Grab your favorite lunchbox console and drive on the open road in Acclaim's latest.
In this world of next generation consoles, there are the Tomb Raider clones, the Resident Evil clones, and Crazy Taxi clones. Recently, 18-Wheeler American Pro Trucker was one of those Crazy Taxi clones (both developed by Sega, ironically enough) released on the Nintendo GameCube. Coming from such an esteemed bloodline, 18-Wheeler should ideally follow in its father’s footsteps. However, this does not seem to be the case. Pull over into the weigh station because this big rig is an embarrassment for both the system and its progenitor.
The graphics for 18-Wheeler are nothing spectacular; clearly a port from the less-powerful Dreamcast console. Seeing all these Sega ports onto the Gamecube (i.e. Sonic Adventure 2, NBA2K2, 18-Wheeler), I hope the next level of Sega games are re-worked from the ground up to utilize the Gamecube’s graphical power. The textures on the vehicles and environment are simple, plagued by those infamous “jaggies” and rather bland to look at. There is also the Curse of the Pop-Ups. Rather than having a tremendous draw distance, objects in the distance are not seen (see: Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 for incredible draw distance) and do not even elegantly “fade in.” Instead, objects just pop-up. One instant there is no water tower, and the next, it is there. On the plus side, the game does run at a steady 60fps (even in split-screen two-player mode).
The controls are fairly straightforward, and I hope future racing games on the Gamecube adopt the same control scheme. The R button is acceleration, the L button is brake, and both the D-pad and analog stick can be used for steering. The other buttons are used for a horn, to change view, shift gears, or reverse. If Sega did anything right about this game, it is the controls. They are responsive, but not too loose. Keep in mind you are driving an 18-wheeler, not a taxi, with several tons of cargo trailing behind you. The physics are right on target: you steer in one direction and the truck moves stubbornly in that direction. The varieties of cargo bring their own momentum, whether it is a pile of logs or a car trailer. Sometimes these physics can be frustrating if you’re used to your Grand Theft Auto or Mario Kart. If Nintendo ever decides to release a steering wheel accessory, I would like to see how 18-Wheeler plays on that.
Sound is mediocre, nothing too special. Your rival throughout the Arcade portion of the game, Lizard Tail, taunts you with witty quips that do nothing but annoy the player. His sayings not only get old, but the static-filled CB Radio voice becomes a nuisance. It is a clever novelty at first, but like all novelties, it wears off quickly.
The Arcade portion of the game is straightforward: you are supposed to bring cargo from one city to another city within a certain time limit. The player is chased by Lizard Tail, who tries to hit you from behind or cut you off. You want to try and keep to the road as close as possible, as any slight bump or crash will slow your truck down. Certain vans offer additional seconds to your time, so crashing into them will not bring you harm. There is also a Parking mode, Racing, and Score Attack. All of these modes involve a time limit and strategic racing/placing of your truck. Nothing quite as inspired as the mini-games found in the Crazy Taxi series.
18-Wheeler American Pro Trucker is first and foremost an arcade game. Game companies need to realize that bringing certain arcade games onto consoles may have its benefits, and also consequences. Crazy Taxi made a successful transition because the developers decided to add more modes to increase the replay value of the game at home. Unfortunately, 18-Wheeler should have stayed at the arcades. The game at home offers nothing but a quick thrill, albeit a rather cheap one.
