Before I begin my review, a little background. Crazy Taxi is a game I have always really admired for its encapsulation of a bygone Sega (even if that sounds a little dramatic). This game has always stuck out to me as an example of the arcade-heavy games they made for a very long time starting (obviously) in arcades but continuing until about the early 2000s. Obviously Sega still makes arcade games but I feel like this and Monkey Ball were built for arcades originally before being brought to home platforms unlike a lot of the arcade only or home console only releases they have now.
With all that rambling out of the way, I finally sat down and played Crazy Taxi via the Steam release and had a great time. Before writing this review I completed all Steam achievements which included the crazy box challenges (which I will definitely be talking about). This is an arcade game at heart and it is 100% built to feel like one. Steering is imperfect and jerky, the timer is an ever present threat, and the gameplay is simple to learn without tutorials. This last point is one of my first issues with the game. So I think before I get into the positives, let me cover the negatives. There are a variety of mechanics in this game and there is a lack of any explanation for them. There is a simple controls screen which is nice but doesn't offer much explanation on harder controls. Limit cutters, crazy dashes, and crazy drifts are three huge techniques that are not taught anywhere to my knowledge. The crazy box mission mode is there to help with these, but it doesn't explain them either. You have to consult online sources to figure a majority of these out which is a pain. A special thank you to http://www.crazytaxi.net/index.html. The crazy box challenges also suck. Big time. 1-S. Holy crap, this mission sucks so much, the timer is abysmally small and the pins fall down when they feel like it. Most of these challenges are just somewhat modded in and don't really help mastering techniques. One mission (I forget the number) has you drop off multiple passengers, a feature from Crazy Taxi 2 not seen anywhere in this game. Incredibly odd to have mechanics tested you will never use but maybe I'm just looking too much into it. Basically, the game is not great at teaching any mechanics and the mission mode is garbage.
BUT
Once you master these techniques, you will be able to enjoy an amazing arcade game. The arcade map is great in this game. Such a distinct and vibrant location which feels so American (despite being developed in Japan). Its almost like a time capsule to the late 90s with its awesome soundtrack and aesthetics. Quick note, the PC version changes the soundtrack and removes all real world advertisements which does kinda suck. You have to play this game with rumble feedback on it. It's such a great feedback system with shaking for crashes and quick vibrations when you perform a crazy dash. The characters are goofy and I love how happy the passengers get when you ram a SUV with a family of four off the road. Shout outs to the amazing announcer who makes this game what it is. In the PC port (which is a modified Dreamcast port to my knowledge), you can drive on the arcade and original Dreamcast maps for up to 10 minutes which allows you to soak in the setting at a more chill pace (though I do wish there was an unlimited mode). Despite crazy box sucking, the reward is super fun and I won't spoil it here. Basically, this is a solid, enjoyable, and light-hearted game that I think everyone should try some time in their life.



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