An overpriced road-hog that could (and should) have been a lot better...
I

18-Wheeler Pro American Trucker was was originally introduced in the arcade in 1999. It's somewhat a spin-off of Crazy Taxi in many ways. Although you don't carry passengers, the goal is still the same: Beat the clock. The big difference of course, is that you are driving a big rig, rather than a speedy taxi. Of course, taking after Crazy Taxi, 18-Wheeler is anything but a simulation, but as in real life, driving a semi is a whole different experience. The game offers 4 modes of play including a 2-Player VS mode. The goal is to beat your opponent to finish line and it's also a race against the clock.

Features:

5 Unique Trucks with different handling, top speed, toughness and torque.
Race Across America on 4 different stages.
Arcade, Parking Challenge, Score Attack and 2-Player VS

Graphics: If you played the demo, you already know this game looked good 3 months ago. The distance draw-in is very good with nearly zero pop-up. Expect the Playstation 2 version to be nearly identical. The stages are based in real-time locations, from New York to San Francisco, to the sunny beaches of Key West. Although you'll be too involved with the gameplay, take some time to check out the nice sky schemes in the different locations. It will remind players of Nintendo's Crusin' USA with much better graphics and more road to travel. The game plays very smoothly, and there are two camera views for the driver. The "inside the rig" view really makes you feel like you're inside the semi, but it's a bit more difficult to see behind and to the side of you. The "behind the trailer" view is your best bet if you want to keep rival truckers in view of the action. And since this is no baby's toy car, you'll be able to plow into cars, smash into trees, and virtually run into anything. And the ability to do that, makes for some interesting visuals. It also has nicely added touches like tornadoes and weather elements.

Control: There are 5 CB trash-talkin' characters to choose from. All of the trucks behave and drive differently. Some all good all around and are well balanced, while others have more speed but less toughness. The slower rigs can take more damage and running into a tree is like tinfoil when moving at high speeds. As in real life, these trucks don't behave like normal cars. Braking is less responsive and of course takes an eternity to stop. Taking sharp corners requires some planning ahead and some good driving skills. The basic controls are the acceleration button and braking. However, the game also requires you change gears. Luckily there is no "hi-lo", it's just one button to get the truck in the right gear and gives a message on screen when it's time to change. When the game requires you to park, I think I ended up hitting the wall going 70 the first time. This is where you'll notice the difference of driving a semi next to car.

Sound: "Breaker 1-5 to Pig-Pen, this is the Rubberduck, you got yer ears on? Come on... " Although the CB trash talkin' is cool, it never changes. If you restart the level, you hear the same crap. It really gets annoying after the 3rd time around. The sound effects are realistic with real engine noises from authentic riggers and puts you in the action.

Final Call: I guess Sega thinks that 4 stages is enough time for you to travel across America. With all the good this game offers, sweet graphics, good control, and great sound, it's simply not a very satisfying gaming experience for the fact it's too dang short. The arcade mode offers a miniscule 4 stages and even the length of them is questionable. The first level will average you about 4 minutes driving time. On Easy mode I finished all 4 stages in less than 30 minutes. Don't read me wrong here, driving 110mph then smashing head-on into on-coming vehicles is fun, but it can only keep you occupied for so long. The score attack mode adds a little replay value, but once again, not much. The parking mode, while original, didn't really do anything for me either. It requires you to go around corners and get to the required target within an allotted time limit without hitting any obstacles. Fun for awhile, but loses air pretty fast. The 2 player mode should bring some more replay value, but overall, 18-Wheeler American Pro Trucker is a big disappointment.

The Good and the Bad:
+ Good graphics
+ Good Control
+ 2 - Player mode
+ Hitting another trucker head on is cool within itself

- Repetitious gameplay
- Not as fun as Crazy Taxi
- Arcade mode is ridiculously too short. If you're good, you can finish the game in 30 minutes or less
- This should have been a bargain priced title, but it's not


Reviewed by: John