_______ ________ ________ _________ ___ ___
\ ___\ \ __ \ \ __ \ \______ / \ \_\ \
\ \ \ \_\ \ \ \_\ \ / / \__ __\
\ \ \ _ \_ \ __ \ / / \ \
\ \___ \ \ \ \_ \ \ \ \ / /_____ \ \
\_____\ \__\ \__\ \__\ \__\ \_______\ \__\
________ ________ __ __ __
\__ __\ \ __ \ \ \ \ \ \ \
\ \ \ \_\ \ \ \_\ \ \ \
\ \ \ __ \ \ _ \ \ \
\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \\ \ \ \
\__\ \__\ \__\ \_\ \_\ \__\
------------------------------------------------------------------->
A GUIDE BY MR. BLACK (v1.3 - Final)
<-------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------->
CONTENTS:
<-------------------------------------------------------------------
1) INTRODUCTION
1a) Version History
2) BASIC CONTROLS
3) CRAZY MANOEUVRES + STUNTS
3a) Crazy Dash
3b) Crazy Back Dash
3c) Crazy Drift
3d) Crazy Back Drift
3e) The Stunts
4) CUSTOMERS + THE FARE SYSTEM
4a) Picking up a customer
4b) Driving your customer to their destination
4c) Dropping off your customer
4d) Predicting an approximate fare
4e) A Note on Tips
4f) The Fare Formula
4g) The Customers
5) THE GAME MODES + OPTIONS
5a) Arcade
5b) Original
5c) Crazy Box
5d) Options
5e) Records
5f) Save and Load
5g) Arcade Rules
5h) Game Physics
6) THE CABBIES
6a) Axel
6b) B.D. Joe
6c) Gena
6d) Gus
7) CRAZY BOX MINI-GAME GUIDE
7a) 1-1: Crazy Jump
7b) 1-2: Crazy Flag
7c) 1-3: Crazy Balloons
7d) 2-1: Crazy Drift
7e) 2-2: Crazy Turn
7f) 2-3: Crazy Bound
7g) 3-1: Crazy Rush
7h) 3-2: Crazy Jam
7i) 3-3: Crazy Pole
7j) 1-S: Crazy Bowling
7k) 2-S: Crazy Zigzag
7l) 3-S: Crazy Zigzag 2
7m) S-1: Crazy Through
7n) S-2: Crazy Parking
7o) S-3: Crazy Party
7p) S-S: Crazy Attack
8) HINTS AND TIPS
9) SECRETS
9a) The Rickshaw
9b) Another Day Mode
9c) No Arrows Mode
9d) No Destination Mark Mode
9e) Expert Mode
9f) Alternative Views
9g) "Hidden" Customers
9h) Sightseeing
10) THE END
10a) Credits
10b) Stuff for the Future
10c) Legal Stuff
------------------------------------------------------------------->
1) INTRODUCTION
<-------------------------------------------------------------------
The question that I'm often asked by my friends is "Why write guides for
games?" The simple answer is that if I've completed a game, seen
everything there is to see, and opened up all the secrets, I like to
share my knowledge with others, like I've done with this guide. The
thing is, I don't write guides for any old game. They have to be games
that I like, and boy, do I like Crazy Taxi.
Crazy Taxi is one of the best games ever made for the Dreamcast, and if
not, it's DEFINITELY one of the most fun to play. The premise is simple:
you pick up customers in your taxi, and take them to their destination
as fast as you can. Explain this to a friend who's never played, and
they'll get the impression that it must be deathly boring. It's not, as
you'll soon discover.
Before you read any further, I have to point something out. I am NOT a
god at Crazy Taxi. I have not gotten world records on all the mini-
games, nor have I gotten particularly high scores on the main game. But,
I HAVE beaten every mini-game, I HAVE gotten every licence, I HAVE
entered my initials into the "Rank 1" slot of both the Original and
Arcade modes, and I HAVE spent ages cruising the city streets,
perfecting the moves and finding out some cool stuff. So, this is NOT an
expert guide to Crazy Taxi. When I get better at the game, it probably
will become an expert's guide (if I ever get that good), but for now,
it's most suited to beginner/intermediate players.
1a) Version History
------------------>
Version 1.0 - Finished 1st draft of guide
Version 1.1 - Changed the legal section a bit
Version 1.2 - High scores updated
Version 1.3 - High scores updated
- Decided that I've finished this guide for good, and
made this the Final version update.
------------------------------------------------------------------->
2) BASIC CONTROLS
<-------------------------------------------------------------------
Crazy Taxi's controls are simple enough to learn, but the relatively
complex stunt moves will take a few hours play to master.
Analogue Thumb Pad: Move the cursor (menu screens)
Steer the taxi (during game play)
D-Pad: Same functions as Analogue Pad
A Button: Confirm choices (menu screens)
Shift to reverse gear (during game play)
B Button: Back up one screen (menu screens)
Shift to drive gear (during game play)
X Button: Destination reminder
Y Button: Not used
Start Button: Pause the game
R Trigger: Accelerate
L Trigger: Brake
------------------------------------------------------------------->
3) CRAZY MANOEUVRES + STUNTS
<-------------------------------------------------------------------
These stunt manoeuvres are mainly used to gain extra tips from your
customers, but they can also be used to get to your destination quicker.
They are also vital to your success in the mini-games.
For each manoeuvre, I've quoted from the Crazy Taxi instruction manual
on how you're supposed to pull it off, and then I've said how I usually
do it. Also, I've shown a button sequence for each move. The key for the
button abbreviations is:
A: A Button
B: B Button
RT: Right Trigger
LT: Left Trigger
R: Right on the Analogue or D-pad
L: Left on the Analogue or D-pad
(The Start, X and Y Buttons or Up and Down on the D-pad are not used in
any Crazy Manoeuvres)
3a) Crazy Dash
------------->
This manoeuvre gives you a fairly large burst of speed. It can be done
while moving, or while stationary.
