Vice Presidential Candidate Governor Tim Walz Proves He's a Gamer, Plays Crazy Taxi With AOC
The 2024 election cycle has been one of the most contentious in recent history, but Vice Presidential hopeful Tim Walz and representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are combatting this by booting up a certified Sega classic. Walz, known for his love of Crazy Taxi, recently joined AOC onstream to talk politics and catch some fares.
Shortly after Vice President Kamala Harris announced that her running mate would be Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a surprising story regarding his gaming habits made the rounds. A New York Times profile revealed that the former school teacher was an avid Dreamcast player until his wife, unfortunately, confiscated his system. In a full-circle moment, Walz joined New York representative Ocasio-Cortez on her Twitch channel to talk politics and fit in a game of Madden and Crazy Taxi.
Crazy Taxi was a Liability to Governor Tim Walz's Marriage
Walz's tenure as an unhinged cab driver came at the tail end of the stream, where he explained that, 20 or so years ago, he opted for Sega’s Crazy Taxi instead of Grand Theft Auto as he was teaching school and thought Rockstar’s crime simulator was “a little bit too harsh”. However, Walz’s gaming habits became too much for his wife. A former student recalls him telling a story of “the time his wife had seized his Dreamcast, the Sega video game console, because he had been playing to excess.”
After the publication of the New York Times profile, IGN surprisingly managed to track down his lost console, finding none other than Crazy Taxi in the disc drive, sending the internet into a flurry. In the video, Walz recounts how the console eventually found its home with an intern after it had been put up on Facebook. In a 2018 post on ResetEra, user Bryn Tanner confirmed he was in possession of Walz’s Dreamcast, saying, “Oh, I bought a Dreamcast for $25 back in 2012 from one of his former high school students who worked on his campaign. Walz was just like ‘hey we have this old video game thing; do you want it?’ And the guy took it.”
The news has also spawned a Crazy Taxi: Tim Walz Edition fan mod created by video game developer Edward La Barbera. La Barbera was inspired by former President Bill Clinton’s appearance in NBA Jam and decided to insert a Walz character model and voice lines ripped from the campaign trail. AOC noted during the stream that “the music is good”, an aspect that has become one of the most lauded additions to the game.
Unfortunately, updated versions of Crazy Taxi no longer feature the punk rock sounds of The Offspring and Bad Religion due to licensing issues, but it's nothing a mod can't fix. If anything, this fun jaunt through nostalgia with elected officials is a reminder that no matter who voters support, it's important they cast their ballot before or on Nov. 5 and let their voice be heard.
