18-Wheeler: American Pro Trucker

• Release Date: February 20, 2002
• Genre: Racing
• Style: Mission-Based Racing
• Similar Games: Big Mutha Truckers (Nintendo GameCube), The Simpsons: Hit & Run (Nintendo GameCube), Crazy Taxi [Player's Choice] (Nintendo GameCube)

Game Description

A port of Sega's 2000 coin-op title, 18-Wheeler for GameCube 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.

Review: Overall

Your opinion of 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker for the GameCube largely depends on how you view ports of games in general. If you firmly believe a conversion of an arcade game should re-create the feel of the original, then 18 Wheeler should please, as the gameplay is more or less a replica of its coin-op cousin, even if the visuals aren't up to code. It offers the same four trucks to choose from and the same four courses. Those believing a port should also expand on the original are advised to keep on truckin'.

As a console game, 18 Wheeler suffers from a number of faults, which are also evident in the earlier PlayStation 2 version. For one, the game involves going from point A to point B within a time limit, so it is linear, making the paltry number of courses even more shameful. While Acclaim's earlier GameCube port of Crazy Taxi is also short on features, the game gets mileage out of its free-roaming design, with no two games playing the same way twice. 18 Wheeler can be completely mastered within an hour.

The visuals are a step back from the arcade game and fail to take advantage of the GameCube. There's a surprising amount of graininess to both the courses and vehicles on the road, and there's noticeable pop-up in the distance as the scenery labors to keep up with the action. While each of the four routes offers forks in the road, the courses are so painfully short they end up being slight detours rather than completely new routes.

While there are extras in the game, none of them add up to anything of value. The best addition is the separate parking sequences, where you have to maneuver the rigs into specific areas as quickly as possible. Since seconds on the clock are deducted for every object you hit on the way there, a degree of finesse is involved in steering the big rigs. Alas, this mode only consists of five levels, so it's over rather quickly. A timed race also exists, which involves driving three boring laps around four circular courses.

Without at least ten more routes in the main game, additional modes of play, bonus vehicles, or incentive to attain high scores other than for posterity, 18 Wheeler cannot be recommended for a purchase. The simple, straightforward nature of gameplay is over far too quickly and the appealing aspect of smashing into buildings and cars is largely neglected. In the end, this payload is too basic to keep players occupied for the long haul.

Review: Enjoyment

The game offers some fun, but it's short-lived. There's not enough modes or courses to keep players interested.

Review: Graphics

The visuals lack clarity and the pop-up is significant.

Review: Sound

The voices tend to be annoying, but the sound effects of the trucks (engines, horns, etc.) are believable.

Review: Replay Value

While the game offers multiple difficulty levels, there's not much incentive to keep playing after experiencing the four courses.

Review: Documentation

The manual is not needed to play the game, but a basic description of the play modes and controls is offered.