The instruction manual says: "First, release both the accelerator and
the brake. Then, just after shifting into Drive, press the accelerator."
Mr. Black says: "The instruction manual isn't very clear on how to pull
this off. What is doesn't mention is that you should be in reverse
before releasing the accelerator, changing to Drive, etc. So, when
you're driving along, quickly shift into Reverse, let go the
accelerator, and the press the accelerator and shift back into Drive at
the same time. When you're stationary, shift into reverse, then when you
want to drive off again, accelerate and shift gears simultaneously.
Simplified button sequence: A, Release RT, B+RT
3b) Crazy Back Dash
------------------>
The same as the Crazy Dash, but backwards. Useful if you're jammed up
against a wall. The boost is not quite as great as the Crazy Dash's.
The instruction manual says: "Shift quickly into reverse after executing
a Crazy Dash."
Mr. Black says: "Yep, that's about right. One thing to add: after you
do the Crazy Back dash, you'll probably want to shift back into Drive
again. This move is best performed while stationary."
Simplified button sequence: A, Release RT, B+RT, A
(A manoeuvre called the Limit Cut can also be performed using the Crazy
Dash. Limit Cutting is performing a Crazy Dash while still getting the
speed boost from another one. Put simply, Limit Cutting is repeatedly
Crazy Dashing.)
3c) Crazy Drift
-------------->
A handbrake turn-type manoeuvre, this allows you to take tight corners
with ease.
The instruction manual says: "While moving forwards, quickly shift into
Reverse and back into Drive while cutting the steering wheel to the
right or left."
Mr. Black says: "Again, the manual isn't being very clear here. what you
need to do is start the turn, then slide your thumb over the Reverse and
Drive buttons consecutively. This is a much easier way of performing the
stunt. Just be careful that you don't accidentally nudge the A Button
afterwards, otherwise you'll shift back in Reverse mid-drift, and
that'll mess up your turn."
Simplified button sequence: L/R, A, B
(There is another technique involving the Crazy Drift which is not
documented in the manual, but, curiously, is mentioned in the Crazy Box
advice boxes - the Crazy Drift Stop. Basically, all this means is
braking during a Crazy Drift, bringing your car to a halt mid-Drift.)
3d) Crazy Back Drift
------------------->
This move spins your car 180 degrees, and then afterwards your car
carries on in Reverse. I can't think of any situation where this move
would be necessary.
The instruction manual says: "While moving forwards, quickly shift into
Drive and back into Reverse while cutting the steering wheel to the
right or left."
Mr. Black: "Bear in mind, you don't have to be moving in Reverse to do
this. Just follow my instructions for executing the Crazy Drift, but
this time slide your fingers from B to A."
Simplified button sequence: L/R, B, A
3e) The Stunts
------------->
These manoeuvres alone are not usually enough to gain tips from your
punters. You have to pull them off in certain situations to get the
cash. There are three different stunts that can be performed in Crazy
Taxi. They are:
CRAZY THROUGH: Drive very close to a car when overtaking or passing it.
CRAZY DRIFT: Use the Crazy Drift manoeuvre to do a sliding turn.
CRAZY JUMP: Use a ramp or similar object to get some "bodacious air".
The Crazy Dash will help here, as it will make you do higher jumps.
------------------------------------------------------------------->
4) CUSTOMERS + THE FARE SYSTEM
<-------------------------------------------------------------------
In Crazy Taxi, your goal as a cabbie is to make as much cash as possible
by picking up customers, taking them to their destinations and dropping
them off as quickly as you can. The amount of money you earn depends on
how quickly you drop off your customer, the distance you had to drive to
get there, and how many stunts you pulled off during the trip.
4a) Picking up a customer
------------------------>
Throughout the cities you play in, you will see loads of people who have
spinning dollar signs above their heads. To pick up a customer, you have
to bring your taxi to a halt within the customer's stop zone, the
coloured circle which surrounds them. The customer should immediately
get into your cab.
4b) Driving a customer to their destination
------------------------------------------>
As soon as you pick up a customer, the game display will change
slightly:
1) A time limit will appear above the taxi, which indicates the time you
have left to drop off your customer. The longer you take, the darker the
colour of the timer. To begin with, it's green, then it goes yellow, and
finally red. If you don't reach the destination within the time limit, a
purple "BAD" sign will appear in the middle of the screen, and your
unhappy customer will jump out of the cab without paying.
2) A picture of your customer's destination and a counter showing the
remaining distance to that destination will appear in the left for a
short time, then disappear. (To recall these displays, press the X
button.)
4) A fare counter will appear under the "total earned" counter. When you
first pick up your customer, it will display the "base fare", the amount
that the customer is paying you to get them to their destination. This
will increase with each tip you get.
5) Finally, a green arrow showing the direction you should take to reach
the destination will appear at the top of the screen. This arrow will
change colour from green to red as you get closer to the destination.
It is your job to get your customer to their destination before the time
runs out. During this stage of play, you should try to increase your
fare by gaining tips using the Crazy Maneouvre techniques.
