Sega Nerds

G-Spot: What do you mean, you’ve never played Crazy Taxi with the Fishing controller?!

Posted by Graham. Filed under G, Retro. Tagged with Crazy Taxi, Dreamcast, Fan Stuff, G-Spot, Peripheral.

 

Yeah that’s right, the fishing controller.  The unique Dreamcast fishing controller may have been designed for play with Sega Bass Fishing, Sega Bass Fishing 2 and Sega Marine Fishing, but what many people don’t realise is that one can also use it for play on other Dreamcast games.

In fact, the controller can be used with any Dreamcast game!  However, due to the fishing controller having fewer buttons than the normal Dreamcast controllers, not all games are truly playable- as they require the use of most of the buttons to play normally.  But one game (well two if count the sequel) that played very well with the controller was Crazy Taxi.

The simple, yet brilliant, arcade title needs but a few buttons to control the game effectively.  As a result, using the fishing controller makes the game even more ‘crazy’.

The reel-winder, on the fishing controller, acts as the R-trigger on the Dreamcasts pad, and, anyone that has played the game knows, you use the R-trigger to accelerate.  What does that mean?  Well usually you just hold down the R-trigger and the taxi goes.  The reel-winder works differently to the triggers, as the triggers stay ‘active’ as they are held down- but the winder cannot be ‘held down’.  One rotation of the winder acts like a single depression of a button - imagine, if you will, playing the game without being able to hold down accelerate consistently, and you have to keep tapping a button to do so.  This is what happens with the reel-winder.  As a result the only way you can accelerate using the winder is to physically keep winding it, constantly.  Doing so gives the effect of hold down a button.

In case you can’t picture what I’m getting at- to play the game you have to keep winding the reel, non-stop to keep the taxi moving.  This adds to much hilarity for the player and anyone watching.  It also makes it a fun contest between you and your friends- see who can keep winding the longest.  It’s very challenging and amazingly tiring.  After but a few minutes you will, no doubt, find your arm aching and your taxi’s speed slowing down.

What are you waiting for? Go on give it a try!  See how long you can last.

And should you be looking to see whether any other games will work as well with the fishing controller, may I suggest some of the 3D fighting games, like Dead of Alive 2 or Soul Calibur.  They aren’t as much fun as Crazy Taxi with the controller, but they work really well.  Or if you are finding 18 Wheeler: Pro American Trucker too easy (well don’t we all?), try using the fishing controlle ron that- it soon becomes a challenge!

~G~