Sega of America's Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars proves just how much fun ferrying people around a town can be. A port of Crazy Taxi 1 and Crazy Taxi 2, this Stereophonic gameplay video from IGN shows off the gameplay we've come to love ever since its first release in the Arcade and on the Dreamcast.

Since it was released, there have been some who have complained about the framerate of the game. However, the video shows otherwise. The game has Multiplayer via Ad Hoc which allows passenger stealing as well as the ability to play custom soundtracks from the PSP's memory stick.

If you're not sure whether or not to pick up the game, check out the video. It'll help you decide on your course of action.

It seems that there's a bit of a hub-bub with the recent coming of the high-octane passenger-ferrying game, Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars on the PlayStation Portable. A poster by the name of zeo_max on the GameSpot forums recently wrote up a mini-review of the game, stating that the game was allegedly a crippled version of the original title on the Dreamcast with long, painful loading times and frame rate issues. His post, verbatim:

I just picked this up from my local EB. I'm sorry to say that there are serious frame rate issues, the image looks stretched out on the PSP's widescreen, and it takes about one minute to load each level.

Another thing I don't like is that for the custom soundtrack you have to convert your MP3's to that weird format that they used in GTA: Liberty City stories for their custom soundtrack.

Needless to say, many Sega fans waiting for their own copy of the title felt disappointed by the news that Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars wasn't as good as they had hoped. Things seemed dire, until some other posters (with copies of the game themselves) said that the game ran fine, with quick loading times and a decent frame rate.

Poster snakeboy (thanks for the tip!) also made two actual gameplay videos, in order to disprove zeo_max's statement, and you can check them out from the video embeds below.

This serves as an important lesson - while it may be great to find out how a certain game is like from those who have already played it before purchasing a copy yourself, sometimes there's no real way to tell unless you do play it on your own.

The other video after the jump!

The period spanning releases dated August 6 to 12 for the U.S. carries quite an interesting crop with some nice variety. Bannering this edition of On Shelves This Week is the party game Boogie for the Nintendo Wii which will have casual gamers bopping 'til they drop. Still at the Nintendo yard, Mega Man's trifecta of RPGs are coming in with some cool attributes all their own.

The PlayStation Portable will have a couple of frantic titles from popular franchises that will have you pushing the pedal to the floor and storming caves in search of treasures. Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars and Tomb Raider: Anniversary are out! For more strategic gamers, Combat Mission for the PC is out now. Anyhow, let's get this line-up introduced, shall we?

Boogie. The Nintendo Wii is about to get its groove on once more as Boogie is about to go to town. Headlined by such classic acts as The Jackson Five and Jamiroquai, you can now practice your moonwalkin', crotch-grabbing moves like Michael Jackson in Never Neverland.

• Nintendo Wii - August 7, 2007
• US$ 59.99 (includes microphone)
  
• ESRB E (Everyone)
  
• Electronic Arts

Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars. Get outta the way of the rushing yellow cab as Crazy Taxi and its sequel Crazy Taxi 2 are here for the Sony PSP. Experience the frantic rush of Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars and show the city who's the king of the streets.

• Sony PSP - August 7, 2007
• US$ 29.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Sega of America

Tomb Raider: Anniversary. Lara Croft celebrates her tenth year in the industry with this special re-mastery of the original runaway hit on the first PlayStation. Battle wolves and bears while searching for artifacts in an adventure of epic proportions.

• Sony PSP-  August 8, 2007
• US$ 29.99
• ESRB T (Teen)
• Eidos Interactive

Check out the whole list of games to be On Shelves This Week behind the Full Article link below.

Here's a rare treat for those of us who want to know more about the people behind our favorite games - a candid interview with Kenji Kanno, creator of the quirkily-fun Crazy Taxi series. We get you all the details of the brain-picking session that took place inside an actual taxi (but without the borderline road rage we're used to in the games).

In this video interview, Kanno-san talked how he wanted Crazy Taxi to be game that's immediately fun and rewarding as soon as you pick it up. He also reminisced about wanting to have to game delve deeper into a taxi driver's life - specifically, his daily routine, the passengers he picks up, that sort. While the Crazy Taxi series merely put you behind the driver's seat and pointed you to the direction of your next passenger, it would've been nice if there was story involved.

After that, Kanno-san shared a few of his own Crazy Taxi moments, one in particular being of him behind the wheel. Being the creator of the series, it was also up to him to test the games before they came out - and he might have clocked just a few hours too long behind the controller, as he found himself driving on the center divider of a road on his way home.