4c) Dropping off a customer
-------------------------->
When you get to the customer's destination, you'll see a green outline
which indicates the drop-off zone. To drop off your customer, you must
stop completely within this area. When you drop him/her off you'll then
be paid the amount shown in the fare counter (the base fare), plus a
bonus fare which is converted from any time you have left over. You will
also get a speed rating, which is determined by the colour of the timer
at the time of drop-off. Here's a chart which shows the ratings and how
to get them:
Timer colour | Speed rating
-------------|-------------
GREEN| SPEEDY
YELLOW| NORMAL
RED| SLOW
4d) Predicting an approximate fare
--------------------------------->
You can usually make an approximation of the payment you'll receive from
a customer by two factors; the colour of the dollar sign above their
head, and the size of their drop zone. The darker the colour of the
dollar sign, the closer the destination is. Similarly, the larger the
drop zone, the more difficult it will be to reach the destination is
time. These charts will help you understand this:
Dollar sign colour chart:
| Distance to | Amount of time to | Size of
Sign colour | destination | reach destination | Fare
-------------|-------------|-------------------|-----------
RED | VERY NEAR | SMALL | SMALL
ORANGE | NEAR | QUITE SMALL |QUITE SMALL
YELLOW | MEDIUM | MEDIUM | MEDIUM
YELLOW-GREEN | FAR | QUITE LARGE |QUITE LARGE
GREEN | VERY FAR | LARGE | LARGE
Drop zone size chart:
Size of Drop Zone | Difficulty of journey | Size of Fare
------------------|-----------------------|-------------
LARGE| HIGH | LARGE
MEDIUM| MEDIUM | MEDIUM
SMALL| LOW | SMALL
Both the distance and the difficulty of the journey have an impact on
the size of the fare, but if you came across a customer with, say, a
green dollar sign, and a small drop zone, that would indicate a long
journey (large fare) but an easy journey (small fare). This would give
you a medium size fare.
So, if you've got a lot of time on your hands, go for the customers that
have green dollar signs and large drop zones, as these will net you a
lot of cash, but take up a lot of your time. As you're nearing the end
of the game, go for the red dollar signers, as a last ditch attempt to
scrape together one final wad of cash.
4e) A Note on Tips
----------------->
Tips are shown as coins that appear next to your taxi. They can be worth
either $0.25 (copper coins), $0.50 (silver coins), or $0.75 - $1.00
(gold coins). However, you can gain combos, by performing stunts
consectutively without crashing into another car or a piece of non-
destructible scenery (ie. buildings, walls, but not crates, phone
booths, or anything else that can be moved around by your taxi). Each
combo makes your tip worth more.
Example: Combo 1 - $0.50
Combo 2 - $0.75
Combo 3 - $1.00
Combo 4 - $2.00
Combo 5 - $3.25
* CRASH *
Your tip resets to minimum, but these tips are added together, so that
5-string combo would give you $7.50.
4f) The Fare Formula
------------------->
This is a *very* brief and simplified formula for the working out of
fares. There must be a lot of complex maths going on in Crazy Taxi which
calculates the fares, so rather than spend ages trying to decipher that,
here's the patented Mr. Black's Fare-Working-Out Formula:
Total fare = Base fare + Tips + Time bonus
See what I mean about simplified? It's more of a summary of this section
than anything else.
4g) The Customers
---------------->
There are tons of different customers to pick up in Crazy Taxi, and the
instruction manual lists but a few of them. Here they are:
Rachel - Currently working as a hospital volunteer, this young woman
dreans of becoming a doctor someday.
Typical destination(s): Hospital
Cindy - This young pretty college student is a psychology major who just
loves junk food!
Typical destination(s): Pizza Hut/KFC
Dan - A graduate student of economics, Dan is in the process of writing
his thesis on the economical impact of the fashion industry on world
markets.
Typical destination(s): FILA
Grandma J - Keep your eyes peeled for this feisty ol' lady! Those loud
and colourful pyjamas on Ms. Jessica are sure hard to miss!
Typical destination(s): Used car shop
Biff - A baseball fanatic who never misses a game, Biff travels by
helicopter to watch his favourite baseball team in action whenever they
are playing away games.
Typical destination(s): Baseball park/Heliport
Kim - This tourist is always running from one famous landmark to another
with a video camera in hand. Smile!
Typical destination(s): Millenium Tower/Big Hills Park
Buzz - A hard-core loving punk rocker who has a habit of appearing in
the most unexpected of places!
Typical destination(s): Tower Records
Pierre - A hopelessly romantic young man who spends all his time and
money chasing women... another day another date.
Typical destination(s): Cafeteria
These "typical destinations" are only rough approximations - each
character will want to go to several other places too.
In addition, there are several other customers for you to pick up.
-------------------------------------------------------------------->
5) THE GAME MODES
<-------------------------------------------------------------------
There are several different game modes in Crazy Taxi, and all of them
use the same 'pick up customer, drop them off, repeat' sequence of play.
The only differences are the time limits.
On the main menu screen, you can see six different options: ARCADE,
ORIGINAL, CRAZY BOX, OPTIONS, RECORDS, and SAVE AND LOAD.
5a) Arcade
--------->
Arcade mode, unsurprisingly, is set in the exact same city as the one
you play in the arcades. You can choose to play for 3, 5 or 10 minutes,
or to play by Arcade machine rules.
You start outside the university grounds.
At the end of the time limit, you are presented with a status screen
showing just how damn good you did. The amount of customers you
satisfied and the amount of money you earned are shown, along with the
LICENCE you earned. The licence depends on how much money you earned, so
I've made yet another ickle table to explain what I'm on about.
Amount earned | Licence obtained
------------------|-----------------
$0.00 | No licence
$1 - $999 | E Class licence
$1,000 - $1,999 | D Class licence
$2,000 - $2,999 | C Class licence
$3,000 - $3,999 | B Class licence
$4,000 - $4,999 | A Class licence
$5,000 - $9,999 | S Class licence
$10,000 - £19,999 | Awesome licence
$20,000 + | Crazy licence
MY HIGH SCORES: Play by Arcade Rules - $18,600.32
Work for 3 minutes - $2,421.53
Work for 5 minutes - $4,563.12
Work for 10 minutes - $7,333.63
5b) Original
----------->
Original is the same as Arcade, with the same 3, 5, or 10 minute limits,
except you play in a new, Dreamcast-exclusive city. Again, you earn
licences depending on how much cash you bag.
MY HIGH SCORES: Play by Arcade Rules - $22,256.87 (Woohoo!)
