Sega's upcoming PSP version of Crazy Taxi has come a long way. The very first video of the game ran at a sluggish rate, featured nearly deserted streets, and had textures worse than the original Dreamcast version. It appears that some significant progress has been made, but is it enough? We say no. A new gameplay montage on IGN reveals greatly improved visuals, but the textures and polygon count still fall short of what we expect from our handheld. While the gameplay looks fun, we can't help but remember playing the taxi cab mode of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and being far more impressed.
At least we won't be charged an arm and a leg for this technically shallow Dreamcast port: releasing at a budget price makes sense to us. But still, wouldn't we love to see a game that truly takes advantage of PSP's capabilities?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-15-2007 @ 3:07PM
Mr Khan said...
Welcome to a Wii Fanboy's world
It hurts to see 3rd parties completely ignore the technical capabilities of your console, it really does (that looks like it could be run on the DS, all things considered)
of course, it should still be pretty cool, i mean hey, its Crazy Taxi :)
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4-15-2007 @ 7:12PM
Extinction said...
"that looks like it could be run on the DS"
You're freaking blind
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4-15-2007 @ 7:37PM
Fatass of Kickassness said...
"You're freaking blind"
That game looks like an N64 game.
The DS is capable of N64 graphics.
Therefore, it can probably be run on the DS.
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4-15-2007 @ 8:25PM
PSP Fan said...
The DS might somewhat be capable of N64 graphics but there are very very few games that even look close on the DS. This game could look better beens its on the PSP but it already looks better than what the DS could handle. I hope the polish it even more beens it's a PSP title.
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4-15-2007 @ 8:59PM
pixelator said...
My GOD, the whining! You lot have got to be kidding me -- This does NOT look like a DS or N64 game. Check out the racing games on DS. Nowhere close.
It looks like (gasp!) a DREAMCAST game. It's a port. So what? Me, I think it looks fine and I'm looking forward to having it on PSP. It doesn't look *that bad* and besides, as a veteran Crazy Taxi player myself, I can tell you that you don't spend a lot of time worrying about texture sizes or bit depth while dodging vehicles and navigating narrow jumps running against the clock.
Some of you guys have got to quit whining about less-than-perfect graphics. Crap like this gives credence to the Nintendo fanboys' accusations of Sony owners being graphics whores.
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4-15-2007 @ 10:09PM
pershing333 said...
"The DS might somewhat be capable of N64 graphics but there are very very few games that even look close on the DS."
mario kart ds looks better than mario kart 64, metroid prime ds looks better than almsot any n64 game as well. Most games dont look like that cause people prefer 2d gameplay voer 3d graphics in general.
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4-15-2007 @ 10:11PM
Homer said...
"Mmm.. beens."
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4-15-2007 @ 10:12PM
pershing333 said...
"Some of you guys have got to quit whining about less-than-perfect graphics. Crap like this gives credence to the Nintendo fanboys' accusations of Sony owners being graphics whores."
thats because they are graphic whores, whats the point of spending 40 bucks on ports of a port of a port of a remake etc. of final fantasy games with very otudated graphics and gamepklay, with a little bit improved graphics (sprites) if they arent graphic whores? why would anyone buy that when they can just play the ff1 and 2 game son the ps1 or gba emulators, or probably buy a gba and the cart for the same price lol?
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4-15-2007 @ 10:37PM
PSP_Superior said...
yah any 3D game that the DS does looks shitty and pixelated, look at burnout legends
http://www.gamespot.com/search.html?type=11&stype=all&tag=search%3Bbutton&qs=burnout
you will see the DS poor 4.0 rating, look at the screens they don't look like what even a N64 could have done. At least on the N64 it would look smooth and not pixelated. Then look at the PSP 9.0 rating and the screens. This is a true represenation of the difference in the games and systems in general. There are not that many FPS or 3d games as the DS can't do 3D. This is why the latest burnout dominator was not made for the DS, as Burnout Legends sold like crap and played like crap and compared to the PSP looked like crap
You list 2 games out of how many???!!! and they look crappy compared to most any other 3d game on the PSP. I don't want to slam the DS really but I get sooo tired of ignorant DS lovers that just do not get it. Hell yah I am a graphic whore but I also want a good game to go with it, on the PSP you can get both on the DS you never will.
Look at Star Trek TA again the DS is grainy and very dated looked when compared to the PSP
http://www.gamespot.com/search.html?type=11&stype=all&qs=star+trek+tactical+assault
the only reason it got the same rating was supposedly the touchscreen stuff but if you check the forums the touchscreen is not worth getting an inferior looking game.
there are many examples that if you honestly compare
http://www.gamespot.com/search.html?type=11&stype=all&tag=search%3Bbutton&om_act=convert&om_clk=gssearch&qs=ridge+racer
you can see the reviews and screenshots and it is like night and day as the PSP looks and plays VASTLY superior to the simpleton,childish, made for preteen DS
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4-15-2007 @ 11:22PM
pershing333 said...
