'Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom' on PC: A big mission in a wind-up taxi

Berlin (dpa) — In "Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom" you slip into the role of a cute, yellow wind-up taxi. The goal is to collect gears and coins to reach the headquarters of an oil company called Tosla. There you have to prevent the CEO, Alien Mosk, from taking over the world.

Gears unlock new levels and tasks. Sometimes you handle giant bowling balls, sometimes you take people from A to B. It’s important to keep an eye on the time because your car has to be wound up again and again. When the time is up, you end up back at the last checkpoint.

Even if "Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom" looks like a racing game from the 90s at first glance, it is actually a cutting-edge jump'n'run — although one without jumps. It’s more of a dash and drive.

When you activate “Dash” the vehicle moves at high speed in one direction, allowing you to overcome large distances and even chasms. During the dash you can brake to control the momentum. The controls require precise timing and that’s not always easy.

The game conjures up the look and sound of the 1990s and deliberately avoids a complex plot. Instead, the focus is on the gaming experience.

During the journey, you keep discovering new levels, finding useful things, and meeting quirky characters who add a lot of humour to the game.

However, there is a small problem: the cumbersome and imprecise movement mechanics can be very frustrating. If you can get used to that, this taxi chase is a lot of fun. Overall, the game is a successful mix of 90s Nintendo nostalgia and current gameplay mechanics.

“Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom” is available for PCs for around €17/$17.