Work for 3 minutes - $2,107.82
Work for 5 minutes - $3,989.34
Work for 10 minutes - $7,025.92
5c) Crazy Box
------------>
Here, you can play 9 different mini-games, with 7 secret ones to unlock.
They'll be discussed in more depth in the CRAZY BOX MINI-GAME GUIDE
section.
You can change player files and cabbies at the top of the screen. You
can also do a quick view of the selected player's high scores for each
mini-game by highlighting that mini-game. Pressing either trigger while
highlighting lets you view the total high score for that mini-game.
5d) Options
---------->
Funnily enough, the options menu is where you can muck about with the
game's options.
TIME SETTING: This option changes the time limit of the 'Play
by Arcade Rules' game setting of the Arcade and
Original modes.
TIME DIFFICULTY: This changes the amount of time that you get to drop
off each customer.
TRAFFIC DIFFICULTY: This changes the density of traffic in the 'Play
by Arcade Rules' settings.
AUDIO: Choose between monaural and stereo sound
settings.
MUSIC VOLUME: Adjust the volume of the funky music.
SE VOLUME: Change the volume of the sound effects.
CONTROLLER SETTING: Choose between two controller configurations.
VIBRATION: Toggle the Vibration Pack on/off (obviously, you
can only select this option if you have a
Vibration Pack in Expansion Socket 2 of your
controller).
5e) Records
---------->
Here's where you can inspect your fabulous hi-scores and record-breaking
level times and brag about them to your mates. Move the Analogue down to
choose between the Arcade, Original, and Crazy Box record charts, and
move it left and right to scroll through the various settings. You can
also choose to view the high scores of an individual player, or the
highest overall scores from all players.
5f) Save & Load
-------------->
Seeing as Crazy Taxi has an auto-load function, this option isn't of too
much use, to be honest. However, it's possible to create and delete
player files here, or modify their names. You can save a maximum of 4
player files.
5g) Arcade Rules
--------------->
If you've played Crazy Taxi at the arcades, then you'll know what to
expect here. You start with 50 seconds of time, and with each customer
you successfully drop off, you'll get a time bonus. That means that
although you have a very short time to begin with, if you do well
enough, you can carry on playing for ages.
The time bonus you get depends on your speed rating. Here's a chart to
explain it further:
Speed rating | Time bonus
-------------|-----------
SPEEDY| +5 secs
NORMAL| +2 secs
SLOW| +0 secs
Also, you get a small time bonus when you pick up a customer, to
accommodate his/her destination time limit.
If your total time limit is less than the customer's destination limit,
your total time limit will become equal to the destination time limit.
Example: You pick up a customer with 5 seconds left. Her destination
time limit is 15 seconds, so your time limit becomes 15 seconds too. You
drop her off in 10 seconds - your total time limit is 5 again. But,
because you got a 'NORMAL' speed rating (bonus +2 seconds), your total
time limit becomes 7 (5+2).
5h) Game Physics
--------------->
As far as I can tell, Crazy Taxi is set in a parallel universe where
crashing head-on into inanimate objects has very little effect on your
speed, cars are indestructible, and ordinary people can breathe and
drive cars underwater. You could say that Crazy Taxi takes a few of the
laws of physics and tells them where to get off. But that's good. That
means you can retain your speed even after crashing head-on with a bus.
That means that your taxi never claps out on you or blows up on impact
with a concrete pillar. And yes, that means that you can drive
underwater without too much trouble. Hooray for unrealism!
------------------------------------------------------------------->
6) THE CABBIES
<-------------------------------------------------------------------
In this section, the descriptions of the cabbies has been copied from
the instruction manual.
6a) Axel
------->
AGE: 21
SEX: Male
HEIGHT: 6'0"
WEIGHT: 158lbs
LICENCE PLATE NUMBER: 1NOM155 = "I no miss"
Meaning: "I don't make mistakes"
This wild and freewheeling guy is known to have a hot and quick temper.
His only reason for becoming a cab driver is that he considers being a
cabbie the "coolest" profession. Axel always shows his customers a good
time while driving them in his 60's era classic cab, earning himself big
tips in the process. As far he is concerned, cab driving is the ultimate
career.
When he isn't working, Axel is usually trying to pick up women, jamming
with his punk band (bass and vocals) or participating in board sports
like surfing and snowboarding. That said however, Axel is a bit too
freewheeling so his band members tend to come and go on a regular basis,
and he can't maintain decent relationships with women. Oh well, what's a
guy to do?
While he isn't perfect, his open-hearted personality and cheerful nature
means he kind of grows on you. His most redeeming quality is that he is
especially gifted at mediating when there is trouble or fighting amongst
his many friends.
COMMENT: Axel is an average driver, he seems to lack the stunting skill
of B.D. Joe but there isn't much difference really. Shame about the
hair, though.
6b) B.D. Joe
----------->
AGE: 25
SEX: Male
HEIGHT: 5'9"
WEIGHT: 165lbs
LICENCE PLATE NUMBER: 2HOP2GO = "To hop to go"
Meaning: "Always ready to get crazy"
Always friendly and cheerful... that's B.D.Joe.
For him, driving a cab is a line of work in which he can excel at
"making people happy". Happiest when he can bring a smile to the face of
customers, B.D. is a master of both driving and conversational
techniques.
Even when he is not driving a cab, B.D. is well known as an accomplished
performance artist. He can throw together a few discarded drum cans and
lids, and using a pair of drumsticks he can blow you away with his
musical prowess. His rhythms sound so fine they put the supposed
"professional" musicians to shame. He is often asked why he doesn't
perform professionally but he just laughs brightly and says, "Making
people smile is reward enough for me, besides, cabbing is too much fun
to give up!"
Lately B.D. Joe has taken up card tricks... why you may ask? Because by
doing so he can make anyone's day, anytime, anywhere.
COMMENT: Aahh... wasn't dat da wuvwiest fing oo've ever wead? Other than
his obvious people-pleasing talents, I reckon B.D. is the best overall
cabbie in Crazy Taxi. He just seems to be able to pull off stunts easier
than anyone else, so he's the cabbie I play as the most.