It's always nice to meet the people behind our favorite videogames - not only do we appreciate the game itself, but the hard work they put into it as well. Enjoy the video!

Taxi drivers. We can't live with 'em, and we certainly can't live without 'em. Insane taxi drivers, however, are a completely different story. We've got a new Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars video for you to enjoy, and it features some fast-paced gameplay action in the form of insane cab driving.

Why do we call this insane? Because in Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars, you're flying off roads and into buildings in an attempt to get your passenger to their destination in time. Sure, they'll end up traumatized as heck, but at least you got your fare, right?

In any case, expect Sega's Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars to ship on August 7. In the meantime, enjoy the video, alright?

Nothing beats driving a taxi, picking customers up, only to give them the ride of their life and get paid for it. When we say "ride of their life," we mean the crazy routine of jumping over 16-wheelers and constant trading paint just to get to the destination in time. If it wasn't obvious enough, we're talking about Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars that will rock your PSP senseless.

Originally for the Dreamcast and also an arcade hit, pretty much everyone knows what kind of insanity this title brings about. Still, we can't help but be excited when new gameplay footage surface. That said, here are three new videos to stimulate your taxi driving needs.

First up is about joining a bunch of afro guys in a ride with plenty of crazy jumps. On another, we see how insane a taxi can be when it can reach epic heights by jumping. The third video shows how driving downhill with no limits shouldn't really be done in real life.

 

Other videos after the jump!

Get behind the wheel in the craziest, most death-defying taxi ride of your life in this screenshot update of Sega's Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars for the PlayStation Portable. We get you strapped in with all the juicy eye-candy this title can offer.

In this latest batch of screenshots, we're treated to even more motorist-related mayhem and fender-bending fiascos as our stalwart taxi drivers throw the concept of defensive driving out the car window, in the hopes of entertaining their passengers enough that they'd get an extra tip or two.

The graphics are looking pretty solid here, with the environments and models varied and detailed. Gotta love those water graphics, too. Not too long before the game's release date gets here, but darn if we don't want the trademark fast-paced driving action that only Crazy Taxi could give right here, right now.

See the rest of the screenshots after the jump!

  

The people at Sega have a big third and fourth quarter ahead of them this year. With the release dates of 7 titles all falling within weeks of each other, they've got a lot of eager fans to please.

At least 3 PSP titles are set for release in the month of September. Alien Syndrome and Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars have been slated for September 7, while Sega Rally has its debut on the September 28.

November 30 is the day being eyed for the release of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games on the DS, as well as the DS/PSP tie-in game for the movie based on Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials novel series: The Golden Compass.

In terms of unknown release dates, we have two. Sonic Rivals 2 for the PSP is expected to hit sometime in autumn, while Sonic Rush Adventure for the DS is due sometime in September.

Sega has a daunting task to accomplish later this year. We certainly hope they pull it off. In the meantime, we'll keep you posted as the story unfolds.

Just how crazy do you have to be in order to drive a Crazy Taxi? Do you need an afro? Heavy gold jewelry? Maybe a complete disregard for traffic safety and value of human life? We're not quite sure but these latest screenshots of the upcoming PlayStation Portable title from Sega, Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars, might give us a hint or two. Or maybe it'd just make us think twice before calling a cab - lest they be of the non-roofed variety.

Let's take a gander at them, shall we? Graphics are still looking as smooth and lively as they've been in the game's past incarnations, with the environments looking clean and convincing. The vehicles aren't looking bad at all, and the HUD doesn't take up much of the screen space (although, to be fair, the timer at the upper right corner of the screen just takes away all the fun and makes things seem hectic). Yup, it's still the Crazy Taxi we all know and love.

So many tempting screenshots, and the game still hasn't been released. But worry not, we'll keep you updated on any and all developments regarding Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars, so keep it locked right here!

More screenshots after the jump!

Here's yet another rubber-burning gameplay video of Sega's Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars for the PlayStation Portable. This time, it's all about rush hour - that special time of day where the roads are just packed with traffic and you might spend a couple of hours creeping forward to get to where you're going. Thankfully, that's not the case when you and your checkered yellow ride's concerned, with the ability to grind guardrails and bound over pedestrians with wanton disregard for your passenger's safety (and yours).

Watching the video, the frantic pace of the original coin-op's still intact, and the catchy yet somewhat forgetful soundtrack helps get you into the rhythm of giving your fare the ride of his or her life. It would've been nice if it was given a bit more of a graphical face-lift, since it frankly looks too much like the original - but if the trade-off is portable Crazy Taxi joy, then we're all hopping in for the ride.

In any case, enjoy the video!