Sega

Game Description: Crazy Taxi 2 is set in the most taxi-crazed city of them all: New York. Leaving the California sun behind, this sequel has a grittier, more urban aesthetic—and an attitude to match. Though the object of the game is still to pick up and shuttle fares across the city, Crazy Taxi 2 sports better graphics, new and returning drivers, more missions, and a wild new jump feature that lets you clear cars and intersections at the touch of a button. Adding to the game's challenge are cab-sharing groups of people who aren't always going to the same place.

New York City may be the real-life mecca for cabbies everywhere, but the faux-NYC depicted in Crazy Taxi 2 isnt a place I particularly enjoyed driving in. While I loved the first installment of the game, I honestly didnt see much room for improvement.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Violence

With the international success of Crazy Taxi, it only seemed natural that its developer, Sega, would follow up the smash hit with 18-Wheeler, another arcade-style occupational theme videogame. As the title implies, the difference this time around is the switch from driving a limber and high-flying car that cabbied passengers around town to driving a massive truck that transports goods from one location to another. This might sound like a good idea and loads of fun on the surface, but the execution of the title is so dreadful that the loads of fun ended up being just plain crap.

Game Description: Even if you're not the type to bleat out the 1975 hit "Convoy" over a CB radio, you'll probably still get the sweats thinking about racing with 20 tons of cargo pushing your rig. Choose between four 18-wheel trucks, and then ride against rival truckers and the clock as you try to deliver your payload intact and on time. The game offers 20 stages on the way from New York to San Francisco, as well as four play modes: Arcade, Parking Challenge, Score Attack, and Versus. Eighteen Wheeler is compatible with separately sold steering-wheel controllers.

I have a couple of theories about Sega. I believe that either Sega does not possess the ability to meld innovation with entertainment or it has just been on autopilot since the launch of the Dreamcast.

The way I see it, the problem that plagues Sonic Adventure 2 is its simplicity; none of the two-button gameplay has any depth worth mentioning. Out of the three shallow modes of play the game offers, the Tails stages are the worst offenders, where you lumber around in a mech robot shooting everything in sight.

According to the ESRB, this game contains: Violence

Game Description: When longtime Sega mascot Sonic the Hedgehog made his debut on the Dreamcast console in Sonic Adventure, gamers were stunned. Sega had not only used the game to show off the tremendous possibilities of the then-new hardware, but they had reinvigorated the platform-style arcade adventure genre with massive, intricate levels, gleefully distracting minigames, and even a new kind of virtual pet, called a Chao, that could be combined with other pets, traded with friends, and even exchanged over the Internet. Sonic Adventure 2 ups the ante of its predecessor with all-new puzzles and levels, and even faster action reminiscent of the early Genesis-era games. Knuckles and Tails are back, as are the Chao pets (who can now talk!).

Ill readily admit that Ive never been the worlds biggest Sonic fan, but I know a good game when I see it. When it comes to Sonic Adventure 2, I dont see it. Rather than beat around the bush, Im just going to cut to the chase here.