Update: February 22, 2007
«©NCSX» Hit the streets in a squat yellow cab and earn your keep by shuttling passengers from point A to point B. Although the PSP Taxi game takes place in a modern metropolis, the streets are eerily barren of crowds. While driving through silent city canyons, you'll see more cars than people. Sort of like L.A. When a potential fare is spotted, sidle your taxi next to him and he'll scoot in. An arrow then pops up on screen which guides you to the desired destination. Different passengers expect different levels of service. For example, some riders must get to their destinations quickly while others aren't as as hurried. Some passengers will request an interim stop so they can pick something up before going to their final stop. Other customers may get carsick easily so you'll have to drive carefully. The longer a trip takes, the more you'll earn but it's not advisable to take circuitous routes since a fast fare will earn the player a bonus score multiplier. For example, bring a patron to his port quickly and you'll earn the fare plus a 3X multiplier. The key to earning big bucks is fast and direct service. As your repute spreads, the area that you may drive around in expands along with your working hours. The player's cab may be customized with over 100 different parts and upgrades which enhance performance. A souped-up cab is more likely to navigate through the city like a banshee than a regulation issue ride. In addition to upgrades that boost the capabilities of the taxi, there are also cosmetic additions which essentially pimp out the cab with eye popping details and adornments. Players may trade parts with other virtual cabbies by using the wireless LAN function. View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCSX website.
NCS Game Notes
» Tamsoft designed the game for D3P.» The taxi company has no less than four marquees on the outside to let the world know that its a taxi company. » If you look closely at your boss' teeth, you'll notice that a gold incisor is mounted on the left side of his mouth. » The taxi cab is the squat type with a "CAB" sign mounted on top of it. After picking up a passenger, he'll give curt instructions on where he wants to go. Once he's seated, a little image pops up on the lower left corner of the screen which shows the passenger seated. Every time you collide or crash into a wall, the passenger may be seen rolling around on his seat. Follow the red arrow on the top of the cab's hood which points the way to the destination. You can usually tell the goal is near by spotting the green barriers around it. Brake the cab when the goal is reached and the passenger will thank you and gingerly hop off while paying for the ride. » Your first day earnings target is JPY3500 which can be accomplished by performing well in at least three fares. If your driving was fast and good, the customer will be shown exulting when he gets out. If your driving was poor, he'll kick the ground after exiting the cab and shake his head in disdain.
» Either the d-pad or analog nub may be used to maneuver the cab. » The sound of the cab's engine is monotonous when rolling on an even pace but it downshifts when braking and goes into a higher whine when accelerating. » It's possible to go against the flow of traffic without being pursued by police but you'll just have to watch out for the other cars that'll honk at your foolhardy performance. Controls
TRIANGLE.............Go in reverse
SQUARE................Brake
CROSS..................Accelerate
L1-TRIGGER..........Manifest red ring around cab for passenger pickup trigger
R2-TRIGGER..........Toggle map view on/off When going in reverse, you'll hear a beeping caution sound. » The streets are barren at the outset and there's sparse foot traffic. What you will encounter from time to time are potential passengers waiting on street corners. There are populated areas of the city near the shopping district where pedestrians stand around. » Pedestrians are very nimble. We crashed into a sidewalk while attempting to pick up a fare and the person ran quickly out of the way. She then returned to get into the cab for a ride. » We tried to make the taxi drift but the brakes are too effective in their stopping power. All we could manage was a half-assed slide before the brakes shut it down cold. » There's a design flaw in the game. Every once in a while, your boss will appear on a screen overlay with information, encouragement, or ridicule. When these alerts pop up, they obscure the screen which reduces visibility, which in turn reduces your ability to avoid pedestrians, sidewalks, and other cars on the road. » When driving around the streets, there's no urgent time limit and you can roll around lazily on your shift which goes from 8AM to 1PM. However, a time limit is enforced once a passenger gets in your cab and you have a certain amount of time to get him/her/them to their destinations. Botch it and the passenger exits the cab in a huff and pays nothing for the wasted effort. » After each day, you'll return to the taxi garage and receive congratulations or scorn from your boss. You can then save your progress to memory stick. » All in all, another pleasing Taxi-themed game with well executed game play and solid fundamentals. Since this may be an ongoing D3P franchise, we're looking forward to "The Taxi 3" which should incorporate exotic cities and sights such as Cairo, Egypt. Or something like that. Easy comparisons to Crazy Taxi may be made but unlike that Sega game, the pace is less frenetic and the game as such is more enjoyable in that respect where exploration is possible under the loose constraints of the 5-hour daily shift. Jan Code: 4948872640107 This document is ©NCSX 2007. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.
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