Crazy Taxi- Dreamcast or Emulation?

[Well Fed Games]

OK, so I recently got a Mad Catz MC2 wheel for my PS2, which lets me play that console's Crazy Taxi port with controls similar to the arcade cabinet. It got me thinking how great a cab with Crazy Taxi and Crazy Taxi 2 (Dreamcast exclusive, except for a PSP port) would be.

So the question is, if I wanted a setup like that, would it be better to go with a Dreamcast & Console Racing wheel (maybe hacked into an arcade setup), or just to emulate the Dreamcast games and interface a wheel like folks do in the driving cab thread?

I ask because I never had a Dreamcast, and am not up to date on how Dreamcast emulation is these days. For the purposes of this question I am buying a physical Dreamcast disc for each game. Would love to hear your thoughts...

[DaveMMR]

I always vote for original over emulation whnever possible.  So yeah, Dreamcast version.

[Well Fed Games]

Anybody else have thoughts? Or anyone ever hack a console wheel guts to "arcade" level controls?

[ark_ader]

PC or PS2 version.

J/K The DC version is the best.

[404]

pretty sure the game runs 100% fine via emulation these days. It was the first games, if not one of the first commercial games to run on the current breed of dc emulators.

[karnov64]

if going with the real dreamcast versions, go for crazy taxi 1 and 2 'Dream Resurrection' (also known as DCRES) versions, an they are optimized/dummied, meaning your dreamcast laser wont be overworked (as that game is constantly grinding as you u play it)... and your dreamcast laser unit will last longer! 

[paigeoliver]

I bought the PC version on Steam about 6 months ago. It is worthless. They pulled the original soundtrack out and dropped the analog controls (everything is just full on or full off). It is an unplayable wreck.

[Richard_Nixon]

I bought the PC version on Steam about 6 months ago. It is worthless. They pulled the original soundtrack out and dropped the analog controls (everything is just full on or full off). It is an unplayable wreck.

WHAT! No Offspring and Bad Religion?!?!?

Also they took out the product placements apparently. Like dropping someone off at KFC.
I must have an original PC version, it's fairly true to the arcade version.

[yotsuya]

I have that original PC version too, Mr. President. I will definitely put it on a driving cab when I build one.

[Well Fed Games]

Thanks for all the feedback. For now I am sticking with the PS2 version and the MadCatz wheel (ok, in reality I have just been playing Outrun 2006 lately, but I do pepper CT in once in a while).

[Cakemeister]

I find Crazy Taxi very difficult. (Dreamcast)

What's the trick to this game?

[Well Fed Games]

I find Crazy Taxi very difficult. (Dreamcast)

What's the trick to this game?

Other than memorizing the cities, it is all about the special moves (particularly the Crazy Dash and Crazy Stop) that are done by your timing with the shifter and the gas/break... otherwise it is too easy to spin the wheels on takeoff and miss the target when stopping. This website explains it well: 

http://www.crazytaxi.net/5skills.html

The whole reason I got addicted to CT recently was I played the sequel High Roller in an arcade and the special moves I didn't comprehend on console controls suddenly made sense when I used the arcade wheel and shifter.

[danny_galaga]

I don't have a DC, so I play it on the Wii. It's a pretty good port.

Main things you want to master is the jump start. Drive on the wrong side of the road aas much as possible too. Near misses gets you tips, and tips are bigger the more dangerous the driving. Each tip is cumulative too, so each time the tip is bigger, until you crash and it starts again. When you are getting say 15-20 tips in a row, you are really racking up some dough. Also cool to check out for a laugh is this:

When you are in the driver selector screen, hit both shoulder buttons 3 times. Then select a driver (",)

[g_block247]

Was considering it on 360, til I played the demo....no original music, no product placement....after one run, I proceeded to delete the demo. I'd almost buy another Dreamcast just to play Crazy Taxi...

[danny_galaga]

If you have a Wii or Gamecube, that's a good alternative. Original music AND product placements. Who'd a thunk we'd be clamouring FOR product placements 

[madmatt]

I always play CT on the Dreamcast.  It's the only way!!! (not including the arcade cab).