6c) Gena
------->
AGE:
SEX:
HEIGHT:
WEIGHT:
LICENCE PLATE NUMBER: 5EXY515 = "Sexy Sis"
Meaning: "Sexually Attractive Woman"
If Gena could be described in two words, without a doubt those words
would be "cool & sexy". With a strong passion for cars, her reason for
being a cab driver is simple, "Because I get to drive around in my car
all day!"
While she's not concerned with amusing her customers per se, she sure is
timely. When asked if perhaps she'd be happier as a racing driver, she
just laughs and replies, "But it is such a ruch to race through the
traffic-laden streets... I could never give this up!"
When Gena isn't working in her beloved cab, she can usually be found
working on it. In fact, she spends nearly all her time and money
performing extensive tune-ups, maintenance, and cleaning. It's no
surprise that all the money she earns goes straight back into her cab.
Despite her cab fixation, many men are attracted to Gena's beauty. But
she simply turns her nose up at any man who dares try to gain her
affections.
Clearly the object of her affection is her one and only cab!
COMMENT: There doesn't seem to be any in-game distinction between Gena
and Axel, other than their appearance. I very rarely play as Gena, but
as soon as I find something out, I'll let you know.
6d) Gus
------>
AGE:
SEX:
HEIGHT: 5'8"
WEIGHT: 187
LICENCE PLATE NUMBER: ONLY777 = "Only 777"
Meaning: "Only aim for the big jackpot"
Gus is a handsome (in a melancholy sort of way) drifter who typifies the
term "cool". He holds the unique distinction of being the first cabbie
ever to drive in the "crazy" style. In his youth, Gus was a wild and
uncontrollable hooligan, selfish to a fault, who hated to lose and had
to be Number 1 at any cost. With a strong fascination for things new,
Gus was naturally drawn to that one unique trend that was totally cool.
Always getting into something before it became popular, back in the days
when he didn't own a car he was just riding around in a normal taxi when
he had a flash of inspiration that caused him to go out and buy an old
junked out 1955 jalopy. Thus began the crazy taxi trend.
If Gus isn't driving, he can usually be found playing cards. When the
working ends he meets his poker buddies (whose members change nightly)
to pass the time playing poker, blackjack, and baccarat. A benefit of
his gambling is that Gus has come to understand the ways of strategy,
thereby mellowing his former desire to win at all costs. Learning the
why and how of losing has made Gus a better person.
COMMENT; I play as Gus quite a lot, for the sole reason that I like his
car! He has the heaviest car in the game, meaning that he can take
crashes with a minimal loss of speed, but has slower acceleration.
------------------------------------------------------------------->
7) CRAZY BOX MINIGAME GUIDE
<-------------------------------------------------------------------
Here, I've given hints on how to beat each minigame, and also my
personal high scores, which will undoubtedly be embarrassingly poor.
7a) 1-1: Crazy Jump
------------------>
OBJECTIVE: Jump further than 150 metres off a huge ski ramp.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: No time limit.
Easy, this. All you have to do is Crazy Dash right from the start, and
you clear the K point easily. For a longer jump, perform more than one
Crazy Dash (Limit Cut) while bombing down the ramp.
MY HIGH SCORE: 352.68m
7b) 1-2: Crazy Flag
------------------>
OBJECTIVE: Knock down a flag situated behind the start point.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 0'20"00
Either Crazy Back Dash a few times, or just turn around and drive
straight for it and Limit Cut - this one's a cinch.
MY HIGH SCORE: 0'09"70
7c) 1-3: Crazy Balloons
---------------------->
OBJECTIVE: Burst 20 balloons strewn about an open field.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 0'45"00
Once you've gotten to grips with the Crazy Dash and Crazy Drift, you
shouldn't find this too hard. The lone balloons should be popped by
driving straight into them, but the groups of three can be burst in one
go if you Crazy Drift through them.
MY HIGH SCORE: 0'30"94
7d) 2-1: Crazy Drift
------------------->
OBJECTIVE: Perform Crazy Drift combos in an enclosed arena.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 15 combo
The premise is simple, but this arena is probably the worst possible
place to perform Crazy Drifts, due to it's raised bumps. Try to drift on
the flat roads round the outside and in the middle.
MY HIGH SCORE: 27 combo
7e) 2-2: Crazy Turn
------------------>
OBJECTIVE: Drive a customer to her destination through a track composed
of hairpin turns.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 0'35"00
This mini-game can be quite frustrating, due to the fact that it's still
fairly difficult to finish the course within the time limit even if you
perform Crazy Drifts round every corner. Approach the corners wide, turn
in, and Crazy Drift out. You may need to apply a touch or two of the
brake mid-Drift.
MY HIGH SCORE: 0'30"04
7f) 2-3: Crazy Bound
------------------->
OBJECTIVE: Drive a customer to his destination over a series of ramps
and 90 degree turns, without falling into the sea.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 0'40"00
Annoying, annoying, annoying. That about sums up this mini-game. Crazy
Dash from the start, and try to Crazy Drift on each ramp to set you up
for the next. Before attempting the final ramp, which is very narrow,
take a moment to slow down and line yourself up. Then prepare to brake
like mad to stop in the drop-off zone without falling off the edge into
the briny depths.
MY HIGH SCORE: 0'33"45
7g) 3-1: Crazy Rush
------------------>
OBJECTIVE: Drive five customers to their destinations.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 1'10"00
This one took me a few tries... it's one of the harder mini-games. The
customers are situated in the centre of a five-pointed star, with their
destinations at each point, like this:
D
| C = Customer
D - C C C - D D = Destination
C C S = Your starting point
/ \
D S D
The problem is, when you drop a customer off, you facing exactly the
opposite way as the next one you need to pick up. So, solve this problem
by performing a Crazy Drift Stop in the stop zone to face in the right
direction. Then, Crazy Dash off again for the next customer. Simple in
theory... quite tricky in practice. The hardest part is getting the car
to stop inside the drop-off zone, without sliding off all over the
place.
