18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker

"Another AM2 Dreamcast ace"

After worshipping Ferrari F355 Challenge (also by AM2) I was a little skeptical about this. After all it is a game about driving a truck. What is the fun in that?. Well the answer is that there is a whole lot of fun to be had with this game. You play a truck driver hired to deliver goods from one destination to another. After each trip you are given a score.

Along the way you face a rival trucker by the name of ''Lizardtail'' who is always trying to bring you down and to stop you from reaching your destination. Anyway enough of the plot onto the most important thing, the game itself. Well AM2 are still Dreamcast dynamo's. The graphics are superb and smooth with little pop-up or loss in frame-rate (although compared to F355 they are lacking somewhat). Like F355 the game uses physics to make it is realistic as possible and it works. As you turn a corner the items on the dashboard slide from left to right. Squeeze the brakes and the air brakes hiss.

Seeing as this is an arcade game there isn't much music although there is country-western style music it suits the game well. The sound effects are superb and the horn is an absolute blast!!. However seeing as it is an arcade game essentially it has to be lacking somewhat in longevity?, well AM2 have added a few extras such as Parking Challenges.

This is where you have to park your truck in a garage within the allocated time limit. This adds a lot to the game and gives it the essential ''one more go'' factor. There is also a score attack mode where you have to travel around various tracks accumulating as much money as possible by hitting bonus cars and avoiding the other traffic and your rival trucker. And of course there is the arcade mode where you have to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible avoiding traffic and your rival truckers. Personally I think that the arcade mode is superb as it truly demonstrates the realistic handling and physics and the superb graphics whereas in the other modes no inside view is available which is rather a shame (and the reason it didn't get a perfect score). You really feel like a trucker as you are speeding along the roads dodging traffic. After each arcade stage you get a parking stage (providing you beat your rival) which is the same as the parking challenge option whereby you have to park your truck in the garage in the time limit. The only difference is that if you succeed in arcade mode you get extra items such as an upgraded horn which spurs you on to finish the game.

Personally AM2 are my favourite Dreamcast developers and as usual this game is absolutely superb and another 'A' rated Dreamcast game. If you loved the arcade game you will love this, if you haven't sampled the game yet then treat yourself, I promise you won't be disappointed!!.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/02/01, Updated 01/02/01