shimizu, Akira Nishikawa, Osamu Sato, Yuki Takahashi, Yuta Sakaki, Syunichi Senda
Software Manual Production: Yoshihiro Sakuta, Yoichi Takahashi, Hiroki Osawa
Special Thanks: Kenji Kanno, Masaaki Ito, Takeo Iwase
Chief Producers: Toshihiro Nagoshi, Akira Nishino
Executive Supervisors: Naoya Tsurumi, Takayuki Kawagoe
Executive Producer: Okitane Usui

Sega of Europe

CEO: Mike Hayes
SVP of Production: Gary Dunn
SVP of Marketing: Gary Knight
Technical Director: Chris Southall
Senior Producer: Charlotte O'Connor
Producer: Mariusz Szianta
Publishing Manager: Lee Harris
SVP of Business Planning and Operations: Yusuke Suai
Head of Business Analysis: Martin Benneyworth
Purchasing Manager: Caroline van Venrooji
Production Manager: Natalie Cooke
Sonic Brand Director: David Corless
Head of Marketing: Matt Eyre
Senior Brand Manager: Helen Lawson
Assistant Brand Manager: James Bray
Marketing Assistant: Amy White
Community Manager: Joe Turner
Head of Legal & Business Affairs: Nicky Ormrod
Legal Counsel: Polly Bennett
Legal Executive: Saad Choudri
Licensing Manager: Nivine Emeran
Head of Development Services: Mark Le Breton
Production Manager: Ben Howell
Resource Manager: Ben Jackson
Localisation Manager: Marta Lois Gonzales
Localisation Project Manager: Giuseppe Rizzo
Translators: Antonella Marras, Antonio Catanese, Carole Kunzelmann, Jesus Alvarez, Nicole Thomer, Tatiana Nath, Daniela Kaynert, Luis J. Paredes, Ronan Salon, Sebastián Pérez Salguero, Sophie Paléologos, Giuseppe Rosa
Mastering, Equipment and Submissions Manager: Dave Pither
Mastering Engineers: Phil Adams, Cara Gifford Pitcher
Project Lead: Sam Morgan
Functionality Supervisor: Julie Metior
Project Monitor: Simon Chang, Tristan Carrée, Sam Ogunwe
Senior Tester: David Chavez, Sanjay Jagmohan, Volong Tran
Standards Supervisor: Darran Wall
Standards Coordinator(s): Shiva Allari, Chris Barnett
Senior Standards Technicians: Arron Caney, Matthew Pearson
Standards Technician(s): John Collins, Anthony Phillips
Language QA Coordinator: Alessandro Irranca
Language Team Leads: Krystiana Gutbub, Ruggero Varisco, Pedro Ortega
Language Assistant Team Leads: Stéphane Ramaël, Carolina Vidal, Rafael Bermúdez Calvar
Language Senior Testers: Jan Domke, Pedro Gonzalez, Lorenzo De Gregori, Juan José Langa, Paolo Stanner
Language Testers: Yann Eric D'addario, Elfriede Tillian, Chiara Canu, Michael Willenborg, Simone Bonechi, Pablo Menendez
Administration and Finance Coordinator: Chris Bien
QA Administrator: Chris Gelles
Shift Monitors: Chris Balley, Tony Langan

Sega UK

UK Managing Director: John Clark
UK Marketing Director: Amanda Farr
UK Senior Product Manager: Ben Walker
UK PR Managers: Fay Burgin, Stefan McGarry
UK Channel Marketing Manager: Clare Hawkins

Sega International

International Sales Director: Alison Gould
Head of International Sales: Simon Inch
International Account Executive: Ben Prouty
International Sales Administrator: Sally Moulds

Sega Germany

Managing Director: Markus Wiedemann
Marketing Manager: Henning Otto
Product Manager: Chinh Vu
PR Executive: Susanne Ortega

Sega Spain

Managing Director: Javier Fuentes
Product Manager: Alex Fernández
PR Manager: Diana Radetski

Sega Benelux

Managing Director: Jurgen Post
Head of Marketing: Johan De Windt
PR Manager: Roel Peeters

Sega France

Directeur Général Europe du Sud: James Rebours
Responsable Marketing: Thomas Grellier
Chef de Produits: Alexander Chapt
Responsable RP: Franck Sébastien
Attachée de Presse: Alexandra Flore

Sega Australia

Managing Director: Darren Macbeth
Marketing Manager: Gareth Gower
Junior Product Manager: Neroli Harpur
PR Manager: Vispi Bhopti
PR Executive: Rebecca Charalambous
© SEGA
Presented by: Sega

Artwork

• 

  XBLA Cover

Physical Scans

Dreamcast Version

Dreamcast, US
Cover
Disc

Dreamcast, US (Sega All Stars)
Cover

Dreamcast, EU
Cover
Disc

Dreamcast, JP
Cover
Disc

Dreamcast, BR

GameCube Version

GameCube, US
Cover
Disc

GameCube, US (Player's Choice)
Cover

GameCube, UK
Cover

GameCube, DE
Cover

GameCube, FR/NL
Cover

GameCube, JP
Cover

PlayStation 2 Version

PlayStation 2, US
Cover
Disc

PlayStation 2, US (Greatest Hits)
Cover
Disc

PlayStation 2, JP
Cover

PlayStation 2, UK
Cover
Disc

PlayStation 2, UK (Platinum)
Cover

PlayStation 2, DE
Cover

PlayStation 2, DE (Platinum)

PlayStation 2, ES
Cover
Disc

PlayStation 2, ES (Platinum)
Cover

PlayStation 2, FR/NL

PlayStation 2, FR/NL (Platinum)

PC Version

PC, US
Cover
Jewel Case

PC, EU
Cover

PC, EU (White Label)
Cover

PC, JP
Cover

PC, AU (Valusoft)

PC, UK (Xplosiv)
Cover

PC, DE

PC, ES
Cover
Disc

External Links

• Sega of Japan catalogue pages: Dreamcast, PC, PlayStation 2, GameCube
• Crazy Taxi on Xbox Live Marketplace: GB, US
• Crazy Taxi on Steam

Games in the Crazy Taxi Series
	Crazy Taxi (1999) | Crazy Taxi: High Roller (2003)
	Crazy Taxi (2000) | Crazy Taxi 2 (2001)
	Crazy Taxi (2001)
	Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller (2002)
	Crazy Taxi (2002) | Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller (2004)
	Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride (2003)
	Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars (2007)
	Crazy Taxi (2010)
	Crazy Taxi (2012) | Crazy Taxi: City Rush (2014) | Crazy Taxi Gazillionaire (2017)
	Crazy Taxi (2013) | Crazy Taxi: City Rush (2014) | Crazy Taxi Gazillionaire (2017)
Sampler Discs
Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller Taikenban (2002)
Crazy Taxi related media
	Prima's Official Strategy Guide: Crazy Taxi (2000) | Prima's Official Strategy Guide: Crazy Taxi 2 (2001) | Prima's Official Strategy Guide: Crazy Taxi for PlayStation 2 (2001) | Crazy Taxi 2 Driver's Manual (2001) | Prima's Official Strategy Guide: Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller (2002) | Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller Perfect Guide (2002)
	Crazy Taxi (?)