MY HIGH SCORE: 1'01"85
7h) 3-2: Crazy Jam
----------------->
OBJECTIVE: Drive three customers to their destinations, driving through
dense traffic.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 0'45'00
Takes a few goes, but is ultimately very easy. Crazy Dash from the start
to boost straight through the traffic coming from your left and right,
and then Crazy Drift Stop to bring your car within both your present
customer's drop-off zone, and the next customer's stop zone, while
facing the main road to your right. Once the second customer's in your
cab, Crazy Dash down the road. It's dead straight, but jam-packed full
of cars, so stick yourself in between traffic lanes and Limit Cut to the
second drop-off zone. Pick up the last customer and it's a straight run
to the finish.
MY HIGH SCORE: 0'36"19
7i) 3-3: Crazy Pole
------------------>
OBJECTIVE: Drive eight customers to their destinations, along a course
composed of 90 degree turns, each with a pole in the middle of the turn.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 1'10"00
The trick here is to start a sharp Crazy Drift *just* before you hit the
pole, so, in effect, you T-Bone the car onto the pole, facing the next
pole. Crazy Dash after you pick each customer off, and you'll thrash the
time limit, like I've done (modest to the core, me).
MY HIGH SCORE: 0'44"49
7j) 1-S: Crazy Bowling
--------------------->
OBJECTIVE: Knock down all seven sets of ten bowling pins along a huge
bowling alley.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 0'30"00
This is tricky. To make it to the end in time with all 70 pins knocked
down requires some slick driving. When you're halfway crashing through
each set of pins, do a very slight Crazy Drift; this will guarantee a
strike. At the sixth set, do a full 180-degree Crazy Drift, then Crazy
Dash off down the long lane to your right to reach the last set.
By the way, if you go through the tunnel at the end of each gutter,
you'll reappear at the start of the alley, just like you would if you
got a gutter ball in real bowling; your ball is returned to you. (Thanks
to Harry for pointing this out)
MY HIGH SCORE: 0'27"59
7k) 2-S: Crazy Zigzag
-------------------->
OBJECTIVE: Drive a customer to her destination along a course composed
of 90 degree and hairpin turns, without falling into the sea.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 0'25"00
Aaargh! This is THE most frustrating mini-game in Crazy Taxi, and if
it's your first time, it'll take you plenty of goes before you crack it.
Crazy Dash from the start, and perform a Crazy Drift with a touch of
brake for the first three 90-degree turns. The next two turns are
absolute b*tches. You'll need to brake fairly heavily both before and
during the Crazy Drift to ensure you don't fall into the drink. The
final turn looks worse, but if you've done OK up to now, just do a
slight slide to the right using only the brake, and drive off to the
finish.
One problem I had with this mini-game was finding the right place to
start my Crazy Drifts on the first three turns. I found that the best
way was to begin the Crazy Drift as soon as the front of your car passes
the white marks on the road, just before the turn.
MY HIGH SCORE: 0'23"59
7l) 3-S: Crazy Zigzag 2
---------------------->
OBJECTIVE: Drop off all 7 customers to their destinations, driving
through the Crazy Zigzag course, again without falling into the sea.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 0'40"00
Thankfully, this is easier than the first Crazy Zigzag. At the start, 7
grannies board your car. You have to drop them off along your way to the
finish. Unfortunately for you, their drop-off zones are tiny slivers of
track at the corners of each turn. To make sure you don't zoom off the
corners, apply a touch of brake as you pass the white marks on the road,
then do a heavily-braked Crazy Drift to stop within the drop-off zone
and face the next. Repeat six times.
MY HIGH SCORE: 0'39"22
7m) S-1: Crazy Through
--------------------->
OBJECTIVE: Obtain a 30+ Crazy Through combo on a traffic-laden highway.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 1'30"00
You'd think that this mini-game requires some smooth driving to dodge
incoming traffic and get the Crazy Throughs. Wrong. You can cheat. Well,
sort of. To obtain scores as high as my own (see below) with minimum
effort, simply steer you car to the left at the very start, to position
your cab between the two lanes of INCOMING traffic. Then simply nudge
the accelerator repeatedly and crawl along as slow as possible, steering
slightly to take the turns, but never straying from the line between the
lanes. After the minute and a half is up, hey presto! A big fat combo
score!
MY HIGH SCORE: 115 combo
7n) S-2: Crazy Parking
--------------------->
OBJECTIVE: Drive a customer to his destination, through a multi-storey
car park full of both moving and stationary traffic.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 0'25"00
Not much to say here, really. Use Limit Cuts on the few straight parts
and Crazy Drifts on the turns, avoid the stationary cars as best as you
can, and make sure you don't overshoot the drop-off point. Simple stuff,
really.
MY HIGH SCORE: 0'19"04
7o) S-3: Crazy Party
------------------->
OBJECTIVE: Pick up all seven customers and drive them to their
destination.
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 1'40"00
This, at first, seems nigh-on impossible, especially seeing as the game
doesn't give you half a clue as to what on earth you're supposed to be
doing. However, it becomes a whole lot easier, once you know THE ROUTE.
THE ROUTE is the set path by which you must not stray from, lest you
fail the mini-game and live the rest of your life in shame. Actually,
it's just the best order in which to pick up yer punters. THE ROUTE is:
1) Go slightly to the left of the ramp ahead of you, and pick up the guy
standing next to the phone booths.
2) Next, pick up the guy who's on the opposite side of the ramp.
3) Double back, and head up the ramp that's behind you, the one with the
bowling pins on it. Use the brake to stay on. Pick up the guy at the top
of this ramp.
