Dreamcast

  News 
  Reviews
  Previews
  Hardware
  Interviews
  All Features

Areas

  3DS
  Android
  iPad
  iPhone
  Mac
  PC
  PlayStation 3
  PlayStation 4
  Switch
  Vita
  Wii U
  Xbox 360
  Xbox One
  Media
  Archives
  Search
  Contests

 

18 Wheeler American Pro Trucker

Score: 70%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Media: GD/1
Players: 1 - 2
Genre: Racing

Graphics & Sound:

After garnering praise for originality and solid style on the arcade circuit, Sega's 18 Wheeler has arrived on the Dreamcast at long last! Ah, but it's such a shame that hardly anything's been improved and you might miss the single player game if you sneeze -- but let's cover the good stuff first.

It wouldn't be fair to say the graphics alone are 18 Wheeler's saving grace, but that's nearly true. Similar to Daytona USA's design, each truck has its own unrealistically shiny reflective surfaces, and the impressive draw distances won't leave you squinting for the finish line. Attention to track details and sleek rig models contribute a much-needed sense of style here, but the ear candy doesn't hurt either. While what little music you'll hear basically consists of subtle country-rock ditties over the radio, it's the little things that make the game more enjoyable -- hissing brake sounds, realistic crash noises, and that wacky instructor who feels the need to scream/growl basic observations to you at the beginning of each stage in a voice almost identical to your rival, Lizardtail. Good stuff there!


Gameplay:

Arcade mode stays true to the original in every aspect (especially its incredibly short length). Players choose from four unique truckers with their own stats, select their trailer, then hit the road and race against time. It's pretty tough to win without hitting a few of the special vans carrying 3-second bonuses littered across the tracks, and following closely behind other trucks for slipstream boosts is an absolute must. If you're good, you'll drive from New York to San Francisco in roughly 15 minutes. Don't ask how; I guess 'reality' didn't make it on the 'things to add' list over at Sega during development.

They did add a few new game modes, though. Score Attack lets you drive three laps around one of four courses against your rival to see how much money you can accumulate by smashing bonus cars and wrecking Lizardtail's trailer. 18 Wheeler's much-anticipated Versus mode is only a two player version of Score Attack, where you can drop cargo (crates, pumpkins, entire cars, etc.) onto your friend's windshield by using the horn button. Fun concept, but it gets stale just as quickly as Arcade mode.

Perhaps the coolest part about the home version rests with the new Parking challenge, where you'll have to carefully steer your truck into five garages under a strict deadline without hitting too many obstacles on the way. Since there are only four stages and not an insane amount of replay value to be found, it won't take long to get tired of this either... but it's a nice addition.


Difficulty:

In the arcade, I beat this game on 50 cents after just playing it twice. I'm not sure if the difficulty was set lower in every arcade I've played at, or if steering with an actual wheel makes an enormous impact in performance versus the standard Dreamcast gamepad, or what... but the home version made me look like some sort of rookie chump on the first attempt. And the second, and third. Fourth too.

Make no mistake; unless you've got your braking, shifting, turning and slipstream control down pat, it'll be extremely tough to get across the checkpoints with time left on the clock. Practice makes perfect though, just as with any other driving game in a similar vein. Keep at it and see how high you can get that score (since that's really the only reason to keep playing)!


Game Mechanics:

This game actually does have a few nice touches in the way of minor details. Helicopters kick up tiny dust tornadoes as they fly overhead, and random junk slides around on your dashboard when you turn sharp corners. Very cool. The controls are a bit sluggish, but hey, you can't exactly go 0-60 mph in a few seconds with an 18-wheeler in real life either, buddy.

Y'know, 18 Wheeler sells the sort of appeal that Capcom's Cannon Spike depended on entirely: an action-packed arcade experience that will be over in 20 minutes, yet leaves a little incentive to play a few more times. Some people love the concept (and generally also love Cannon Spike), while others can't help but wonder why the developers didn't put in an extra effort to give the home version a real purpose. Now, I won't say which side I'm on, but I will point out that unless you thoroughly enjoyed the full-sized version and wouldn't mind spending around 40 bucks for zero extra single player levels and the same 10-20 minutes of entertainment per play, save your cash for a more fulfilling title. Better luck next time, Sega.


-Ben Monkey, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ben Lewis

Windows Day Trader Sega Dreamcast Crazy Taxi 2

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated