Crazy Taxi | January 27, 2000

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Crazy Taxi: A Driving Game of Frenzied Passenger Pickups!

"Crazy Taxi" (クレイジータクシー) is a driving action game developed and published by Sega's AM3 development division in 1999. Commonly referred to as "CureTaku" (short for "Crazy Taxi" in Japanese), it debuted in arcades and was later ported to various home consoles, becoming a franchise.

Main Titles

  • Crazy Taxi

  • Crazy Taxi 2

  • Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller

Gameplay: Taxi Driving Beyond Common Sense!

In Crazy Taxi, the player becomes a taxi driver whose goal is to pick up customers calling from around the field and deliver them to their destinations within a time limit. To shave off seconds and get there faster, players are allowed to engage in wildly unrealistic driving maneuvers—barreling through the ocean, dashing across parks and plazas, racing through train tracks, subway platforms, and tunnels.

Collisions with other cars, reckless speeding, near-misses with pedestrians (who mostly dodge out of the way), and driving the wrong way—all of which would be unacceptable in real driving—are all allowed and even encouraged in this game.

Passengers can be found not just on roadsides, but in unexpected places like underwater or on second-floor terraces. The faster you arrive at the destination, the higher your score. Performing flashy actions during the ride can also net you bonus points. However, if you exceed the time limit, the customer will angrily leap from the moving taxi mid-ride.

All taxis in the game are open-top and modeled after American cars from the 1950s to 1970s, painted in a yellow-checkered "yellow cab" style. The game’s setting is a fictional American city but includes depictions of real-life retail stores.

The soundtrack features punk rock bands such as The Offspring and Bad Religion, enhancing the game’s high-energy atmosphere. Console versions also include mini-games like ski-jump-style long-distance leaps in “Crazy Jump.”


Controls: Crazy Techniques for Maximum Thrills!

Here are key techniques to enjoy Crazy Taxi even more dynamically:

  • Crazy Dash: A technique to accelerate rapidly. It’s the most crucial skill.

  • Crazy Drift: A technique that allows the taxi to drift.

  • Crazy Back Drift: After drifting, the taxi spins 180 degrees and drives in reverse.

  • Crazy Back Dash: A technique to accelerate rapidly while reversing.

Game Rules: How to Score Higher!

In Normal Rules, arriving at the destination quickly adds bonus time:

  • +2 seconds for fast arrivals

  • +5 seconds for very fast arrivals

Even if the time is almost out, picking up a passenger can restore some time depending on distance.

Actions like high jumps using hills, crazy drifts, or narrowly avoiding other cars will earn you tips (points). Repeating such stunts raises the tip multiplier. However, hitting obstacles or other vehicles resets the multiplier.

Game Info

  • Genre: Driving Action

  • Platforms: Arcade, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Windows 98/Me/2000/XP, PlayStation 3 (PSN), Xbox 360 (XBLA), PlayStation Portable

  • Developers:

    • Arcade/DC: Sega Enterprises AM3

    • PS2/GC/Windows: Hitmaker, Empire Interactive, Strangelite

    • PS3/Xbox 360: Sega Shanghai

    • PSP: Sniper Studio

  • Publisher: Sega (all versions)

  • Series: Crazy Taxi series

  • Players: 1

  • Media:

    • Dreamcast: GD-ROM

    • PS2: CD-ROM

    • GameCube: 8cm optical disc

    • Windows: CD-ROM

    • PS3/Xbox 360: Download

    • PSP: UMD / Download

  • Release Dates:

    • Arcade: Feb 1999

    • Dreamcast: Jan 27, 2000

    • PS2: Nov 22, 2001

    • GameCube: May 30, 2002

    • Windows: Sept 26, 2002

    • PS3/Xbox 360: Nov 24, 2010

    • PSP: Aug 25, 2011

  • Rating:

    • CERO: B (12+)

    • USK: 12

  • System Board: NAOMI

  • Sales (Dreamcast): 115,040 units

Arcade and Console Port History

"Crazy Taxi" launched in arcades in February 1999 as part of Sega's job-based game series. It was the first title developed by AM3 to use the NAOMI arcade board.