4) Jump off the ramp to land in the middle of the parked cars. Pick up
guy number 4 here.
5) Go straight on, and drive up the ramp along the outside of the
cylindrical tower. Again, use the brake to stay on.
6) Drive off the tower, in the direction of the ramp you were facing at
the start. Use a Crazy Dash or two to make the jump from the ramp to the
terrace ahead. Try to jump to the right. Pick up the guy who's on the
right-hand side of the terrace.
7) The last guy is on the left-hand side of the terrace.
Once all seven are in your cab, bust through the barrier at the end of
the terrace, and follow the narrow path to the end. Don't fall off the
path, or you'll fail.
MY HIGH SCORE: 1'37"29
7p) S-S: Crazy Attack
-------------------->
OBJECTIVE: Drive one lap around the Arcade city (!)
TIME/SCORE LIMIT: 4'00"00
Slightly overwhelming at first, but I did it on my first try, albeit
with a pretty poor time. It's slightly confusing as to where to go, but,
once you start playing, you'll realise that the Arcade city is
surprisingly racetrack-like. Also, checkpoints will appear onscreen to
show you how you're doing for time, and to keep you on track.
To begin with, follow the tramway down the hill to the bottom. Turn left
to drive along the beach. Drive straight through the big park, and use
the multi-storey car park to help you get some air and avoid traffic.
Drive through the streets, and drive up the hill where the church is.
Crazy Drift off the hill before the R. B. Station to land in the car
park below. Drive past the baseball stadium, and onto the highway.
Follow this along to the inner city area. Go left after the police
station, and drive through the city (don't go through the mall; it just
wastes time) to the look-out tower. Follow the coast along and drive up
the large hill. Then it's just a drive past the university gardens, back
to the suburbs where you started. You ARE carrying a customer, you know,
so you will have to stop on the drop-off zone to finish the race. Note
that you must pass through all the checkpoints to complete the race, so
no sneaky shortcutting is allowed. Additionally, when ever you see those
car transporters, ramp off them to clear some traffic.
MY HIGH SCORE: 3'35"02
------------------------------------------------------------------->
8) HINTS AND TIPS
<-------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some pointers on how to make that extra bit of cash, in both
the Arcade and Original cities:
ARCADE - The highway that goes from the baseball stadium to the
police station is a veritable goldmine of hard cash. Try
to "grind" against the outside lanes, by jamming your car
against it, then simply Crazy Dash all the way through,
racking up the Crazy Throughs as you go. It's worth noting
that the lower lane yields more spondoolicks, as there
seems to be heavier traffic.
- The hills in the suburbian area of the city are just
perfect for those massive Crazy Jump combos. Crazy Dash
beforehand to catch more air.
- When driving to the baseball stadium from the massive
grassy area where the church is, you can save some
valuable time by Crazy Drifting off the hill that goes
down to the R.B. Station, aiming to land in the car park.
- In the Arcade city, you have the advantage of those car
transporters strewn all over the place, that handily
double up into mini-ramps. Use these whenever you can, as
not only do you get more tips, you can also avoid traffic.
- The multi-storey car park is fantastic for getting extra
dough. Crazy Drift off the ramp, Crazy Through the parked
cars, then Crazy Dash off the end for a big jump.
ORIGINAL - Try the Used Car Shop for some superb Crazy Through-ing.
Parked cars galore!
- For a shortcut to the Marine Plaza, Crazy Dash up the
raised bridge to clear the warehouse and land just before
it.
- Similarly, you can jump from the Marine Plaza to the
Police Station by using the ramp-like walls surrounding
it.
- Like in the Arcade City, there are loads of super-steep
hills knocking about, just crying out to be jumped off.
Plus, you always have the highways in the inner city area.
- The layout of the inner city area is such that it is
actually quite difficult to navigate. Thankfully, the
subway entrances can be used as ramps. Try leaping up onto
the rooftop cafeteria - saves loadsa time.
------------------------------------------------------------------->
9) SECRETS
<-------------------------------------------------------------------
9a) The Rickshaw
--------------->
TO GET IT: 1) Clear all 16 mini-games in the Crazy Box. Press up on
the d-pad in the character selection screen to ride the rickshaw (on
Crazy Box scroll past Gus)
2) Before selecting your cabbie in the Arcade/Original select screen,
quickly tap L+R three times. A bike bell should be heard if you did it
right.
WHAT IT DOES: Yes, it's possible to replace your taxi with a brand
spanking new secret "car": the rickshaw. Basically, it's a bike with a
big basket on the back for carrying passengers. It's much faster than
the normal taxi, but for some reason it's heavier, so it can't take
jumps nearly as well. I prefer the taxis, myself.
9b) Another Day Mode
------------------->
TO GET IT: Tap R on the character select screen, then hold R when
picking a cabbie. You'll know if you did it right if "another day"
appears in green writing in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
WHAT IT DOES: This "cheat" starts you off in a different part of the
city, with different customer locations and destinations. If you're
playing in Arcade, you'll start in much the same place as you would
normally - outside the university. However, you're on the other side of
the street and you're facing the other way. If in Original, you'll begin
the game outside the Millenium Tower.
9c) No Arrows Mode
----------------->
TO GET IT: Hold R+Start during the "now loading" screen before the
character select screen. If you did it right, "no arrows" will appear in
yellow in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
WHAT IT DOES: Disables the destination arrow. This definitely makes the
game harder, as you have to rely on memory to get the cash.
9d) No Destination Mark Mode
----------------------------->
TO GET IT: Hold L+Start during the "now loading" screen before the
character select screen. "No destination mark" should appear in red at
the bottom-left corner of the screen if you did it correctly.
WHAT IT DOES: Disables the green barriers surrounding the drop-off
zones. You can still make out a green line on the floor marking the
boundary, so this cheat doesn't really do all that much.
