Release more old school arcade games… and start with Crazy Taxi!
With talk of the Dreamcast’s ‘Sonic Adventure’ coming to XBLA, as well as the announcement of the “Game Room” for old school arcade/console games (on PC/Xbox), my mind has wondered in recent days to the golden games of old. Well, not that old, but turn of the millennium. And I’ve come to the realisation that one game in particular (although there are many) is due for release on XBLA and PSN – Crazy Taxi.
Crazy Taxi, for it’s time, was a great game. Going back and playing it again now – it still stands the test of time, and above all, it’s virtually the PERFECT arcade game. There’s no need to invest any of your time in story or characters – you simply get in your car and drive (after, uh… choosing a character). Just drive! – In any direction – To beat the timer. The faster you can deliver your passenger, the more time you get, and the more money you make. Very simple mechanics, and much more fun than you think. It really lends itself well to the odd 20-minute stint on XBLA, and the trusty ol’ high score battle with your friends.
Sure, the game has appeared in many different iterations, but more recent versions – while still staying true to the first title – just haven’t been as good as the original. I reckon they should get the original title, pump up the graphics to HD (at least 720p), slam on a new soundtrack (or not – the Offspring DEFINES Crazy Taxi), and release at a nice price… Truth is, as great a game as Crazy Taxi is, it’s best aimed at the XBLA/PSN crowd – there’s no need for another retail version.
Come on, guys – bring it! I would LOVE to play this again, and SOON!
While I’m on this rant – there has always been a focus (by developers) on releasing the slightly OLDER – but no less cooler – arcades, such as Golden Axe and Gauntlet… These have all been reproduced a million times, and for good reason. BUT! I could also do with Daytona USA, NBA Jam (coming to Wii, but why not XBLA/PSN?), Aliens vs. Predator, and any other awesome arcade games that I might have missed (or any more you can think of?). Work on it people.
That is all.
Video Games
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gaming, PSN, Rambling, recommended, XBLA, Xbox Live
Themocracy
‘Tis a fine choice indeed, I recently set the PC version up on my arcade machine and it controls brilliantly, even with digital steering. I also agree with Daytona, though I’d prefer Sega Rally.
I see they’re re-mastering the N64 version of Perfect Dark which should be good because the framerate killed a brilliant multi-player game.
Ooh – Sega Rally, nice one. That period was filled with quality arcade titles… “They” need to port all of them!