You list 2 games out of how many???!!! and they look crappy compared to most any other 3d game on the PSP. "
no actually the ones I listed look better than msot psp games, I also forgot to mention some of square enix games like ff3 which looks absolutly gorgeous. The ds has gotten 2d gameplay to a science, the 2d sprites on ds side scrolling games are works fo art, to the hgihest claiber. looka t castlevania.
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4-15-2007 @ 11:24PM
pershing333 said...
oh and most gamers prefer mario kart ds over ridge racer psp, just look at the isnane ammounts mario kart sold to the above average ridge racer sells.
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4-15-2007 @ 11:42PM
pixelator said...
@pershing333: Talk about buying a crappy looking Final Fantasy game with outdated gameplay! Look no further than FFIII on DS. Vintage, irritating gameplay, horrendously BAD low-poly, blocky-texture 3D graphics (it would've been *so* much better as regular 2D). The Metacritic average score for this game is 77, not exactly a stellar hit, and I think a few of those meta-points can be chalked up to it carrying the Final Fantasy brand name. And let's not even get into Chocobo Tales, the minigame-packed, card-game-ized spinoff crap aimed squarely at your little brother. Another average 77 score thanks to that FF namesake, and again not really comparable to the Final Fantasy games of recent of days gone by.
Meanwhile, the 'ported' Final Fantasy PSP games are going traditional, polished 2D with some new added content, the way they ought to be. Crisis Core looks freaking amazing in full blown can't-do-that-on-DS 3D and is a totally new spinoff from the FFVII series. I'm willing to bet it's a flat out better game than FFIII, too.
Are some people here graphics whores? Seems so. Do they define all Sony or PSP owners? No.
Are older games from dated platforms worth playing on a new system? Yes. Hell, look at the popularity of old console titles downloadable on Wii, PS3 and 360. Throw in being able to put your game in your pocket, and you're adding a whole new dimension. This insipid 'why not play a better version on a console' BS is one of the more embarrassingly desperate strawman arguments you Nintyfreaks use. Last time I checked, you couldn't squeeze even a slimline PS2 w/ LCD into your pocket, let alone a 360 or Wii. It's called a PORTABLE EDITION, Einstein. Maybe this selective retard-logic works on your folks when worming out of cleaning your room but it doesn't wash, here.
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4-15-2007 @ 11:46PM
pixelator said...
"oh and most gamers prefer mario kart ds over ridge racer psp, just look at the isnane ammounts mario kart sold to the above average ridge racer sells."
Could it have anything to do with that old Mario nameplate and the fact that there's a lot more DS units out there than PSP? Naaah.
If there's anything worse than someone being a graphics whore, it's a waffling Nintendo fanboy who now proudly proclaims that higher sales equate to better quality games -- the same fanboy would've said the exact opposite during the PS2/Gamecube days.
Another typical PSP-bashing strawman argument from the Nintendo troll contingent.
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4-16-2007 @ 12:31AM
PSP_Superior said...
Can a get an AMEN from #12 & 13 post's! I just love it when DS Fanboys are put in there place and there ignorant rants based on an inferior products are put to rest, even though they may reply there ignorance has already been highlighted so please "pershing333"
take a break from your pixlelated dated mario/pokemon loving world and enlighten us more, I need some more ignorance to laugh at......
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4-16-2007 @ 12:32AM
Saigon said...
"...with a little bit improved graphics (sprites) "
Uhhh, I think you're losing your vision mate. :(
"Most games dont look like that cause people prefer 2d gameplay voer 3d graphics in general"
No, I think it's because the ds isn't capable of making many good 3d graphics games, as opposed to psp. Which is why people should prefer 2d ones for it. Also, if by "general" you mean all games for ALL systems, then I think you got some screws loose in your head.
"Talk about buying a crappy looking Final Fantasy game with outdated gameplay! Look no further than FFIII on DS. Vintage, irritating gameplay, horrendously BAD low-poly, blocky-texture 3D graphics (it would've been *so* much better as regular 2D)."
I have FF3, and I agree with you. The graphics weren't great, and the gameplay didn't age well either. Still a good game though...at least to me
"thats because they are graphic whores."
Hmmm, if I didn't know better, I would think your a ds troll. Saying all psp owners are graphic whores(which I am NOT), is just as stupid as me saying everyone who gets a ds, does it because they're pov and can't afford a psp. :/ Pershing333, why am I even typing this? Pixelator already owned your ass.
This game looks good to me, and if it's less than $20, then I might get it.
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4-16-2007 @ 2:30AM
shiningskies said...
To the idiot that suggested this game looks like an N64/DS game - you're (well I already said it) an idiot. Or at least buy some glasses.
To everyone else that is bitching about the games graphics- and this includes the writers on the site - get your head out of Sonys ass and realise that the PSP isn't as powerful as you guys all think.