9e) Expert Mode
-------------->
TO GET IT: Hold L+R+Start while the "now loading" appears before the
character select screen. "EXPERT" should appear in white at the bottom-
left corner of the screen if you did it correctly.
WHAT IT DOES: Basically, this cheat combines the two above cheats into
one. No arrows OR destination marks. Hard? That's why it's an *expert*
mode.
9f) Alternative Views
-------------------->
TO GET IT: Plug in another controller into port 3. During the game,
press Start on that controller.
WHAT IT DOES: After you press Start on the controller in port 3, you can
use the A, B, X, and Y buttons on that controller to alter the camera
view. Here's what each button does:
B Button: Shifts camera to a 1st-person "cockpit" view.
X Button: Press five times to make a speedometer appear.
Y Button: Shifts camera to a dramatic version, which pans and follows
your car to give a more action-orientated view. If you don't know what I
mean, watch the video that comes after the title screen.
A Button: Resets the camera back to it's normal, 3rd-person view.
9g) "Hidden" Customers
------------------->
There are several customers in Crazy Taxi that are in hard to reach or
otherwise obscure locations. They are quite fun to track down, and they
more often than not grant you a bit more cash than a regular customer
would. Although I'm sure that there's many, many more, here's a list of
the ones that I've found.
ARCADE - Drive down to the beach at the bottom of the hill with the
tramway on it. There are several people underwater, standing
on the submerged rocks. They even have snorkels on!
- Go to the multi-storey car park. After you go up the ramp,
turn right and drive along to the very end, keeping to left
wall. At the end, slowly drop off and you'll land on a roof.
From here, you can see Grandma J standing on a veranda. Pick
her up; she wants to go from here, all the way to the Police
Station in the inner city area 2km away! Her base fare is a
huge $975.08! You can *easily* make over $1,100 from just
this one customer!
ORIGINAL - In various points under the water in the docks area, you
can find a snorkel-wearing Buzz, who will usually want to go
to Tower Records.
- Approach the triple-carriageway Spaghetti Junction-like
highway from the inner city area. Take either the left or
right route and follow it. When it forks, take a right. Just
after the fork you can fall off and land on the roof of a
building. Buzz is here, waiting to be picked up.
- Ramp up the raised bridge in the docks area to land on top
of the warehouse. Hellooooo, Grandma J.
- From the Landing Pier, go right, left at the police
station, then take the first right. Drive along until you
see a flight of steps on your left. Go up them to reach a
rooftop eatery area. Surprise, surprise! There's another
customer up here!
9h) Sightseeing
-------------->
As well as hidden customers, there are tons of neat things to see in
Crazy Taxi. Conforming to an almost Pilotwings-esque level of attention
to detail, it'll be a long while before any of us see everything that
there is to see in Crazy Taxi.
ARCADE - In the sea by the beach, not only are there people
snorkelling, but there is also an orca (killer whale)
swimming about! (Thanks to Harry for finding that)
- In the Police Station, you can see policemen through the
wire fence - and get this! They're TAPPING THEIR FEET! JOY!
- You know the Tennis Court? Use the 1st-person cheat to get
a better view, then watch a tennis match! (Thanks to Harry
for noticing this)
- True to form, there is a significant increase in
helicopter activity around the Heliport.
- Look for the fountain just outside the Bus Terminal; it
looks pretty damn groovy.
- If you haven't done already, drive through the mall. Trust
me, it's fun!
ORIGINAL - The waterside area outside the police station can be
followed for quite a distance, leading to a rather
picturesque cliffy/beachy/watery place.
- Just take a look at that Millenium Tower. Huge! Same goes
for the Big Hills Park's ferris wheel.
- If you drive underwater near the Lighthouse, you can see a
section of the harbour wall that has fallen into disrepair.
Nothing too eye-pleasing, but gives a few hours of
frustrating entertainment as you try to bash through it, and
later realise that you can't.
- Tootle along the train tracks between stations, and before
long you'll be ploughed into by a train. Yippee!
GENERAL - Did you know that there are other Crazy Taxi drivers in
the city? Keep your eyes open! On more than one occasion
have I seen have I seen yellow cabs career through the
streets, pulling off drift turns and unsuccessfully trying
to take ramps.
- Is it just me, or do the red cars and blue transit vans on
this game look suspiciously like the ones from House of the
Dead 2?
------------------------------------------------------------------->
10) THE END
<-------------------------------------------------------------------
10a) Credits
----------->
Credits go to:
Harry "Shut Up" Clarkson (my ickle bruvver), for finding several neat
things, and inspiring me to put in the "Sightseeing" section
Sega, for making such a great game
The Offspring and Bad Religion, for making the great music for this
game; without them, the game wouldn't be quite as good.
10b) Stuff for the Future
------------------------>
I don't plan on adding too much to this guide (of course, in future
version, high scores etc. will be updated, along with a version
history), but there are some things that maybe YOU could help me with:
The brand names of the cabbies' cars
Any hidden customers you've found
Any sightseeing stuff you've found
Rest assured, you will be credited in full. E-mail me at:
[email protected]
10c) Legal Stuff
--------------->
First, the copyrights:
Crazy Taxi is a registered trademark or trademark of Sega
Enterprises,Ltd.
Sega and Dreamcast are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega
Enterprises, Ltd.
This guide is copyright Alexander Hugh Clarkson, 2000.
Now then. The ground rules:
1) You CANNOT post or link to this guide unless you are one of the sites
shown in number 3) below. I'm not accepting requests for this guide
anymore.
2) I will not accept spamming (ESPECIALLY chain letters). Spamming will
be taken up with your e-mail provider. Although I'm not a particular fan
of it, hate mail is fine - they can't do you for that.
3) The only sites that will ever have my permission to host this guide
are:
www.gamefaqs.com
www.vgstrategies.about.com
So, if you see it anywhere else, tell me, dammit!
That about covers it. Thankyou and goodnight.
by Mr. Black
