Pros: similar to original which was the best game on dreamcast
Cons: boring soundtrack
The bottom line: one of the greatest games on the dreamcast, better than original, great gameplay
Before the original Crazy Taxi came out for the dreamcast, I thought how fun can a game where you just drive around picking people up and dropping them off be. I decided to buy it to give it a chance because I heard some great reviews from IGN.com. After I bought it, I played it and played it and played it and played it and played it and I still play it today. I figured Crazy Taxi 2 has to be even better so I went out and bought it on the first day it came out.

I went home, popped it in, and was amazed at how such a great game got even greater. Some say that the sequel is very similar to the original, which I agree with, but it's still fun and it has its advantages.

Grades: 10 - Best; 1 - Worst

The Graphics - 9
Crazy Taxi 2's graphics are pretty much the same as Crazy Taxi's but are improved in some spots. In the first game, there were a lot of "popups" in the background because the game was moving so fast and the processor couldn't show all the graphics. In Crazy Taxi 2, this is cut down tremendously and you barely notice any of these popups.

The Sound - 3
I think everyone will agree with me when I say that Sega has no idea how to put together a good soundtrack for this game. The original was horrible, this one is decent at best. The same 4 Offspring songs play over and over and after awhile, you begin to sing along with these crappy songs and then you shut the game off cause you've been playing for 3 hours listening to the same music. The only reason I gave this game a 3 and not a pathetic negative number was because the sound effects and voices are pretty cool.

The Cities - 9
A good change from the original was shifting the scene from San Fransisco to the Big Apple, NYC. You have the choice of playing the "Big Apple" map or the "Little Apple." These cities are extremely large and detailed. At every corner, there are dozens of pedestrians and always traffic along the roads. As far as I know, you can't play the original maps on Crazy Taxi 2, but that would have been cool.

The Controls - 10
The same out of control cabbie is back. You can smash into anything you want and not get a dent in your car. I've knocked tankers and buses on their sides and continued happily on to my next destination.

The Gameplay - 47
I know you're all saying "what a loser, he gave it a 47." I admit, it is dumb, but the gameplay in this game is incredible. Shifting into drive and reverse is at a touch of a button as is acceleration and braking. Steering is very easy to learn and all the cabs have unique driving types.

The Crazy Pyramid - 9
Slightly different from the originals "Crazy Box," the new mini-games are well-made and pretty difficult. The first few levels of the pyramid take from the original games with a few twists. As you work your way up, you win the "Little Apple Map" and "Big Apple Map" so if you ever wanted to know where some place was, you could just look on the map and find it. After you beat the pyramid, the 4 original cabbies are unlocked, my favorite feature of the game cause I love B.D. Joe, the stroller, an odd choice for a cab, and the carriage from the original can also be unlocked.

The Weakest Links
Excuse me, but I HATE that show and that lady can't get much more annoying. She never shuts up and makes the corniest jokes. But anyway, back to the review. I do not subscribe to the Dreamcast Internet, but I see that there are some options to use on the internet. I've heard that gamers have been praying for online head-to-head gameplay, but I don't think it is included in this game. Next, a lengthier and more diverse soundtrack would have been much appreciated. I can't stand hearing Offspring repeat the same 4 songs nonstop. I usually mute the tv and listen to my own music while playing.


If you own the original and loved it, then you should definitly buy Crazy Taxi 2. I would also recommend it to anyone who just bought a Dreamcast or missed out on the original. This game is worth the money.