With vice presidential candidate Tim Walz openly sharing his passion for gaming, it was only a question of time before someone brought that enthusiasm into the realm of video games. This week, we discovered Crazy Taxi: Tim Walz Edition, a mod for the Dreamcast, available on itch.io, and felt it was a story worth exploring.
To understand the inspiration behind this creation, we refer to an anecdote from Walz featured in a New York Times article, where he reminisced about his fondness for the Sega Dreamcast. This personal enjoyment, however, led to a quirky twist—his wife, Gwen Walz, allegedly took over the console due to his excessive gaming. Naturally, this piqued the curiosity of many gamers: What ultimately became of the Dreamcast? What titles did he favor? And what game was reportedly the last straw for Gwen?
As the discussion unfolded, a ResetEra thread from 2018 resurfaced, where user Bryn Tanner, known as “Aaron,” claimed to possess Walz’s Dreamcast. He detailed how he purchased the console for $25 from a former student of Walz’s, who received it while Walz was campaigning for Congress.
While the console lacked games, further investigation by IGN’s Rebekah Valentine uncovered that the student, Tom Johnson, had taken the Dreamcast to college and remembered a lone disc inside: Crazy Taxi. This quirky anecdote effectively transformed into a meme.
Crazy Taxi: Tim Walz Edition is a mod that requires the Flycast Dreamcast Emulator to play. In this game, you take on the role of Tim Walz as a spirited taxi driver racing through the city to pick up and drop off passengers as swiftly as possible. The catch? You’re a bit of a reckless driver, leading to wild stunts and countless collisions!
In a conversation with MPRNews, the creator Edward La Barbera shared that he began learning about Dreamcast modding specifically for this project. He envisioned it as a humorous tribute, likening it to the inclusion of Bill Clinton in the classic arcade game NBA Jam.
Beyond just incorporating Walz, La Barbera infused several Minnesota elements into the game, including snowy settings, trees typical of the northern Midwest, and flannel outfits. Additionally, Kamala Harris appears as a selectable character, with her and Walz’s Democratic National Convention speeches featured as in-game dialogues. Plus, players can now take passengers to a polling location.
It’s not entirely surprising that Walz enjoys Crazy Taxi—it has earned a spot among the greatest Dreamcast titles. Sega hinted last year that they’re reviving several classic franchises, including Crazy Taxi. In other words, there’s always potential to welcome more adventures in the Crazy Taxi universe.
