Crazy Taxi, Sega Sans Offspring

Speaking of game soundtracks, listen to this:

A couple months ago I purchased the Dreamcast Collection for my Xbox 360 and, though I have yet to try either Sega Bass Fishing or Space Channel 5 Part 2, I've been enjoying the opportunity to play through Sonic Adventure, something I missed way back when. It's not perfect, not by any means, but still an interesting time warp. Of course, rounding out the collection is Crazy Taxi, one of my personal favorites and a game I had mastered on the PS2. Unfortunately, my disc for the PS2 version is no longer in working condition, so I purchased this retrospective as a way of replacing it (and getting a few extra games thrown in for fun). Much to my chagrin, however, the Offspring/Bad Religion soundtrack had been completely replaced with generic punk rock. Now, I'm not particularly a fan of either band outside of Crazy Taxi, but within that world I enjoy them tremendously. Replacing them changes the dynamics of the game in a strange, unique way. Sure, the game plays just the same, but nevertheless, something is irretrievably lost without these diddies. Not to mention, all the advertising is gone. Who knew I would miss crazy sliding into Pizza Hut?

Code Redd Net Awards: Best Action Game

Up next we have the award for Best Action Game. And the nominees are...

Spy Hunter (2001)
Winback: Covert Operations (2001)
Second Sight (2004)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (2005)
Crazy Taxi (2001)

And the winner is...

Spy Hunter

Dreamcast Review - Crazy Taxi 2 (2001)

As good as the original is, it seems as something is missing when going back after playing Crazy Taxi 2. Of course, that of which I'm speaking is the Crazy Hop - the ability to make your cab jump in the air, high enough to clear trucks, gaps, etc. It brings a whole new dimension to the already solid formula of transporting fares very quickly whilst dodging traffic and drifting around corners. The opportunities this creates for diverse challenges in the Crazy Pyramid scheme create a replay value which will provide plenty of return for your video game dollar. The drawbacks to this game, however, are that the directional arrow that guides you is a little trippy and takes some getting used to and the lack of B.D. Joe. Bottom line: this game is a Dreamcast exclusive, so if you have one, this is a must own for your DC collection.