Ethan Crossfield 
Crazy Taxi’s chaos isn’t just in the driving—it’s in the music. Series creator Kenji Kanno says the band The Offspring became inseparable from the franchise after he built the game around a specific theme sound, and fans reacted strongly when those tracks weren’t included in a later port.
What happened: The Offspring became part of the Crazy Taxi formula
Crazy Taxi debuted in 1999, and almost immediately it became closely associated with The Offspring—especially their fast, high-energy 1997 track “All I Want.” Over time, the soundtrack stopped being a background detail and turned into part of the series’ recognizable identity.
Kanno points to a clear example of how central those songs were: when the original Crazy Taxi was later brought to PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, fans criticized the release for not including the same synonymous tracks from bands such as The Offspring and punk rock group Bad Religion.
When development discussions turned to Crazy Taxi: World Tour, the conversation repeatedly circled back to music. According to Kanno, stakeholders kept asking the same question—whether the game would feature The Offspring and Bad Religion—showing just how firmly those artists were tied to what players expected from the franchise.
Why it matters: Kanno builds games starting with the theme song
Kanno describes a development approach that starts with audio rather than mechanics. For him, the first decision when creating a Crazy Taxi game is selecting the theme song. He then shares that choice with the team and has them listen to it on repeat while designing and building the game around the vibe.
That method helps explain why punk rock and rapid tempos show up in Crazy Taxi’s design language. Kanno also ties the franchise’s early soundtrack origins to a very familiar 1990s ritual: going to a record shop and sampling new music until something clicks.
In his case, that search happened at Japan’s Tower Records. He listened to many tracks for hours, then narrowed his picks down to The Offspring and Bad Religion. The same songs weren’t just inspirational—they became practical anchors for the original game’s creation, with Tower Records itself later referenced as a destination in the first Crazy Taxi.
What to watch next: Crazy Taxi: World Tour’s direction and soundtrack expectations
Kanno’s account also clarifies why certain Offspring and Bad Religion tracks feel like permanent fixtures for Dreamcast owners and arcade-goers. “All I Want,” The Offspring’s “Change The World,” and Bad Religion’s “Ten in 2010” are described as mainstays, and all three were present in the demo of Crazy Taxi: World Tour that he had a chance to see.
Visually and conceptually, the game is expected to modernize the original premise while keeping the franchise’s signature energy. However, the reveal of Crazy Taxi: World Tour also brought controversy tied to generative AI being used during development—an additional factor players may weigh alongside soundtrack authenticity.
Crazy Taxi: World Tour is scheduled to arrive on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC in 2027.
Takeaways for players and fans
- Expect the soundtrack to be treated as core design, not a cosmetic add-on—Kanno says he chooses the theme song first.
- The Offspring and Bad Religion tracks weren’t just licensed music; fans noticed immediately when later releases lacked them.
- If you care about “Crazy Taxi” identity, pay attention to which specific songs appear in demos and marketing for World Tour.
- Soundtrack-driven expectations may influence stakeholder decisions during development, based on Kanno’s description of recurring questions.
Expert View
Crazy Taxi’s best trick has always been translating music energy into gameplay rhythm. Kanno’s comments make that clear: the team didn’t chase licensing after the fact—they built the experience around a track and then used that sound as the creative compass. That’s also why the backlash to missing Offspring and Bad Religion songs in an earlier port wasn’t just nostalgia; it was a signal that players treat soundtrack continuity as part of the franchise’s mechanics. For Crazy Taxi: World Tour, the big question isn’t whether the game is chaotic—it’s whether it preserves the franchise’s audio DNA while modernizing everything else.