Yes its a powerful piece of hardware, and has some wonderful games, but you all seem to think it can match up to the 128 bit consoles. It can't. Get used to it.
To me the game looks like it's running fine (at least from the latest videos) The biggest problem is the music. But you can use music from your memory stick- so it's not a huge problem.
The only other thing you need worry about are loading times.....
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4-16-2007 @ 8:15AM
txa1265 said...
Re #13: "Could it have anything to do with that old Mario nameplate and the fact that there's a lot more DS units out there than PSP? Naaah."
While in general I agree with your point, dismissing Mario Kart DS out of hand in such a manner suggests ignorance. I would more quickly dismiss the few hundred thousand copies of the mediocre Diddy Kong Racing as being 'name recognition' sales. Mario Kart is a truly polished and extremely well executed game that is damn near perfect and has been rewarded with critical accolades and massive sales worldwide because of it.
We all know that names sell - why else would the two GTA games have sold so much on the PSP? Or Madden? Or Star Wars Battlefront? But it doesn't reign supreme - Star Wars Lethal Alliance isn't a stellar seller - or a stellar game.
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4-16-2007 @ 11:17AM
pixelator said...
TXA, I don't mean to question your motives, but sometimes I think that 'I like the PSP but not Sony' devil's advocacy of yours blinds you to the rampant trolling and ignorance of the Nintendo fanboys who lurk here daily.
Of course MKDS is a polished game (well, except for that snaking exploit). I didn't dismiss its qualities in any way, although I find it not really evolved from the 90's versions. It's also clear that DS hardware sales, nostalgia of the older MK series and Mario name recognition do drive sales of that product. It could've literally sucked and still sold tons of units. Not as many, perhaps, but still.
My point, which I think you're ignoring, regards the sub-sophomoric argument that 'most gamers prefer Mario Kart DS over Ridge Racer PSP' because of the higher sales on DS. It's fairly obvious that part of that sales discrepancy due to systems sold - and as good or 'polished' as Ridge Racer is, it simply can't compete with a game called MARIO KART.
So with all due respect, I find your selective criticism a bit on the bizarre side. You go after what I think is a fairly clear counterpoint to this drooling fanboy's blather, but you ignore such jawdroppers as: "no actually the ones I listed look better than msot psp games, I also forgot to mention some of square enix games like ff3 which looks absolutly gorgeous."
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4-16-2007 @ 12:28PM
txa1265 said...
Re: pixelator - I am not selective, I just *try* to completely ignore the DS fanboys who troll here (and to an extent the PSP fanboys as well) and would much rather have intelligent debate with the people worthy of such discussion.
Having a discussion of PSP vs. DS graphics capabilities is not much more fruitful than debating load-times ... sure you could *a* DS game that looks better than *a* PSP game, just as you can find PSP games with shorter load times than Top Spin 2 DS (really, really bad). I was just playing Test Drive Unlimited, and the graphics are fantastic, but the gameplay and feel of driving is also really well done.
But it is unfortunate that every criticism of PSP graphics in a game immediately turns to a PSP vs. DS debate, which then leads to name calling as DS trolls remind everyone that the PSP is selling ~1:2 to the DS worldwide, which then leads to negative portrayal of DS gamers as brain-dead sheep, and so on.
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4-16-2007 @ 1:10PM
pixelator said...
Here's where I define the crux of the fanboy problem.
1). General Forums: You find fanboys of both Sony and Nintendo flavors (or Microsoft, etc.) battling it out across a wide range of maturity and intellect. I personally think the Nintendo fans have been more prolific, aggressive & vocal for years, but that's my personal opinion.
2). Nintendo forums: You find Nintendo fanboys. Not too many Sony trolls, if any. I occasionally post to DS Fanboy, but I don't troll there. The bloggers there make more mention of the PSP than PSP owners do.
3). Sony forums: You find Sony fanboys and a DISPROPORTIONATE number of Nintendo fanboy trolls. Really, forums like PSP Fanboy are RIFE with these idiots piping up all the time and citing better sales, better games, better load times, blah blah and so forth, ad nauseum.
That's my personal opinion, but I do a lot of board hopping. Kotaku is another excellent example, with PSP or Sony related threads filling up rapidly with frothing rants from haters.
Why do I bother with the trolls? It may sound silly and like I'm tilting at windmills, but I'm striving for a balance. See, I've been IP BANNED from all Weblogs sites including PSP Fanboy, Joystiq, etc. (this is after initially banning several of my email addresses). I have to post from work or use an anonymizer because someone at Joystiq/Weblogs doesn't like what I have to say about their Nintendo slant or the pandering they do to their rabid fanboy constituents. I guess the truth stings, because compared to some of the illiterate brats who flame there regularly, I'm almost polite.
So yeah, I suppose I ignore more of the PSP fanboyism and ignorance than you do, for the simple fact that I think there's so much more misinformation and hate directed in the other direction right now... And that dissenting opinions that don't favor Nintendo are quashed by the censor-happy powers-that-be.
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