Portal vs Crazy Taxi
When comparing Portal vs Crazy Taxi, the Slant community recommends Portal for most people. In the question“What are the best Android games for Nvidia Shield?” Portal is ranked 2nd while Crazy Taxi is ranked 28th. The most important reason people chose Portal is:
The main mechanic of the game revolves around solving different puzzles using a handheld portal device - a device that can bend space and time to create a wormhole through which you can move.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Requires solving spatial and physics based puzzles using portals
The main mechanic of the game revolves around solving different puzzles using a handheld portal device - a device that can bend space and time to create a wormhole through which you can move.
Pro Humorous telling of a dark story
Portal is known for its humor. Even years after it's been out in the world people are still quoting and referencing it in everyday situations.
Pro The game leaves clues to a deeper story
Throughout both Portal games there are hints left in various forms that fill in more of the story, including information about Chell's personal history.
Pro Innovative gameplay
Portal has won multiple awards for innovative design. Using a first person view and portals that allow one to traverse a room through one placed in one location to the other placed in another location to solve puzzles was and still is a very unique game design.
Pro Created one of the most memorable characters in gaming history - GLaDOS
GLaDOS, or Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, is the main antagonist of Portal games. She is voiced by Ellen McLain with the voice later processed to sound closer to how a text-to-speech program would synthesize a voice.
GLaDOS initially functions as a guide to the player and is only later revealed as a manipulative, narcissistic, sinister and passive-aggressive character that wants to kill the protagonist.
GLaDOS is the main force that moves the humorous yet dark narrative of Portal series with her remarks being simultaneously hilarious and terrifying.
Pro Character-driven
Even though the only organic sentient being in this game is the player's character, this game features some of the most memorable and intriguing characters in fiction or in gameplay. GladOS obviously, but also the drone robots that sweet-talk the player to a sudden death (and then forgive you when you dismantle them), the clues left behind by former test subjects, the abandoned hints of what the lab used to be like. It tells a story without telling a story, and immerses you more than most other games can ever hope to achieve.
Pro Made people fall in love with an inanimate, virtual object
The game made people emotionally attach to The Weighted Companion Cube and feel uncomfortable when later forced to incinerate it.
Pro Merges first-person shooting mechanics with platforming and puzzle-solving
Portal uses an engine that was meant for a first person shooter and creates puzzles that need solved through various stage with the use of platforming. While not the very first game to merge platforming with and FPS the puzzle aspects make it unique in that no other game had done this specific combination yet.
Pro Making it halfway and completing unlocks new content
Getting to the halfway point in Portal will unlock challenge maps and finishing the main story will unlock advanced chambers.
Pro The sequel contains an AI powered by a potato
If that is not funny, then nothing is.
Pro Android port retains the original music, which may brings back nostalgia for those familiar with the original title
For a port to hold onto it's music licenses is pretty much unseen now a days but luckily Crazy Taxi still has all of the original tracks found in the Dreamcast version (featuring music from Bad Religion and Offspring).
Pro Simple and intuitive touchscreen controls allows the game to be easy to pick up and play
For a ported game, the controls are very simple. There are 4 buttons - one for drive, one for reverse, and one each for left/right steering. Double tapping on the drive button launches you off with very high acceleration, and double tapping the left/right buttons starts a drift. These controls are simple, and very easy to get used to.
Pro Mini-games extend the content to the game and give the player something to do when they are tired of the main quests
Mini games, such as taxi bowling adds more to the game, and helps justify the $5 price for an old Dreamcast port. In total, there are 16 of these mini games. Having a good number of mini games to pick from, allows the player something extra to do, if they ever get tired or bored of the mainline missions.
Pro Fun map to drive on thanks to the sheer size on offer and the amount of locations available
There is an assortment of locations to drive in, thanks to the large size of the open-world map and the large assortment of locations you can drive through.
Pro Pretty easy to find a controller to control the game with as the title has very solid controller support
Crazy Taxi supports all HID controllers, such as the PS3 and Xbox 360 controllers, as well as SHIELD and [MOGA controllers](MOGA controller support). This way there should be little issue with finding a controller to work with this title.
Cons
Con Somewhat short
Portal takes 2-3 hours to complete which means it can be completed in one sitting. This may not be enough game for the money for some people and should be considered before purchasing.
Con Portal mechanics not used much to their best ability
Certain parts of the game sees the player using portals to manipulate sentry guns that fire rockets in order to progress in that stage, Mechanics like this make for a really enjoyable way to manipulate ones environment but sadly are not used too often.
Con Outdated graphics
The game was released in 2007, making it somewhat of an older title, because of this the graphics will not be on par with modern releases.
Con Graphics look dated
Considering that the game is fifteen years old (as of 2014), the graphics do look a bit dated when compared to other high end games on Android. These graphics are untouched direct ports from the Dreamcast.
Con Very touchy controls
Tapping on the steering buttons is a janky affair. One quick tap turns your taxi a lot, and it can be very hard to control your driving using the touchscreen controls. Thankfully, there are other options - in the settings you can change the controls to tilt which is a bit better although sometimes not sensitive enough - or if you have a MOGA controller you should probably use that as it's closest to the original joystick controls.