18-Wheeler: American Pro Trucker

• Release Date: November 14, 2001
• Genre: Racing
• Style: Mission-Based Racing
• Similar Games: The King of Route 66 (PlayStation 2), Big Mutha Truckers (PlayStation 2), Harley-Davidson Motorcycles: Race to the Rally (PlayStation 2)

Game Description

A port of Sega's 2000 coin-op title, 18-Wheeler for PS2 has players hauling cargo across four separate routes while competing against a rival trucker. The four routes consist of New York to Key West, St. Petersburg to Dallas, Dallas to Las Vegas, and Las Vegas to San Francisco. Players race from a view inside the cab of their chosen 18-wheeler, each rated in speed, torque, and toughness, and must reach a series of checkpoints within a time limit to keep on trucking.

Points are earned based on three conditions: the time it takes to reach the finish line, the amount of cargo left intact after hitting objects, and whether or not players finished ahead of their rival. Completing the route before the competition unlocks one of three mini-games where players are challenged to park in specially designated areas within a certain amount of time. Finishing the objective reveals a horn, muffler, or engine to boost an 18-wheeler's performance.

As in the arcade game, each course features branching paths and fantasy elements such as a swirling tornado making its way across the highway. Other game modes include Parking Mode, Score Attack, and Versus Mode. Parking offers a series of five additional parking challenges, Score Attack involves racing on four three-lap tracks for points, while Versus is a two-player competition on a split screen. A total of five difficulty levels are available to customize the challenge.