VGEsoterica
Member
I am not sure how many Gaf'ers will remember Harley Davidson and L.A. Riders? It had its moment in arcades in the late 90's and early 2000's but after that it seemed to disappear from arcade floors and become quite rare. Which is unfortunate because it's a legit awesome arcade game...especially with the giant sit down motorcycle with a full set of pedals and a giant set of handlebars to steer and accelerate / brake with.
The most interesting thing though is that Harley Davidson and L.A. Riders created the mold that Sega would use to make a much more well known arcade game...Crazy Taxi!
Racing against a timer? An open world to race in? Going from random checkpoint to checkpoint? A vibrant and colorful art style? Wild arcade steering? Sounds like I am describing Crazy Taxi...because I am! But I am also describing Harley Davidson and L.A. Riders which came out two years before Crazy Taxi ever hit arcade floors. It's like a long lost Crazy Taxi prototype except it's a finished game you can play from start to finish.
It's really just Crazy Taxi's older, more motorcycle based brother. Makes sense why it was never ported home though; I am sure the Harley Davidson license was not a cheap item to obtain for Sega in the arcades. Add in the fact that you can "beat" the game in under 5 minutes and you have a recipe for a game that would never get a port?
Anyone ever play? If you haven't you should def check it out. Especially if you enjoy Crazy Taxi. It might not have The Offspring or KFC but it has everything else
The most interesting thing though is that Harley Davidson and L.A. Riders created the mold that Sega would use to make a much more well known arcade game...Crazy Taxi!
Racing against a timer? An open world to race in? Going from random checkpoint to checkpoint? A vibrant and colorful art style? Wild arcade steering? Sounds like I am describing Crazy Taxi...because I am! But I am also describing Harley Davidson and L.A. Riders which came out two years before Crazy Taxi ever hit arcade floors. It's like a long lost Crazy Taxi prototype except it's a finished game you can play from start to finish.
It's really just Crazy Taxi's older, more motorcycle based brother. Makes sense why it was never ported home though; I am sure the Harley Davidson license was not a cheap item to obtain for Sega in the arcades. Add in the fact that you can "beat" the game in under 5 minutes and you have a recipe for a game that would never get a port?
Anyone ever play? If you haven't you should def check it out. Especially if you enjoy Crazy Taxi. It might not have The Offspring or KFC but it has everything else