Unlike standard arcade racing games which use cockpit-style cabinets, Crazy Taxi used a stand-up style upright cabinet, without a seat. The game also lacks the usual first-person driver view, instead locking the camera to a third-person rear view.

The game was ported to Dreamcast in January 2000, and from there to PS2 (Sega’s first title for PS2), GameCube, and Windows.

In November 2010, as part of Sega's Dreamcast revival project, HD downloadable versions were released for PlayStation 3 (via PSN) and Xbox 360 (via XBLA), adding 720p resolution, widescreen 16:9 support, custom soundtracks, trophies, achievements, Home rewards, and avatar items.

The Xbox 360 version was also playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, but digital sales will end on December 6, 2024 at 11:59 PM.

The iOS version was released in Japan on November 30, 2012 (available earlier in some other regions).

Game Modes

  • ARCADE: Uses the original arcade map, modeled after San Francisco, with hilly streets and cable cars. Console versions added modes with fixed 3, 5, or 10-minute timers.

  • ORIGINAL: A unique map created for console versions, also based on San Francisco but with a more complex layout. Includes both arcade rules and time-based modes.

  • CRAZY BOX: A set of original mini-games exclusive to console versions.

Characters: Colorful, Unique Taxi Drivers!

All versions include 4 playable characters, each with slight differences in vehicle acceleration, handling, and weight. Voice actors for all but Axel were changed starting from Crazy Taxi 2. Later ports of Crazy Taxi 1 (like the PS2 version) use the newer voices from CT2.

Axel

  • A 21-year-old white male with green hair and a red Hawaiian shirt

  • A free spirit who drives taxis just because he thinks it’s “cool”

  • Enjoys surfing, snowboarding, punk music, and chasing girls

  • Drives a 1960 Cadillac Eldorado (balanced stats)

  • License plate: 1NOM155 (“I’m no miss”)

B.D. Joe

  • A 25-year-old black male with navy shirt, orange bucket hat, white sunglasses

  • A natural performer who loves making people smile

  • Street musician and card trick enthusiast

  • Drives a 1963 Chevy Bel Air (fastest top speed)

  • License plate: 2HOP260 (“To Hop To Go”)

Gena

  • A 23-year-old red-haired white female in a leopard-print tank top

  • Car-obsessed and only cares about going fast

  • Invests all her earnings in car tuning

  • Ignores male attention and focuses solely on her vehicle

  • Drives a first-gen Ford Mustang (fastest acceleration)

  • License plate: 5EXY515 (“Sexy Sister”)

Gus

  • A 42-year-old shirtless middle-aged man in a black Hawaiian shirt

  • The original creator of the “crazy taxi” driving style

  • A competitive gambler who has mellowed over time thanks to poker

  • Drives a 3rd-gen Mercury Eight (most durable car)

  • License plate: ONLY777 (“Only three-7s”)

BGM: A Punk Rock Soundtrack

The game’s soundtrack features punk rock tracks from:

The Offspring

  • “All I Want” (Game BGM #1)

  • “Way Down The Line” (Game BGM #3)

  • “Change The World” (Menu/Name Entry - Console Versions)

Bad Religion

  • “Hear It” (Character Select BGM)

  • “Them And Us” (Game BGM #2)

  • “Ten in 2010” (Game BGM #4)

  • “Inner Logic” (Ending Theme)

Due to licensing issues, the Windows, PS3, Xbox 360, and PSP versions use different background music. However, the Xbox 360 and PSP versions allow for custom soundtracks, letting players restore the original feel.

Real-World Brands in the Game

The original game featured real-world stores like:

  • Fila

  • Levi’s

  • Pizza Hut

  • KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken)

  • Tower Records

In the PS3, Xbox 360, PSP, and iOS versions, these names were replaced due to licensing issues.

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