Crazy Taxi 3 (Angel)
Genre: Arcade
Developer: Hitmaker
Publisher: Sega

Graphics
This was not a game made to highlight the features of the XBox. It was obviously ported-probably from PS2- with no graphic upgrades. In fact, the graphics don't look much better than from Crazy Taxi and Crazy Taxi 2 on the Dreamcast. And the sad part is it is slooow.

Sound
Same old, same old. Same type of music as from both the original and the sequel. And when I say same, I mean it literally-- same songs. The music fits the game, but after playing it for a little bit the music starts getting annoying. The voice actors are not that good either. No better than the previous two, but no worse.

Gameplay
Well first off there is one new town along with the towns from the original CT and CT2. I liked the original town but thought the other towns were too big and, with new moves, WAY too difficult. The new town for CT3 is huge and I doubt that, even after 20 to 30 hours, I would ever be able to know where anything, let alone everything, is.

Overall
When Sniper bought CT2 I was very disappointed, as I was with CT3. Personally I loved the original on the Dreamcast, and was good at it, so I like the fact that you can play in the original town in CT3. But the rest of the game is really pretty poor.

Angel's verdict:


Crazy Taxi 3 (Sniper)
Genre: Arcade
Developer: Hitmaker
Publisher: Sega

Graphics
Hitmaker obviously was on some other planet when developing the graphics for Crazy Taxi 3. On their planet, the Dreamcast represented the pinnacle of gaming visuals, forever, so it made no sense to update the visuals to suit future platforms. As a result, their new title looks exactly like a Dreamcast game, right down to the 3d models, the textures, and the occasionally severe slowdown.

Sound
The music is a sign of the prevailing theme in Crazy Taxi 3, which should have been titled "Crazy Taxi Collection". All of the songs from the first two games are here, along with a set of new ones for the new stage. Once again, the music fits the action perfectly, even the songs for the new board, which are a dramatic departure from the song selection in the first two titles. The sound effects are standard Crazy Taxi fare, including the always unforgettable "Crazy Taxi guy" that voice acts the title screen and all the menus. The trouble is, Crazy Taxi isn't old or good enough to get nostalgic about, so the lack of new music feels more like a cop-out.

Gameplay
As mentioned earlier, Crazy Taxi 3 is essentially a compilation of the first two titles, including not just the two boards, but their drivers, music, and cabs as well. There is also a new board, "Glitter Oasis", which is an absolutely massive stage loosely based on a Las Vegas theme. Unfortunately, this board is more frustrating than anything, as falling off a cliff that you spent a full 30 seconds driving up will result in instant doom for any hopes of a high score.

Overall
Hitmaker could have done so much more with this title, as in its actual state it just feels like a milking of a franchise. The original Crazy Taxi was a highly entertaining and innovative title. The second was redundant, but not a bad game. Now with the third Crazy Taxi, you're left rehashing the stages from the first two games, which you've likely already mastered.

Sniper's verdict: