Crazy Taxi (Nintendo GameCube, 2004)

Crazy Taxi was an arcade hit in 1999 and the 2000 Dreamcast port became one of the most universally popular titles on the system. The outrageous driving action now comes to the GameCube with this launch release, complete with all the quirky drivers, caricatured customers, twisting city streets, challenging traffic patterns, cartoon-styled physics, and shameless product placement that brought success to earlier versions of the title.

The player takes the role of one of four San Francisco cabbies, each with different skills and abilities. Potential customers are distinguished on the crowded city sidewalks by colored dollar signs that appear above their heads. The player has complete freedom in choosing which fares to pick up and the quickest route to the destinations they desire.

By confronting the player with realistic traffic patterns, the game presents a challenge that is familiar to nearly anyone who has driven a car down an actual city street, yet the comic environment and exaggerated physics allow a sense freedom and excitement that is only possible in the virtual reality of a next-generation video game. Players are continuously challenged to gain higher and higher scores as they learn shortcuts to popular destinations and develop driving tricks to push their vehicles to the limit.