Crazy Taxi 2

by Microware

Product Features

• Dreamcast

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000059Z7H
• Item Weight: 8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: May 29, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,438 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Crazy Taxi was an arcade game turned Dreamcast showcase that really helped sell the system. Now that the Dreamcast is on its last legs, Sega throws crazed drivers everywhere a bone by moving the sequel to the system. Crazy Taxi 2 is the same as Crazy Taxi, only crazier!

First off, Sega moved the scenery from hilly San Francisco to the narrow urban canyons of New York City--which is a bad thing if the hills in the first game were an attraction. But this one has Central Park, and that's a thrill unto itself. Also, Crazy Taxi 2 lets you pick up multiple passengers (on occasion), which is the best way to keep that timer up and score bigger points.

Once again you've got aggravating and conspicuous advertising in the game--from Burger King and KFC to clothing stores and other real-world destinations. Masters of Mayhem and Offspring supply the music. The Offspring song is a new one--at least we're pretty sure it is--but like all Offspring songs it sounds like the one from the last game.

Additionally, there are new Crazy Stunts you can perform. Crazy Golf entails a run at a massive ball, with a goal of smacking it a good 100 yards. Crazy Balloon 2 challenges you to pop all the balloons in a short span of time. Plus there are three more minigames you can play. You can play arcade style with a set time limit, or on a big or small NYC map.

The controls are tight and easily as good as last time, but some players may still have trouble performing some of the more difficult tricks. Also, this game is extremely similar to the first one. Anyone bored with Crazy Taxi isn't going to find Crazy Taxi 2 a breath of fresh air. But the game is still really fun for players of all ages. It's crazy, wild, and a completely realistic simulation of a real NYC cab ride. --Andrew S. Bub

Pros:

• NY, NY is a heck of town
• Same tried-and-true gameplay as the original
• Lots of new minigames, drivers, and maps

Cons:

• No hills
• Same tried-and-true gameplay as the original

Product Description

The Crazy Taxi Cab Co. has set up shop in New York City, and the streets of the Big Apple will never be the same. Hop into your ride and scour the city for fares. Race against the clock for a big payoff!

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Stick With The First One, September 11, 2001

By 

"fjdmpd" (West River, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crazy Taxi 2 (Video Game)

I loved the first Crazy Taxi to death. It had some problems (the worst offender being its somewhat low replay value), but I still really enjoyed it and played it more frequently then I thought I would. Since Crazy Taxi sold like hotcakes here(but sold poorly in Japan), a sequel was in order. But enough history. Here's Crazy Taxi 2. I'm pretty disappointed with the results of this sequel. I'll start with the bad. The 1st problem is the controls. The set-up is fine and the same as the first game, but it doesn't feel like the original game. It was always hard to do, but I can't pull off Crazy Drifts anymore. It was imperitive to know this to do well in the first game, and now they're almost impossible to pull off. I do like the fact you can jump now, and you'll need to do it a lot. The new Drift Hop is absolutely worthless. You never need to use it in the game (except in a few mini-games), and it's too hard to pull off.
The next problem is the accuracy of the city it's portraying. It's meant to be NYC, but it's not accurate to the city at all. I mean, when was the Metropolitan Museum Of Art next to an inner city Basketball court? Almost nothing is portrayed correctly, save the F.A.O Shwartz in the city. It's just like the F.A.O Shwartz in NYC on 58th and 5th. Third, the feature of picking up many people at a time just doesn't work. It screws up your radar arrow and you can't tell where you're going. Lastly, the characters aren't as funny or as loveable as the cast from the first. You can unlock the old cabbies, but it's so hard, it's almost a waste of time. I've gotten pretty negitive here, but I just needed to get that off my back, so here's the good: The graphics are improved over the first Crazy Taxi (although pop-up is a bigger problem this time), the sounds are nice, and the idea of the game is great. But sadly, this sequel doesn't deliver on the same level as the first. It's not horrible, but that can't help make it a safe buy. Pick up the first Crazy Taxi,(it's on Dreamcast and PS2) if you haven't already, and leave this one as a rental.

Note to Parents: This game's content is worse then the first Crazy Taxi. Although there was strong language in the first, most of the really bad stuff wasn't audible. In this one, the language is stronger and almost perfectly audible. I'm just warning you here, but this one earns its Teen (ages 13 and up) rating.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved the original, and love this too, June 4, 2001

By 

B. C. Farmer "remraf" (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crazy Taxi 2 (Video Game)

This game is great. It's better than the original, which was a five star game to me. Why only 4 stars here then? Crazy Taxi 2 doesn't really add much new to the mix.

Sure, there's the new Crazy Hop which is useful for accessing many of the shortcuts I've found so far. But as a driving technique, it feels more like an extension of the controls that were already present in the original. That's a GOOD thing, but the point is that the move does not revolutionize the game play.

Graphically, the game has improved, but it's not a vast improvement. Think of the original graphics, but cleaned up a bit. Also, the 'draw-in' in Crazy Taxi 2 is virtually non existent. You can see FOREVER in this game.

Sound...dear God, the Offspring are back. My roommate got to where he turned the music volume completely off on the original. Mercifully, the music level, even at 100%, isn't too loud in the sequel. Still, the music doesn't vary much, and you just can't listen to the same song over and over again for hours on end before it starts to grrrrraaatttte on the nerves. If you've read elsewhere, as I have, that the music is much more varied, that's a load of crap.

The best part of the game is that the new maps are ENORMOUS. It is going to take a long time to memorize these things, which ensures long lasting replay value. They're challenging to maneuver too. Shortcuts are going to be key, though, as I've lost as many as 3 fares playing the 10 minute option.

Finally, the most surprising aspect of the sequel is that the mini games ROCK. I might have messed around with the original's mini games like twice. This time, we (meaning me and my girl...yes, your girlfriend will like this game too) played with the mini games for like 5 hours straight the night we got it. Plus, you new options become available as you beat the mini games. These options include maps to the cities(!), bikes, and strollers (yes, you can drive...er run...your passengers around in a stroller this time).

So, there it is. Great game, not much different than the original, slightly better graphics, huge maps, wannabe punk rock that grrrrraaattttes after a while, and fun and challenging mini games. Get out there and get it already, it's great!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crazy Taxi 2, August 6, 2001

By 

"thecooker" (Edmonton, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crazy Taxi 2 (Video Game)

This is one of my favorite games of all time along with the original. Great fast fun. I'm hoping for a third one but with the death of the Dreamcast I don't see it happening unless it comes to the PS2.

It's got a good intro at the beginning, it pumps you up to get started. The menus are easy as can be and is just as good or even better than the original.

They fixed the fog problem but not entirely. You can see farther into the distance than you could in the first game but still has its problems. Little or no slow down and the new characters and cars look up to par.

They bring back the 'Offspring'. I'm not a huge fan of them but without them the game wouldn't be the same. The 'Methods of Mayhem' are good but are only on the character select screen which [upsets]me....

Things they improved from the first game: Jump feature and multi passenger capability just makes the game even more fun. But as in the editorial review it is in New York City, not San Fransisco, so their are no hills.

This is the type of game that you can never truly finish as you can continue to improve your time and scores. Come on Sega lets see one more for us diehard Crazy Taxi fans. (*****)