I really did not like the dreamcast emulators.  It was just easier for me to throw my old Dreamcast into the
MAME Cab. 

I love my Dreamcast!!!!!!!!!

MM

Out

[Well Fed Games]

Thanks for the feedback. Anyone ever play Crazy Taxi 3 on the PC (I think it was also on X-Box and was ported to the arcade)?... looks like a possible cab ( ) friendly version. Wouldn't be coin-op, though.

[Hunk_4TH]

Crazy Taxi plays pretty good in Nulldc for me. And Crazy Taxi 3 works great on the PC except Sega changed the music 

[HOW]

Thanks for all the feedback. For now I am sticking with the PS2 version and the MadCatz wheel (ok, in reality I have just been playing Outrun 2006 lately, but I do pepper CT in once in a while).

Hi  Your post is the reason I joined up! Don't be scared 

I just bought a 2nd hand MC2 for PSX/2.
Not tried CT or Outrun 2006 yet (is yours the Coast2Coast) as got to look them out.

But SOOOOOO happy MC2 works with them! 
How'd you find it?
And can you recommend any other good PSX/2 Arcade Driving ports?

Cheers, Andy 

[Well Fed Games]

Thanks for all the feedback. For now I am sticking with the PS2 version and the MadCatz wheel (ok, in reality I have just been playing Outrun 2006 lately, but I do pepper CT in once in a while).

Hi  Your post is the reason I joined up! Don't be scared 

I just bought a 2nd hand MC2 for PSX/2.
Not tried CT or Outrun 2006 yet (is yours the Coast2Coast) as got to look them out.

But SOOOOOO happy MC2 works with them! 
How'd you find it?
And can you recommend any other good PSX/2 Arcade Driving ports?

Cheers, Andy 

Yeah, the MC2 is a good wheel, I like how adjustable it is, for instance being able to assign the shift buttons correctly to the shifter in CT. No force feedback, but that has never been a big deal to me. Yes, coast 2 coast is the PS2 Outrun I have, it is good stuff. As far as other arcade ports, there aren't many others I have, but for just good arcade driving fun, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit II is probably my favorite of all time, with the Burnout series (esp. 2 and 3) close behind. Thankfully, it is a good time to get into last-gen driving games, as it is all really cheap right now, for the most part.

As far as my original question in the post title, I have found my answer: Crazy Taxi 3 for PC, it is a great port. Believe it or not, it plays pretty well with keyboard! Now I just need to build a cab around it... so far I have a wheel (literally, just a wheel a shaft, connected to nothing) and a happ up/down shifter.

[HOW]

Thanks for reply 

I have Logitech wheel too (somewhere) - But annoyed at limited games for it-Want to play CT and the RR series (nice the MC2 has NeGcon support).

I've heard of Burnout-But never played them. Bugger you recommended 2 an 3 as just picked up the original LOL. 
NFS games are on my list too -So thanks for the NFS:HP2 tip.

Good luck with your cabinet build.....one day! But I think it'll be more joystick than wheel based

PS. If anyone else has any PSX/2 driving titles they can recommend - then please shout out 

Andy

[Shun]

I bought the PC version on Steam about 6 months ago. It is worthless. They pulled the original soundtrack out and dropped the analog controls (everything is just full on or full off). It is an unplayable wreck.

WHAT! No Offspring and Bad Religion?!?!?

Also they took out the product placements apparently. Like dropping someone off at KFC.
I must have an original PC version, it's fairly true to the arcade version.

Before I go the Dreamcast working in my cab, I installed the PC version of Crazy Taxi 1. I couldn't believe that they had taken out the original music! It's just not the same. I did however mange to rectify this little problem by replacing the music files with the original songs. I can't remember exactly how I did it, but fortunatly someone has now posted a write up on how to replace the music files: http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1788280

It's definitely worth doing this if you have no other way of playing this game 

[emphatic]

If you get a Total Control Plus adaper you can use that PS2 wheel for a DreamCast: http://www.quickerbuy.com/products/total-control-plus-ps2-controller-to-dreamcast-adapter-034573641

[Well Fed Games]

Cool, thanks.